NEWBOLD BOOK CHAT: DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS by P.D.JAMES

Derbyshire Libraries launched its Book Chat Readers' clubs in September 1998 with two pilot groups at Heanor and Long Eaton. Newbold Library held its first meeting in February 1999. The interest from readers was so great, that we decided two groups should be formed, one to be held in the evening and one in the afternoon. Initially we had ten members in each group, but since the start both the numbers and the enthusiasm have increased.

The very first book we read was 'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy which created a very lively discussion. To date we have read over 25 books, including graphic novels, science fiction, mysteries and biographies.

As well as meeting to talk about books, we have also held a variety of special evenings in the library which include several author visits, a drama production, Summer and Christmas evenings, all accompanied by wine and a buffet. These have proved both enjoyable and very successful, not only for members of the readers' groups and the general public, but for library staff as well.

We are always happy to welcome new members to either of our Book Chat clubs at Newbold. The diverse age range and interests of our readers all add to the pleasure of sharing the thoughts and emotions we discover in books.

And now, with just that in mind, let's move on to this month's good read....

Fifteen members of the Newbold Evening Book Chat Group gathered in the library to discuss the latest Inspector Dalgleish mystery. About half were regular crime afficionados; several had never read a crime novel before, or at least not for many years. Some readers had watched the TV versions of the books.

The novel is set on the bleak East coast of Suffolk where Adam Dalgleish returns to a childhood location, St. Anselm's theological college, to investigate an accidental death of one of the students. Before long, the bodies are piling up, while the list of suspects for the inspector and his team includes both priests and ordinands, various visitors to the college, as well as the staff who work there as teachers or domestics.

Each reader gave a quick appraisal of the book, interspersed with other readers' comments, before general discussion continued on various aspects of the novel. Betty set the ball rolling - she is a crime lover, but hadn't read PD James before. She found the characters interesting, and well drawn, but rather numerous, so lost track at times of who was who. She particularly enjoyed the 'bleak atmosphere' of the novel. She was considering re-reading the book as she felt she would get more out of it a second time as it was rather different to other crime books she had read.

This view was echoed by Maggie and Ann who both enjoyed the book and found it easy to read, but weren't particularly gripped. Michelle raised the point that there was no twist at the end - nothing unexpected happened and there was no great revelation. Dorian had not enjoyed the novel - she doesn't like crime and gave up through lack of interest.

But the next reader, Carol, really loved the book, and said it was 'super'! She is a great fan of P.D. James and thinks her books need savouring quite slowly as not a word is wasted. She knows the East coast well, and the descriptions took her back to her own past very effectively. She also talked about the sense of tragedy that pervades the book, picking up on a point by another reader who had mentioned how all the characters had an unfortunate death in their past. 'Perhaps this sadness led them to seek solace at St Anselm's - was it a retreat from these past events?'

Brian was just as enthusiastic as Carol and once again praised the author's 'brilliant' sense of atmosphere, both within the cloisters of the college, and also in the outdoor scenes on the lonely, windswept coast. He felt that in most crime books, many of the characters lack depth, whereas in a P.D. James book, characters are skilfully drawn, with believable lives and problems, which adds to the complexity and richness of the novel. Several other readers agreed with this, even if they hadn't enjoyed the book overall. Brian found some positive aspects in the book and enjoyed 'the hopeful ending' - a view shared by most of the group. He was re-reading the book and discovering facets of the story he hadn't seen before.

Again, Sarah had rather a different opinion. She felt the style was 'stilted', and the characters all rather similar. She prefers books where the plot is less important and the characters are more interesting, their relationships more fully explored. Jill, not a crime reader, found the book 'hard going in places', but she was won over by the crumbling landscapes that seemed to relate to the disintegration of St. Anselm's - 'inevitable change was coming for both the cliffs and the college' she said.

Matthew has read some crime fiction, and viewed the traditional elements such as 'the world weary detective', the motley array of suspects and what he called 'the river full of red herrings' and the 'cliched interviewing techniques' with some scepticism. However, he agreed that the characters were well drawn, and that plenty of background made them more than 'the shallow cardboard cut-outs' in other crime novels. He also liked the intelligence of the plot, though it was too rushed at the end. He felt it was worth reading, despite being irritated by the rather 'wordy and pretentious' style.

Irene was a less severe critic, but found the motives hard to fathom in this novel. This led to a general discussion on this point, and several other readers had struggled to see why the archdeacon had been murdered at all! Irene also got bogged down with all the different names and the rather complicated family history of the Arbuthnotts.

Alison, however, enjoyed her first experience of PD James. The closed community was particularly well described she felt, and the rather stifling atmosphere very effective. She would definitely read another Dalgeish novel. Judith echoed her view, and like many in the group, thought it was quite a good read, but the power of the descriptive passages was the best thing in it.

Nicole felt she had an advantage as she had read all the Dalgeish novels so could see the development of his character over time. She likes reading P. D. James and particularly enjoyed the way Dalgeish changes in this book. There is a softening in his personality with the possibility of a future relationship with Emma - whereas in previous novels he has been cold and withdrawn since the death of his wife. Nicole also raised the point that the book is meticulously researched - the ecclesiastical detail, the descriptions of medieval paintings like the Doom etc. Most of the group agreed with her. She also likes the way that P. D. James treats the reader as intelligent. Overall, she loved the novel.

Jane felt pretty much the same. She too is a fan, and has followed Inspector Dalgleish's career avidly. She loved the descriptions, and also the insight into the world of the church and its theological teachings. Lastly, Marion, who wasn't able to be present, but had telephoned her response to the group. She had never read PD James, but loved it, couldn't put it down and can't wait to read another.

In passing, the group also discussed the portrayal of women in the novel, (temptresses or domestics?); the role of the church (hypocritical and corrupt or a fount of Christian charity?); the depiction of St.Anselm's (peaceful and serene haven from the world or claustrophobic and chilling?) as well as the filmed versions of the books (nothing like as good as the books or gripping TV?) and the relationships and characters of the other police officers in Dalgeish's team.

Overall, we would recommend this novel to other reading groups, particularly in view of the range of opinions expressed at the meeting - different view points means the conversation never stops! For crime readers, P.D. James is obviously one of the top choices and for those new to the genre, her books give an excellent introduction to the world of sleuths and corpses.

A very lively and enjoyable evening at Newbold Library ended as various members of the book group made their exits, eagerly clutching next month's books : Being Dead by Jim Crace and Veronika Decides to Die by Paul Coelho.

Notes by Jane Whalley, Priscilla Baily and with thanks to all contributions from Newbold Book Chat Group.