Our book group choice for June 2023 is Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner. Edith Hope is a romance novelist who has been banished from London in disgrace after her engagement is broken off. She arrives at the Hotel du Lac, a small hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva, in a state of bewilderment. She is determined to rebuild her life, but she is haunted by her past mistakes.
At the hotel, Edith meets a cast of characters who are all struggling with their own demons. There is Mrs. Pusey, a wealthy widow who is obsessed with her daughter, Jennifer. Jennifer is a beautiful but shallow woman who is only interested in her own pleasure. There is also Mr. Neville, a charming but married man who is attracted to Edith.
As Edith gets to know the other guests at the hotel, she begins to realise that she is not alone in her pain. She also begins to see that she has the power to change her own life. She decides to stop writing romance novels and start writing about her own experiences. She also decides to end her relationship with Mr. Neville.
Discussion Questions
- Did you find the book an easy and enjoyable read?
- What do we really know about Edith’s character? Is she passive? Is she have a need to be accepted?
- Is the person Edith presents in her letters to David a true reflection of the real Edith? Is there an element of the unreliable narrator?
- Edith is an accomplished and successful author, but this doesn’t seem to have given her any self-confidence. Is she happy with her life choices so far? Why does she find it difficult to fit in?
- Edith has been told that she looks like Virginia Woolf and she seems to be flattered by it. Has this physical resemblance influenced the way she sees herself and/or the way she behaves? Does it influence her life choices/writing?
- Is there any significance of Edith’s pen name, Vanessa Wilde?
- How much about David’s character do we pick up? Why is a man of David’s type so attractive to Edith? Is his inaccessibility part of the attraction?
- What do you think are the main themes of the book?
- Leading on from the theme of loneliness, think about each of the other guests Are they a bunch of misfits seeking sanctuary? A retreat from the real world? What are their various attitudes towards men?
- In terms of the chronology of the book, the misdemeanour which prompts Edith’s visit to Switzerland isn’t revealed until about two thirds of the way in. Do you think it is effective and would the book have worked if we’d known about her non-marriage to Geoffrey from the start?
- What did you think about the writing style in general e.g. pace, descriptions, first person in letters but third person in narrative.
- Is Neville selfish or a pragmatist? Discuss his motivation and the rights and wrongs of his proposal to Edith and the terms he wants for their marriage. Why is he at the hotel? Why does he pick Edith to propose to? Is Neville a bad person?
- Why do you think Edith initially says yes to Neville’s proposal? What is in it for her?
- Why did she send a telegram to David saying she was returning? Was it a good decision to go back home? Triumphant return, defeat or resignation? Does it show more or less self-esteem in rejecting one selfish man for another.
- Edith initially states that she prefers men to women. Are her relationships with women. improved by her stay at the hotel?
- Had Edith come to any conclusions about her life choices?
- What do you think happens when Edith returns? Does she take up with David again? Does she continue to write? Is she changed by the Hotel du Lac experience?
- Allegedly Brookner felt apologetic on winning the Booker prize for this novel and thought it was undeserved. Would you consider the book worthy of the prize and would you recommend it to others?
Individual Ratings
Sue's Rating 
EmmaTs Rating
Kelby's Rating 
Hayley's Rating
Anthony's Rating
Jo's Rating
DKB's Rating