Book Discussion - Thurs Dec 5th 6pm - Montrose Library - BABYLON REVISITED and WINTER DREAMS by F. Scott Fitzgerald

[Alice Aman]

Hi Everyone -

Our monthly book discussion is coming up next week at Freed-Montrose
Library, 6pm on Thursday, December 5th. We'll be discussing two short
stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald: BABYLON REVISITED and WINTER DREAMS.
I added this second short story recently - apologies for any
confusion.

And as usual, those interested in socializing will gather after the
discussion next door at the Black Lab Restaurant at 8pm.

And for those not aware, we are affiliated with the Houston Great
Books Council. Not a requirement for discussants to be members but if
you are so inclined, any donation you make to the Houston Great Books
Council is tax deductible.

And one VERY easy way to contribute financially to Houston Great
Books is available to those of you who buy books on AMAZON. It has
been setup so that you can collect the books you want to buy as usual
in your Amazon cart. Then when you are ready to check out, go to
http://www.houstongreatbooks.net and use the link to Amazon that has
been provided on that web page. I've already used this process and I
didn't have to do anything different except switch over to
houstongreatooks.net when I was ready.

Everything else seemed to be the same as usual compared to my
purchases in the past on Amazon. If you have something other than
books in your cart, don't worry. Amazon is smart enough to know how
to pick out those purchases it will be using to determine cash back to
the Houston Great Books Council. "Easy Peasy". Hardest part is to
remember to use the link by switching to the houstongreatbooks.net web
page. So that is what I'm trying to do here, to assist by reminding
anyone and everyone to make this effort if you are so inclined.

A full blown writeup with additional info about other websites
besides Amazon that you can use to assist the Houston Great Books
Council can be accessed by going to
http://www.houstongreatbooks.net or if the news has scrolled off from
there, check out
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ce3b1803d8&id=81dbcd5947&e=dbc56c0c84

Hope to see you next Thursday!

--Alice

======Upcoming Discussions==============

December 5 - Alice
BABYLON REVISITED (short story) by F Scott Fitzgerald (publ 1931) 11
to 20 pages (depending on version)
Available online at:
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/stories/Firzgerald_BabylonRevisited20.pdf
According to THE TELEGRAPH, one of the finest short stories in the
English language. Written after the Great Crash, it is an intensely
personal portrait of a man who has squandered his life. A tale of boom
and bust, about the debts one has to pay when the party comes to an
end.

WINTER DREAMS (short story) "It is arguable that Dexter Green, the
protagonist bears a resemblance to Fitzgerald himself, a restless and
talented young man desperate to advance himself in a singular pursuit
of success." Available online at:
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/stories/winterDreamsFitzgerald.pdf
Also, available in several short story collections, one of which is
BABYLON REVISITED AND OTHER SHORT STORIES
--Alice Leading Discussion

January 2nd - will not meet because of holiday week (note VERY LONG
book for February!!)

February 6- Marcella
MIDDLEMARCH by George Elliot [pub 1874] 832 pages<br>
set in the fictitious Midlands town of Middlemarch during the period
1830 through 1832. It has multiple plots with a large cast of
characters, and in addition to its distinct though interlocking
narratives it pursues a number of underlying themes, including the
status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism and self-interest,
religion and hypocrisy, political reform, and education. <br>
[VERY LONG BOOK CATEGORY - Please take advantage of shorter reading
during previous months and begin this book well in advance]
--Marcella Leading Discussion

March 6- Will
THE STREET OF CROCODILES by Bruno Schulz (publ 1934) 160 pages
The novel is split into thirteen chapters or stories, each of which
focuses on a different part of the Polish city of Drogobych, or on an
aspect of the authors childhood home life. Through a child's eyes,
events, sensations, ideas and thoughts are conveyed with brilliant,
dazzling imagery. Vivid, almost too-bright pictures are painted with
words in a way that is both surreal, magical and ordinary.
--Will Leading Discussion

April 3 - Will
HENDERSON THE RAIN KING by Saul Bellow (publ 1959) 352 pages
A hilarious, often ribald story, it is also a profound look at the
forces that drive a man through life. A grumpy, spoiled, acerbic,
rich American in his 50's seeks to discover meaning and wisdom and
fulfillment by leaving New York and traveling to Africa to live and
commune with a primitive African tribe.
--Will Leading Discussion

May 1- Alice
THE SWIMMER (short story) by Cheever (publ 1964) 12 pages
Available online at:
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/stories/Cheever_TheSwimmer.pdf
The story is highly praised for its blend of realism and surrealism,
the thematic exploration of suburban America, especially the
relationship between wealth and happiness, as well as his use of myth
and symbolism.
(a second short story will be added - stay tuned).
--Alice Leading Discussion

June 5- Ruthie
LIGHT IN AUGUST by William Faulkner (publ 1932) 480 pages
In a loose, unstructured modernist narrative style that draws from
Christian allegory and oral storytelling, Faulkner explores themes of
race, sex, class and religion in the American South. By focusing on
characters that are misfits and outcasts, he portrays the clash of
alienated individuals against a Puritanical, prejudiced rural society
--Ruthie Leading Discussion

July 3 - Claudia
A GOOD SCENT FROM A STRANGE MOUNTAIN by Robert Olin Butler (publ 2001) 288 pages
1993 Pulitzer Prize Winner
With fifteen short stories, this book takes you into the ordeals about
being a Vietnamese transplant to the US, specifically to New Orleans,
The voices are young, old, and have a diverse background. The mix
brings alive and humanizes this often misunderstood period of our
nation's history.
--Claudia Leading Discussion