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Welcome to the July 2012 Reading Circle. The theme for this month was AUSTRALIAN FICTION and the chosen book was CLOUDSTREET by Tim Winton It is assumed that you have read the book before reading posts in this thread, as the discussion might give away crucial points, and the continuous use of spoiler tags might hinder fluent reading of posts. CLOUDSTREET by Tim Winton Synopsis (from the back cover): Hailed as a classic, Tim Winton's masterful family saga is both a paean to working-class Australians and an unflinching examination of the human heart's capacity for sorrow, joy, and endless gradations in between. An award-winning work, "Cloudstreet" exemplifies the brilliant ability of fiction to captivate and inspire. Struggling to rebuild their lives after being touched by disaster, the Pickle family, who've inherited a big house called Cloudstreet in a suburb of Perth, take in the God-fearing Lambs as tenants. The Lambs have suffered their own catastrophes, and determined to survive, they open up a grocery on the ground floor. From 1944 to 1964, the shared experiences of the two overpopulated clans - running the gamut from drunkenness, adultery, and death to resurrection, marriage, and birth - bond them to each other and to the bustling, haunted house in ways no one could have anticipated. Questions for discussion (please answer as many or as few as you wish): 1. Who was your favourite character? 2. ... and your least favourite? 3. Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest? 4. Was this the first book you've read by this author and has it encouraged you to read more? 5. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? 6. How did you feel about the Western Australian colloquial and slang words? Did they add flavour to the writing or did they distract you from the story? 7. Were you engaged immediately with the story, or did it take you a while to get into it? 8. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? 9. If you enjoyed the book, would you have liked a sequel? How do you think the story could develop in the sequel? 10. Would you recommend the book to others?