Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 4501

OK, this goes along with what Nute suggested in the BNW thread. Rather than having a schedule of readings, just say, "Yeah, we're reading this now" and let people post topics they're interested in discussing.

Admittedly, I've only participated in online group reads in forums where people stuck to the schedule, so I wasn't sure how to handle it here.

Good idea on Nute's part.

Let's say we give this another shot . . . anyone interested in selecting a book?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Beatrice, Nebraska
Posts: 18490

What's the criteria?

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The pinnacle of Failbot technology.

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Registered: Jul 2000
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To be most fair to the most people, it'd be good to pick something that folks can either get at their local library or used book store. Probably not a romance novel, but I guess I don't have to say that. Maybe it'd be best for the first few group reads to stay in the 20th century? Guess I'll leave that bit up to everyone else, though. Flocat and I agreed: no Jane Austen, no John Steinbeck. Did you have anything in mind?

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: GA
Posts: 6953

ill read whatever you want me to. just pick something.\




im very obedient.

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Pere Ubu land
Posts: 1080

The Lizard Club by Steve Abbott
Sleeping in Flame by Jonathan Carroll
Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling

Yeah, I've read these already. I'd re-read the Abbott and Sterling. It's too soon since I've read the Carroll book though. Why these? I dunno, first to spring to mind. A quasi cross-section of what I own:weird works of 'otherness', stories of love, and science fiction. They are all slim volumes -- nothing against a long read, just thought it might be best for an experimental book club. Hmm some more titles:

Almost Transparent Blue by Ryu Murakami
Camp Concentration by Thomas Disch
The Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille

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Registered: Oct 2001
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Posts: 17889

100 years of solitude or Love in the time of cholera might be good. Also anything by Golding. I'll read whatever you guys read. Admittedly, my participation in the BNW discussion was shyzer, but I finished the book in a day and was 4 books down the road before any discussion came up. It may be best for me to audit the course and merely throw in my two cents when inspiration hits me. 'sides, you kids are all academics and write better papers than I do.

I'll tell you a great fuckin book.

Ide of March by Thornton Wilder

or

Magic Mountain by Mann if you want something that'll take us a while.

or

The God of Small Things by Roy


I dunno. I'm almost done with the Sharpe's series.

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Registered: Jun 2002
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 444

Just for the record, although I didn't chat about it, I participated by reading Brave New World as well.

WAR me

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Dublin, California
Posts: 3186

chuck palahniuk - survivor


its a MUST fucking read.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 10178

"Superfudge" - Judy Blume
"Ramona the Brave" - Beverly Cleary

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Registered: Jul 2000
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How about either the Sterling book Schismatrix or Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera? Both are fairly recent, and likely to be available used and/or in local libraries.

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Pere Ubu land
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I'd be up for either title. I'm due for a re-read of Schismatrix and the Marquez book sounds really good.

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Registered: Oct 2000
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Can I join in?

2 towers

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Pere Ubu land
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Actually, I must admit I was a little surprised by your two choices, bunkum. I would've thought that The Story of the Eye would have appealed to at least a few asylumites including yourself.

So, is this ever going to happen or what?

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Registered: Jul 2000
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If someone else wants to kick it off faster, I'm more than happy to pass the baton on this one. I'm in the middle of finishing a thesis, writing a research paper for a class, and teaching two different classes this term, so I wouldn't have any free time until Thanksgiving to do so.

I didn't mean any negative comment on The Story of the Eye. My main concern was, that if leadership was expected of me, I haven't read the book and don't have time to familiarize myself with it, and I don't know how readily available it is to folks who may not be able to afford buying books. A lot of people requested, in the original thread back in July, that we keep to titles that can be obtained in used book shops or at libraries. Granted, we can't always do that, especially if people only have access to a local library that contains 300 books or something. But I think it's important that we do our best to find books that people can get their hands on, without endangering their utility service or rent checks for the month.

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 0.50
Posts: 9355

quote:

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Originally posted by Mugtoe
100 years of solitude

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Pere Ubu land
Posts: 1080

Hey, bunkum. Thanks for the explanation! Now I feel like I spoke out of turn. Sorry, about that. I wasn't aware that so much of your time was required. I didn't really know what the score was. Anyhow, good luck with your thesis and term paper! If I wasn't such a chickenshit I'd volunteer, but I'm (obviously) uninformed and inexperienced to boot.

No negativity taken on The Story of the Eye. I somehow had it in my head that everyone would read the book together (more or less) for the first time. Point taken on availability as well. I would guess that the book is readily available large libraries but smaller, rural libraries could be hit or miss.

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Registered: Jul 2000
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tessellated, you hardly spoke out of turn, dearie. The thread is up for grabs for comments on making the book club more appealing for everyone, and your comments more than fit that bill. If this thing gets rolling, perhaps there could be several reads going on at once to satisfy one and all. I think that would be best for all concerned, but we'll all have to get off our lazy asses and contribute thoughts on what we read. That includes me as well.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Sydney
Posts: 2570

Has anyone read "The Little Friend" by Donna Tartt? Her second book after 10 years. I bought it a while ago but I've been too busy to sit down and read it uninterrupted.
I loved "The Secret History"...I loaned it so many times I eventually lost it. Maybe that one? I'd like to reread it myself.

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: way out west
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quote:

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chuck palahniuk - survivor

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Pere Ubu land
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Ya know, Pynchon's due for another book soon. Last I heard it would be out by this Spring.

And yeah, Gravity's Rainbow is one of the greats. And yeah, I've actually read it. Twice.

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: way out west
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Shite. I've got something like half a dozen books to get through after GR before I get back to Pynchon (Vineland is next). And about another ten after that before I buy anything new.

quote:

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Gravity's Rainbow is one of the greats. And yeah, I've actually read it. Twice.

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Registered: Apr 2001
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hmm. i'll try to read that, i suppose.

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 11769

I just got a library card, so I'd be up for anything. Right now I just started "Veronika decides to die" by Paulo Coelho.

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Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Pere Ubu land
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quote:

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Originally posted by Kyanite
Better the second time? I've forgotten the first couple hundred pages, but I've been working on it for almost a solid year now. Had to start taking notes about 1/4 of the way through, so that slowed me down even more.

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Oh. Absolutely! GR like Naked Lunch improves with each read. Books like that are so dense, so unique that there are few of the standard guideposts, cues, and techniques that normally nudge a reader along. Both really play with language and structure. I've found that multiple reads really is the only way for me to absorb all that is being said.

Writers like that....they are soooo good it's almost demoralizing.

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