Review of The Club

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Club" by James Barrett.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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The Club by James Barrett followed the story of Rotarian George Woodgate and the Rotary Club of Debenham. As the chairman of Morton Charities and a one-time president of the Rotary Club of Debenham, George firmly believed in the traditional foundations of the Rotary Club. He advocated for the same when some club members sought to modernize the club. George was married to Erica, and they had a son named Nigel. George ran into an old acquaintance, Alec Barton, whose mother was a cleaner for George's mother. Alec had become a businessman and married a hairdresser. George's run-in with Alec thrust him into a series of circumstances that threatened his life and that of his beloved Rotary Club. George soon discovered that he might have to fight to protect the thing he loved.

The author's language was simple and easy to understand. The book commenced retroactively on a suspenseful note that stirred intrigue and captured my interest. Unfortunately, the story proceeded differently and devolved into a boring narration. The plot could have been more varied but went around on boring Rotary business, making the reading tedious.

The characters in the story formed an exciting part of the book. Their behavioral diversity added flavor to the story. At the top of the list was George Woodgate, whose character came across as dislikable because of his bluntness. Ironically, his character's boldness in voicing his feelings and being morally committed to rules was also appealing. The most commendable feature about his character was that the author's development of George remained consistent with his psychological profile. Another exciting character was Kye, sergeant at arms at the Rotary Club. His character was socially annoying, yet Kye brought humor into the story. I found myself laughing at his comments. I wished the author had done more with the character's dialogue to liven it up, as it seemed to have no spirit. It was dull and dragged on in a tiring manner. Even Kye's occasional humor only partially dispelled the blandness.

The Club was insightful in giving a glimpse into the modus operandi of the Rotary Club. Readers with the same view as some characters that Rotary Club was only about eating dinners could be persuaded otherwise. It was an educational insight into the club, highlighting the issues of gender balance within the organization.

The book could do with some improvements in dialogue and storytelling, but it also had good moments. The book's ending provided more excitement than the rest of the story. The ending brought much-needed emotion to the story and excited me. The Club was well-edited and would be recommended to readers interested in the Rotary Club and its operations. I'd rate it three out of five stars. I deducted some stars because of the negative aspects.

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The Club
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[reviewerbook17]

This does seem like a nice book with an interesting storyline. While you did mention that the book needs some improvements, your review makes me want to check out the book.