Our book group choice for December 2020 is An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge. It is 1950 and Stella has been taken on as assistant stage manager for a Liverpool rep company.
An Awfully Big Adventure is a darkly comic coming-of-age novel set in Liverpool in 1950. The story follows Stella Bradshaw, a 16-year-old girl who is obsessed with the theater. Through a connection of her uncle’s, Stella obtains a position as a backstage lackey and small-role player in a repertory company. She quickly falls in love with the company’s director, Meredith Potter, a charismatic but dissolute man.
Stella’s arrival at the theater coincides with the arrival of a new actor, O’Hara Darling. O’Hara is a handsome and charming man, but he is also haunted by his past. He is convinced that he has a son who was born during the war, and he is searching for the boy. Stella is drawn to O’Hara, and the two of them begin an affair.
As Stella becomes more involved in the theater, she begins to see the dark side of the world of show business. She witnesses the petty jealousies, the sexual tensions, and the drug use that are all too common in the theater world. She also begins to realize that Meredith is not the man she thought he was. He is manipulative and controlling, and he is only interested in using Stella to satisfy his own needs.
Stella’s experiences in the theater force her to confront her own illusions about life. She realizes that the world is not as glamorous as she thought it was, and that there is no such thing as a happy ending. However, she also learns that she is stronger than she thought she was, and that she is capable of surviving even the most difficult challenges.
An Awfully Big Adventure is a complex and moving novel that explores the themes of love, loss, and the search for identity. It is a story about the power of the theater to both entertain and enlighten, and it is a coming-of-age story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.
The main character is Stella Bradshaw, a 16-year-old girl who is passionate about theater. She is determined to make a career in the arts, and she sees joining the repertory company as her big break.
The other main characters include:
- Meredith Potter, the director of the company. He is a charismatic and talented man, but he is also a drunk and a womanizer.
- O’Hara, a famous actor who is brought in to play the lead in Peter Pan. He is a complex and troubled man, and he has a mysterious past.
- Thea, a young actress who is Stella’s friend and confidante. She is intelligent and ambitious, but she is also naive and vulnerable.
- Geoffrey, a young actor who is attracted to Stella. He is kind and gentle, but he is also immature and self-absorbed.
Discussion Questions for An Awfully Big Adventure
- It is a concise book covering many themes and characters — did this work?
- The book had Chapter 0 at the start and end. What is the signifigance of both?
- What were your thoughts about the range of characters and their descriptions?
- What were your impressions of Stella and her relationships?
- What was your reaction to different sexual situations?
- What was the significance of religion, and more particularly Catholicism in the book?
- Were there parallels between the story and Peter Pan?
- Is this a comedy or tragedy?
- To whom would you recommend the book?
Individual Ratings
Willow's Rating 
Sue's Rating
Jo's Rating
EmmaT's Rating
EmmaJ's Rating
Anthony's Rating
Baljit's Rating
Catherine's Rating
DKB's Rating