Barbara Pym - Excellent Women

A clear majority liked this .One of us not . Some lovely turns of phrase in the story of quiet post-War desperation ,

Etgar Kerret -Suddenly a Knock on the Door

Short  ,sometimes very short stories.Perhaps a theme of human sadness, mortality ,frailty.Some funny bits , some inventive m but does it hang together as a whole
Mostly enjoyed by us

the Auschwitz Violin

Although interesting  , we thought it a bit short .Needed more about after the War. ON the whole a good balance of the horror of Auschwitz and the actual story.
Good but not great

David Szaly Aĺl that Man Is

A bleak but readable series of tales of  being a man. Sad, unfulfiled men....not like us. No-one hated it ,some  thhought it pretty good.

Vladimir Nabokov --Lolita

Some found this too uncomfortable in its theme to get through it , although we could admire the language and turns of phrase.Others could see why it is still published an highly rated.

Sebastian Faulks - Where My Heart Used to Beat

WE did not engage with this - the first person narrator is perhaps meant to be distant  - It seems rather a deliberate construction of a book  and  not really believable.Not his best

Nikolai Gogol Dead Souls

Despite the title this is a satire on Russian life and characters. We did not all take to it  , but it  has its moments