4 posts tagged “a thousand splendid suns”

Friday night was a all girls night, we were stood up by Alain and Jacques, however that didn't stop us taking about A Thousand Splendid Suns and sundries.  We do have some chatterboxes in our midst, especially when we stop swap the language of Shakespeare for that of the language of Moliere, however that's enough diverging of the main topic of this post, which is the book.

 I think I can speak for us all when I say that we all immensely enjoyed the book.     This book teaches so much about the real Afghanistan, from the political turmoil in Afghanistan and the various factions vying for power to the appalling time had by women  living under the Taliban regime, worst than I ever imagined, yet at the same time we learn of the natural beauty of Afghanistan and her fascinating history.

New Date

Friday 25th April

19hrs

Hotel des Bains

Book:   A Thousand Splendid Suns

I have finished my copy of the book, so if anyone wants to borrow it during the holiday's, just let me know.

Shutter Island

To begin with, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all for coming and giving up a part of your weekend to discuss Shutter Island and sundries.

Erlinda is our newest member, she came notwithstanding her broken knee!

I hope our group lived up to her expectations.

Maybe  Erlinda would be so kind to write up a synopsis on the evening and the book in question  in the near future, when she has time, naturally.

Speaking in public, even in a small group like ours, can be a daunting experience, this can be made worst when one speaks in a language which isn't their own, however when one becomes more confident and more at ease in the company of others that they beginning  to get to know, barriers tumble down, and one begins to converse, and little by little, what seemed impossible is now feasible and even enjoyable.

The  threshold language barrier has been well and truly leapt over by one and all, there's no stopping you now, you can chit chat to your heart's content*.

Language evolves in sudden leaps, we all have our own particular style, and there's always room for improvement.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

 The  book  for April is A Thousand Splendid Suns

The date and the venue are still to be confirmed, updates will appear on the blog or via email.

UPDATE 

Next chat will take place the 25th April, at 19.00, Hotel des Bains 

Gilead

The book for May has been proposed by Erlinda.

Gilead

By Marilynne Robinson

I am very fond of American literature, however I am embrassed to say that this novelist is completely new to me.

If  The Washington Post is anything to go by, we are all in for a real treat.

They wrote  "so serenely beautiful, and written in a prose so gravely measured and thoughtful, that one feels touched with grace just to read it."  

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* Heart's content meaning:-  as much as you want - one's complete inner satisfaction - until one's heart is content.

Origin (found here http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hearts-content.html) 

This phrase is first put into print in Shakespeare's plays and there's every reason to believe that he coined it. He used it in at least two plays:

Henry VI, 1593 - Her grace in Speech, Makes me from Wondring, fall to Weeping ioyes, Such is the Fulnesse of my hearts content.

The Merchant of Venice, 1596 - I wish your Ladiship all hearts content.

It is also found in a letter Shakespeare sent to the Earl of Southampton, as the dedication of the poem Venus and Adonis:

Right Honourable, - I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to your Lordship, nor how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burthen: only, if your Honour seem but pleased, I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all idle hours, till I have honoured you with some graver labour. But, if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a godfather, and never after ear so barren a land, for fear it yield me still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and your Honour to your heart's content; which I wish may always answer your own wish, and the world's hopeful expectation,

Next Chat:  29th March.  Time:  18hrs.    Place: To be decided but probably Port Issol in the bar overlooking the bay.

We have chosen two books to read over the next two months, I am not sure in which order they are to be read but I surmise that first book will be

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

followed by

 
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

These books are available via amazon.fr and amazon.co.uk.