Ealing Samaritans Reading Group

One of the characteristics that seems to make us different from other reading groups is the  diversity of our members. Our age range is from thirties to sixties. There are four men in the group and nine women, two of whom are Asian.

We nearly all do different jobs. We comprise two librarians, the manager of a small software company, a housewife, an art historian, a London Underground train driver, a British Airways stewardess, a phlebotomist, a psychotherapist (and knitwear model), someone who works in the sales department of a paper mill, a television producer, a builder and a counsellor. We therefore bring a wealth of experience and a range of outlooks. Having two librarians in our group means that books which may be hard to find can be located and ‘called in’ from distant libraries where they may otherwise lie, unread and gathering dust.

The fact that we are all, or have been Samaritans means we are well versed in exploring human emotions, which adds an interesting dimension to our discussions. We have varied viewpoints and opinions about what an author might be trying to achieve. The psychologist, with his special understanding of human behaviour can usually floor the rest of us with his insights into the characters in the book and the personality of the author. He has usually done some research into the writer, beyond the blurb on the cover. On at least three occasions, when he’s finished the book we’ve chosen, he has immediately read a biography of the author, the gist of which he then shares with all of us.

We meet at the Samaritans centre in Ealing, which is easily accessible, neutral ground for us all. Sometimes, someone will bring some wine and/or nibbles, but it’s a haphazard arrangement and definitely not the focus of the group. We toyed with the idea that whoever had suggested the book for discussion should then bring food on a theme to tie in with it. It fell by the wayside as the first book we read was Restoration by Rose Tremain. Having to prepare Restoration food, whilst catering for the three vegetarians is our number was too daunting a prospect. We could only think of pigeon and capon (too meaty) and syllabub (too messy, especially with the limited selection of crockery and cutlery available in the centre). Looking back at all the books we’ve discussed, themed food is definitely no loss.

We take it in turns to choose the books. Sometimes, the selector will have read it previously; it might be one that left a lasting impression over thirty years ago, or may be one just finished. Otherwise, he or she may have had it recommended by a friend or read or heard a review. We are quite strict about taking turns and try not to have too much discussion around the choice, although Plato’s Republic has been vetoed on two occasions. We are all quite vocal, so it’s often hard to avoid some kind of debate.

As we are all so different, our choices and tastes vary widely. At our inception one member suggested a limit of three hundred pages per book. The idea did not meet with everyone's approval and to take matters to extremes, sometime later another member recommended Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys, which numbered well over one thousand pages. Not everyone managed to finish it and many others found it rather heavy going. We all try to be tactful if we dislike a book recommended by someone else. However, we have found that a book which meets common approval can lead to a series of, “I liked the bit where…” remarks.  Whereas the best discussions often follow books not unanimously enjoyed. Each member seems to get something different from the same book, which then opens up a broader understanding for others.

We usually meet every six weeks and all like to read other books as well, so a chosen book needs to be readable in a few weeks at most. We try to avoid some of the more obvious choices, such as last year’s prize winners. There seem to be quite a few reading groups in and around Ealing; most of our members know several people in other groups and it often seems as though they are all reading the same books. Sometimes our choice is influenced by current events. For example, the recent gulf war led to the suggestion of All Quiet on the Western Front, a book we all found very moving.

We have access to a video player in the centre, which is used for training purposed, so occasionally we’ve watched a film as an offshoot of one of the books. For example Solaris in relation to Dispossessed’ and Cold Mountain itself, when it’s released. One of us has a video of All Quiet on the Western Front, so we’ll be seeing that soon.

Perhaps the quality that most marks us out from other groups, is the fact that our discussion at meetings is almost solely about books and reading. Our two Asian members have told of the reverence in which books were held when they were growing up. And the stewardess has spoken of the extra resonance she feels when able to read a book in the place in which it’s set.

In fact we have little in common apart from our love of books. We’re not really interested in each other’s children, partners and jobs. Each of us has had our reading tastes expanded and challenged by membership of the group and it has also honed our discussion skills. One of the most frequently heard remarks is, “I would never have thought of reading this book before, but I’m so glad I have.”

Recent reading list:

All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
The Outsider, Albert Camus
According to Queenie, Beryl Bainbridge
Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin
The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
The Alchemist, Paul Coelho