The Bowie Book Club discussion

Please post here any general comments you'd like to make about our November 2016 reading, The Man Who Fell to Earth, or share some useful resources you've come across about the book.

PLEASE, KEEP IN MIND: do not give any spoilers! The discussion about particular segments of the story was divided, so the members of the group can make comments as they move further on the reading, without the risk of encountering spoilers in the middle of the conversations.

Hi everyone, I've been looking forward to this month's book and the discussion! Why do you think Bowie included it on his reading list?

Rachel wrote: "Hi everyone, I've been looking forward to this month's book and the discussion! Why do you think Bowie included it on his reading list?"

If I remember well, I don't think he included this book in his top 100, but we chose it because it is a Bowie reference due to the movie. But he must have liked the book to do the movie :-) Why did he accept this role, good question... Anyone?

Thanks for the correction! You're right that it's not on his list of 100 books. And not only did he accept the movie role, he also based Lazarus on the theme and character. I think as discussion leader I should be sent to London to see it, don't you? ;)

Rachel wrote: "Thanks for the correction! You're right that it's not on his list of 100 books. And not only did he accept the movie role, he also based Lazarus on the theme and character. I think as discussion le..."

I didn't know that the Lazarus character was based on the one of T.J. Newton. How interesting, like closing the loop somehow...
Of course, you have to go and see the play! Why not imagine the group organising a Bowie pilgrimage. We'd have to pick a place though otherwise it would be too horribly expensive: NY, London or Berlin? ;-)

Yes, I've read that Lazarus a kind of sequel to TMWFTE. Newton can't die and it's all about existence or something like that. Yes, Berlin would be fab! I'm guessing it won't be coming to NZ for a while.

I've finished the book now and really loved it. There are parts of it that I can connect to the movie (like him wearing a fedora at the end) but I learned a lot more about the character through the book. It's a very clever story. My version came with a forward that talked about how the author was kind of trapped in Kentucky due to an illness and so I felt for him as much as his character Newton; the isolation they felt and the disappointment from not achieving what he was meant to. Very powerful!

I finished the book a couple of days ago and was completely knocked out by the experience. I knew nothing of the author although I have seen the movie a few times over the years.....a firm favourite of mine. I think the movie and the book are different animals.....both highly worthy in my opinion as Nick Roeg is one of my favourite directors. The character of Newton the alien and Althean is now so much clearer to me. I found the book quite heartbreaking and so prophetic of the times we are now living in (again). Even the CIA guy interrogating Newton had the name Bowen.....whoa.....I can see clearly why David chose to be part of this movie.

I finally got around to reading this, and in light of the current political circus in the US, was chilled to the bone by this:

"Disarmament is being negotiated. Not all of us are insane."

"But most of you are. Enough of you are -- it only requires a few insane ones in the right places."

"Disarmament is being negotiated. Not all of us are insane."

"But most of you are. Enough of you are -- it only requires a few insane ones in the right places."

Oh my..., this is crazy...