Hove Book Group Meeting Notes: 1930s Europe Theme
Welcome to the summary of our latest Hove Book Group meeting on Thursday 15 October 2026 exploring the theme of 1930s Europe.
Below are the summary comments from handwritten notes, and our latest recommendations.
📚 READ: As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee (1969)
Overview & Member Reviews
Laurie Lee’s classic account captures a 19-year-old leaving his Cotswold village in 1934 with a violin, a tin of biscuits, and a blanket, walking to Southampton, working in London, and then journeying across Spain.
- Nigel: Found it a magical account full of poetic sensibility where sun-baked Iberian towns are rendered in vivid detail. It operates on two levels: youthful wanderings and the political innocence of pre-war Europe on the brink of the Spanish Civil War. (9/10)
- Nick: Notes that reading it alongside George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia highlights Lee’s unique focus on the heart and soul of Spain through a naive, wide-eyed poet's perspective. It makes the sudden crash of war in 1936 feel like a total shock. (9.5/10)
- Roland: Felt it had the potential to be boring, but ultimately captured the experience of walking through Spain with a sense of the material poverty of the people he meets. Captures nature and landscape really well. The final journey back to Spain was a classic ending. (7.5/10)
- Tristan: Described it as beautiful, descriptive, and evocative. Noted some niggles on a possible incident of paedophilia, and mentioned Roy Campbell was a fascist. Lee picked up Spanish suspiciously quickly. It is however amazing, gorgeous writing, and ends on a cliffhanger. (9/10)
- Hamish: The best bit was end. Questioned how much is true. Very little happens. Appalled by the father raping his daughter and Lee nursing the rapist father who had been beaten by his wife (4/10)
- Keith: So many great descriptions and extremely evocative passages. Crazy to set out on this venture. Told in a wonderful way. (8/10)
- Robin: Romantic, beautiful, nostalgic, and an important document of a pre-industrial Spain. (8/10)
🎵 LISTEN: Best of Hot Club de France by Hot Club de France
Overview & Member Reviews
A revolutionary European string-only take on jazz (Jazz Manouche), featuring Django Reinhardt’s rhythm guitar and Stéphane Grappelli’s violin melodies.
- Nigel: Amazed at how fresh the recordings still sound. Captures the fragile beauty of the interwar period just before the storm broke through the contrast between Reinhardt and Grappelli. (8/10)
- Nick: Rhona came in and started doing the quickstep when she heard it. Grappelli is one hell of a fiddle player, but probably best to leave it now. (5/10)
- Hamish: Amazing to listen to something that is 90 years old. Happy to listen to it in a French bar, but this isn't really me so wouldn't choose to listen otherwise. (5/10)
- Tristan: Not for me despite clearly being skillfully played. Appreciates the skill and its historical significance. Jazz in general is a hard no. Inoccuous but wouldn't go out of his way to listen. (3/10)
- Roland: Was aware of Stephan & Django, but feels the music is very simplistic and ultimately absolute bollocks. Anyone could do this rudimentary stuff. (There was pushback on this assertion from the musicians in the group). (3/10)
- Robin: Likes a bit of Gypsy jazz but only in small doses. (5/10)
- Keith: Also likes a bit of Gypsy jazz and can even play a few Django tunes. Outstanding musician who carved an incredible niche but Keith has now moved on. (8/10)
🎬 WATCH: Munich: The Edge of War (2021) directed by Christian Schwochow
Overview & Member Reviews
A historical drama examining Neville Chamberlain's efforts to avoid war with Germany in 1938, blended with a fictional spy and espionage suspense narrative.
- Nigel: A bit uninspiring and too much running around in Munich. The period detail is convincing and explains Chamberlain's motivations, but the added suspense felt a bit superfluous. The strong homoerotic undertones were not explored, alas, and this was a missed opportunity. (5/10)
- Robin: I love a war film, but this is quite forgettable. Has tension, but the scriptwriter is no John le Carré. (4/10)
- Hamish: Captures the history really well and specifically Chamberlain's desire to avoid another war. (6/10)
- Roland: Clearly a pivotal moment in history, but not great drama. Spy element elevated it but was also a bit silly. Watchable enough though. (5/10)
- Tristan: Insights into political machinations and the civil service. Happy to watch it. (5/10)
- Keith: Sets and period detail were incredible. Airport thriller vibes with the jeopardy & added insights into the Civil Service of the era. (5/10)
Score Summary Table
| Title / Choice | NB | NS | RM | TR | HW | KH | RF | Av. Score |
| 📚 As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (Laurie Lee) | 9 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7.86 |
| 🎵 Best of Hot Club de France | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5.29 |
| 🎬 Munich: The Edge of War | 5 | — | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5.00 |
HBG Endorse It (11 September 2026 – 15 October 2026)
- 📚 BOOKS:
- The Rouse by China Miéville
- The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men by Jon Ronson
- 🎬 FILMS:
- True Romance (Tony Scott, 1993) [Netflix]
- Little Siberia (2025) dir. by Dome Karukoski [Netflix]
- Diego Maradona (2019) dir. by Asif Kapadia
- Obsession (2025)
- 📺 TELEVISION:
- Curb Your Enthusiassm
- Celebrity Traitors [BBC iPlayer]
- 🎵 MUSIC:
- Andy the Dandy DJ at Paris House
- 🌐 PRIME:
- Expats
- 🦟 FLY KILLER DEVICE:
- Bugasalt
