literary theory
A long time ago, in a different city, I belonged to a Thursday night reading group. It was exactly like every other reading group -- a bunch of women, most of whom who didn’t know each other all that well, spending a few hours after dinner at someone else’s house, eating chips and salsa, talking about body image issues and whether or not to change their names when they got married. It was almost like having friends, but I never had much to contribute and it took me far too long to realize that I was the only one who was reading for the plot.
10 comments:
I've never joined a book club for this very reason. I'd be reading to understand the book and no one else would be!
I've only just been coerced into joining a book group. The first meeting I went to was a month ago; only half the women (are there ever men?) had read the book to the end, and I'd finished it but didn't much like it. It was rather ridiculous, book-discussing-wise, but the host had made a great Indian dinner and had perfect wine. And it got me out of the house.
This may sound snide, but I think book clubs trivialize books.
I always thought reading to be a private transformative experience.
This made me laugh! It reminds me very much of a book club I used to be part of. Now I read books that hardly anyone I know would have the slightest interest in and so I have resigned myself to being a book club of one. Although, I have to admit, that sometimes I do wish I had even just one person who I could talk to (intelligently) about the books I read.
I go to my book club purely for the wine and conversation. Discussing the book comes in a distant third. ;o)
Almost like having friends... sadly, that seems to sum up most of my post-collegiate interactions. Almost-friends require a lot less energy, but alas, it's hard asking them to pet sit and such.
I never belonged to a book club, although sometimes JD and I read the same book in short time, and then we can discuss it. And sometimes, if we are really lucky, other friends have read it recently. That makes for really fun conversations.
The only book club I heard of that was any good was the one my friend had with her grad school friends.
So all in all, I am pretty sure I will never be a part of a book club.
Are you thinking of joining one again?
Could be good for the company and to distract you, if only for a little while.
And now you already know you don't have to read for the plot.
Never been in a book club before. I'm too bossy for something like that, plus I don't like being told what to read and when.
I've never been in a book club, but this reminds me of why I played sports in high school and college. It wasn't until I was out of school (and had no team to work out with) that I realized I never ran cross country for the exercise or rarely for the competition - it was for the social camaraderie. I guess this explains why it's been so hard for me to be self-disciplined enough to stick with an exercise program when it's just me.
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