June Book Meet me at the Museum

Hi readers
Interested in how you get books via GN?

See my post of 2nd June earlier on this thread, Kate13.

Got it - Thanks Maggiemaybe

I very much enjoyed this and the way we got to know the two main characters through their letters to each other. I don't think we should judge Tina harshly for her feelings of discontent and having taken the wrong path as a young woman, surely we all have the "what ifs" in our lives. With time and hindsight most of us can see where we might have been better off making different decisions, choosing different directions. I'm not sure a sequel would be appropriate, but if there was one I would definitely read it and will look out for another book by this author.

Finished reading this today. I enjoyed the sharing of lives and thoughts in a letter and wondered if people were more or less revealing of themselves in this format. The letters allowed themes to be developed and set out in a way that would not be possible in conversation. The correspondents were able to reflect on their thoughts and responses. The ending surprised me and left me asking what happens now. Perhaps the loose ends are a sign of a sequel.

How surprised was I to find that Tina and I live in the same town. I really enjoyed this book not my usual read but I loved the letter format and found it easy to read. Very thought provoking in places whilst also being a bit quirky. Now waiting for a sequel.

I read this book a letter at a time to give the contents time to sink in just as Tina and Anders did.
I found the correspondence thought provoking and moving. Tears came to my eyes when Anders wrote, "Write soon for I have no one else to talk to."
I think that the uncertainty of the ending was as it should be. I didn't see love letters but friendship and mutual interest.....probably a better basis for a relationship than the one that Tina had with Edward....

Anne obviously drew on her life experience to express the feelings of the characters. I would like to know if she regrets not writing her first novel until later in life.

I have now put a visit to see Tollund Man on my bucket list.

Well, I did read this book in the garden as I had hoped but have held back from a review while issues raised within me settled. Somes of the content of the 'conversation' beteween Tina and Anders mirrors current family issues, particularly loss and lack of emotional closeness.

I enjoyed the format of the book, having lived in the area of Tina's home I could see the huge fields and recalled how bleak the countryside could be as well as the potential for beauty. Tina's emotional loneliness was tangible alongside the practical busyiness of her day to day life. The distance that grew between Tina and her husband understandable and sadly all too common. I didn't blame either but rather was sad for them both.

I was fascinated by the way both Tina and Aders grew bolder as their relationship grew stronger. The letters reminded me that it is sometimes easier to be honest with someone we have never met than it is with those close by and that the skill of letter writing is now lost to many.

I also saw a deep friendship rather than embryo lovers. I wanted to urge Tina on in her independent life, to say 'you can do it'. Perhaps we read into this book what we will. Unusually I hope there int a sequel. I say unusually because my preference is often to know more of characters I have enjoyed. I think it is the right place to leave Tina and Anders, we can each visualise our own preferred future for them.

I would be interested to know if Anne has first hand knowledge of farming life, how she knew it was the right time to write this book and whether she will continue to write in letter format.

Thank you Anne and GN for the opportunity to read an absorbing book I would perhaps not have picked from a shelf.

Just finished reading Meet Me at the Museum and have really enjoyed the journey traced through these letters. From the slightly formal opening epistles through more relaxed sharing of news and eventually the confident exchange of thoughts and feelings their relationship gradually unfolded. I am pleased they kept to writing letters which resulted in a more measured pace to the unfolding of events as they do throughout life rather than the rush and often hasty responses of email.
I did not see the ending coming but did not feel cheated by it. I had had my suspicions regarding the relationship between Tina and Edward but not the outcome. Much as I would like to see another novel by Anne Youngson I do not look for a sequel. For me I prefer to draw my own conclusions although I do hope that Tina eventually achieves her goal of visiting the Tollund Man.
The detail of both their lives suggests a good knowledge of both locations and the rural way of life, too, but I am assuming the story of the Tollund Man himself was the starting point for this novel and should be interested to know if this is so. The exchange of letters proved an ideal way to set the pace for this novel but would not suit every story so would Anne use this format again or would a more traditional chapter style be preferred?

Only halfway through. trying not to read comments. enjoying. Reading two books at same time.

Greenfinch so far ( halfway through book) I don't believe she is doing anything wrong in corresponding.. Her husband apparently isn't aware of the letters and that's ok. We don't have to know everything about our partner's lives. We are entitled to privacy. It is providing a need that she has for someone to talk to/ express her feelings to. Giving so much detail about others I'm not so sure about. The only time I would do this is with a counsellor, where there is a confidentiality agreement. That's just a quick comment so far.

annep I cannot agree.I believe in openness in relationships.I would hate to think my DH was carrying on a correspondence with a woman without my knowledge.If I knew ,I would be much more likely to accept the platonic situation.If I were Tina ,I would feel incredibly guilty.

Greenfinch now I am going to be like Tina and say yes I can understand that viewpoint. Personally speaking I don't think my husband would mind. However I might, no would mind if he did it. I am hoping to discover why she is doing it....... Oh dear, perhaps I may not like what I read!

annep this would be a really good topic for a book club meeting, wouldn't it?

Yes. it would. I don't belong to one. All our libraries have waiting lists. Perhaps I'll give the U3A another try and suggest it. Looking forward to finishing it on Monday (or during the night!). Too busy tomorrow.

Many thanks for my copy of the June book. Not yet read it but will do so when I have finished the tome I am presently reading!

very much enjoyed this book and was really impressed by the thoughtful way the character's responses to their own and each others feelings were explored and described.
The letter format works well here, it makes it possible to bring in the element of unknownness, if that is a word, of the other person but also of seeing themselves as the other might see them and so the descriptions of lives unfolding are quite multifacetted.
The words precision and emotion don't normally sit easily together but Anne's previous career explained a lot.
This book will stay with me for a long time I expect and not only because it so resonates with me but because it has made me think..
And that after all the easy stuff I've been reading to help me get to sleep!
Thanks Alygran for passing it on.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, not one I would normally have picked up. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did I found it beautifully written, and thoughtful and gentle in its treatment of dull lives lived quietly. I think it is one that I will remember (not least for the raspberries and ferns ). For me the narrative really picked up when Anders' children were introduced, with evidence at last of some proper family affection. Birgitt senior and the stolid Edward in particular came over to me as self-absorbed and very hard work. Tina’s children, her sons at least, hadn’t fallen far from the tree - I was quite shocked that they both knew about their father’s betrayal of their mother and couldn’t care less. Karin and Erik, on the other hand, were obviously very fond of their father as well as holding their mother’s memory dear.

Someone posted above that they were glad Tina got her come-uppance. I feel completely differently. I’m glad that boring Edward and his sons probably got theirs, having swapped their unappreciated housekeeper for the smug and lazy Daphne. My favourite line of the whole book was Tina swiping the tea-cosy and telling Daph to knit her own!

I don’t need a sequel. I like to think that Tina started living her life at long last and found happiness with the lovely Anders. I could see this book as a film I'd love to watch and would like to ask whether there is anything in the pipeline?

I enjoyed this book. I didn't love it but it was a pleasant read. The characters were gentle people who talked in a very gentle formal way. Mostly I found the conversation interesting and informative but occasionally I thought the details of life grew a bit boring. I did like the raspberries and ferns though!.
Both Tina and Anders were lonely people in very different ways. Tina had reached a stage in life with which many of us can empathise thinking how life might have been, things we didn't do....., and it did make me think.
I felt sorry for her. I felt from the beginning that she did not have a deep loving relationship with her husband, but like many people of her age had had to settle for less than she wanted. And she had no one to have a meaningful conversation with until Anders.
Anders came across as a very courteous caring man, who had been so patient with his wife and now such a loving father.
One little detail I liked was how they addressed each other and how it progressed to putting "love" in front of the signature and then in Tina's case reverting to just Tina.
I was glad when I found out that Edward was having an affair because it would give Tina the possibility of leaving him and starting again. I was glad she made the decision to leave, although I would have preferred Anders not to give her the advice. I don't think it was his place to do that. Once I read about the affair I couldn't stop until I had finished the book (3am!) Tina is taking her time to make decisions about her future which is wise. I do feel she will visit Anders at the museum. I'm not sure if they will be more than friends. I prefer to leave it there. I don't think a sequel would work. However I do feel it would make a very nice film.

Maggiemay, I liked the tea cosy thing too. Daphne really got up my nose!

gardenoma I agree with you regarding how they took time to understand and respond to each other even when talking about (to me) mundane or not particularly interesting topics. They listened to each other properly; something we don't always do. It was an interesting book in many ways. And now I have to read further about the Tollund Man!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the format.
I’ve taken my time reading it - usually on the bus or in the garden- a couple of letters at a time.
I liked the way the relationship between Tina and Anders progressed and am sure they’ll eventually meet up.
Are any more novels on the horizon- not necessarily a sequel? I’ll certainly be looking out for more.

I found this to be an interesting and unusual novel, gentle and reflective. I came to it straight after finishing a page-turner and found it quite difficult at first to slow down, take my time reading it and allow the content of the letters to sink in. I’m glad I did.
For I loved witnessing the way in which the long distance friendship of Tina and Anders grows and develops, their letters becoming warmer and increasingly personal as they share details of their lives, thoughts and feelings. I loved their slow, thoughtful response to each other’s letters, the little touches of kindness and caring and the way in which their personalities slowly emerge through the beauty of their words and thoughts. There is humour and warmth, joy and happiness but there is also grief, pain, sadness and loneliness - in an empty space or when surrounded by people. I found the recurring motifs of the raspberries unpicked and the fern fronds unfurling particularly evocative, prompting reflection on missed opportunity, second chances and the decisions you make or allow to be made for you.
Like Maggiemaybe, I don’t need a sequel. This seemed like the right place to leave Tina and Anders, where we can each imagine our own preferred future for them. Personally, I like to think that Tina started living her life at long last and found happiness with the lovely Anders . I liked the tea cosy snatch too – a lighthearted moment in an otherwise fraught situation
My question for the author: I see from the publisher’s note that Meet me at the Museum has been created as part of your PhD. Can you please tell us more?
Thanks

I was delighted to receive my copy of Anne Younson's first novel and it is such a beautifully designed book.
I am fascinated by her inspiration for 'Meet me at The Museum' and should like to learn more about the background to her choice of theme which is truly unique and wonderfully quirky.
The letter writing format is very appealing and the development of the relationship between the characters is skillfully unravelled.
However, I did find some of the content of the letters a little unrealistic at times especially as so much personal information seemed to be shared so soon.
I agree with many other reviewers that this novel is complete and needs no sequel. It would indeed be perfect for a screen play.