TT book reading and discussion club

I don't know how you people spend your vacation, but I spent one evening of mine sitting in on a book club hosted by my friend in London. This month's novel was "Spring Flowers, Spring Frost" by some Albanian cat named Ismail Kadare. I thought that the book was either way over my head or just lousy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the literati present felt the latter, but that we all could fairly clearly articulate why we thought so. At the same time, I enjoyed chatting about it and found that some discussion made a fairly awful book a little bit better (though I still can't recommend it).

So. We all read the same book and meet once a month to talk about symbolism, subtext, the historical, political and artistic environment that helps shape the novel, etc.. We present our theories and observations and basically try to sound smarter than everyone else in the room. And we eat cake.

Any interest?

Note, you are currently reading the discussion archive. For latest info see: Book reading club - current discussions

How much cake ?

would you have cheese cake?

I'm interested, in both cake and books.

we could have a cake club.

I'd be interested (in books as well) if it were on a Sunday night maybe or, if not, not too early in the evening. I was invited to join a book club, but the meetings ended up being WAY too early - 6 on Thursday nights. I mean, who the hell...

If there was cake I could get there early and then everybody else could really concentrate on the books.

this sounds like it's my cup of tea*
agree with butterbean re: timing

* translation - this is a "yes, i am definitely in"

i could make a meetup if it happens in the next few weeks. i might even read the book. in either case i would recommend you all to consider the kite runner of kabul. its short on pages but long on style and delivery.

That is an excellent book and has one section where the world just falls out from under your feet. I can recommend it wholeheartedly.

Can I get my cake now please ?

I don't know about intellectual but I'm certainly pompous and enjoy cake. Sounds like fun...

I'd be interested and could provide cake.

Being a pompous book-reader and cake-eater, I'd love to join in.

Hmmnnn sounds interesting...can do without the cake though...

I'm in and I bags perdido's cake.

bastards, beaten to it.

ps: am assuming we can eat cake pompously as well. i wouldnt want to limit my pompousness to book reading.

One can be pompous however one feels one's pomposity can be of greatest benefit to the lower orders.

I personally try not to feel up my own pomposity. Its rather lumpy and might set me off my cake.

What does intellectual really mean???

Love books, prefer chocolate cake, can do 'pompous' on demand. Who's hosting and what's our first book?

Will the cake and books be accompanied by a glass of wine? Yes? Then, I'm in too.

If you have to ask... just kidding. Hell if I know. Try googling it.

i like to club pompous intellectuals with books. do i qualify?

yes, definitely.

I'd be up for this, as long as the first book is one I've already read - I'm too lazy for anything involving effort.

I would be up for this if we can read the Beano.

Any suggestions for a specific book? Should it be in English?
And how heavy should it be (if folk are meeting every month, "War & Peace" might not be the best idea)?

I really, really repeat the recommendation (seconded by Yeti) for The Kite Runner. Short but really fantastic.

delete. fixed above.

Unfortunatly for me books in languages other than English would have to be at the Asterix level... but I wouldn't mind missing a session once in a while if you lot wanted it.

How about we start the ball rolling with a book which there are probably plenty of copies sitting around of? A recent bestseller perhaps?

A big one in the last couple of years was "The Life of Pi", and people tend to have mixed feelings on it (I didn't like it much, but there you go)... would that suit?

Cake . I'm in!!! Life of Pi is good, I recently read it and would love to hear what others thought of it.

poll?

Errr, yes?

That would be my problem. With other things to read like newspapers, magazines, Toytown etc. a book a month is quite a big ask if it has more than a couple of hundred pages.

I'm with Ben, Life of Pi wasn't my cup of tea but it would make for interesting conversation.

I probably wont even be able to make these but, here's my book club recommendation list for what its worth. I would start with the short reads first.

In addition to the short and amazing Kite Runner I would recommend the following for eventual consideration:

Stasi Land
Category: Historical Fact Finding.
An Australian writer attempts, mainly through first person interviews, to chronicle some of the many - and often ridiculous - activities of the Stasi the infamous Secret Police of the former East Germany.This is a non-fiction book that reads like fiction, if you know what I mean. Short and easy read.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Handon.
Category: Bitter Funny, Murder Mystery.

Autistic boy sets out to find a neighboorhood dog killer, sets of a trail of events that lead to London. Also short and easy read.

Not as short but good (IMHO):

Russian Debutante's Handbook by Gary Shteyngart.
Category: Funny Ha-Ha.
Young NYC immigrant temporarily becomes Eastern bloc gangsta sets out to exploit the local (English -speaking) expat community in Prague.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John O'Toole.
Category: Funny, Plain Funny
Life and Times of an overweight, big ego, total slacker boy living with his momma in the big easy. Lots of on again/off again discussion about turning this one into a major picture. Kinda like a long running Seinfeld episode...crazy characters doing mostly nothing yet it all comes together at the end.

could we also have a mini quiz night?

umm... caaake. I am in.

So much cake talk and not one picture. You people are insane.

[img]http://www.yococino.com/microondas/REPOSTERIA/Cheese_Cake/cheese_cake.jpg[/img]

I...

...I LUVS WREEDIN' CAKE...

...cake...

OH!

And eatin' books.



M-Y BRAI... NURTS!

I'd love to join you all (I might even manage a cake too) as long as it does not start too early. Cannot be in Munich before 7.00 pm. My suggestions to start would be:

Siri Hustvedt - What I Loved

Alan Hollinghurst - The Line of Beauty

Both exquisitely written novels proving just what a beautiful language we share, American or British English.

Cake and books? Yep, I'm interested.

My days that are free usually fall on Sunday. I am up for Confederacy of Dunces, it is one of my favorite books. I own Life of PI but as of date yet to read.

I would have been up for this had i not another year at Uni, in the UK, to finish. I would definitely like to hear what people think of 'Life of Pi' after reading it my mind was full of thoughts and ideas, a great book to start off a book club. I haven't read the Kite Runner yet but i've heard lots of good things about it.

Another book i would have loved to discuss is Perfume by Patrick Suskind, although the fact some people may have read it in German and some in English may present some difficulties i think it has some great discussion points, and as the film will be coming out soon it would be nice to do.

EDIT: Add author details

Yes to cake, books, discussion and wine! Looks like we'll need an auditorium to hold this event. Anyone got one?

The way this is going somebody is going to have to provide a large apartment and a heck of a lot of cake

Judders In truth I'd have thought that people reading a book in original / English translation would add further perspective

Edit: Posts crossed with Esme on the size of the auditorium

How about Sunday 16th October? Gives everyone the bank holiday for reading.
And means possibly 3 such events until Christmas if things were to go well.
Maybe we can do a vote on 4 books for the first event to get a choice.
These are only ideas though (it isn't my event so I don't want to take over, ok?).

Count me in on books & cake (I suggest Blätterteig/milles feuilles/layered pastry as most befitting). Do we do mass-orders on books or buy them individually or fight for them at the library?

Good point about the translation / original perspective Jeeves.

I've read The Beach in english and german and the last chapter in the german edition I had is different. I don't mean a sentence or two translated incorrectly, I mean a whole different set of paragraphs inserted. Has anybody else encountered this ?

Not that extensively, Yeti, but the lucky guy that does the Harry Potter translations could do with brushing up his language skills. He describes Madame Maxime as having "olivgrüne Haut". Ouch!

Sara, Good point on the ordering. Bulk discount from Amazon perhaps...
Whatever, one would need a certain lead time just to get hold of the book.

Well if we are doing The Kite Runner I can reread it in a flash and lend it to somebody. I saw a copy at the Twisted as well.

@Sarabyrd How is she described in the english version ? I haven't read any of the Potter Opus.

If that's the book, someone else can have it after me then.

Hiliga shieser..I own kite runner also but have yet to read it. Life of PI and kite runner were given to me as Bday gift but I just never read them. Oct 16 sounds good...I would prefer an afternoon meet up if I am invited

FYI: If you order from amazon, please follow the links from Toytown..there here somewhere, the house gets a kickback if you click through. Or at least we used to get a kickback...

PS: Oh and pretty please if you nominate a book can you include a link to a review