The Swimmer
Page 29
▶ The Swimmer is set predominantly in Orford, Suffolk. What do you think this brings to the novel? Do you think the author has successfully created an arresting sense of place?
▶ The book is divided into three parts: Ria; Anula; and Lydia. Do you think this is an effective tool? And do you think the author has successfully managed to create a distinct voice for each of these characters? If so, how?
▶ Ria and Ben’s romance is an unconventional one; they are eighteen years apart in age. Do you think this age gap plays a significant part in the nature of their relationship, or would you argue that it is not an important factor?
▶ The meaning of home is one of The Swimmer’s central themes. In what ways is this tested throughout the course of the novel? What other themes, in your opinion, are significant to this book?
▶ Before Ria speaks to Ben, she knows him simply as ‘the swimmer’. Do you think this is a powerful title for the book?
▶ How significant is the character of Eric? What are your thoughts on his relationship with both Ria and Anula?
▶ The issue of illegal immigration is woven into The Swimmer. Has the book shed any light on this topic, so often at the forefront of the media? Has it helped shape your understanding of what it might mean to be an illegal immigrant today?
▶ Ria and Anula are women from two very different backgrounds, who both love Ben—one as a lover and the other as a mother. In what ways are these women similar? In what ways are they different? How does their relationship evolve throughout the novel?
▶ Ben’s death is a huge tragedy, with major repercussions. Was his death something you saw coming or did it take you by surprise?
▶ Set in the twenty-first century, The Swimmer is a work of contemporary fiction. What other genres do you think it could be described as?
▶ How satisfied are you with the novel’s conclusion?
THE PASSIONAL SOUL
‘Nothing that comes from the deep, passional soul is bad, or can be bad.’
D. H. LAWRENCE
If you enjoyed The Swimmer, you might be interested in these other titles from Harper Press…
The Wives of Henry Oades by JOHANNA MORAN
In 1890, Henry Oades decided to undertake the arduous sea voyage from England to New Zealand in order to further his family’s fortunes—although it wasn’t long before disaster struck. A local Maori tribe, incensed at their treatment at the hands of the settlers, kidnapped Mrs Oades and her four children, and vanished into the rugged hills surrounding the town. Henry searched ceaselessly for his family, but two grief-stricken years later was forced to conclude that they must be dead. He was, however, very wrong and he soon finds himself with two wives and many dilemmas…
February 2010
Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London Zoo by JULIA STUART
Meet Balthazar Jones, Beefeater at the Tower of London. Married to Hebe, he lives and works in the Tower, as he struggles to cope with the tragic death of his son. The Tower of London is its own magical world; a maze of ancient buildings, it is home to a weird and wonderful cast of characters—the Joneses of course, as well as Reverend Septimus Drew, the Ravenmaster, and Ruby Dore, landlady of the Tower’s very own tavern, the Rack & Ruin. And, after an announcement from Buckingham Palace that the Queen’s exotic animals are to be moved from London Zoo to the Tower’s grounds, things are about to become a whole lot more interesting…
March 2010
The Confession of Catherine Howard by SUZANNAH DUNN
When twelve-year-old Catherine Howard comes to live in the Duchess of Norfolk’s household, poor relation Cat Tilney is deeply suspicious of her. The two girls couldn’t be more different: Cat, watchful and ambitious; Catherine, interested only in clothes and boys. Their companions are in thrall to Catherine, but it’s Cat in whom Catherine confides and, despite herself, Cat is drawn to her. Summoned to court at seventeen, Catherine leaves Cat in the company of her ex-lover, Francis, and the two begin their own, much more serious, love affair. Within months, the King has set aside his Dutch wife Anne for Catherine. The future seems assured for the new queen and her maid-in-waiting, but then allegations are made about her girlhood love affairs. Only Cat knows the whole truth of Queen Catherine Howard—but if she tells, Catherine will die…
June 2010
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Also by Roma Tearne
Mosquito
Bone China
Brixton Beach
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First published by HarperPress in 2010
Copyright © Roma Tearne 2010
FIRST EDITION
Roma Tearne asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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