WCN Book Club: Stasiland by Anna Funder

About Stasiland:

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell; shortly afterwards the two Germanies reunited, and East Germany ceased to exist. In a country where the headquarters of the secret police can become a museum literally overnight, and one in 50 East Germans were informing on their countrymen and women, there are a thousand stories just waiting to get out. Anna Funder tells extraordinary tales from the underbelly of the former East Germany - she meets Miriam, who as a 16-year-old might have started World War III, visits the man who painted the line which became the Berlin Wall and gets drunk with the legendary "Mik Jegger" of the East, once declared by the authorities to his face to "no longer to exist". Written with wit and literary flair, Stasiland provides a riveting insight into life behind the wall.

The WCN Book Club provides a free, inclusive and welcoming environment for book lovers to come together and talk about books. We meet once a month for about an hour, – though sometimes conversation flows and we overrun! - to discuss a specific book, or books in general. Our tastes are
diverse; we seek to read world –class books from around the world, and we value exploring new genres, new authors, and new forms of writing.  

There’s no need to reserve your place, just bring along your copy of the book in question, get a drink or snack from Cafe Marzano if you want one, and settle into a comfy chair.  Complementary cake is sometimes provided. Discussion is relaxed and democratic and dissent is welcomed. We share our responses to the book in question. There are no right or wrong answers, no right or wrong ways of responding. Somewhere towards the end, we usually end up off topic, sharing some of the other books we’ve been reading or want to read.

Above all, the WCN Book Club believes in The Rights of the Reader– whatever you read, however you read it, you’re welcome to join us and we look forward to meeting you.

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