On Bended Knees - May 2022 Book Group discussion thread

11 watchers

Little Nemo Jun 2022 8:26pm, 18 Jun 2022 12,946 posts	0 Little Nemo I found this an odd and difficult read. Although it's not badly written I didn't enjoy the way the story developed. There seemed to be a series of random events and random characters that didn't make for a very coherent story. The parts spent in England didn't work at all in my opinion. I felt it got better when he arrived in Berlin as it became more interesting. The characters were still pretty random, Herr Poppel especially but there was the odd passage that came to life. Maybe because it's I've been to Berlin but the descriptions of the city were the best bit for me. It was also interesting to hear German views on the war and Nazi-ism even if these were uncomfortable. It made a lot of sense when I read the foreword to find out that a lot of it was auto-biographical. Life is often odder than fiction but it doesn't always make good literature. Not sure I'd try anything else by this author but the bits about Berlin just about made this a worthwhile read. I gave this book a 5.
Little Nemo Jun 2022 8:31pm, 18 Jun 2022 12,947 posts	0 Little Nemo applauds McG's excellent pastiche So much better than this book!
McGoohan Jun 2022 9:13pm, 18 Jun 2022 51,506 posts	0 McGoohan
Little Nemo Jun 2022 9:20pm, 18 Jun 2022 12,949 posts	0 Little Nemo BTW, do you want your copy back?
McGoohan Jun 2022 9:24pm, 18 Jun 2022 51,507 posts	0 McGoohan Noooo. Ta, but no. Charity shop or another Fetchie wanting to catch up?
Hanneke Jun 2022 10:00am, 19 Jun 2022 90,266 posts	0 Hanneke It made a lot of sense when I read the foreword to find out that a lot of it was auto-biographical. Life is often odder than fiction but it doesn't always make good literature. Well put!
Serendippily Aug 2022 9:57pm, 23 Aug 2022 26,460 posts	0 Serendippily This book took me about three months to read and put me off reading anything else (along with drop city which is still mid way) so it seemed overkind to give it more than a 7. But yet I did find it’s brutal style and stark descriptions of terribly violence amid turgid mundanity quite effective. I just would have appreciated something a bit more chirpy
Serendippily Aug 2022 10:04pm, 23 Aug 2022 26,461 posts	0 Serendippily That was a very good pastiche. The football and tv scene I thought was very good. I actually thought the beach scene with herr poppel was also good. And I agree with Columba about it being the effect of war and something about the anger re the smug certainty of youth. A lot was as overegged as the dogs diet