The 1954 Club

Published on by Margaret

The 1954 Club starts today, hosted by Karen and Simon, who ask everyone to read one or more books published in 1954 – in any language, format, or place – and share their reviews. Together, they will put together an overview of the year.

Books I’ve read and reviewed on this blog:

  1. Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie
  2. Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
  3. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

And these I read years ago before I began blogging, so no reviews:

  1. Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier – fictional biography about one of du Maurier’s who was the mistress of  Frederick Augustus, the Duke of York and Albany (the ‘Grand old Duke of York’), a son of George III.
  2. Lord of the Flies by William Golding – a novel about a group of schoolboys stranded on an island and what happens when their behaviour descends into darkness.
  3. Under the Net by Iris Murdoch – the first book by her that I read when I was a teenager and I didn’t really understand it!
  4. The Fellowship of the Ring by J R R Tolkien – I’ve read all of the Lord of the Rings books more than once in the past and I was hoping to re-read this the first book for the 1954 Club, but have only just started it.
  5. The Two Towers by J R R Tolkien – the second book in the trilogy.
  6. Katherine by Anya Seton – this novel tells the true story of the love affair that changed history—that of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family.

I’ve decided to re-read the Lord of the Rings this year, but my review will not be ready this week!

13 thoughts on “The 1954 Club”

  1. This is my first time doing this challenge, somehow it’s never been convenient to do it before now. I started my first book last night, Because of Sam by Molly Clavering. Hoping to also have time to read Maigret Goes to School. I also thought about a reread of The Fellowship of the Ring but can’t imagine I’ll have time to fit it in. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov also appeals, so we’ll see. I read Katherine in my twenties and loved it so much I’m afraid to read it again. LOL! Have fun, Margaret!

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    1. I haven’t heard of Molly Clavering before – I hope you’re enjoying Because of Sam. The Maigret books are good for this type of challenge – nice and short, I haven’t read Maigret Goes to School, but it’s an interesting title! My re-read of The Fellowship of the Ring is going well, but it’s going to take me quite some time. I know just what you mean about being afraid to read Katherine again – I don’t want to spoil my memory of it.

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    1. I haven’t read anything by Vidal – I hope you’re enjoying Messiah! I think I must have been about 11 when I read Lord of the Flies – I did enjoy it, hope your son dies too.

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  3. Your post shows just how much great variety there is in 1954 books, Margaret! I hadn’t thought of Lord of the Flies in a long time, so it’s nice to be reminded of it. And I’d completely forgotten about Anya Seton’s work – must revisit that!

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    1. Thanks, Helen, I loved The Eagle of the Ninth – Rosemary Sutcliff was a wonderful storyteller, and the historical detail is so good.

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