Read With Us: The Ministry of Time Followup

Last Tuesday we had the Zoom discussion for our Read With Us Summer Book, The Ministry of Time. It was a full house with 16 people attending, but it was a great group with a lot to contribute. 

Kym opened up the discussion by asking whether we liked the book or not, and why. Most people liked the book, there were several of us who liked it with reservations, and there were at least a couple of people who were not big fans. Things that people liked were the beauty of the author's language, that it was a fun read, and they enjoyed reading about the ex-pats and their adjustments to modern life. Some people questioned the plausibility and wondered about the pairings of the ex-pats and their bridges. Some people wished that the more minor ex-pats had been developed more. 

Carole asked her questions about genre, why we tend to put books in boxes, and how did people feel about the multiple genres in The Ministry of Time. Some people felt that science fiction should be based on actual science and facts. Several people agreed that the mix of genres was part of the fun, but there was a point where too many things had been included and there were too many loose ends that were dropped and not developed. Someone wondered how Kaliane Bradley chose the eras that she picked the ex-pats from, and she also loved how Gore's dialogue was written. 

My question was about how we interpreted the ending and what the future held for the characters. It seemed that most people thought that the ending felt rushed and chaotic, but Kym pointed out that that is often the norm for thrillers. Many plot points converge, suspense develops, and then there is a resolution. Someone brought up that there were so many plot points, such as feminism, cannibalism, climate change, homosexuality, colonialism, etc., and most of us felt that some of them had been abandoned and many details were left wanting. Carole did like the ending, the way two timelines were brought together for a hopeful ending. 

I have come to rely on our Read With Us discussions to clarify ideas and participants often bring up points that I have not considered. It's a valuable thing for me, and Kym pointed out afterward that this was our 20th book! I think we've come a long way since the beginning when Kym first proposed this online book group and none of us were quite sure what it might look like. I think our group has really come together and I'd like to thank all of you for reading and participating. You've made us what we have come to be and I hope our group continues to grow, read, and discuss in the future. 

We'll be announcing our 21st book on October 8th, so be sure to check back then!