Alliance Française EuroBook Club
The Euroreview of Contemporary European Literature
Based on the great success of the European Book Clubs at the Alliances Françaises in Washington and New York, our Alliance chapter here in Bonita Springs can join this trend in offering our membership the opportunity to discover what is happening in European literature today.
The books chosen will offer the chance to read from the contemporary authors that have made their mark in the countries of the European Community; thus revealing new talents and trends in the latest best sellers.
The books are all read in their English translation and will be discussed at a monthly meeting. In offering this new project, the Alliances open the door to members whose French may still be a "works in progress", but their interest in Europe can be embellished by these literary works.
During the season, our book club members met at 4 pm on Wednesday's at the "Montenero" in Pelican Bay. For an hour or more, once per month, we critiqued the chosen book, albeit we were a bit shaky at first with our comments.We did settle into a solid group of 10 and suggestions were made by members and other Alliances with book clubs. Everyone participated in the discussion and opinions and each person was encouraged to present a book.
Our first season behind us, we will resume in the Fall. Our first meeting will be in November and the book that was chosen is: : "TROUBLES", by J.G. Farrell, the winner of the Lost Man Booker Prize.The story is Ireland's struggle for independence from England.
The edition is available in paperback and ebook.
Susanne Kuhn, Director
Synopsis
1919: After surviving the Great War, Major Brendan Archer makes his way to Ireland, hoping to discover whether he is indeed betrothed to Angela Spencer, whose Anglo-Irish family owns the once-aptly-named Majestic Hotel in Kilnalough. But his fiancée is strangely altered and her family's fortunes have suffered a spectacular decline. The hotel's hundreds of rooms are disintegrating on a grand scale; its few remaining guests thrive on rumors and games of whist; herds of cats have taken over the Imperial Bar and the upper stories; bamboo shoots threaten the foundations; and piglets frolic in the squash court. Meanwhile, the Major is captivated by the beautiful and bitter Sarah Devlin. As housekeeping disasters force him from room to room, outside the order of the British Empire also totters: there is unrest in the East, and in Ireland itself the mounting violence of "the troubles." Troubles is a hilarious and heartbreaking work by a modern master of the historical novel.