Young @ Heart Book Club Reads Lionel Shriver

The book club has quietly discovered an author who can really get them talking, and whose books have prompted some interesting discussions.

Lionel Shriver was born in America in 1957, but now lives in Portugal. She has published 20 works of fiction, the most well-known of which is We Need to Talk About Kevin, now a film as well. She specialises in creating clear characters who are hard to love, but fiercely interesting, and her writing is often a kind of acid satire which assumes that everything bad that could happen to a person or in society … happens. 

This leads to some gnarly themes – anthropology and first love; terrorism and cults of personality; rock and roll drumming and immigration, for instance. Our book clubbers have read three of them recently.

In We Need to Talk About Kevin (2003), a mother writes to her estranged husband, confessing to having always been ambivalent about motherhood and wondering if her shortcomings as a parent contributed to his committing the murder of nine people in a school shooting. This book hit a nerve with the public and provoked controversy, also raising Shriver to international interest.

Big Brother (2013) begins with Pandora not recognising her older brother Edison when she picks him up from the airport. Once slim and groovy, he has gained hundreds of pounds. Edison’s demanding personality and appalling diet drive Pandora and her fitness-conscious husband Fletcher round the bend until one day there is a stand off. Fletcher says ‘It’s him or me’. Which sacrifice will Pandora make? We take a look at why people overeat, extreme dieting, and if it’s a good idea to even try to save people from themselves.

And finally, Should We Stay or Should We Go (2021) takes another controversial subject and treats it with wit as well as gravity. In their 50s, Kay and Cyril make a pact to commit suicide together when they turn 80 … but a lot might have changed in 30 years. What possible futures could they experience? We take a look at the implications of their decision in 12 parallel universes. Will they honour their agreement … or live to regret it? 

All of these books provoked a lot of discussion - making us listen hard to each other’s perspectives on age and dying, parenthood, gun control and the fat industry. Have a read and explore some of Shriver’s other writing – you won’t be disappointed.

Books By Lionel Shriver at the Library (click on the links for catalogue information):

Novels
A Perfectly Good Family
Double Fault
We Need to Talk About Kevin
The Post Birthday World
So Much for That
Big Brother
The Mandibles
The Motion of the Body Through Space
Should We Stay or Should We Go

Also:
Property (short stories)
Abominations (essays)

12 April 2024

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