Hello lovely Book Club people! As you know, we set off on our merry literary path together way back last month with Kate Atkinson’s Started Early, Took My Dog. Here’s my take on it, but what I’m really looking forward to is hearing your views.
I found the book a really enjoyable read. I must admit I had the recent TV dramatisation not a long way from my mind all through the novel. You may remember that the Jackson Brodie character was surprisingly prone to whip his shirt off …. oddly in this new novel, I don’t think Kate mentions shirtlessness much, but I doubt that will hold the BBC back when they come to make the adaptation.
I love the way Kate Atkinson writes – it all flows so beautifully. And I also love the way that Jackson Brodie collects strays wherever he goes, whether it be people searching for their lost sisters or, this time, an actual stray dog.
Incidental characters are beautifully drawn, too, like Tracy – though I think (and hope) that she will become a regular. Her unlikely ‘daughter’ is wonderfully real too, as is the mother that Tracy rescues her from – or is she really her mother? Unless I’ve missed something, this loose end is left dangling for next time.
Right, that’s just a few preliminary thoughts – now over to you. What did you think? Either please leave me a lovely long comment, or just email me (alicemcastle @ hotmail. com) with longer views which I will post up. I will leave it a week or so before rounding everything up together. Dying to hear what you all thought!