Next Meeting: 10th February at 6:30pm to discuss An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine.
The small coastal community of Ardglas, in County Donegal in 1990’s Ireland is the setting of Alan Murrin’s debut novel, The Coast Road. The story centres on three women whose lives are constrained by the law in Ireland at the time that made divorce illegal, forcing married couples to face challenging predicaments while trapped in loveless marriages.
Izzy is controlled by James, her selfish and politically ambitious husband. She is considering whether to leave him, knowing that the consequences of doing so would be the loss of her comfortable, respectable existence in exchange for the difficult life of a single parent in a society hostile to any woman who would choose that path.
Dolores, mother of three and pregnant with her fourth child, is trapped in her marriage to Donal who pursues other women and openly despises his wife and resents his marriage.
Colette, a poet, is a passionate, creative character who returns to Ardglas where she had left her husband and three sons to be with her lover in Dublin. She rents a rundown cottage on Dolores and Donal’s property and starts a creative writing class. These classes offer the women an outlet to express their true feelings about their own lives and marriages.
None of the three women are happy in their marriages but divorce is not an option, leaving them dependent on their husbands in a country where women are still expected to follow a traditional path, as dictated by the church and their community.
Colette has made a bid for freedom but her independent spirit and refusal to conform to societal norms leaves her vulnerable to the distrust and malice of the community. Izzy’s dependence on James results in resentment and depression while Dolores is forced to turn a blind eye to the blatant infidelities of her husband.
The children of these unhappy unions also suffer from the toxic atmosphere they are forced to live within. By the end of the novel, a referendum on divorce is pending, offering some the possibility of freedom from the shackles of an unhappy marriage.
Life in a small and isolated community in Ireland is realistically portrayed in the novel, giving the reader insight into the forced confines of women’s lives within a society too quick to judge and prone to gossip and scandal. This claustrophobic setting highlights the dilemmas that face all three women, where men hold all the power and any sense of non-conformity is seen as a threat to the established order.
Comments: An enjoyable read. Impressive writing, particularly in regard to the sensitivity shown by a male author writing from the female viewpoint. The novel successfully explored deep themes and combined plot and prose very well. Delivered a realistic portrayal of gender roles and societal norms typical of the time and place, with strong characters that were complicated, flawed and believable.
Ratings: Vivian 3.5, Sandy 3.5, Nicola 3.5, Margie 3.5, Lesley 3.5, Janet 3.5, Kim 3.5, Di 3, Lynda 4, Hetta 3.5, Dianne 3.5
We look forward to seeing you again at our next meeting at 6.30pm, Tuesday 10th of February
to discuss An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine.
About Us
We are a group that gets together once a month to discuss good books. Each of us gets to choose a book on a rotational basis, preferably one outside our personal comfort zone – we try to keep the trash to ourselves. After the discussion, we comment on other books we read that month. Most of the time we remain friends after the meeting.
We normally meet at Room 2.1 of the Robina Community Centre’s Boadroom. This building is located opposite the Auditorium entrance of the Robina Library on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
A small contribution is required towards the rent of the room, but not if you are a first timer. The amount depends on the number of people attending.
One book title is chosen each month and we all read that book. There is a ‘host’ who introduces and co-ordinates the discussion. The role of host is rotated around the group so that each member has the opportunity to nominate their book (it could also be an author, theme or genre). The host also acts as chairperson for that meeting.
Although we are not a social club (we are readers), we occasionally attend literary events, relevant movies or plays here at the Gold Coast, Brisbane or Byron Bay. We conform to basic meeting practices, and everyone has an equal opportunity to express their opinion. Everyone’s interpretation is valid, as long as it’s expressed respectfully.
We welcome any new members who share our aims and are happy to contribute to our group. Newcomers are not required to have read the book to attend the first meeting and no contribution is required from them at the first meeting attended.
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