At our meeting on Thursday 20th April we considered “Fair Stood the Wind for France” by H.E. Bates. The meeting was led by Peter. The three words people chose to describe the book were:
- Contemporaneous, Sad, Tender
- Page-turner, Evocative, Heartening
- Suspenseful, Thought-provoking, Impressionistic
- Vivid, Memorable, Good-read
- Gripping, Atmospheric, Surprising
- East-to-read, Vivid, Sentimental
- Full-of-danger, Tender, Fierce
THE QUESTIONS
- What three words best sum up the book and the read for you?
- What is the significance of the title? Did you find it meaningful? Why/why not?
- How important was the time period, and when it was written, to the novel?
- What do you think the author’s goal was in writing this book. What message was he trying to
send? Or was he indeed trying to send a message? - What about the characters: were they believable? Who was your favourite? Which one did
you relate to and why? - What scene/s resonated with you most? And why?
- Were there any plot twists that you loved or hated?
- What about the writing style and descriptions? Any loves/hates/examples that struck you?
- How does this book compare with other war novels?
- Does the book stand the test of time? Is it a worthy classic?
KEY POINTS MADE
The book was more successful as a descriptive landscape rather than an exposition of character. The
people were not entirely convincing (especially the romantic relationship – although it was pointed
out that the instant ‘love’ might well have been a real consequence of living in danger in the midst of
a war). The book was effective in being sparse, clean and with economic story telling. However there
were a number of coincidences to the narrative which ensured it rattled along but which were not
entirely credible (such as Frankie meeting up with O’Connor towards the end). Overall it was
successful in giving a feeling of what it must have been like to be in occupied France without being
too depressing and still giving people hope (knowing that the book was written before the war
ended).
Was it a classic? Mixed responses, but an easy read.
If you have any other thoughts please let us know in the comments section at the end.
Harbury Village Library & Biblios Cafe 