Nicky’s choice this month: a novel set in wartime Berlin, charting Lilly’s journey from abandoned orphan to silent film siren. Not many people could make it to the meeting but nevertheless we had a good discussion about the book, which met with a mixed reception. Nicky and I quite enjoyed the book, but found quite a few flaws in it, whereas Ciara did not enjoy it at all.I had taken the book on holiday and found it good for relaxing as it is well written without being taxing. However, I thought it was over plotted, feeling that the storyline should’ve been significantly pared down. Nicky disagreed, seeing the story as a strength of the book (although let down by an unrealistic ending). The only part Nicky felt could’ve been left out of the book was Lilly’s adventures in LA where pretty much nothing happened.
Ciara felt that Lilly came across as a passive device to explore the setting rather than as a believable character, which I agreed with. Lilly, for me, was not interesting enough to overlook her passivity and be an effective device for the reader to enter the world. I thought that Hanne was the best character in the book, reacting to the difficulties in her life in a way that I could empathise with. Ciara liked the sister-in-law, feeling that her internal struggle was well described and intriguing. We also liked Sister Augusta’s story. The author can write strong female characters – only Lilly herself let the book down.
We all liked the vignettes that introduced the chapters. The author had obviously done thorough and painstaking research into the period, which shone through in these passages. However, I thought that there was a lack of subtlety in the way that the author’s knowledge about the period was woven into the main body of the book: at times it read like a history lesson. I thought that less plot and more complexity of character would have improved an enjoyable book. I could see the book as a the first of a series, or as a TV adaptation. The writing is evocative and there are some touching and involving episodes. Good holiday reading.
