Earlier this week I braved the flooding to head into the Forest of Dean, where I was warmly welcomed by the Newnham Readers group, a book club set up by local librarian Margaret Ellis.
The group chose The Undoing of Arlo Knott as their February read, and I went along to hear what they thought of it. I’d already been told that they never all agreed on a book one way or another…
Luckily they had mostly good things to say!
There were lots of comments about Arlo being driven by his own ego through much of the book, and what kind of person he eventually becomes. Surprisingly, there were also quite a range of interpretations of what happens at the end.
I also heard some interesting new ideas about the snake…
That’s the benefit of hearing from different book groups: it reminds you that reading is a hugely subjective experience. As a writer, all you can do is frame the story; what people see in it will always vary.
With thanks to Newnham Readers for a very pleasant evening (and to Maggie for the amazing lasagna!)
If you are a book club in the Westcountry and would like me to attend your event, please get in touch.
