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Only 3 members met at Phil's house to discuss This House of Grief. We were all a bit bemused by the fact that Donald Trump had just been elected POTUS, and probably spent a fair chunk of time discussing the future of world affairs as well as the book
The book starts like a fairy-tale- "Once there was a hard-working bloke who lived in a small Victorian country town with his wife and their three young sons..."
Unfortunately this family's story has no fairy-tale ending. The three young sons end up dead and the hard-working bloke is put on trial for their murders. For a book with such tragic subject matter it was surprisingly easy to read and, in parts, quite gripping. The reader is right there in the court gallery with Garner as she vacillates between disbelief that a parent could deliberately drive his 3 sons into a dam, sympathy for the pathetic figure that Rob Farquharson cuts in the courtroom, and certainty that the evidence cannot be wrong.
This book is an interesting commentary on the judicial system and whether or not it is possible to ever discover 'the truth'. The personalities of those in the courtroom had a huge impact on Garner and what she believed; from the barristers, witnesses, Rob Farquharson, Cindy Gambino and her grieving family, as well as the corp of journalists covering the story from the gallery. Can a writer ever be an impartial observer and commentator, or do personal impressions, assumptions and prejudices always intrude? Can anyone ever assess the evidence before them and know without a doubt 'the truth'?
This House of Grief was thought provoking and enjoyed by all of us.
Scores:
Cheryl- 8
Kristy- 7
Phil- 7
Average: 7.3
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