Book Discussion - Thurs August 2nd - 6pm at Houston Freed Montrose Library - THE CONFIDENCE MAN by Melville

[Alice Aman]

Hi everyone --

We will be meeting next Thursday, August 2nd at 6pm in the downstairs
conference room of the Houston Freed Montrose Library to discuss THE
CONFIDENCE MAN by Herman Melville. Will will lead the discussion.
After the discussion at 8pm, those interested in socializing (since we
mainly focus on the book during the discussion) will meet next door at
the Black Lab Restaurant. (You don't need to move your car to join
us.)

Looking forward to the discussion!

--Alice

http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/

===UPCOMING READINGS==================

Aug 2 - THE CONFIDENCE MAN by Herman Melville [publ 1857] 336 pages
The novel's title refers to its central character, an ambiguous figure
who sneaks aboard a Mississippi steamboat and attempts to test the
confidence of the passengers, whose varied reactions constitute the
bulk of the text. In this work Melville is at his best illustrating
the human masquerade. Each person including the reader is forced to
confront that in which he places his trust.
--Will leading discussion

Sep 6 - AN ARTIST OF THE FLOATING WORLD by Kazuo Ishiguro [publ 1989] 208 pages
Short listed for the prestigious Booker Prize. Both a character study
and an intriguing glimpse of pre-war Japan, in many ways it is a
Japanese parallel to Ishiguro's highly successful third novel, The
Remains of the Day
--Alice leading discussion

Oct 4 - Discussion and Leadership Improvement Mini-Workshop by Wendy
[yes, the Wendy who is a member of our group!]
In her words: "I like the word 'improvement' more than 'training'
because our group already does a very good job at discussion.
Basically I'll just do one session on improving discussion and one
session on how to create questions. Then we can spend any extra time
on talking about the stories."
Stories to include:
1.) THE VELDT by Ray Bradbury [8 pages] on line at:
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/bradbury_TheVeldt.pdf
and which is also available as a reading by
Stephen Colbert at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSoigRHHNLM]
2.) A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND by Flannery O'Connor [8 pages] at:
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/oconnor_GoodMan.pdf
--Wendy leading discussion

Nov 1 - THE END OF THE AFFAIR by Graham Greene [publ 1951] 237 pages
Acclaimed by William Faulkner as "for me one of the best, most true
and moving novels of my time, in anybody's language."
Set in London during and just after World War II, the story of a woman
lost between two men, a husband and a lover, told from the lover's
point of view. The plot is dramatic, the characters unwittingly and
wittingly involved in one of the most common human stories beautifully
and compellingly told. Graham Greene's own affair with Lady Catherine
Walston played into the basis for this novel.
--Will leading discussion

Dec 6 - CAT'S CRADLE: A NOVEL by Kurt Vonnegut [publ 1963] 304 pages
Explores issues of science, technology, and religion, satirizing the
arms race and many other targets along the way. Chilling "end of the
world" classic.
--Alice leading discussion
[Note: election at this meeting - ongoing ballot at:
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/dec6-2012.html]

Readings for 2013

Jan 3 - NO MEETING THIS MONTH! [holiday week]
This gives us time to start reading next month's LONG book early!

Feb 7 - ALL THE KING'S MEN by Robert Penn Warren [publ 1946] 600 pages
Pulitzer Prize winner. Rated the 36th greatest novel of the 20th
century by Modern Library and one of 100 best novels since 1923 by
TIME magazine. Pronounced by Sinclair Lewis as "one of our few
national galleries of character."
Story traces career of a demagogue - loosely based on Governor Huey
"Kingfish" Long of Louisiana. An idealistic man of the people soon
becomes corrupted by success and is caught between dreams of service
and an insatiable lust for power.
[LONG BOOK CATEGORY - have more time to read if you use extra time from January]
--Marcella leading discussion

Mar 7 - NEUROMANCER by William Gibson [publ 1984] 288 pages
First winner of the science-fiction "triple crown": the Nebula Award,
the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award.
The novel tells the story of a washed-up computer hacker hired by a
mysterious employer to pull off the ultimate hack.
--Wendy leading discussion