Take a leaf out of our book and join TOAD’s new book club.
Are you the sort of person who’s never seen without a book in their hand? Do you find that there’s nothing you enjoy more at the end of the day than to read a chapter or two from the lest bestseller sitting on your bedside table? Or do you fancy yourself as a bit of a writer in your own right, and are always reading other people’s works in order to refine some of your own ideas and style?
Whatever your motives for getting your nose stuck into a good book, if you’re as avid a fan of fiction as TOAD is then you’ll be as excited as we are to announce the launch of the Time Out Abu Dhabi book club – and in our book, it’s long overdue. A forum for people with a passion for literature to come together, meet new people, and talk about literature, whether you’re a book club veteran or a newbie who’s always liked the idea of making new friends over the pages of the latest must-read novel, the Time Out Abu Dhabi book club is the place for you.
The club will be open to all members of the public, is free to join, and is guaranteed to be a fun and relaxed, so if you’re on the same page as us then register via our @TimeOutAbuDhabi Twitter account or email Caitlyn.davey@itp.com.
The group will meet on the first Saturday of each month beginning March 1 at Dome cafe in the World Trade Center Mall on Hamdan Street to discuss a chosen book and its themes – and whatever else group members fancy discussing about literature or wider affairs..
The book we will discuss in our first meeting will be The Thread by Victoria Hislop, modern classic focusing on a love story that spans decades and continents.
From next month we will taking suggestions from our readers on books to critique, so we’d love to hear your suggestions. And of course it goes without saying that we want to see as many people at the event as possible, but there limited spaces so make sure you sign up quickly!
Get this month’s TOAD Book Group book at Borders in Abu Dhabi Mall (Dhs45) or www.amazon.com. Got a suggestion for a book? Tweet us @timeoutabudhabi with your ideas!
The discussion
The Thread book club discussion questions, as published by Headline Review
1. What enables Eugenia and Katerina to survive in Thessaloniki after the burning of Smyrna?
2. How is the Greece Communist party portrayed in The Thread? To what extent does this differ from any prior knowledge about the party that you may have had?
3. In what ways is threading prominent throughout the novel? How does threading become important during the political crisis?
4. How are class and cultural distinctions portrayed? How do the people of Greece regard these differences and how do their attitudes change?
5. How is family represented in The Thread? How does the political situation throughout the novel challenge and shape these family structures?
6. How do Katerina and Dimitri’s lives intertwine throughout the novel and how do their initial encounters shape their relationship?
7. Why is Olga unable to leave her home and how does her agoraphobia develop?
8. How does the country of Greece change politically and economically throughout The Thread? To what extent does this differ from any prior knowledge about Greece’s history that you may have had?
9. Compare the different marriages depicted. What were the various incentives for marriage? What were the expectations of a wife? How did the political situation effect women and did women have any power over political outcomes?
10. How does the ending of the novel echo its themes and motifs? What type of future does this ending represent
The book
Swat up on the chosen book by reading the blurb below.
Thessaloniki, 1917.
As Dimitri Komninos is born, a fire sweeps through the thriving multicultural city, where Christians, Jews and Muslims live side by side. It is the first of many catastrophic events that will change forever this city, as war, fear and persecution begin to divide its people. Five years later, young Katerina escapes to Greece when her home in Asia Minor is destroyed by the Turkish army. Losing her mother in the chaos, she finds herself on a boat to an unknown destination. From that day the lives of Dimitri and Katerina become entwined, with each other and with the story of the city itself.
Thessaloniki, 2007.
A young Anglo-Greek hears the life story of his grandparents for the first time and realises he has a decision to make. For many decades, they have looked after the memories and treasures of people who have been forcibly driven from their beloved city. Should he become their new custodian? Should he stay or should he go?
Words courtesy of book synopsis.
