Good evening everyone I’ve just finished reading The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers which I read as part of the new Malvern Rossiter Book Club. I actually ran in this month and I really enjoyed it. Everyone was so nice and they all seemed really up for discussing the book which was really nice.
If you’re local and would like to join us let me know!
Are you a member of a bookclub?
Book Synopsis:
England, 1989. Over the course of a burning hot summer, two very different men – traumatized Falklands veteran Calvert, and affable, chaotic Redbone – set out nightly in a clapped-out camper van to undertake an extraordinary project.
Under cover of darkness, the two men traverse the fields of rural England in secret, forming crop circles in elaborate and mysterious patterns. As the summer wears on, and their designs grow ever more ambitious, the two men find that their work has become a cult international sensation – and that an unlikely and beautiful friendship has taken root as the wheat ripens from green to gold.
My Review:
The Perfect Golden Circle is a beautifully written, unique and intriguing read from a new author for me.
The story is told from the point of view of two characters Redbone and Calvert who are the only characters in the book for the majority of the story. The two are described as old friends but not much about their past is discussed and at one point it’s revealed that Calvert doesn’t even know Redbones first name. Their friendship seemed a bit distant at times as they don’t hang out other than doing the crop circles and don’t have much in common but, as discussed in the book group, maybe that’s just how male friendships are.
As someone who’s old enough to remember the crop circles craze I found it very interesting to learn more about how crop circles were made. I thought they were just made from stepping on the crop but there was actually a lot more to it then that. I especially liked that they created them in such a way that the crop wasn’t damaged. There are a lot more dangers to making crop circles then I thought which actually created some of the more hilarious moments in the book as the pair tackle fly tippers, poachers and even a drunk aristocrat. The way the pair handled these situations were brilliant to watch unfold and I actually laughed out loud several times as I read.
The book is divided into sections each describing a crop circle that they are creating. I found this very interesting and I enjoyed getting to know the characters in the intimate, close setting of their van as they travel to the crop circle sites. Some of this was quite repetitive but I actually liked this as it was quite soothing to know what was going to happen. My only slight niggle with this book is the rants the characters go off on at various points in the story. While I understand that they are important issues that the characters are discussing, it didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the stories sometimes and felt like the author was just trying to fit them into the story somehow.
Overall I did enjoy this book and felt sad leaving the two characters behind, particularly after that rather poignant ending. I’d highly recommend it as a bookclub read as we found there was lots to discuss.
About The Author:
Benjamin Myers is an award-winning author and journalist, whose work includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry and journalism. His novels have been translated into ten languages. He is the author of Cuddy, The Gallows Pole, The Offing, The Perfect Golden Circle, Male Tears and many more.
Over The Rainbow Blog 
Oh… that’s an original sounding story. Hm… maybe… Thanks for the lovely review.
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