Why you should resist the lure of book clubs.

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Below is an article by Adam Sternbergh from the Reader's Digest. I think he's an ass but some of his points are interesting. There is a place online to debate the pros and cons of book clubs, I found a wonderful rebuttal from a lady that you would really like. It is copied at the end of this article......Enjoy....-S-




Reading is arguably the second most intimate human activity, and, as with the first most intimate human activity, there are people who will try to convince you it's better done in groups. These groups are called book clubs. I am in one. Maybe you are too. If so,here's why we've both made a terrible mistake.

In theory, there's much to recommend book clubs. They encourage reading. They enrich authors who, as you may have heard, are not particulary in the business of being enriched these days. They spur socializing, usually face to face-another valuable and endangered activity. The public book club- most notably, Oprah's or CBC's Canada Reads- has become an essential economic engine for the publishing industry. And the book club remains appealing to anyone who,like me, romanticizes long arguments over sonnets in smoky coffee houses. So it's not surprsing that our collective interest in book clubs is growing, even as our interest in reading shrinks.

As I mentioned, I am in a book club. It has four other members, all of whom I respect and who represent a spectrum of literary tastes. Our selections have ranged from 'Thomas Bernhard's 'The Loser' to Martin Amis's 'Money' to Peter Benchley's 'Jaws'. And like every book club, we do our book-club thing. We shuffle our schedules, We gather. We drink wine. We eat cheese. And we talk about the chosen book for a few obligatory minutes before we move on to the part of the club I think most of us really look forward to - which is not talking about the book.

You might contend that your club is different, that it has unsealed your eyes to new and exotic authors, and that you have great Risling-fuelled, soul-enriching debates that linger long into the night. That may be so. I don't doubt or begrudge you. But I should suggest that this fascination with book clubs-forming them, joining them, even chronicling them- is both antithetical to the enjoyment of reading and perfectly in keeping with our modern conviction that nothing is worth doing if it isn't immediately shared. Maybe it's posting photos of the family vacation on Facebook, or "tweeting" the details of your morning latte, or uploading a video of your wedding boogie to You Tube.

Now, I love a good wedding boogie,. But to suggest that the experienc of reading 'The House of Mirth" (a recent, well-received selection by my own book club) is intrinsically enhanced by subsequently talking about reading 'The House of Mirth" is to inply that reading 'The House of Mirth' is an experience that can be, and needs to be, enhanced. And I think most anyone who's ever read a book and loved it understands that's simply not true. If you read 'Moby Dick' while sailing the world alone, you would not enjoy it more.

Which brings us back to the intimacy of reading. Consider something even as silly and modest as this article: I'm in your head right now. You have graciously allowed me to slip inside the private sphere of your consciousness, if only for a few minutes. This is very different from how we experience any other kind of art: No matter how much you enjoy a painting or revel in a a symphony, there's not a sense that the painter has hijacked your eyes or the composer has hijacked your ears.

The writer, though, hijacks your thoughts. ('Hello,Hello! I'm making you say that right now.) The experience of reading so closely mimics the process of consciousness that it attains a unique level of artistic intimacy. Great art permeates the barrier of consciousness; reading obliterates it. It literally happens inside you. How's that for intimaty?

So if reading-in this sense of pleasurable invasion- is a sexual experience, then the book club is the equivalent of a locker room. It's the place where we gather to swap and compare notes after the fact, clumsily recounting the deed in a way that can't help but undermine and cheapen the very experience we've gathered to celebrate. Sure, it can be a fun way to burn off the occasional weeknight, but no one's going to mistake it for the act itself. And as we learn eventually, certain eperiences are better when you don't blabbing about them afterwards.

Was it good for you? Then that should be more than enough.

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Date: June 01, 2010
Name: Anne Thompson
Comments:
I was truly saddened, when I read Adam Sternbergh's article, "Between the Sheets- Why You Should Resist the Lure of Book Clubs", in the May 2010 RD. He has completely missed the point of the joy of discussing what you have learned in reading various books; seeing new perspectives from other people's input and sharing a love of reading. When he further likened a book club to the usual male preoccupations of "intimate relations" and locker rooms, it completely finished the article for me, as he has completely missed the point. When love is taken out of the equation, it leaves the starkness of the mechanics; which applies from reading to sex.
Quite frankly, I was really glad that he is not in my book club, which is an absolute delight, and a source of extremely insightful discussion.
His article reminded me of the interchange in the movie version of The Jane Austen Book Club, where one character states: "Men don't do book clubs; women want to share, but men hoard what they read, if they crack open a book at all..men, they pontificate, they keep monologuing and we can't get a word in edgewise..."
Essentially, the quality of your book club is predicated on the quality of its members...
Therefore, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that men don't do book clubs.

Hi Ladies,

Hope you had a great time at the Book Keeper. We had a great time in Jamaica, was great to get away and relax.

Sounds like we lost Heather. Too bad we didn't get a chance to wish her well in person before she left.

Here's a note from Carol regarding Monday night.

Hi Susan,
We decided on June 14th at my house for 6 PM. I will provide the main course and drinks (not sure what yet) and if everyone could bring a salad OR a dessert that would work out well. I guess if anyone has any allergies/dislikes it would be nice to know. Other than that, looking forward to a nice evening on the back deck. Talk to you soon- Carol

See you Monday.

Book Circle

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Hey ladies,

Glenn and I have decided to run away to Jamaica this Friday for a week. I will have to miss the book circle on Monday night. The first book club night I have missed, ever, I think.

We were going to discuss the books each of us were reading. Then I thought we could each talk about our favourite hero or heroine in literature and why we admired them. I'm sure you will find lots more to talk about when you have exhausted these topics.

The ladies at the Book keeper are hoping that you will browse around and have a good look at their new store.

I'm not sure if they will have the coffee going. You might want to bring a drink with you if you think you will want one.

7 pm. at the new location of the Book Keeper. They are opening the store just for our book club.

Have a lovely time.

Regards, Susan

Info from April meeting

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From Laurie,

I looked up that book,

http://www.amazon.ca/Bluest-Eye-Toni-Morrison/dp/0452282195/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271122706&sr=8-3

it might me a bit dark I haven't got to those parts of the book yet.

"Then Alice ( This is the name of a book Laurie?)

http://www.amazon.ca/Host-Novel-Stephenie-Meyer/dp/0316068047/ref=pd_ys_iyr124

and "Elementary, my Dear Watson"

http://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Classics-Adventures-Memoirs-Sherlock/dp/0140437711/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271124349&sr=1-4
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From Carol

Hi Susan,
The book is "Too close to the Falls" by Catherine Gildiner. Thanks- Carol

Upcoming in May

May 3rd @ 7 pm.


Book Circle at the Book Keeper's new location.

Once again, Coffee Lodge teams up with the Book Keeper! The 'Coffee Lodge Book Discussion Group' will hold their May discussion at the Book Keeper's new location at Northgate Plaza.

At this meeting we will not be discussing one book, we will each talk about our favourite books and heroines or heros. .....This will be a perfect time for anyone interested in joining the group to come and see what we are all about and to get a good look at the new Book Keeper which has comfy seating and Coffee Lodge fair trade coffee on tap.

Upcoming books

March 8th

"Bridget Jones's Diary" by Helen Fielding

A dazzling urban satire of modern human relations? -An ironic, tragic insight into the demise of the nuclear family? -Or the confused ramblings of a pissed thirty-something?

Coffee Lodge Finch- 7 pm.

Helen Fielding says about 'Pride and Prejudice'- "This is my favorite book of all time. I pinched the plot for my novel Bridget Jones's Diary. I also came as near as I could to stealing its hero, Mr. Darcy, by turning him into Bridget's Mark Darcy. (I thought both plot and leading man had been well market-researched over a number of centuries, and that Jane Austen wouldn't mind. Anyway, she's dead.) Austen wrote about the minutiae of women's lives in a way that is funny and dazzlingly accurate, giving you insights into what was going on in the social world without your even realizing you're getting an incredible history lesson."

I watched a very silly movie a while back, called "St. Trinians" something or other. It was a remake of the old British movies about a girl's boarding school. Anyway I watched it as Colin Firth was in it. Stupid movie but found some bits which were interesting. They played up Colin Firth's part somewhat. The dog in the movie was called Mr. Darcy. In a trivia contest, one of the questions was 'What was the title of the book originally called 'First Impressions"? There was a scene in which Colin Firth falls into a fountain and walks toward the camera soaking wet exactly like the scene in Pride and Prejudice. ..........


April 12th

"Roots" by Alex Haley

"My fondest hope is that `Roots` may start black, white, brown, red,
yellow people digging back for their own roots." -Alex Haley

@John's Restaurant, 6 pm. for dinner, 7 pm. for discussion.


Totally unrelated info which may or may not be of interest.
Ravishing Reds:
-Most red wines do best in a glass with a big bowl that concentrates the aroma as you swirl the wine.
-That old advice about serving reds at 'room temp' was born in the days of drafty medieval castles, not today's centrally heated homes. You should serve red wine at about 17 C(63F).
What to buy:
-2007 Inniskillin Wines Cabernet Merlot-Ontario
-2007 Rosemount Estate Diamond Label Shiraz - Australia
-2007 Wente Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon -California
-2007 Catena Malbec -Argentina
-2008 Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir-Ontario

Pride and Prejudice anyone?

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Hi all,

Below is the info that I sent a while ago re the production of Pride and Prejudice showing at the Grand in London on Sunday March 14,at 2:00pm. I would like to go and Carol is interested as well. Poor Catherine will be away at her beach house in the sunny south so won't be able to accompany us.

If you are interested, please bring a cheque to the meeting on January 11th and I will sort out ordering tickets for us.

We will be meeting at Coffee Lodge Finch at 7 pm. to discuss 'Peyton Place". See you then.

Reading list:
January- Peyton Place
February- For Whom the Bell Tolls

Tentative:
March- Bridget Jones Diary (this book will be like those little bowls of coffee beans in a perfume store, to clear our senses before diving into...)
April- Roots
May- The Count of Monte Christo





Hi Susan:
All the details are the same and we have room. I will reserve spaces for you - is it for you and two friends? It will be nice to have you join us!
Maureen


Hi Maureen,
Are your plans for the Pride and Prejudice tickets still on? As far as I know, at least 2 people from our book group are interested. We are meeting on the 11th of this month and I will collect cheques to send to you. Just wanted to know if there had been any changes.
Regards, Susan Hall



Dear Jane Austen fans:

As you may be aware, the Grand Theatre will be mounting a production of Pride & Prejudice in 2010 and we thought it would be fun to go as a group. I have made inquiries and here is our proposal.

Sunday March 14, 2009 at 2:00pm
If we can round up at least 15 people we can receive a group discount of 20%. The price will be $44.00 for "A" seating. We will need to know by the middle of January if we have enough people interested in attending. Feel free to include family or friends.

What you need to do:
Make out a cheque to "JASNA - London Region" in the amount of $44.00 each for the number of tickets you would like.