Book Group/Writers

Post by **lomuamart** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:32 am

I used to read masses, but a shortage of material from my end has meant I've got lazy.
In the past I always enjoyed stuff by Iain Banks, and South American writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabelle Allende.
"A Hundred Days of Solitude" I'd like to have here, but my book collection is locked up and gathering dust under the stairs of my property in London.
I gave away most of my clothes when I came over. My books - just couldn't bring myself to do that.
I know I'm ignorant, but what goes on at these meetings?

Post by **Wanderlust** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:20 pm

If you manage to get a regular day, time and location sorted out then the information can be put in the Observer magazine to widen the circle - you never know there might be some successful writers who visit here! If you get all the details agreed by tomorrow (Wednesday 19th July), it can go in the August issue, in the Local Report section; if not it will have to wait until September I'm afraid. If anyone has any other activities like this they want to promote for free in the Observer then send an email with all the details and any graphics or photos to design@observergroup.net. Equally if any of you aspiring writers want to try out your work to an audience in print, send it in and we will consider publishing it - however please remember that the Observer has some restrictions on what it can print, both in terms of acceptable language and subject matter, so there is no point sending in something with graphically described sex scenes for example! Well you can send it for us to read but it won't get printed...

Post by **hollygolightly1** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:49 pm

lomuamart wrote:In the past I always enjoyed stuff by Iain Banks, and South American writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabelle Allende.
"A Hundred Days of Solitude" I'd like to have here, but my book collection is locked up and gathering dust under the stairs of my property in London.
I gave away most of my clothes when I came over. My books - just couldn't bring myself to do that.
I know I'm ignorant, but what goes on at these meetings?

My books also in storage; I'm reading Allende's Portrait in Sepia at the moment. I'm not a huge poetry reader but Pablo Neruda wrote some fantastic poems. I guess it's just about having a forum to exchange recommendations and to discuss work. Maybe short stories are a good way to start because they obviously take less time to read so it is easier for people to dip in and out of discussions. There's quite a lot of work available online.

Post by **DawnHRD** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:52 am

What worries me about book clubs is, in my experience, they can be used by pretentious people to show how great is their intellect, and books can be chosen due to their worthiness, rather than their enjoyment level.
Remember, Dickens wrote in serial "cliffhanger" form for penny "news"papers.
I read primarily for enjoyment, and, secondly, for information. The only book I have ever read because I felt I should was "War & Peace". It took me forever - most books take me days to a couple of weeks, depending on work - & I loathed it. Don't get me wrong, I've read many "classics" & enjoyed them, but I don't feel a book should be desirable because it is obscure or something you feel you should read to prove your intelligence.
Please don't think I'm "having a go", I'm interested in the book club & in altering my reading experiences, but I don't want to go for something that's not right for me, so how, if at all, will this group be different?
BTW, continuing the last page (where the thread went awry), I like the Women's issues forum, whether successful, or not. And I'm afraid I don't believe that all those tongue in cheek anti women statements are tongue in cheek, but that's what a forum's all about.

Post by **lomuamart** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:23 am

hollygolightly1 wrote:
lomuamart wrote:In the past I always enjoyed stuff by Iain Banks, and South American writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabelle Allende.
"A Hundred Days of Solitude" I'd like to have here, but my book collection is locked up and gathering dust under the stairs of my property in London.
I gave away most of my clothes when I came over. My books - just couldn't bring myself to do that.
I know I'm ignorant, but what goes on at these meetings?
My books also in storage; I'm reading Allende's Portrait in Sepia at the moment. I'm not a huge poetry reader but Pablo Neruda wrote some fantastic poems. I guess it's just about having a forum to exchange recommendations and to discuss work. Maybe short stories are a good way to start because they obviously take less time to read so it is easier for people to dip in and out of discussions. There's quite a lot of work available online.

In the house of the spiirits. Or something like that. Brilliant.

Post by **lomuamart** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:26 am

No-one writes to the colonel.

Post by **lomuamart** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:34 am

And a great favorite of mine -
"Burmese Days" - George Orwell. His first book published -after a bit of editing.
Everything you ever wanted to know about ex-pat living. Be careful where you draw the line.

Post by **hollygolightly1** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:56 am

DawnHHDRC wrote:What worries me about book clubs is, in my experience, they can be used by pretentious people to show how great is their intellect, and books can be chosen due to their worthiness, rather than their enjoyment level.
Remember, Dickens wrote in serial "cliffhanger" form for penny "news"papers.
I read primarily for enjoyment, and, secondly, for information. The only book I have ever read because I felt I should was "War & Peace". It took me forever - most books take me days to a couple of weeks, depending on work - & I loathed it. Don't get me wrong, I've read many "classics" & enjoyed them, but I don't feel a book should be desirable because it is obscure or something you feel you should read to prove your intelligence.
Please don't think I'm "having a go", I'm interested in the book club & in altering my reading experiences, but I don't want to go for something that's not right for me, so how, if at all, will this group be different?

Maybe I 've been very lucky but the last group I was part of really wasn't like that and I can't imagine limiting what books we talked about. If it were all very democratic, we would take turns to suggest books - could be non-fiction too, or short stories or newspaper articles. Anything to provoke debate I guess. (I wish someone could convince me to like Dickens.) And there's no point to it if it isn't enjoyable. I suppose any group is only as good as its members and if it turns out to be a disaster well, hey, we tried

Post by **DawnHRD** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:34 pm

Thanks, Holly. I'll see how the book club schedule fits in with mine & try & make a meeting or two - with an open mind!

Actually, never minded Dickens, not one of my favourites, but I can read him. It's Thomas Hardy that you couldn't pay me to read. Just can't get on with his style of writing

Post by **hollygolightly1** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:26 pm

DawnHHDRC wrote:Thanks, Holly. I'll see how the book club schedule fits in with mine & try & make a meeting or two - with an open mind!
Actually, never minded Dickens, not one of my favourites, but I can read him. It's Thomas Hardy that you couldn't pay me to read. Just can't get on with his style of writing

Hardy - me neither. Great if you can come along. You have already quoted from one of my favourite books - Through The Looking Glass.