Old Filth (by Jane Gardam) Group Read - April

Hi Everyone! Here is the thread for the April group read of Old Filth by Jane Gardam. I suppose we can just chit-chat away when everyone starts reading it. Perhaps we should have a rule about alerting each other when we post a spoiler by using something like this beforehand: **SPOILER ALERT**. That's all I can think of at the moment.

I plan on joining in on this one!

Yay! Me too, but that was probably already obvious. Perhaps it will be my first book of the month.

Also, where is Mark? He's supposed to be my co-host and cheerleader.

Yah, for Old Filth! Yah, for Old filth! I will be joining but it will probably be closer to mid-month. And yah, for a book under 300 pages. Always a bonus.

I'm going to be joining in with a newly published edition of Old Filth to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its UK publisher, Abacus:

I'm joining too - I have the Europa edition!

I have the Europa edition, too, but I'm loving Heather's edition!

(And is anyone else concerned about Mark's enthusiasm for "old filth"? ;-) )

*raises hand* And I loved Heather's cover, too!

#4 - Thanks, Mark!

#5 - Oh, I love that cover too!

#7 - Katie - I'm concerned right along with you. : ) No, actually, I requested his enthusiasm at the thread, since I feel I'm a bit too cranky for being a proper group read host. Ha!

I am looking forward to finally getting around to reading Old Filth. I even ordered a copy of The Man in the Wooden Hat from ILL so I can move right into the sequel. Now that's faith!

Heather, I have complete and total book envy. That is one of the coolest book covers ever!

I might be joining as well. Had it on my TBR already quite some time. However, for myself it probably will be mid April as well.

I've got it ordered from the library. Should be in my branch for pick-up by the first.

I read Old Filth for the second time earlier this year, for my book club, so I won't be reading it in April but it's still fresh in my mind so I may chime in!

Heather, I'm really tempted to buy that new edition even though I may never read the book again. My copy is a really tatty one which cost 20p, from my local charity shop.

#10 - Donna - I plan to read The Man in the Wooden Hat this year too and maybe the third one - Last Friends - that comes out next month (I think).

#11 and 12 - Welcome, Bianca and Roni!

#13 - Oh, I do hope you chime in Dee! You always have wonderful things to say.

I'm in! Just gotta find my copy....

I'm in, I just dug up my copy. When are we starting the read? I've got to finish my current read . I love your cover, Heather!

Why is everyone questioning my over-the-top enthusiasm for Old Filth? That puzzles me. Maybe if it was "Newer Filth"? I have to track down a copy too!

Heather- I agree, that is a very cool cover!

LOL! Mark, I can always count on you to be a cut -up! :) Newer Filth? Hmm - maybe we could find a book for you? ;)

#15 - Glad you could join us, Ellen!

#16 - Hi Deborah! I think we're all starting at different times. I'm going to make it my first book of the month.

#17 - Mark - I BELIEVE in your over-the-top enthusiasm! (Did you catch the all-CAPS Markism?)

Found my copy, added it to the ever-changing pile of books to take with me on my trip.

Have my copy in hand...I'll be ready to start on the weekend.

#21 - Welcome, clue!

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If anyone's interested, I put Old Filth under TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book with two or more people on the cover. I didn't see it anywhere else yet.

We were clueless at first and now we are not. Yah!

Kerri- When are you cracking this baby?

#23 - Probably Monday. It will be my first book of the month.

Go Kerri! Go Kerri! I'll be kicking off the month with the Blind Assassin.

#25 - Mark, you're killing me with the enthusiasm. It's 6:30 in the morning. : )

I started reading Old Filth last evening and, once I settled into it, I loved the first chapter. That's all I read before sleep claimed me....

I think I'll make Old Filth my next book. Huh, from the flyleaf I've already learned that "FILTH" is an acronym for "Failed In London, Try HongKong." Intriguing.

I spent a little time on the lanai (*snrk*) this afternoon reading Old Filth. The story of Edward Feathers, aka Old Filth, is unfolding and is quite delightful. I think I may be missing some allusions and such, so I hope others start chiming in as they read.

I'm thinking The Decline of The Empire is an important theme here......

I see Ellen is bringing this "lanai" business to the Old Filth thread. Hrmpft. : )

Anyway, I'm on page 183 and enjoying it immensely. Hopefully I'll finish it tonight.

**PERHAPS SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH, BUT NOT REALLY**
My favorite thing so far is the chapter where we suddenly see things from Betty's perspective and learn that her reality is quite different from Old Filth's perception of her reality. It's very effective and also kind of jarring.

Decline of the Empire for sure. Also, I wasn't quite aware of the "Raj Orphan" phenomenon, so that's been fascinating.

I finished! I will try to get my thoughts together by Sunday. I'm a bit swamped with a few other things right now.

Also, I just read the inner flap of The Man in the Wooden Hat and it says it's about the marriage of Old Filth and Betty, from Betty's perspective. That sounds fascinating, and I hope to get to it this year, although I'd love to read some of her older stuff, as I was blown away by God on the Rocks last year.

I still haven't started... sigh. I just finished a book and had promised myself that LAdy Oracle would be my next read. But, Kerri, you are making it hard to resist Old Filth!

I finished Old Filth and enjoyed it very much. 4.2 stars from me! I liked the mystery aspect of it and the psychological twists Eddie Feathers went through to discover what exactly happened to him as a young boy in Wales. Jane Gardam is a craftsman who created a thought-provoking and delightful book. I appreciate that she didn't get all soap opera-ish and maudlin on us! This was my first book by her but there will be more. In fact, I picked up The Man in the Wooden Hat at the library last night.

My review is on my thread and can be found here.

I haven't started yet, either. And Lady Oracle came in today at the library for me!

I picked up my copy of Old Filth today! I hope to start it next week. I see, I will not be alone.

Glad to hear Kerri & Donna loved it! Now, that is motivation!

I am loving Old Filth. Just starting Part Two this evening (my last evening with so much reading time!! -- sorry, Kerri, but how can I not revel in this???).

Among other things, I love the conversation between Vanessa (Claire's son's "partner") and Eddie Feathers, aka Old Filth:
*SLIGHT SPOILERS HERE*They are talking about a notorious case of a woman who was hung after shooting her unfaithful lover a few weeks after losing his baby.... all apropos of nothing, but here is the good part:
"'I think,' she said, pouring tea through Claire's Edwardian tea-strainer, 'we have to forgive history a very great deal.'
'I think,' he said, 'that we should forgive history almost nothing.'"

Oh yeah.

I completed reading it on the plane home yesterday. It dragged a tiny bit near the end but earned 4.5 stars from me. I will certainly be seeking out a copy of The Man in the Wooden Hat because I am curious to know more about Eddie and Betty's relationship.
More to follow....

I'm a Gardam fan and have the book on my shelf. If time permits I'll reread and add my bit if I may.

I've been raving so much about this book on my thread that I decided to raise my rating from 4 stars to 4.5. It's a book that I will long remember.

I finished Part 1 today!

Hello all. I am a Goodreads refugee who has found my way to these shores, and, while navigating my way around, was thrilled to find this discussion of Old Filth, which recently set me on a Gardam spree that is still going strong. I read the novel last year while briefly living in Hong Kong, thinking that it was going to actually be about Hong Kong, which of course only ends up coming in indirectly. No matter. It was fabulous and I was happy to turn to Betty's side of the story later in The Man in the Wooden Hat.

Thanks to Kerri's reminder, I will be joining everyone for the group read of Old Filth but you will have to give me a week to get around to cracking the book! ;-)

I finished the book today, and posted my review on my thread here. http://www.librarything.com/topic/151723#4028316

I look forward to discussing it when more people have finished!

I am almost done with the book and am LOVING it! I hope to finish tonight...

I finished it last night. So glad I read it, it's the frist Jane Gardam I've read, how can that be? I've got to think it over but I'm sure I'll give it at least 4 stars, maybe 4.5.

Woops.... completely forgot to post over here! I finished it last week and was very happy to have this group read motivate me to pull the book off my TBR bookcase and read it. Review posted on the book page. Thanks Mark and Kerri for setting this up!