Ballot changes for tonight's election for Montrose Great Books

[A Aman]

Hi everybody --
 
 Since I've just made some last minute changes, thought I'd encourage everyone to review the ballot before the discussion tonight or at least to be aware there are changes.  Final ballot listed below and on the web at http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/dec3-2009.htm

Jo and I spent some time (a few days) trying to figure out how to fit in the great suggestion she had for THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND AT SARAGOSSA.  It is long (656 pages) so instead of doing an excerpt, we decided to go for splitting it into two discussions.  This means the suggestion for THE CYBERIAD has been removed and will be added to the ballot for next election. Sorry I'm sure that is a loss for some of you but hang in there and you'll be able to vote for it eventually.

   I always like it when we have an "exciting ballot" and this is one IMO so be sure to come tonight and vote.  New attendees can vote as well as old timers.  Also, remember, you don't have to spread out your six votes but can put all or more than one on one selection if that is one you really want to read.  ( A vote for THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND AT SARAGOSSA counts as two.)

 Looking forward to tonight's discussion of THE BELL JAR by Sylvia Plath led by Wendy.  Montrose-Freed Library - 6pm -downstairs - BE THERE!

 --Alice


===BALLOT for tonight============
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suggested by David

1.)ORYX AND CRAKE BY Margaret Atwood (publ 2003) 416 pages

Critically examines developments in science and technology such as xenotransplantation and genetic engineering, particularly the creation of transgenic animals such as "wolvogs" (hybrids between wolves and dogs), "rakunks" (raccoon and skunk), and "pigoons" (pigs and humans, for organ transplants). This society has also produced an exacerbated gap between rich and poor, as well as the commodification of human life and sexuality in prostitution and online child pornography.

2.)ATONEMENT BY Ian McEwan (publ 2001) 368 pages

Tells the story of a woman's effort to atone relating to a life changing mistake. As a young girl who dreamed of being a writer in upper-middle-class interwar England, the incident in the story affected not only herself, family and friends, at the time but also over the century that follows. The story leads to an exploration on the nature of writing itself.
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suggested by Brian

3.)THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH by Tolstoy (publ 1886) 86 pages

Tells the story of the life and death, at the age of 45, of a high court judge in 19th century Russia who is a miserable husband, proud father, and upwardly-mobile member of Russia's professional class. The story progresses in the second half of the novella to the judge's terror as he battles with the idea of his own death caused by a trivial accident and then finally to his deathbed and his final interactions with his family.

4.)NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Cormac McCarthy (publ 2005) 320 pages

By far McCarthy's most exciting and suspenseful novel in recent years, the story speeds along, the body count rising in shocking scenes of depravity. A mesmerizing modern-day western. The plot follows the interweaving paths of the three central characters set in motion by events related to a drug deal gone bad near the Mexican-American border in southwest Texas.
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suggested by Alice

5.)CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E.B. White (publ 1952) 192 PAGES

Tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages praising Wilbur (such as "Some Pig") in her web in order to persuade the farmer to let him live. Written in White's dry, low-key manner, Charlotte's Web is considered a classic of children's literature, enjoyable to adults as well as children.

6.)THE MAN THAT CORRUPTED HADLEYBURG by Mark Twain (publ 1900) 128 pages

Classic tale that is a funny yet blistering indictment of political hypocrisy. A mysterious stranger is treated badly by the town of Hadleyburg-the town that proclaims itself "the most honest and upright town in the region." Through an ingenious sting operation, the stranger sets out to expose Hadleyburg's leading citizens and reveal their greedy, deceitful natures.
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suggested by Jo

(if you vote for this next title, it counts as two votes since it will cover discussions for two months)

THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN SARAGOSSA by Jan Potocki (pub 1805-1815) 656 pages
A great late-18th century classic of Polish/French fiction that is a web of stories reminiscent of the Arabian Nights. The narrator of the story tells of the brigands, demons, succubi and evangelists he encounters. The stories cover a wide range of genres and subjects, including the gothic, the picaresque, the erotic, the historical, the moral, and the philosophic; and as a whole the novel reflects the author's deep fascination with secret societies, the supernatural, and "Oriental" cultures.
  According to one Amazon reviewer: "The plot, if it could be called such a thing, unfolds like a chinese puzzle, one unreliable narrative nested within another. ...It wends its way into your thoughts like an ear-boring worm." Though not well-known by Americans, it is defined as a masterpiece by every review I have read thus far.
 Recommended publisher is Penguin Classics translated by Ian MacLean.

7.) First 325 pages or so of THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN SARAGOSSA to be discussed during one discussion

8.) Second 325 pages or so of THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN SARAGOSSA to be discussed during next discussion in following month