Friday, August 1, 2014

The Tin Ring



The Book Club convened to see the sun set from the beautiful terrace at La Serra on what seemed to be the first evening of summer here, albeit the end of July. The small but enthusiastic group discussed Zdenka Fantlova’s powerful memoir of the years she endured 6 concentration camps and how she survived with determination, hope and creativity. 

Always, and especially now, a controversial subject, Holocaust stories, as suggested by Salene who highly recommended the book, are timely in that in a few years there will no longer be survivors to recount their first hand experiences as the 90- plus year old Ms. Fantlova still does in London and as has the recently deceased oldest lived survivor, the distinguished Czech pianist Alice Herz-Sommer.  Both Ms. Fantlova and Ms. Herz-Sommer experienced the power of creativity and self expression to transcend the horrific. Salene cited the story as one of courage, determination, hope and luck.

This holocaust story was unique for its straight forward recount of events. Krysia pointed out and we all agreed it was not ‘well written’ in the sense that it seemed merely informative to begin with but then developed into an engaging story. Krysia  appreciated the elements of contrast in the description of Ms. Fantlova’s quasi privilege, freedom, her perfect assimilation in society with the eventual disbelief that anything could possibly go so wrong and the gradual disintegration of their lives.  Isobel poignantly recounted her visit to Bergen-Belsen. Helen acknowledged what started out as a seemingly light read, a somewhat perfunctory description of early life, but then gradually progressed through the horrific stages of internment, at which point Krysia made reference to Primo Levy, and how things go from bad to worse. 

Marijke in an email mentioned that although the book was difficult to read at first, she appreciated the detailed descriptions and was eventually absorbed in the story. Pietro agreed and cited this as a unique testimony, speaking to the truth, and its tangible proof. 

The book was different in its approach in that it was not a dramatization or fictionalization of what happened but a real recount of the horrors of the camps and forced marches and most of all survival. 

Thank you to everyone who contributed thoughtfully and to the delicious spread.

Other books we’re reading worth recommending include as Helen mentioned the novel ‘Orange is the New Black’ By Piper Kerman, Krysia recommends the new John LeCarre, and “Infatuations” by Javier Marias, and Kerry mentioned “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn.

Please correct me if I’m wrong but the next meetings are as follows:

September: Dear Life by Alice Munroe, Thursday September 11th venue to be announced

October:  Canada by Richard Ford, date and venue to be announced

November: The Following Story by Cees Nooteboom date and venue to be announced