The Rings of Saturn by W. G. Sebald

The Rings of Saturn is an account of the author’s walking tour of East Anglia. In addition to describing the places he sees and people he encounters Sebald also discusses various episodes of history and literature, including the introduction of silkworm cultivation to Europe and the writings of Thomas Browne, which attach in some way to the larger text.

Ever one to turn an edgy phrase, Dennis referred to the book as “literary molasses”, emphasizing the bleakness of mankind. Readers (not all of the members, you slackers! oops, I’m on of them!) professed ambivalence to the work, noting that the sparks were there, although hard to find. The snippets of history were seen as interesting and educative, although coldly rendered. Leanne noted what she sees as the European sensibility of the book, perhaps somewhat arcane for those antipodeans among us.

Sebald’s aims seem somewhat obscure, and again Dennis came up with a pertinent line in noting that the book could alternatively be titled “The Rings of Uranus”.

Scores were:

Andrew 7
Dennis 2
Leanne 7
Kevin 7

Bringing the score down to 6.

The next book will be Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, chosen by Leanne.

Congratulations to Denis on his Matinee Idol performance with the Ashfield Musical Society on Saturday Night. And good luck to Mark (hey that's me) for my next try with Club Jazz Sydney at the Manhattan Lounge again this coming Wednesday.

Mark