School for Love

pick

#nyrbbookclub
Felix begins this novel arriving in Jerusalem to live with his aunt (Miss Bohun) after his mother's death and what unfolds is a coming of age story in the extreme. Felix is initially a teenager who acts more like a 10-year-old, but in witnessing his aunt's tendency to exploit her tenants (including Felix), he gets a crash course in greed and hypocrisy that makes his grief for his mother that much more heartbreaking.

Billypar @Leftcoastzen @vivastory 2y

Billypar Our kittens are not really fans of sitting in laps like Faro in the novel, but every now and then it happens and we feel special for being chosen for such a rare honor, lol. 2y

Leftcoastzen Oh wow , very cute ! I never seem to have lap cats either. 😸 2y

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quietjenn Ah, I love this!!! Our cat is so not a lap cat either, so I very much relate. 2y

Chrissyreadit I love that you captured the moment 👏🎉🙌😻 2y

merelybookish Great pic! 😀 2y

Reggie This is awesome, lol! 2y

Cathythoughts Great review! I have this one stacked already 👍🏻 2y

Cathythoughts Love your picture too 2y

batsy Nice picture! That is indeed an honour 🐱 2y

vivastory Great pic 🐱I had a Siamese cat for years that I loved. I should dig up a pic & post it 2y

GatheringBooks Lovely photo!! 2y

Billypar Thanks all - I'm hoping Scout's social media celebrity doesn't go to his head 😺 @Leftcoastzen @quietjenn @Chrissyreadit @merelybookish @Reggie @Cathythoughts @batsy @vivastory @GatheringBooks 2y

Billypar @vivastory Definitely - they're gorgeous cats! 2y

Suet624 💕💕💕 makes me want a kitten! 2y

Billypar @Suet624 They are very cute and distracting! 2y

48 likes16 comments

Leftcoastzen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

#NYRBBookClub Question 5

quietjenn, GatheringBooks, sprainedbrain, catebutler, sisilia, KVanRead, daena, LeahBergen, Leftcoastzen, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi, youneverarrived, mklong, Tanisha_A, readordierachel, merelybookish, saresmoore, batsy, vivastory, Billypar, BarbaraBB, Liz_M, arubabookwoman, sarahbarnes, Theaelizabet

BarbaraBB I can see why that could be so but personally I think I‘‘d root for Felix since he has a more complex character - Miss Bohun in the end is a bit one-dimensional. 2y

Liz_M Miss Bohun certainly seems to be the protagonist in Felix's life. With the exception of Faro, it seems as if his interactions with all the other characters eventually revolve around Miss Bohun. She is his main topic of conversation with the other inhabitants of the house. 2y

DrexEdit I'd agree with that statement. Sometimes you have to tell a horrible person's story through the eyes of a more innocent person. 2y

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LeahBergen I can totally see what she means here. Every part of the story pretty much revolved around the machinations of Miss Bohun. The rotten old bag. 🤣 2y

LeahBergen @DrexEdit I like that idea! Well said. 👍 2y

Liz_M @DrexEdit Oh, that is a smart way to think of this narrative! 2y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen she is a rotten old bag! 😹One of the parts I love is when they go to pay the Imam , she invites the wives & daughters to come visit, smug in her idea that they won‘t! They show up and she snags Nikkys food to parcel out to the guests! 2y

LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen I loved that part! 😆 2y

quietjenn @DrexEdit ah, that's very astute! 2y

Leftcoastzen @BarbaraBB I think despite everything Felix learns so much and strives to be a decent person. 2y

quietjenn I could see it! In many ways, she's the most interesting character and the one that whose story we haven't seen as frequently. Like, I've read lots of stories of naïve boys coming of age, and more than a few of pregnant widows, but few of penny-pinching (generously speaking) or avaricious (less so) religious nutters (if she is? Not sure if she is actually believes or if it's just something else to exploit). Like, I so want to know her backstory. 2y

Billypar I guess I'd have to hear more about what her argument is. To me, Felix seemed like the classic protagonist whose perspective changes from the beginning to the end of the novel. Miss Bohun seemed like the antagonist who thwarts Felix's goals and doesn't change at all. 2y

arubabookwoman Oh I agree, for me this book was much more Miss Bohun's story than Felix's. She definitely needed a "school for love." Felix, as young and unformed as he was, had already experienced love, and though immature, loved Faro, and Miss Watts, (and maybe Mr. Jewel). 2y

Leftcoastzen @arubabookwoman I really like how Felix grew to care about others . I think he‘s going to turn out alright & glad he made the effort to take Faro.😄 2y

batsy @LeahBergen Rotten old bag sums her up, honestly 😅 2y

batsy I was going to agree with Garman's take, but then @Billypar made a good point about Miss Bohun being the antagonist to Felix 😆 Though it's certainly the case that the events come about entirely through Miss Bohun's dastardly machinations, made particularly worse because she truly seems to fool herself into thinking that this is the only way to help others. 2y

Reviewsbylola Miss Bohun was the spark that brought the story alive for me. So I don‘t disagree. 2y

GatheringBooks Hmmm. How about the minor side character - the widowed pregnant woman Felix was infatuated with? She could also be a sort-of main character in a potential spin-off of the novel. Better her than “the rotten old bag” as noted by @LeahBergen 2y

Leftcoastzen @GatheringBooks That is what I liked so much about the book . The characters were so well realized you could imagine another story or novel about the character you mentioned and about the others . I was speculating forwards & backwards about their lives . 2y

Leftcoastzen I just have to say what a great book club we are !this book had so many of the themes and amazing characters that you come to expect from a NYRB Classic. My complements to our fearless leader @vivastory 2y

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Leftcoastzen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

#NYRBBookClub Question 4

BarbaraBB I‘m not sure what he means but Manning knows how to bring her characters alive for sure. 2y

Liz_M I am not much of a visual reader, so it is a rare author that can evoke strong mental images for me. Manning is not an exception -- I have no pictures of Jerusalem or what the other characters look like. So I guess I disagree. 😂 2y

DrexEdit I think her character observation is even better than her physical descriptions. You may not know what the characters look like but you have a pretty good idea of how they will act. Her psychological portraits feel very true. I won't soon forget these characters. 2y

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LeahBergen I agree. I found her writing very evocative. 2y

Leftcoastzen @Liz_M yes! It was detailed descriptions of household things. You didn‘t get details on the area. 2y

Leftcoastzen @DrexEdit I think the characters were wonderfully detailed . I think they will stick with me for a long time. 2y

LeahBergen @Liz_M @Leftcoastzen I wonder if this was because we viewed everything through Felix‘s eyes and he never did any exploring or sightseeing at first? 2y

quietjenn I think that I agree. Certainly about the characters, as I very much felt that I knew and understanding. As for the city itself, I feel like I got a really strong sense of it without actually getting that much physical knowledge of it, if that makes sense? 2y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen @Liz_M What an interesting time in Jerusalems history. I would like to know more. I imagine that some communities might be quite insular.Not unlike some families who might be stationed at an overseas military base , never leave the base & only socialize with each other. 2y

Liz_M I can't quite put my finger on what (or how) Manning did that was so effective, but I really struggled with this book at first -- I was so uncomfortable with it. So for me, not exactly sensory, but there was definitely something about how she was conveying characters that was very well done. 2y

Billypar Like @Liz_M I'm not a visual reader either, so I'm a poor judge of an author's skills with reproducing sensory detail. I definitely agree @DrexEdit that her psychological portraits are where her skills shine the most I like the examples the reviewer provided, I'm just not convinced she's uniquely skilled at sensory imagery: it seems like it could be one of her skills among many. 2y

batsy @quietjenn I felt the same! I didn't feel like I could see it, but I could sense the place, if that makes sense. Like the way she described the stillness of the streets and the hot weather, the dusty roads, the hum of insects, the "sleepy" houses, when Felix went in search of Madame Sarkis. 2y

GatheringBooks @DrexEdit ‘s point about psychological portraits is so spot-on. It isn‘t really so much the physical descriptions of the characters but their inner beings brought to the surface in such unflinching unapologetic detail. The hateful characters become real, the sorry state of Felix is laid bare, the poverty, the confusion, the warped sense of morality narrated in such matter-of-fact fashion that leaves an indelible mark, at least for me. 💕 2y

DrexEdit @GatheringBooks oh I love the way you put this! 💕 2y

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Leftcoastzen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

#NYRBBookClub Question 3

BarbaraBB Such a great question. I can‘t think of anything that‘s not about money for her to be honest! 2y

Leftcoastzen @BarbaraBB the details ! Like early on when she goes over the list of expenses and even naive Felix noticed she put down kerosene and another item twice! 2y

Leftcoastzen Every angle of cheapness seems to come up, lights , heating , no meat,can‘t have both coffee and tea! 2y

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BarbaraBB And how she treats that girl (sorry forgot her name) who rents the room who sees right through her 😂 2y

Liz_M While money is clearly an underlying motivation, self-image seems to be her focal point. She wants so badly to be _Seen_ as a a good person -- almost all her conversation is in some way about maintaining her self-image -- either variations on “I try to help and people take advantage“ or “what would people think about my allowing immorality in my house“. 2y

DrexEdit So transparently about money all the time! We know other people saw through her, saw what she was doing, but people just let her get away with it. I guess in a world with no good options, you go with the bird in the hand. 2y

LeahBergen Her pathological penny-pinching drove me mad! Like @BarbaraBB , I can‘t seem to think of any part of her that wasn‘t completely driven by money. 2y

LeahBergen @Liz_M Good point about her perceived self-image! 2y

quietjenn @Leftcoastzen and “dividing“ the milk! 2y

quietjenn @Liz_M Yes, this is big for her too, I think. That line, something like “I refuse to have myself talked about like that“ and her constantly admonishing people to not discuss this or that with other people. Which is perhaps in part to keep them from comparing stories, but also I think has to do with her obsession over how she is perceived. 2y

Leftcoastzen @quietjenn @Liz_M My ,wouldn‘t Miss Bohun be amazing if she was as good as she thought she was!😀 2y

sarahbarnes I agree with all the thoughts here! She seems to be driven by both money - greed I would argue - and what she wants people to think of her. She‘s so manipulative it drove me bonkers. 2y

Billypar @Liz_M @quietjenn Great examples of Miss Bohun's conscious motivations: it's so true that she considers gaining esteem by others for her good works to be most important. 2y

Billypar I do think she wasn't very self-aware about her obsession with money - she just saw it as being smart and planning for the future like something everyone does. Jane Smiley's introduction was revealing - that Olivia Manning herself had a reputation of being stingy. I wonder if her portrayal of Miss Bohun was a form of self-criticism. 2y

Leftcoastzen @Billypar Yes ! Manning buying antiques low & selling high! I know some thought Miss Bohum was kind of a one trick pony but I was amazed about how far she would go thrift wise . 2y

Billypar Yes and the part at the end where Felix is asking for Faro and thinks he can see her doing calculations in her head cracked me up 😅 She does take thrift to an extreme. 2y

arubabookwoman It all is about money for her. To a certain extent understandable, given her background (foster family, poverty). But what made her an evil person was not the penny pinching, but her willingness to cheat & steal. The other character trait that made me dislike her so intensely was her self-delusion, although I am not so sure that she didn't know exactly what she was doing & was fully aware of her own lies. 2y

Leftcoastzen @arubabookwoman her self righteous about not using black market I think , was more a cover for her cheapness rather than morals . I couldn‘t wait for another layer to be revealed. 2y

batsy I also thought the way she came about the house was absolutely ghastly! Like, she basically just took over another's property in the name of doing good. "... I had the house put into my name to safeguard all of us." Boy does she know how to get her way ? 2y

Reviewsbylola Miss Bohun is the perfect parody of a self serving Christian. The only one she actually loves is herself, and it shows. The religion was just a facade. 2y

Leftcoastzen @batsy It‘s Miss Bohuns world , we just live in it! 😀She‘s in charge someway, somehow. 2y

Leftcoastzen @Reviewsbylola Indeed. I‘ve met some in my life. 2y

GatheringBooks @Leftcoastzen that was the exact word I was looking for: the self-righteousness, the self-congratulatory sentiment of being such a good person - and yes @batsy the fact that she can justify the stealing of another family‘s property - may also be a metaphor for the larger issue going on in that area. 2y

batsy @GatheringBooks Right? I felt Manning was kind of situating that kind of blatant property grab within larger political and social contexts in the region. Also touching on the latent imperialist tendencies in these missionary-type groups. 2y

Leftcoastzen @batsy Great point! Seems like so many groups , refugees, people caught just passing through as well as imperialist land grabbers, diplomats, missionaries we all know whats best! (edited) 2y

batsy @Leftcoastzen Yes! Without being overtly political in her commentary she managed to depict the situation in a subtle way—a kind of free for all & those who have the power & means will find a way. 2y

GatheringBooks @batsy precisely! Occupation in microcosm. Nothing political, but just so insidiously personal and real. 2y

GatheringBooks Opportunism too at its best. 2y

32 likes28 comments

Leftcoastzen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

#NYRBBookClub Question 2.

BarbaraBB Felix is in need of TLC and Faro is the one giving it to him. It‘s a bit sad to see how Felix relies on Faro and how Miss Bohun even seems a bit jealous of that. 2y

Leftcoastzen @BarbaraBB You‘re right ! She‘s jealous. There was a part where Miss Bohun is even critical of the cat.Saying something about a good old barn cat being more useful than a Siamese!😸 2y

BarbaraBB @Leftcoastzen And I think she doesn‘t even call him by his names, she always refers to him as ‘that cat‘! I loved however that Felix could keep Faro ik the end! 2y

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Liz_M @Leftcoastzen, @BarbaraBB Huh, jealous is not the first word/emotion that came to mind. Miss Bohen only seemed interested in Faro as a possession, an object of value. She didn't want Felix to play with or have the cat because it was HERS. I hadn't thought about her also resenting the attention and emotion Felix lavished on Faro. 2y

DrexEdit Faro seems to be a very affectionate cat with Felix, but nobody else. Felix definitely needs this affection from Faro, but Faro doesn't always need it from him. It is nice that they can be together in the end. 2y

LeahBergen I must say… Faro was one of my favourite characters. 😆 2y

Liz_M @DrexEdit Faro did show some affection for Mrs. Ellis when she first arrived -- sitting in her lap and making Felix jealous. But Faro was smart enough to know that Felix was the person that loved him the most. 2y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen mine too! He poured all his love on Faro.I was going to be really mad if something bad happened to Faro. 2y

quietjenn @Liz_M yes, I was thinking more along those lines. I think it's tied up in her preoccupation with money. Faro only has value to her when she sees him being valued by others, be it Felix or the lady who she temporarily gives her to so that she can breed. 2y

quietjenn I do think it's true that Felix needs to feel love and affection, and the only one who really gives it to him is Faro. But conversely, he really needs to give it as well and Faro is the only one who accepts it willingly and unconditionally. He's dealing with a *lot* of emotions and Faro is a bit of a repository for them. 2y

Liz_M @quietjenn Both your points above are very well-said, particularly “Faro only has value to her when she sees him being valued by others“ 2y

Leftcoastzen @quietjenn I really like how Felix does grow,at first all his love goes to Faro. He does grow , I think his growing concern for the fate of Mr. Jewel shows he‘s trying to learn to be a good person. 2y

quietjenn @Leftcoastzen very good point. I almost forgot about Mr. Jewel, which is a shame because I quite liked him, too. 2y

Leftcoastzen @quietjenn Felix thinks while visiting Mr Jewel he‘s simple because he‘s old , but he seems to take things in stride .They converse about seeing through Miss Bohun , then Mr. Jewel says , “The trouble with her, is no one‘s ever loved her.”I think Mr.Jewel is pretty wise!😀 2y

Billypar @Leftcoastzen @quietjenn I agree with Mr. Jewel's perspective about Miss Bohun, but I also see why Felix was skeptical. His idea of love includes warmth and affection that only Faro has been able to provide since his mother passed away. But to Miss Bohun, love is more about companionship and gratitude, maybe because she hasn't experienced the real thing. 2y

quietjenn @Leftcoastzen yes, I found that last scene, when Felix goes to warn him about Miss Bohun/his inheritance to be quite a moving one. @Billypar I like the way you‘ve parsed out the different conceptions of love. 2y

arubabookwoman Having both his father and mother die so suddenly and recently wild have been extremely traumatic, and Felix was burying a lot of grief & emotion. None of the adults around him were willing or able to give Felix what he needed, so I am glad he had Faro. To a certain extent we can project what we want from our pets. In my conversations with my dog, I have no idea if she really thinks the words I am putting in her mouth. 2y

arubabookwoman I did like Faro, but I can't help remembering that she bit Felix at one point (to assert her independence?). 2y

Leftcoastzen @arubabookwoman Faro did bite him! I loved that the author gave such detailed characterization of the cat . 2y

batsy @quietjenn @arubabookwoman I agree! Wonderfully put. 2y

batsy Miss Bohun being resentful of the cat, or rather, the way Felix took to the cat, was pretty revealing in the sense that she can't seem able to like a person or be charitable towards them unless she can exert control. As Felix recognises Mr. Jewel sees through it and accepts it, because it's also hard to be old and alone. These are compromises one might not have to make while still young and (relatively) free. 2y

Reviewsbylola Miss Bohun didn‘t give a shit about that cat. 😂 I think she resented Faro. Whereas Felix finally had a companion that was his equal—he didn‘t have to worry about the cats intentions and manipulations because at the end of the day, it‘s just an animal. 2y

Leftcoastzen @batsy well said! She is so much about being controlling.Mr. Jewel charmed me because I felt he had a level of acceptance of the hills and valleys of life . He had probably seen all types of people in his life , he could read Miss Bohun like a book! 2y

Leftcoastzen @Reviewsbylola Remember she even figured out a way to maybe profit from the cat? Sending her to the woman for breeding. Fancy Siamese kittens. 2y

GatheringBooks Amen, @Reviewsbylola - Faro was simply another pawn for Miss Bohun to use and negotiate with or manipulate the people around her in order for her to promote her own agenda. Cats are also known to be elusive aloof creatures - how sad for Felix that even with animals, he had to take solace and comfort from an animal that is known to be stingy and selective in its affections 2y

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Leftcoastzen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

#NYRBBookClub please join @vivastory and @Leftcoastzen in discussion of the last book of the year!In the club we have had sympathetic & no so nice spinsters #spinsterlit and underdogs like Felix to root for!
This is question 1.

quietjenn, GatheringBooks, sprainedbrain, catebutler, sisilia, daena, LeahBergen, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi, mklong, readordierachel, merelybookish, saresmoore, batsy, Billypar, BarbaraBB, Liz_M, tanisha, arubabookwoman, sarahbarnes, Theaelizabet

sarahbarnes I will admit, Felix‘s naïveté really annoyed me sometimes. ? But I think he is also grieving and feeling lost, and so maybe he gives her the benefit of the doubt because he is terrified of being alone in the world. 2y

BarbaraBB I think he‘s quite young and he hasn‘t had a conventional upbringing until his mother died either. I mean to say that he didn‘t really have a reference. 2y

sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB that‘s a really good point that he didn‘t have a reference for how adults should, or do, act. 2y

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BarbaraBB His mother seems really immature to me @sarahbarnes 2y

Leftcoastzen I think he wanted to feel loved of course, hoping even a distant relative might care.His mother was almost too close , mother & buddy .It left him unprepared for this type of situation.Mother didn‘t seem very responsible. Maybe if she was, she would have got her shot & not gotten sick. 2y

Leftcoastzen @BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes There was the thought that his father had that he should have been sent back to school in England. How many of us learned about other families and adults functioned by interactions with kids from school? His mother wasn‘t having it though. 2y

BarbaraBB @Leftcoastzen “She would have got her shot”: that sounds so relevant as of today! 2y

Liz_M I think @sarahbarnes and @BarbaraBB have good points -- I think one way of adapting to the hinted at vagabond lifestyle of Felix and his mother is to be easygoing, take things as they come, and look on the bright side. It is a mindset and a way of viewing the world. So I don't think Felix had much experience with being critical or suspicious of other people's intentions. 2y

DrexEdit I also got the sense that Felix's mother was overprotective and immature and Felix didn't have a strong sense of how an adult world operated. 2y

sprainedbrain I thought Felix was just super innocent and the only real experience he had with people is his relationship with his mom, so he‘s naive, lonely, and looking for someone to love him that way. Clearly wasn‘t happening with this particular spinster. 2y

LeahBergen I agree with you, @sprainedbrain ! 2y

Leftcoastzen I think in a way his wake up call is when he is in conversation with Mrs. Ellis & Nikky . He sees the behavior of Miss Bohun and agrees with her to get along. When he hears those two talk about her he realizes her actions don‘t match her opinion of herself. 2y

tokorowilliamwallace How does join for next year? 2y

quietjenn I agree so much with everything that has been said! Felix has gone through so much in a very short time. His somewhat unconventional and quite sheltered upbringing, his father's death, his mother's illness and death, being at the mercy of people who felt obligated to care for him but didn't really want him, being packed up to Jerusalem. I think he craves some convention and stability and a home, which Miss Bohun offers in her own warped way. 2y

LeahBergen @tokorowilliamwallace You can contact @vivastory to be added the next time the group opens up. We vote as a group on three suggestions by each member but anyone on Litsy can read along and join our discussions each month. 😊 2y

LeahBergen @quietjenn Yes to everything you said! And he‘s always being told by Miss Bohun herself what a very good person she is. I think he‘s just a gullible, lonely little boy. 2y

Billypar Great points! It was interesting to me how Felix's apparent desire to see Miss Bohun as a surrogate mother led him to sympathize more with her perspective over disputes with others like Frau Leszno. 2y

Leftcoastzen @Billypar Great point. 2y

arubabookwoman I think more than once we were told/shown that Felix's mother didn't like to say/think "mean" things about anyone, and told Felix always to look for the good. I think he was following his mother's advice. And of course Miss Bohun told him (&everyone else) how "good" she was. 2y

arubabookwoman P.s. sorry for chiming in so late-just returned from some family obligations. I really liked this book! 2y

Leftcoastzen @arubabookwoman I think the only thing like that his mother said was in regards to visiting Jerusalem when the father was still alive . His mom basically said I don‘t want to encounter Miss Bohun 😄 2y

Leftcoastzen Glad to have you! Everyone is so busy , I love this casual format . I really liked this book too! 2y

youneverarrived I ordered this book weeks ago and it never showed up 😔 sorry I couldn‘t join in, really wanted to read this one. 2y

batsy Sorry to chime in late! I felt that Manning realistically portrayed an adolescent awareness in Felix—he wanted to believe that someone like Miss Bohun was good and on his side, but he's also too young and naive to make full sense of what he's seeing and observing though he's instinctively sensing that things don't add up. I agree with other comments that he also grew up pretty sheltered & fully immersed with his mother's POV on life. 2y

batsy I am most upset at Miss Bohun giving spinsters a bad name 😤 2y

Reviewsbylola As usual, I‘m late to the party but I really enjoyed this one (ESPECIALLY the kooky aunt 😆). Will pop back on soon to have a swing at the questions. 2y

Leftcoastzen @batsy I think Manning wrote that beautifully. The reader is thinking wake up kid, but you feel his need and his inexperience to process some of what‘s happening. 2y

Leftcoastzen @batsy she is the worst spinster! 2y

Leftcoastzen @Reviewsbylola looking forward to it. This was a great read. 2y

Reviewsbylola I think it‘s really easy to not recognize Miss Bohun‘s manipulation tactics as a child. Felix seemed to take things at face value. Mrs Ellis was much more forward and that threw Felix off. I think a lot had to do with his mother—it felt like she showed him the world as she wanted it to be, so looking at everything with rose colored glasses became second nature. 2y

GatheringBooks Apologies for joining in late as well - Sundays are first day of work week here, and it can be super hectic. Agree with all points raised here especially @quietjenn and @arubabookwoman - Felix strikes me as an eager to please impressionable young man - and with very little options, really, he might as well believe the best in what he has. 😭 2y

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quietjenn

School for Love | Olivia Manning

pick

Finished this month's #nyrbbookclub selection tonight and liked it very much. Lots of fodder for discussion, with these characters and the setting!

LeahBergen I thought so, too! I‘m looking forward to our discussion. 2y

batsy I love when the characters make for good gossip. I kept putting the book down to say to myself, "Can you BELIEVE Miss Bohun?“ ? 2y

BarbaraBB I enjoyed it a lot too. When do we have our discussion, do you know?? 2y

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Liz_M @BarbaraBB 12/5 12PM MT (8 pm your time?) 2y

BarbaraBB Oh next week! Perfect! Thanks @Liz_M 2y

Liz_M @BarbaraBB 12/5 is today 🙃 2y

BarbaraBB @Liz_M oh no, what‘s the matter with me? I read 12/12… but today is fine and I finished the book so I‘m all set. 😇 2y

quietjenn @BarbaraBB @Liz_M I'm glad y'all got it figured out while I was away from Litsy! Off to check out the discussion now 🙂 2y

quietjenn @batsy right?!? She was something else 😆 2y

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batsy

School for Love | Olivia Manning

pick

This book felt old-fashioned in the best possible way, like the pinnacle of a realist novel. The depth of characterisation & the assured pull of the narrative voice make it hard to put down, & it feels a very wise novel in how it charts a young boy's coming of age in a both a turbulent political & social landscape. I love how Manning depicts extremely flawed characters & no simple resolutions with regards to life's hardships. Riveting & moving.

batsy This feels like a fitting year-end #nyrbbookclub read @Leftcoastzen @vivastory 2y

Leftcoastzen What a beautiful review! 2y

erzascarletbookgasm Lovely review. I want to read this. 👍 2y

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Cathythoughts Great review.. I want to read this now , stacked 2y

batsy @Leftcoastzen Thank you! I'm looking forward to the discussion. 2y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm @Cathythoughts Thank you! I do think you'll both like this one 🙂 2y

LeahBergen One of my favourites for this year‘s #NYRBBookClub! Great review. 👏🏻👏🏻 2y

quietjenn Spot on review! 2y

batsy @LeahBergen Thank you! It's kind of a melancholy read to end the year. I want to read her Balkan and Levant trilogies. 2y

batsy @quietjenn Thanks! 2y

nathandrake1997 Exquisite review ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 2y

88 likes11 comments

Leftcoastzen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

pick

So this isn‘t the first #NYRBBookClub title with a naive boy &/or a disingenuous boarding house proprietor!😀I loved the book & look forward to our discussion 12/5 MT.
@vivastory

quietjenn, GatheringBooks, sprainedbrain, catebutler, sisilia, KVanRead, daena, LeahBergen, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi, youneverarrived, mklong, Tanisha_A, readordierachel, merelybookish, saresmoore, batsy, Billypar, BarbaraBB, Liz_M, arubabookwoman, sarahbarnes, Theaelizabet

BarbaraBB It‘s a typical #NYRB book and I love that! 2y

Leftcoastzen @BarbaraBB I agree ! 😄 2y

Liz_M #SpinsterLit in the second degree! 2y

61 likes3 comments

sprainedbrain

School for Love | Olivia Manning

pick

I enjoyed this month‘s #NYRBBookClub pick. Such a complicated bunch of characters, but a really readable story. I just love poor Felix and his Faro. 💔

Looking forward to the discussion this weekend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Leftcoastzen, vivastory

vivastory I'm glad you enjoyed it! It should be a good discussion 2y

batsy Oh my goodness, I completely forgot! I guess I should start today 😅 2y

sprainedbrain @batsy it‘s a quick one! 😆 2y

66 likes3 comments

LeahBergen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

Okay, since it‘s a little difficult to take my 700 page (hardcover!) history of the Hanoverians into the bath (I‘m blaming you, @shawnmooney ), I guess I‘ll make a start on this month‘s #NYRBBookClub pick. 😉

Leftcoastzen, vivastory

tpixie Lol 😂 Happy reading 2y

vivastory I too like to live dangerously. Last week I was reading a book while eating dinner (pork chop) & the edge of my my book fell on my plate, staining it 😬 Amazingly enough this is one of very few book casualties I've had over the years 2y

Leftcoastzen A wise choice! 2y

See All 7 Comments

BarbaraBB Living in the edge 🙃 2y

LeahBergen @tpixie @Leftcoastzen @BarbaraBB I do live dangerously. 😆 2y

LeahBergen @vivastory I‘ve always had good luck reading in the bath (touch wood ) but I DID fling red wine on my first edition of The Satanic Verses. 😮 2y

BiblioLitten @LeahBergen 🙈 2y

81 likes7 comments

Leftcoastzen

School for Love | Olivia Manning

#NYRBbookclub Hey, there is a sale ! I have my eye on some not for the club . Their shipping isn‘t super fast , so not sure I‘d order December‘s book but maybe January? This sale on till the 22nd https://www.nyrb.com/collections/classics

Liz_M And more nyrb books are on their way to the shelves that cannot fit more books. 😳 2y

40 likes1 comment

BarbaraBB

School for Love | Olivia Manning

#BookReport 46/21

Tagged is my favorite book of the week. Both others were okay. I am so glad I‘m reading again and enjoying it!

Cinfhen

squirrelbrain I‘m glad too that you‘re reading again and enjoying it! 😁 2y

TrishB Such a relief! 2y

sarahbarnes Glad to hear you liked the Manning - I am starting it today. 2y

See All 6 Comments

Cinfhen I‘ve been curious about this one because of the setting

School for Love

Cinfhen And yay that you‘re back to reading xx 2y

Megabooks Yay!! 🎉🎉 2y

64 likes6 comments

BarbaraBB

School for Love | Olivia Manning

pick

#NYRBBookClub

During the closing stages of WWII recently orphaned young Felix arrives in Jerusalem at the boarding house of a sort-of-relative, the hilarious Miss Bohun.
She is taking as much money as she can from her houseguests, while also pretending to be self-sacrificing and motivated entirely by kindness.
At first the reader picks up on much more of this drama than Felix does but then a new boarder arrives, the young widow Mrs. Ellis. ⬇️

Leftcoastzen, vivastory

BarbaraBB ⬆️⬆️ While she keeps Felix at arm‘s length, she does share her thoughts on Miss Bohun and the world with him. A poignant story about the loss of innocence. (edited) 2y

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2y

BarbaraBB @TrishB Thank you Trish ❤️ 2y

See All 7 Comments

CarolynM I've had a copy of this on the shelf for years. Sounds like I should actually read it😆 Great review 2y

Leftcoastzen I‘ve read a couple of chapters, liking it so far! 2y

Megabooks Fantastic review! 2y

BarbaraBB @CarolynM You should! I think you‘d enjoy it as much as I did. 2y

76 likes4 stack adds7 comments

vivastory

School for Love | Olivia Manning

Due to the final weekend of the month being a holiday weekend in the states, the discussion for the November #NYRBBookClub selection will be 12/5 12PM MT. Join @leftcoastzen & I as we discuss Olivia Manning's novel. Thanks for co-hosting the Oct selection @leahbergen & thanks to everyone for a wonderful discussion of a strange, yet memorable, novel! I look forward to your nominations for the first selection of 2022 @merelybookish

vivastory @BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar 2y

LeahBergen I‘m looking forward to this one. 👍 2y

batsy I'm really excited to read Olivia Manning! (I watched the BBC adaptation of Fortunes of War & it was so good; I've been meaning to read her since.) 2y

See All 6 Comments

merelybookish Oh wow! My turn to pick? I'll try to post later today. 2y

Billypar Sorry to have missed Vet's Daughter, but it sounded like a good one. I'll be back for School for Love - looking forward to it! 2y

vivastory @Billypar If you have the opportunity to read the Comyns, I definitely recommend. It seems like one that you'd like. 2y

68 likes6 comments

vivastory

School for Love | Olivia Manning

Manning's School for Love will be our November #NYRBBookClub selection. Join @Leftcoastzen & I as we read & discuss! We will vote on the Dec. selection following the discussion of the Sep. book on 10/3.

Leftcoastzen Thanks for counting @vivastory 3y

vivastory @Leftcoastzen No worries. I'm looking forward to it! hadn't heard of School for Love until your nominations 3y

See All 8 Comments

LeahBergen Awesome! 👍🏻 3y

BarbaraBB Yay! Thanks for nominating this one @Leftcoastzen 🤍 3y

batsy Nice! 👏🏽 3y

quietjenn @vivastory I always think I'm well-versed in the NYRB catalog, until nominations roll around! 😆 Anyway, this sounds right up my alley, so I'm looking forward to reading it. 3y

vivastory @quietjenn Although NYRB has been going for years, I'm still delighted to see books nominated that I'm completely unfamiliar with 3y

71 likes8 comments

sisilia

School for Love | Olivia Manning

🎊 A year ago I decided to create a book club. We only read NYRB Classics 😆 #NYRBClassicsReadingSociety

Here‘s to the second year and the year after that, until I read them all (wishful thinking, but still ... 🤞🏻)

TheSpineView 💜Congrats on your anniversary! 📖 5y

sisilia Thank you, Lisa @TheSpineView ❤️ 5y

kspenmoll What a wonderful idea! 5y

63 likes3 comments

sisilia

School for Love | Olivia Manning

@shawnmooney and I discussed the tagged book. We both agreed it‘s a 5⭐️ read 😎

https://youtu.be/o38MEIsxACQ

shawnmooney We sure did! 🥰😍🥰😍 5y

erzascarletbookgasm I enjoyed watching your discussion with @shawnmooney 🙂 5y

saresmoore So fun!! 5y

See All 8 Comments

LeahBergen I can‘t wait to watch this! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y

readordierachel Great discussion! Now I really want to read this 5y

Theaelizabet Can‘t wait to watch this! 5y

Izai.Amorim Cool video! 5y

sisilia @erzascarletbookgasm @saresmoore @LeahBergen @readordierachel @Theaelizabet @Izai.Amorim Thank you ☺️💞 5y

50 likes3 stack adds8 comments

sisilia

School for Love | Olivia Manning

NYRB Classics Reading Society - Meeting no. 7

We all loved this book. Enjoyable read, effortless prose, and balance in characters 👌🏻

Cinfhen @vivastory u should talk to @Sisilia since she runs a #NYBR bookclub in Singapore and YOU should go @GlassAsDiamonds 💕💕 5y

Suet624 @vivastory 😂😂 well there you go! Instant manifestation. 5y

88 likes2 comments

sisilia

School for Love | Olivia Manning

pick

It took one manipulative, passive-aggressive bitch to open the eyes of one naive teenager, for him to understand the concept of hypocrisy 😅 Another 5⭐️ read

Cinfhen Hi!!! What‘s new??? Long time no speak😢tagged book sounds good! 5y

minkyb Love this review! 5y

sisilia @cinfhen @minkyb I decided that I like Olivia Manning. Will read her Balkan Trilogy soon 5y

minkyb 👍🏻 5y

71 likes2 stack adds4 comments

sisilia

School for Love | Olivia Manning

Life is a sort of school for love 😻

50 likes

sisilia

School for Love | Olivia Manning

I‘m at work and all I can think about is how I am going to finish this book ASAP. I need a personal OFF day... to just stay at home and read all day!!!!

74 likes1 stack add

sisilia

School for Love | Olivia Manning

Next read. Fiction is much more appealing than the mess this world is in

charl08 Amen. 5y

78 likes1 comment

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