Boards Book Club - No. 1 Death and the Penguin -Andrey Kurkov

buck65

By popular choice Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov is our opening book on the new Boards book club.
Please use this thread to discuss and leave feedback on the book. Right - I'm off to the local bookshop...

LoLth

amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Penguin-Panther-Andrey-Kurkov/dp/1860469450/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247479759&sr=8-1

Play.com: http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/251248/Death-and-the-Penguin/Product.html

easons: http://www.eason.ie/search?q=death+and+the+penguin

Waterstones: http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=4247597

turgon

Book Depository is cheapest at €7.55 including delivery.

Damian Duffy

Have actually read this book a number of times,its fantastic. If you enjoy it, try one of his other novels, particularly "A Matter of Death and Life".

As a side note, the book depository is the safest and cheapest bookstore on the net, really quick too.

ally2

Just started this. Got it as a present a few months ago and never got round to it. Only a few pages in but really like the prose - very clear and nice dark humour in it. A very unusual tale so far. Looks like it'll be a good read.

TedB

Just after ordering it on ebay. Hopefully will have it by the start of next week and will try to have it finished by the end of next week. I think our 'book club' should just consist of a thread about the book - what will make the thread special is that all of us will have read it in and around the same time as each other, hence making the forum as a whole more active.

dioltas

LoLth wrote: »

Play.com: http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/251248/Death-and-the-Penguin/Product.html

turgon wrote: »

Book Depository is cheapest at €7.55 including delivery.

Just had a look at those sites. Fairly cheap in fairness, and free delivery. Thanks! Sorry for going off topic.

lemon_sherbert

I'm having difficulty getting this in a bookshop, has anyone found it in a shop? I'm perilously near my credit limit due to a hotel booking and can't buy it online

raah!

lemon_sherbert wrote: »

I'm having difficulty getting this in a bookshop, has anyone found it in a shop? I'm perilously near my credit limit due to a hotel booking and can't buy it online

I got mine in hodges figgis in dublin last week, but maybe I bought the last one or something.

lemon_sherbert

raah! wrote: »

I got mine in hodges figgis in dublin last week, but maybe I bought the last one or something.

Thanks, I'll ring up to see if there are any left

raah!

How are people doing with the books anyway? We'd best keep each other updated so we can choose a time at which to start the discussion in earnest.

I'll copy and paste this to the other one too, since they are unsticky

TedB

raah! wrote: »

How are people doing with the books anyway? We'd best keep each other updated so we can choose a time at which to start the discussion in earnest.

I'll copy and paste this to the other one too, since they are unsticky

Finished it a couple of hours ago. looking forward to discussing it!

raah!

I'm also finsihed it, in the process of forgetting

Illkillya

Read it the other day

nc6000

I'm reading it at the moment and like it so far.

turgon

So its August now so we can start talking now!!!!!

What did ye all think?? What did Misha ('Bear' in Russian) symbolize??

TedB

turgon wrote: »

So its August now so we can start talking now!!!!!

What did ye all think?? What did Misha ('Bear' in Russian) symbolize??

Shouldn't we start a new thread? I was under the impression people were still reading it. (I'm finished BTW)

raah!

Hah hah! I was just about to bring this up. As for me I am at somewhat of a loss it's fairly clear that he's a reflection of the main characters moods and situation but if his having the same name as "misha non-penguin" has any significance then I don't know.

I really liked the relationship between viktor and the woman and the child. Seems to me to be a very accurate depiction of how relationships often are, people being together "just for the sake of it" and abandoning any sort of meaningful life other than that of just living with a family... etc.

Gah! I feel like reading over some bits to find some information about the penguin.

The difference in the old man and viktor's perception of death was explored fairly well too I thought. I think people l ike this old man would be less likely to enter into the sort of relationship that viktor entered into.

Edit: new thread would be fine too, I can copy and paste this part here.

lemon_sherbert

Hm, have to admit I haven't yet started this, I may have to join the book club next month. Will the titles be going up good and early for book 2?

TedB

lemon_sherbert wrote: »

Hm, have to admit I haven't yet started this, I may have to join the book club next month. Will the titles be going up good and early for book 2?

I dunno. How are we deciding who picks next months books? I would like to 'call' it, if I amn't being a little bold in doing so

raah!

An order was established previously based on the order in which people posted in a certain thread. I imagine it's open to discussion though.

lemon_sherbert

So who is proposing the books for round two? It'd be nice if it came up soon, give us a chance to vote and then read them (considering how lazy I was last time round:o)

buck65

Finally finished this book, although I enjoyed it , I thought it was a little dragged out and tbh I could see that Victor's obelisks were self fulfilling and that he would be blamed from a long way out.
Hopping on the plane was a nice getaway though!
6/10