Ian McEwan, SWEET TOOTH

We were seven potlucking chez Phoebe to discuss Ian McEwan's SWEET TOOTH: Maren, Phoebe, Robin (starving for cheese, chocolate, and wine after her Asian adventures), Michel, Hélène (who had suggested the book), Cynthia, and Mark (a big McEwan enthusiast).

A general vote of thanks to Hélène for this selection: it gave everyone something to dig the teeth into.

Robin, who actually attended Cambridge not long after the novel's protagonist, was able to confirm the atmosphere and limitations described as absolutely spot on (as well as clarifying the meaning of receiving a First, Second, or Third, grammar school versus public school, and other arcana).

Michel was enthusiastic over the classically well-made overarching structure of the book and its drame cornélien of duty versus love.

Maren brought a perspective from the other side of the Iron Curtain -- the extent of the Cold War fear of the USSR described in the book was surprising to her. She was slightly frustrated by the transformation of the intrigue from espionage to romance. She also felt that the protagonist underwent shifts of mood and direction that defied reader belief or involvement -- possibly explained by the twist at the end.

Phoebe COULD NOT get her head around the Monty Hall problem and could see no difference between the two short stories constructed around it (one incorrectly, one correctly -- OR SO IT WAS CLAIMED). Explanations capable of penetrating her thick skull will be entertained with sobbing gratitude.

Mark has kindly furnished detailed explanations, after reading which Phoebe threw in the towel. http://betterexplained.com/articles/understanding-the-monty-hall-problem/

Another gripe: it seemed (per Phoebe and, with reservations, Robin) that the novel's literary and historical references, allusions, and intertextuality had their eyes far too much on the gallery (or the lecture amphitheater), unlike works by, let us say, Nabokov or Angus Wilson, who use their own lexicon for their own ends without worrying about the gracious distribution of pedagogic goodies.

July's selection is THE AGE OF INNOCENCE by Edith Wharton. Should we skip an August meeting? Many exciting book possibilities were raised for the future -- please email them in (with preferred month, if you have one) and we can continue filling the calendar and sourcing our books. Cynthia has already risen to the challenge with a selection for either August (if we do indeed meet) or, failing that, October: LE TESTAMENT FRANCAIS by Andrei Makine, which I've added to the Agenda.

Related viewing: Alan Bennett's AN ENGLISHMAN ABROAD (Guy Burgess): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsdexDZgr-8

-- Phoebe