Book club, month 2?

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Has a book been selected for next month? I finished Flaubert's Parrot (which I think will make for some interesting discussion), and I'm just wondering what will be next. There was some talk about actually reading Flaubert as a follow-up, but I don't know if there was any consensus.

― spittle (spittle), Saturday, 17 January 2004 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

suggestions:

JG ballard- crash.

how about some pulp crime stuff like chandler or jim thompson.

there were some prev suggestions in the first book club thread.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 17 January 2004 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno; Barnes kind of has me all wound up for some Flaubert!

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Sunday, 18 January 2004 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm going to order L'Education Sentimentale now, just because Barnes is making me horny for it (oh c'mon it's the last week and that's hardly a real spoiler) and if you guys choose a different book I'll read them both, pbbbbt, it's horrible winter, I don't want to look at the windows anyway.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Saturday, 24 January 2004 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

If you pick Chandler though I'd vote for Big Sleep, wouldn't mind reskimming that, 'cept I forget who I lent my copy to...

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Saturday, 24 January 2004 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm - somehow my overly-creative mind has managed to mix-up Flaubert's Parrot with Focault's Pendulum (and I cringe with embrassment to admit that). Anyway, I'd be interested in anything by Chandler (someone I've not really read) or whatever else is suggested.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Saturday, 24 January 2004 02:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow - I just read Flaubert's Parrot for the heck of it (it's been malingering on my shelves, I'm sorry to say) and now I feel like a complete dunce. Parts I found delightfully funny and witty and charming and parts struck me as being completely full of the author, who was mentally praising himself for his wit and brilliance. (Does that make any sense?) So why the raves over this one? What am I missing?

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 05:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Flaubert's Parrot was the ILB book club selection for January. I think the discussion is supposed to begin in earnest at the end of the month. I wouldn't be surprised to see that there is some difference in opinion on it, but I suppose I should refrain from making my comments until then.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

More threads about Book Club Month 1:

book club?
Book Club -- Flaubert's Parrot

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

should we use this thread to decide what book to read next? i'm kinda confused now by the multiple threads. and should we just use the thread that Ann started on Flaubert's Parrot to discuss that book or start a fresh one? oh, that might be too confusing i suppose. I think the idea of reading some Flaubert is a pretty good one. Very book clubby as well. Yeah, on Feb.1 anyone who gets to the thread first should just start posting away on the Barnes book. We obviously won't get everyone who read it to post at a specific time.that would be complicated. anyone else with ideas, fire away.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I forgot about the first one, but I would be up for Flaubert.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

*scratching my head*

*blinking*

*scrolling up and down*

Oh, yeah. Okay. I think I get this. Thanks.

*grinning*

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 08:32 (twenty-two years ago)

(I jump on my desk with pom-poms) FLAU-BERT! FLAU-BERT!

I'd prefer Education Sentimentale over Bovary -- didn't everyone read that in high school?

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Friday, 30 January 2004 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

*sigh* My high-school education was sorely lacking in "the classics" - I managed to graduate from the advanced placement track having never read: Dickens, Flaubert, Nabokov, Miller, James, Austen, etc. So I'm working on catching-up on those on my own time.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Saturday, 31 January 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

how about Flaubert's letters? anyone read those?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 31 January 2004 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

That sounds good... hm... uh, what if we just say "everyone read the Flaubert of your choice"?

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

sentimental education is a good idea too though, cuz it's pretty short, right? and easy to find.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 02:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I just bought a copy!!! Um, admittedly it's not very short. We could make it a 2-month project if there are problems... I am raring to read this thing, me. It is easy to get, that's pretty fur sur.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Ann's idea. We could all read Flaubert of our choice.

However, I'm not sure what kind of discussion it will lead to. Propbably a chaotic one. Perhaps we'll be left with a miscellany of Flaubert trivia to rival Barnes?

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

'sentimental education' is fine.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll go along with the 'mentalists too.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

of course, if we wanted to be really lazy we could all just read the short story with that damned parrot in it.

but a sentimental education is fine by me. i'm curious about his letters now too, julio, but i feel like i should actually read one of his books first.

should we leave this open to debate for another day or two? if no one has any better ideas i'll start a thread for the next book so that everyone knows what it is(in case they don't read this)

Now Reading:Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Scott, perhaps we should read books where parrots played a cameo role!

Love in the Time of Cholera spring to mind.

Erm, no others, though.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Treasure Island!

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Swallows and Amazons!

i'm curious about his letters now too, julio

Wasn't the great monkey/donkey/Maxine Du Camp section in FP an extract from one of the letters? That bit still reduces me to puerile giggles!

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The letters would be interesting to read, but they appear to be both lengthy and expensive - and I guess we would have to select a particular edition of them, because I would guess different books have different selections from them. For example, Amazon lists a Letters of Gustave Flaubert: 1830-1880 with 720 pages for $60 that is still in print.

Sentimental Education looks interesting. I suppose it is Flaubert's second best known work after Madame Bovary. It is a bit on the long side (500+ pages), but it should be cheaply and readily available. A more quirky but shorter choice would be Salammbo, at ~290 pages. Either one would be okay with me.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I ain't paying $60 for something with no parrots in it.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Alternatively, if we wanted to continue the theme of meta-fictional meditations on one's literary forebears, we could do Michael Cunningham's The Hours. I assume most of have seen the movie, but the book is supposed to be good (it won the Pulitzer).

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Haven't read The Hours either. Maybe we could take it in turns to pick stuff, but with the condition that it ties in, in some way - however cunning - with the preceding book.

BTW this looks like quite a prescient book by Flaubert.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Agree, Nick. Or perhaps we'll never read anything but Flaubert? This book club has all the markings of a Borges story.

And Borges would be a great author to discuss.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd be interested in reading Cunningham's The Hours. I kinda think that otherwise we will end-up sinking into the bowels of Flaubert's works and be able to make witty (and brilliant) comments on his work and life, but not much else. Yeah, I want my anecdotal information to be varied.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Thursday, 5 February 2004 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

The bits from the letters that were quoted in 'flaubert's parrot' were really funny and interesting. Also, an ILXOR (who doesn't post here) really raved abt it to me.

I assumed it would've been collected in a cheap paperback but that is not the case. shame.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 6 February 2004 00:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I tend to struggle with reading collections of letters - I always want to corner the author and quiz them about all of the references that fly over my head.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Friday, 6 February 2004 03:28 (twenty-two years ago)

oh I've never read any.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 6 February 2004 09:11 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

Revive! The time is near!

I think this all got a little confusing last month. Re-reading the thread it appears that the general consensus was to read some Flaubert of your choice (at least that was my interpretation).

Shall we set the deadline for this weekend and start nattering on Monday?

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 11 March 2004 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

There was more discussion here, Mikey:

Book club -- Flaubert's Parrot

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 11 March 2004 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

But you are right, it was kinda confusing.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 11 March 2004 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Only 4 days left!!! I've still got about 100 pages left on S.E. I was doing great until I got sick and fell behind.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 11 March 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, i'm not done either, but i'm good under pressure.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 11 March 2004 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Hope you are feeling okay, nate.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 11 March 2004 20:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks, I'm alright now, but I wasn't feeling so hot for the past two weeks.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 11 March 2004 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

We can put the deadline back. I just plucked it from thin air. Plus, I chose the Three Stories rather than Sentimental Education. I don't want to ruin your weekends or anything!

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

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