Beejay

The Secret History by Sebastian Barry

I kept my comments short because I was sure I had previously posted something more detailed about this under my former, pre-crash name. Thanks to megustaleer I found them and here they are:- 17th November 2006 06:23 PM I have just come across this thread - with only a few pages to go before The Accidental will be the Book of the Month at the next meeting of our local Book Group. I have really struggled with it and almost abandoned it after only a few pages, but remembered it was my turn to lead the discussion. Post-modern or a contemporary version of our old allegorical friend - th

The Reading Group I belong to recently tackled The Accidental by Ali Smith after reading rave reviews from the international press. It is the only book that came close to vying with Paul Theroux's Millroy the Magician for the title of Most Disliked Book. We are a diverse group of women, eclectic in our choice of books. Did we have our minds switched off and fail to grasp the signs of greatness so clear to the critics - including the Judges of the Whitbread Novel Prize 2005. Or was this a case of reviewer's hype and the Emperor's New Clothes? Has any member of