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This is the first book that Nicola’s Book Club will read in Season 15, the theme of which is “Fantasy and the Fantastic”. 'When Gregor Samsa woke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into some kind of monstrous vermin.' With a bewildering blend of the everyday and the fantastical, Kafka thus begins his most famous short story, “The Metamorphosis”. A commercial traveller is unexpectedly freed from his dreary job by his inexplicable transformation into an insect, which drastically alters his relationship with his family. Kafka considered publishing it with two of the stories included here in a volume to be called “Punishments”. “The Judgement” also concerns family tensions, when a power ... Subscribe to read more
Although readers found the story bleak and a bit too close to current reality, they really enjoyed it thanks to the wonderful language and superb writing. They found the story fluid and well-paced, with a good plot that kept their interest going. Everyone sympathised with Jimmy who they described as a likeable albeit flawed character. On the other hand, they felt that both the characters of Crake and Oryx were too thinly portrayed to get a good feel for them. They liked the highly imaginative and exaggerated view of a modern society, with its inordinate use of technology, gene splicing, cloning, viruses, dysfunctional relationships with parents, friends and lovers. Some readers had diffic... Subscribe to read more
Nicola is a lover of books, and equally a lover of world cultures. She believes that books represent the first step of a journey, a journey that frequently has an unknown destination. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s collection of essays “Moving the Centre” is one of Nicola’s great inspirations: it points to a wealth of stories from different cultures around the world, cultures which do not always get the visibility their rich heritage deserves. Nicola’s mission is to share these stories, her passion for books and her literary insight with readers the world over.
Former proprietor of Nicola’s Bookshop in Brussels, Nicola has developed her knowledge and enthusiasm for literature over many years. Through this website Nicola now reaches out to a wider audience. Read more