Book Club Members were warmly welcomed to the June meeting by Brenda with apologies received from several Members unable to attend the evening’s discussion. The meeting began with many comments that the book was indeed aptly named! While some Members made a few attempts at reading it to the end, and not managing to do so, there were a few who gallantly finished the book and were able to enlighten everyone on the more intrinsic relevant details of the various characters. These characters, apart from having very peculiar names and being many in number – too many most Members said, formed the “Slow Horses” spies – a Group who made a bit of a mess of their careers and end up based at Slough House. One Member said, with others agreeing, that the first part was interesting, but it then gathered pace quickly and they found it hard to keep track all the time as the book changed theme – not only in chapters but within paragraphs. This made it difficult and complicated in places, too interwoven to follow easily. And then, when we got to the end, we found it never really had an end!! We felt it needed another book to explain it all and one Member said we’d need another series!!
One Member felt initially a bit concerned and pushed into the story until she “got” how it was written and felt she then was able to enjoy the conclusion and did not need to remember names of characters and being reminded who they were and what each crime was. Although Members were irritated to begin with, it was felt that you became kind of absorbed in it and it was agreed by most that eventually you enjoyed it once the plot started and galloped along to its satisfactory end even if you had to go back through for some of the lost names on the way. It probably would not be as much of a problem to you if you usually read this genre of novels.
A discussion took place on how each character performed and evolved which helped other Members relate more to the story’s plot and getting their heads around the unusual names. With the description of “white and blue T-shirt/Shirt” evoking a conversation over Spider’s lies and putting the names of some of the characters, River Cartwright; Jed Moody ; Spider Webb; Syd Baker and of course Jackson Lamb, and their roles in influencing the plot, helped several of us have a little more of an understanding of how the story developed and finished. Everyone wanted to know if the girl Syd did die and was wiped off the system as if she never existed. Further discussion took place as to whether it was thought that was how spies worked and if it was thought believable. Each character was so individual as they did not get together unless they had to and River and Jackson only “gelled” together because it couldn’t be done without a computer!!
To summarise …………. Mixed bag of feelings about this book – you had to finish it to maybe enjoy it; on the whole generally several liked (ish) it ; one hated it ; started far too slowly with too many characters (with strange names!) ; and a few did not finish it. So NOT A BOOK WE THOUGHT WAS RECOMMENDABLE.