Its about a culture that increasingly encourages social decay instead of counteracting it. He was raised in cambridge, england, by two cambridge. Golden hill our book group choice for february 2017 is golden hill by francis spufford. Richard smith, fresh off the boat, a man with a knack for. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Golden hill possesses a fluency and immediacy, a feast of the sensesi love this book. I may be biased, but moms book nook is the best online moms book club youll find.
Luckiest girl alive reading notes introduction as a teenager at the prestigious bradley school, ani fanelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Golden hill by francis spufford the washington post. This is a book born of patience, of knowledge accrued and distilled over decades, a style honed by practice. Smiths new york city by finding maps of manhattan and the surrounding region from the early 1800s. Spufford is best known for his admirable career in nonfiction, including as the writer of the punchy and pithy unapologetic, a very modern defence of christianity, and i may be some. What difference does the frame of golden hill, revealed in tabithas postscript on pages 295299, make in your understanding of the novel. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. It is a book about learning to navigate the unfamiliar, about embracing music, poetry, death, and, most importantly, life. Francis spufford is the author of five highly praised books of nonfiction. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. Locate streets and landmarks mentioned in golden hill. We announce the book selection on the first monday of the month and discuss on the last monday of the month at. All of the book club notes have books and reading themes.
Sparknotes are the most helpful study guides around to literature, math, science, and more. Golden hill shows a level of showmanship and skill which seems more like a crowning achievement than a debut. Book club groups in forest hills heres a look at some book club groups near forest hills. Set in 1746, it tells of a young mans adventuring in new york, a city then of just 7,000 people. The role of club coordinator in a book club as the book club evolves, the role of the group coordinator will change. Com we buyselltrade vintage hammond organs and roll or kari organvending machine moving dollies order roll or kari dollies here and roll or kari organvending machine moving dollies order roll or kari dollies here. Smith, dancing from foot to foot upon deck, that the small mound. Research picaresque novels and decide if golden hill fits into the traditions of the genre. The golden age, if nothing else, presents an interesting look at the past and all its imperfections. Golden hill is a terrific debut historical novel, set in. The first of his family to go to college, anil patel, the golden son, carries the weight of tradition and his familys expectations when he leaves his tiny indian village to begin a medical residency in dallas, texas, at one of the busiest and most competitive hospitals in america. The plot of golden hill, its fulcrum, at any rate, is as follows.
Golden hill recalls the dark alleys and twisted virtue of 18thcentury nyc francis spuffords historical novel is set in 1746 lower manhattan. We meet in a private facebook group and chat about a new book every month. Golden hill is a terrific debut historical novel, set in 1746 manhattan a stranger bearing a large bill arrives in the small muddy town of colonial new york, and high jinks ensue. The brig henrietta having made sandy hook a little before the dinner hourand having passed the narrows about three oclockand then crawling to and fro, in a series of tacks infinitesimal enough to rival the calculus, across the grey sheet of the harbour of newyorkuntil it seemed to mr. Iain pears fast, pacey and quite wonderful, i loved it. Golden hill is a meticulously crafted and brilliantly written novel that is both an affectionate homage to the 18th century novel and a taut and thoughtful tale. A novel of old new york francis spufford, 2017 scribner 320 pp. Golden hill, francis spufford may 24, 2017 may 24, 2017 girl with her head in a book golden hill has gathered up the costa first novel award along with a cluster of other awards including most recently the royal society of literatures ondaatje prize, which goes to a novel which best evokes a sense of place. Vance suggests that unemployment and addiction are self. Her detailed research, sharp observations and intelligent writing, mixed with compassion for the two lead players in this unhappy drama, make night games. An astonishing first novel, as stuffed with incident as a whole shelf of conventional fiction, golden hill is both a book about the eighteenth century, and itself a novel cranked back to the forms eighteenth century beginnings, when anything could happen on the page, and usually did, and a hero was not a hero unless he ran the frequent risk of being hanged. New york, a small town on the tip of manhattan island, 1746. Golden hill recalls the dark alleys and twisted virtue of 18thcentury nyc fresh air july 10, 2017 francis spuffords historical novel is set in 1746 lower manhattan, a world of spies. With tenderness and humor, the golden age tells a deeply moving story about illness, resilience and recovery.
Smith while first looking in on the room occupied by tabitha, flora, and zephyr, less than an hour after arriving in new york p. We will pick a book each month from any genre, from fiction to non, mystery to romance, or anything else we are interested in, and we actually read the books and mostly stay on topic while. Scribner, 2017 the novel opens on november 1st, 1746. Somerset maugham award currentlylives near cambridge, england francis spufford is the british author of five highly praised books of nonfiction and one work of fiction. Spufford brings his people and situations to life with glancing ease. The new yorker the intoxicating effect of golden hill is much more than an experiment in form. This is the group for you if you like to read and discuss books and want to connect with other women from golden hill and the surrounding neighborhoods. The washington post the spectacular first novel from acclaimed nonfiction author francis spufford follows the adventures of a mysterious young man in mideighteenth century manhattan, thirty years before the american revolution. Bestselling, awardwinning author of novels secret daughter and the golden son. The golden age by joan london reading guidebook club. The lawyers stakes at the table turned out to be not even colonial. One rainy evening in november, a handsome young stranger fresh off the boat pitches up at a countinghouse door in golden hill street.
Golden hill is a homage to the actionpacked works of 18thcentury masters like sterne, smollett and fielding but with spuffords nimble fingers on fast forward, speeding along character. Spufford has created a complete world, employing his archivist skills to the great advantage of his novel. Published in the print edition of the july 3, 2017, issue, with the headline manhattan. Francis spufford is such a prolific and wellrespected writer that its hard to believe that golden hill, his lively historical novel set in 18thcentury new york, is his first work of fiction. Golden hill new york, a small town on the tip of manhattan island, 1746. Golden hill is an update of eighteenthcentury picaresque novels by the likes of henry fielding and entertains us with its savage wit, mystery, charismatic protagonist, and romantic storyline as it propels us toward a powerful revelation at the novels end. Praise for night games krien has produced a book of note which has justly earned comparisons with helen garners the first stone. Below are some tasks that should be addressed by the club coordinator. These tasks may be delegated to other club members. Englishman richard smith arrives in the small colonial town of newyork from london. The book of the month club is an extremely popular book club with a vast selection of fiction, nonfiction and classics on topics such as biography, business and career, cooking. Awards 2015 australian prime ministers award for fiction 2015 patrick white literary award 2015 kibble literary. Such is the hook golden hill lodges, but its enough to play its readers all the way home. Want to see these questions in action, and join a fun monthly online book club no awkward silences, promise.
The book is about what goes on in the lives of real people when the industrial economy goes south. A handsome young stranger named richard smith arrives in new york city from london with a promissory note for 1,000 pounds. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. One rainy evening, a charming and handsome young stranger fresh off the boat from england pitches up to a counting house on golden hill street, with a suspicious yet compelling proposition he has an order for a thousand pounds in his pocket that he wishes to cash. Author bio birth1964 wherecambridge, england, u educationb. Its about reacting to bad circumstances in the worst way possible. If you belong to a book club, youll want to take notes about your discussions on literary books. Smith, dancing from foot to foot upon deck, that the. Find sample tests, essay help, and translations of shakespeare. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Each season were nerds we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. The golden compass we are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing bookclub running for the last several years. Vidal would argue that it is these imperfections that textbooks leave out to the detriment of our own knowledge of history, and that is partially his reason for writing this series.