A Literary Odyssey Reading Group : Talking to Ourselves

Our Reading Group meets on the last Wednesday of each month to discuss a different novel from around the globe, charting waters new and exciting. We intend to introduce you to some of our favourite foreign or translated authors – writers who might not get as much attention alongside their British fellows, but should definitely not be missed!

So do join our voyage upon the high-seas of literature; to Europe, Africa, Asia, and beyond!

For the month of September we will be discussing Andres Neuman’s Talking to Ourselves. Alternately narrated by the mother, father and son, Talking to Ourselves is a story about how we are transformed by loss, and how words, and sex, can serve as powerful modes of resistance. Each of these solitary, richly textured, and strikingly unique voices forms a poignant communication-while none of them dares to tell the others the whole truth. A profound tribute to all those who have ever had to care for a loved one, told with Neuman’s characteristic warmth, bittersweet humour and wide-ranging intellect. We can’t wait to hear what you think of it!

This is writing of a quality rarely encountered… when you read Neuman’s beautiful novel, you realise a very high bar has been set – Guardian

An unforgettable exploration of the emotional landscape of grief and loss – Bookanista