Reading 1001 discussion

Another World by Pat Barker, November BOTM.

Discussion leader : Kristel and Book

Pat Barker
Intro taken from archived file, Penguin Books
Pat Barker's powerful early novels Union Street (Virago) and Blow Your House Down (Virago) earned her considerable praise. Hard-hitting and unsentimental, they are strong and memorable books celebrating the individuality of the lives of 'ordinary' women. The books have bleak backgrounds but are energetic and often uplifting without softening the circumstances that her characters have to face. This could serve as a bare description of her remarkable Regeneration trilogy, a stunning and memorable series of novels about the impact of the First World War on a variety of characters but notably on Billy Prior, a rebel in many ways. These great novels look at war in a clear eyed way, the wide background of the war is never lost but the narrative focuses on the details of daily life, managing to bring questions of class, sexuality and creation into the chaos of war.

The violence of the First World War coloured the backdrop of Pat Barker's next novel Another World which looked at the effects of violence on following generations and this theme is picked up again in Pat Barker's most recent novel Border Crossing. Our interview with the author explores her abiding interest in the issues of violence, ideals of innocence and goodness, class and sexuality.

Pat Barker was born in Thornaby-on-Tees in 1943. She was educated at the London School of Economics and has been a teacher of history and politics. Her books include Union Street (1982), winner of the 1983 Fawcett Prize, which has been filmed as Stanley and Iris; Blow Your House Down (1984); Liza's England (1986), formerly The Century's Daughter, The Man Who Wasn't There (1989); the highly acclaimed Regeneration trilogy, comprising Regeneration,The Eye in The Door, winner of the 1993 Guardian Fiction Prize, and The Ghost Road, winner of the 1995 Booker Prize for Fiction and Another World. Her latest novel is Life Class.

Pat Barker is married and lives in Durham.


1. Have you read any other books by Pat Barker. Do you read Virago Books, know what they are? Our author for Pilgrimage is also a Virago Author.

2. If you've started this book (Chapters 1 to 3). What is the mood/atmosphere that the author is creating? Are you wanting to continue or is this a book that is "not for you", out of your comfort zone?

3. More questions will be posted as I go;
Here is a synopsis, a story about modern dysfunctional family fighting their demons and the horror of WWI. What impressions do you have of this family?

4. We have several characters; Geordie, 101 y/o Somme Vet who is ill and dying, his grandson Nick, wife Fran, and his, hers and their's children. I think the Victorian House might also be a character. What thoughts do you have about the characters?

1) I am pretty sure I have read Regeneration I just have no memory of it. I have read lots of Virago books Virago is a publishing house dedicated to the works of female writers. I have almost the whole series of Virago Modern Classics Daphne du Maurier books I am only missing Rule Brittania which I definitely had at one point.

2) As you can probably guess from the fact that I am already finished I was instantly hooked by this book and wanted to read on.

3) The family is dysfunctional in my opinion (view spoiler)[The son is a psychopath and a bully, the daughter is not actually the daughter if I am reading things right, the husband is neglectful and the mother has too much on her hands and that's before we get onto Grandpa Geordie and his past. (hide spoiler)]

4) See my answer to question 3. I like Geordie and I like the Ex Wife Helen didn't really like anyone else. The house is sort of a character in the sense of the history of the previous family and a lot of the story for our current family appears to reflect history.

I will add a question or 2...

5) What did you make of the supernatural element? did it add or detract from the story for you?

6) What did you make of the character changes at the end of the book? What do you think caused these?

5) I was really enjoying the supernatural element and wish it had been played out more.

6) From my point of view (view spoiler)[the change in characters was caused by the death of Geordie after his death and at the funeral it appears that Gareth has become a nicer person and that perhaps things are not so bad within the family unit as the earlier chapters lead the reader to believe. The ending spoiled my enjoyment of the book it seemed too neat to tie everything to one character's death and to leave so much else not tied up. I was hoping for more. (hide spoiler)]

I read Another World in 2011, so rather long ago to have a good recall of the characters and plot. I know that I wasn't thrilled with it and rated it three stars. Nevertheless last year I read Barker's Regeneration. I found that much more emotionally involving and intellectually satisfying, and I plan to read the second in the trilogy, The Eye in the Door, probably next year.

Book wrote: "I will add a question or 2...

5) What did you make of the supernatural element? did it add or detract from the story for you?

6) What did you make of the character changes at the end of the book?..."Thanks for adding some questions, Book.

1. Have you read any other books by Pat Barker. Do you read Virago Books, know what they are? Our author for Pilgrimage is also a Virago Author.

I only just started getting interested in Virago authors last year when we started reading Dorothy Richardson and some readers on LT reached out to me and invited me to their group. I have to confess, I have not been active on the sight much but it appeals to me as another "list" to seek to follow.

2. If you've started this book (Chapters 1 to 3). What is the mood/atmosphere that the author is creating? Are you wanting to continue or is this a book that is "not for you", out of your comfort zone?

The book starts out really great with the build up of sinister overtones. I wanted to keep reading and did keep reading. This was a fast read.

3. More questions will be posted as I go;
Here is a synopsis, a story about modern dysfunctional family fighting their demons and the horror of WWI. What impressions do you have of this family?

This is a really dysfunctional family and it is really hard to like any of them. They are pretty much a hot mess. My favorite character was Geordie, my least favorite was Gareth. I didn't mind Nick. I loved his feelings for his grandfather.

4. We have several characters; Geordie, 101 y/o Somme Vet who is ill and dying, his grandson Nick, wife Fran, and his, hers and their's children. I think the Victorian House might also be a character. What thoughts do you have about the characters?

I did not like the family dynamics but it is a very difficult time. Fran is pregnant and really doesn't seem to enjoy being a mother. As, I think Nick tells her, she is more in to the idea of pregnancy than in the actuality of it. I felt that Nick and Fran really aren't very close but it is early in relationship and having kids, and a blended family does make the whole process of making a family life a strain. Gareth is a boy who had his mother to himself and now finds himself sharing her with a whole lot of competition. This can be very difficult. I did not like the toothbrush thing, and the bullying, cruel behavior.


5) What did you make of the supernatural element? did it add or detract from the story for you? I liked it; I thought it was added a look at the flaws. (view spoiler)[the picture on the wall with it's sexual overtones gave a sense of hatred and violence that was reflected in the present family. It gave a feeling of potential horrible outcomes (hide spoiler)]

6) What did you make of the character changes at the end of the book? What do you think caused these?

(view spoiler)[The characters do grow and while that is good, perhaps in this book it felt a bit rushed. Gareth does become more thoughtful, and they all become more thoughtful of others. I think it was a part of coming through a crisis. Gareth has his crisis, Nick has his when his grandfather dies. Fran finally wakes up to the fact that Gareth might not be a safe child to have around other children. (hide spoiler)]

George, thank you for your comment about the second in the Regeneration Trilogy. It made me look up what those three titles were and I realized I have not read Another World. I have it marked as read but it was the complete trilogy that I read not this stand alone book....so off to the library....

1. Have you read any other books by Pat Barker. Do you read Virago Books, know what they are? Our author for Pilgrimage is also a Virago Author.

No other books by Barker, and unsure about Virago. But I really enjoyed this book so if it is a good indication than I am interested in more.

2. If you've started this book (Chapters 1 to 3). What is the mood/atmosphere that the author is creating? Are you wanting to continue or is this a book that is "not for you", out of your comfort zone?

I liked how the author created a dark and moody feel right from the beginning. It felt almost sinister or evil.

3. Here is a synopsis, a story about modern dysfunctional family fighting their demons and the horror of WWI. What impressions do you have of this family?

They are dysfunctional and unlikable. But they also felt real. I thought that some counseling would have been helpful.

4. We have several characters; Geordie, 101 y/o Somme Vet who is ill and dying, his grandson Nick, wife Fran, and his, hers and their's children. I think the Victorian House might also be a character. What thoughts do you have about the characters?

Fran seems sad and unhappy in her relationship with Nick and unhappy being pregnant. Nick seems self-centered and doesn't seem to really care about her. She seems to be stuck. I feel bad for Gareth. He seems to miss his mom -- as he had her prior to her marriage to Nick and the blending of their families.I did not like the family dynamics but it is a very difficult time. Fran is pregnant and really doesn't seem to enjoy being a mother. As, I think Nick tells her, she is more in to the idea of pregnancy than in the actuality of it. I felt that Nick and Fran really aren't very close but it is early in relationship and having kids, and a blended family does make the whole process of making a family life a strain. But the bullying was tough to read about, and I wondered if the author was creating a psychopathic child.


5) What did you make of the supernatural element? did it add or detract from the story for you?

I liked it. I felt it added something to the dynamic of these people.

6) What did you make of the character changes at the end of the book? What do you think caused these?

The characters showed some growth. Gareth, in particular, as he seemed to show more thought in his actions. It made sense to me as they survived crises. The death of people we love can have this affect on us.

I will review the book soon.

One of the wonderful things about this book was how I was able to compare it to the other BOTM book this month Cat's Eye. They both have similar themes of the impact of a traumatic event and the memory of that event on a person throughout their life. There was also the whole concept of parenting and exactly how one does that well in the modern age. Also, they both had a supernatural aspect to them that did not make either book about that supernatural aspect. Rather it was just a layer and another way of viewing the the interactions in the book.

1. Have you read any other books by Pat Barker. Do you read Virago Books, know what they are? Our author for Pilgrimage is also a Virago Author.

I read the complete Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker and loved it. I was not aware of Virago books but I will attempt to be in the future.

2. If you've started this book (Chapters 1 to 3). What is the mood/atmosphere that the author is creating? Are you wanting to continue or is this a book that is "not for you", out of your comfort zone?

It is not the kind of book that grabbed me from the get go. I did not particularly like any of the characters and did not truly care about their domestic problems. However, once Geordie was introduced I was happier to continue.

3. More questions will be posted as I go;
Here is a synopsis, a story about modern dysfunctional family fighting their demons and the horror of WWI. What impressions do you have of this family?

It did not appear to be an unrealistic family, i.e. the teenagers were teenagers, the baby was a baby, the mother was exhausted, the father was confused about his priorities etc. Barker captured that well, but I did not feel as if there was a reason for that realistic capturing... there was nothing about the family that made me want to know a great deal more about them. The one exception was probably Gareth who was teetering on the edge of something and I was vaguely interested in whether he would fall to one side or the other, in other words, if he would become really violent or come round to being more civil.

4. We have several characters; Geordie, 101 y/o Somme Vet who is ill and dying, his grandson Nick, wife Fran, and his, hers and their's children. I think the Victorian House might also be a character. What thoughts do you have about the characters?

I found Geordie and Helen to be interesting. Helen because we actually do not know much about her outside of the relationship to this family and Geordie because of his long history and how that history/memory impacts him through out his life.

5) What did you make of the supernatural element? did it add or detract from the story for you? I liked it; I thought it was added a look at the flaws.

I agree, I liked the supernatural element. It was not heavy handed.

6) What did you make of the character changes at the end of the book? What do you think caused these?

As others mentioned, crisis and the introduction of an immediate death in the family, can impact how people think about their place in the world. I think that all the characters grew up just a touch and that is probably where the richness of the book lies, that light realistic character shift. However, in the end, it did not seem that profound.

I finished the book earlier this week and really liked it. I happened to be reading it at the same time I was reading Stephen King's The Shining and there were a few parallels. :)

1. Have you read any other books by Pat Barker. Do you read Virago Books, know what they are? Our author for Pilgrimage is also a Virago Author.
I have previously read Regeneration and The Silence of the Girls. I have read a handful of Virago books.

2. If you've started this book (Chapters 1 to 3). What is the mood/atmosphere that the author is creating? Are you wanting to continue or is this a book that is "not for you", out of your comfort zone?
I liked the tone/mood at the start of the book. It felt dark and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen. It took me a few to get the hang of who was who. I was expecting the book to be a lot more focused on Geordie towards the beginning. (based solely on the blurb...I didn't really read any reviews or analysis of the book before diving in).

I have to step away for a moment but will come back and edit in my answers to the follow-up questions.

3. More questions will be posted as I go;
Here is a synopsis, a story about modern dysfunctional family fighting their demons and the horror of WWI. What impressions do you have of this family?

4. We have several characters; Geordie, 101 y/o Somme Vet who is ill and dying, his grandson Nick, wife Fran, and his, hers and their's children. I think the Victorian House might also be a character. What thoughts do you have about the characters?

1. Have you read any other books by Pat Barker. Do you read Virago Books, know what they are? Our author for Pilgrimage is also a Virago Author.

I have read Regeneration, which I also finished this month. I do know about Virago books. I have read quite a few of them, although not intentionally.

2. If you've started this book (Chapters 1 to 3). What is the mood/atmosphere that the author is creating? Are you wanting to continue or is this a book that is "not for you", out of your comfort zone?

I liked the tone the author was setting. I like "dark". Definitely not out of my comfort zone.

3. More questions will be posted as I go;
Here is a synopsis, a story about modern dysfunctional family fighting their demons and the horror of WWI. What impressions do you have of this family?

I didn't find the family members very likable. Geordie was the most sympathetic character in the lot. They seemed like a fairly typical modern blended family.

5) What did you make of the supernatural element? did it add or detract from the story for you?

I liked this aspect of the book and don't think it detracted from the story. It actually had the potential to make it more interesting. I say potential, because I had hoped that the author would have developed this part of the book better. In fact a lot of the book could have been better developed. I didn't find the ending very satisfying.

Overall, I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It is not in the same league as Regeneration.

Finished this one last week and just getting this in close to the wire now:

1. I haven’t read any of Pat Barker’s books previously, but there’s a bunch on the list, so I will be. Hadn’t heard of Virago books before, but it turns out I’ve read a bunch of Virago authors who are on the list: Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Muriel Spark, and Maya Angelou are just some of the authors included. It turns out they also publish books by Mary Renault, one of my favorite authors, who I am sad isn’t on the list.

2. I actually kind of disliked the first few chapters because I thought the book was going to be about WWI itself, and was kind of like “oh this is…different” lol, and I wasn’t super hyped to read another navel gazey “modern people’s everyday problems” book, but as I got on with it and by the end I thought it was remarkable.

3. I agree with others that the family seemed extremely dysfunctional. I liked how the book used the house’s previous history with murder to create a sense of foreshadowing that something ominous was going to happen, and it never did. I thought that was a great way to demonstrate the themes of how history and the truth is not always as informative as he’d hope, and can even be counterproductive or misleading. I really liked how Geordie was characterized in the novel as well, I used to be a recreation volunteer in a WWII veterans hospitals for guys who are largely in their late 80s and 90s by now and this book was very true to life in that regard. Especially the way the war abruptly comes up when he is closer to death. I’ve heard some really wild things from the personal experiences of these guys when I wasn’t expecting it. I also really liked Helen, and how she talked about collective memory altering our perception of even our own experiences.

4. It wasn’t very extreme- kind of just a sense of gothic horror and I was fine with it: it didn’t detract or take me out of the foundation of the story, and did create this kind of foreboding atmosphere that really built up the revelation at the end well.

5. I agree with others that Geordie death acts as a catalyst in some ways.

Even though this book started slow and just okay for me, by the end I was blown away and loved it. As someone else mentioned too: I like that both of our BOTM right now deal with the pitfalls of memory and how that affects our lives. I think the way this book also kind of works as a devil’s advocate against the idea that it is knowing history that allows us to not repeat it was really interesting and thought provoking.