Book Discussion - Feb 6th - Freed Montrose Library - MIDDLEMARCH by George Elliot

[Alice Aman]

Hi everyone,

We will meet next Thursday, Feb 6th from 6-8pm at Freed Montrose
Library to discuss MIDDLEMARCH by George Elliot. Marcella will lead
the discussion.

And as always, for those who want to socialize, we will meet
afterwards at the Black Lab restaurant next door at 8pm.

Hope to see you there!

And please note, I added a second short story for our May discussion.

--Alice


===== UPCOMING Discussions =========================

February 6- Marcella
MIDDLEMARCH by George Elliot [pub 1874] 832 pages
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.
--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
Two short stories by John Cheever.
1). THE SWIMMER (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. [Note: 1968 Movie - THE SWIMMER starring Burt Lancaster
on Amazon]
2.) THE ENORMOUS RADIO [pub 1947] 6 pages
Available online at:
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/cheever_EnormousRadio.pdf
A Kafkaesque tale about a sinister radio that broadcasts the private
conversations of tenants in a New York apartment building.
--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