Woodfield Worms verdict: The List of Suspicious Things

WARNING: Contains Spoilers!!

Our April read, and our second book, The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, was another that generated a lively and very enjoyable discussion. The book concerns a fictional twelve year old girl who creates a list of "suspicious things" in response to the Yorkshire Ripper murders as a distraction from the problems of her own life. Many of us are old enough to remember the years of the Ripper from our own youths, and we felt that the book really captured the feeling of growing up in the Seventies. Miv’s life felt very believable, especially to those of us who grew up in the north of England. 

To many of our group, this felt like a book which was much more about a small and rather poor Northern town and the people in it than about the Ripper. Having said that, a couple of members from Yorkshire commented that the book very accurately reflected the feelings of oppression and threat that the murders induced in local communities. One common feeling was that the eponymous list was more of a device to link the various stories than being essential to the story, and that did raise the question as to whether it was appropriate to use the murders in that way. However, we all felt that it was sensitively addressed, especially given the author’s personal link with Sutcliffe. 

In terms of the book’s weaknesses, many of us felt that the author had tried to pack too much in: racism, mental health, sexual assault, domestic violence, pedophilia and more. It detracted from the central tale and the sheer number of stories being recounted made it hard to remember who was who. The length was also an obstacle for some of us, with several people commenting that it dragged a little. And a number of us said that the ending was a little too contrived and felt unsatisfactory. 

Having said that, many of us loved it, and we all found it a stimulating read. We were so busy discussing it we didn't have time to vote on a score, but given that at least half the group loved it while the rest had a few reservations, it would probably have been a solid 4!

Next month's book is James by Percival Everett and we’ll be discussing it at the Pavilion on Tuesday 13th May at 5.15.
Drop us an email if you want to join us!