Forest Arts Reading Group

Forest Arts Reading Group meets at Forest Arts, an arts centre in New Milton, on the edge of the New Forest. The group has been running for over two years now, and has twenty members. It is led by a reader-in-residence, who also runs a live literature programme, inviting authors down whose books the group has read. These have included Beryl Bainbridge, Melvyn Bragg and Jackie Kay.

English Passengers is a Whitbread prize-winner, and was a Booker runner-up. We found it an ideal reading group book due to its scope, and the multiple voices. It sustained a lively two-hour discussion, which is one of the main criteria for selecting each month's book. Two members of the group wrote separate reports on the reactions to English Passengers:

A report by Heather MacDermott
This book covered an enormous amount of topics, ranging through religious fervour, scientific deductions, seafaring tales and the ending of a whole race of people - these stories intertwined to culminate in Tasmania, although the story continues until satisfactory conclusions are reached.

Our reading group produced a variety of responses to English Passengers. The overall feeling was positive but some people strongly disliked the book.

The positive comments included several people who said that they would not normally read 'this type of book', usually avoiding historical seafaring tales, yet found that they 'couldn't put it down' and 'haven't enjoyed a book so much for ages'.

The multiple-voices-style in which the book is written also challenged us but most people felt that they added a useful perspective and dimension. Certain characters invoked more sympathy than others. Generally, Peevay was most appreciated, Captain Kewley added a lightness and humour, and Dr Potter was universally disliked. The various minor characters mostly contributed to the understanding of the story.

The fate of the Tasmanian aborigines was a sad, yet fascinating story and several of us said we understood, for the first time, how their eradication had come about.

Some people found it a slow read but felt that they still enjoyed it. It was also felt that it was a book that needed to be read in 'big chunks' - not a book to be dipped into - and that it took 'a lot of reading'. In fact, someone said that it had taken them about halfway into the book to 'get the thread' but they 'liked the way it was written'. Another comment was 'once I got into it, I found it riveting'.

On the negative side, someone else felt that they were really struggling and gave up reading the book. Another person said that 'by the end I was really hating it'. They found the multiple voices irritating, and a common complaint was the way in which Dr Potter's extracts were written. There was some debate about whether the way that Peevay's excerpts were written was patronising, and it appears that this obviously occurred to the author as he commented in the Note on Language at the beginning of the book.

Another comment professed the book 'Dickensian in scope'. This could be interpreted as praise, however the person making the comment disliked Dickens, and felt that Kneale had adopted the same method of Dickens of 'dotting the i's and crossing the t's' leaving little for the reader to imagine or contribute.

The ending felt a little contrived, although it was considered that some characters got what they deserved!

The book had some humour about it, but one of the more interesting comments was that it 'made me laugh but couldn't make me cry', somewhat disconcerting when one of the central stories was about the extermination of a people.

Overall, it was a multi-faceted book that elicited a multi-faceted response. On reflection, there were more positive than negative comments, although the negatives were strongly felt. However, many people had recommended the book to friends and family, leading to the conclusion that it is certainly worth a read (but get some good glasses as the print is very small!)

A report by Hilvary Robinson
The collision of two worlds, the old and the new, seems to epitomise the theme of this long novel. A lively discussion ensued the reading of this, often amusing, multi-faceted tale. After a slow start it gathered pace, in line with the story, but there are no short-cuts, it needs to be read in large chunks.

The gloss-paint technique (re-touching to ensure perfection) used by Matthew Kneale has to be admired. The story is told, using different voices, then partly re-told from another character's perspective.

The genocide that took place within the story, together with the brutality with which Victorians dealt with petty criminals, may lead to an unsettling response. However, possibly for the first time, an understanding of how the aboriginal people became eradicated in Tasmania, and the prevailing motives, come to light. The reproduction of an original letter in the Epilogue was very moving.

The blue-covered paperback version won approval, but the small print seemed to detract from this meaty read. A map would have been useful.

The majority of the group enjoyed this well-researched book, but felt like detached observers. As a reader, it is essential to have a role in a book, but not so this time. Kneale made us laugh, but couldn't make us cry!

Forest Arts' book for November 2001 is THE IDEA OF PERFECTION, Kate Grenville, followed by SURFACING, Margaret Atwood.