The English Book Club: Intimacy

In June we shall discuss Hanif Kureishi’s fourth novel Intimacy. It gives us the thoughts and memories of a middle-aged British writer on the night before he walks out on his wife and two young sons for a younger woman. He is a very modern man, without political convictions or religious beliefs, he vaguely hopes to find fulfilment in sexual love.

“She thinks she’s feminist, but she’s just bad-tempered,” the narrator says of his abandoned wife. A male friend advises him, “Marriage is a battle, a terrible journey, a season in hell, and a reason for living.”

The paradox “You don’t stop loving someone just because you hate them,” resonates with the readers leaving many indecisive about the likeability of the character.

The group is open to anyone and meets on a monthly basis, last Friday of the month. This time the session is an early one because of the summer holidays. The discussions are intended as presentations of literary works and as language practice, as they take place exclusively in English. The club meeting will be moderated by one of its members.