For our July meeting, we met at my house (BettieO) to discuss SNOW by Orhan Pamuk. It's well-written, and Pamuk cleverly subverts some conventions we are all used to - such as he reveals the ending 100 pages before the actual ending. Or that's what you think anyway, a lot happens in that final section. SNOW is a compelling look at a very different culture where every day, every person must deal with multiple violent factions jostling to control one's life. And it's tough to trust people, because no one is quite who they seem to be.
[Note: after we discussed the book, we got into a rather interesting discussion about our own religious beliefs, which was remarkably civilized, since we certainly aren't all religious.]
For August, we decided we need a lighter read. Someone suggested turning to British humor, and I suggested the classic COLD COMFORT FARM by Stella Gibbons. Although some of my suggestions in the past have been really disliked (FLU for one), the group gamely agreed. Let's see if this improves my standing.
7 comments:
Bettie - What a good idea to have us communicate via a blog. It's a great way to follow our threads of discussions.
I am so sorry that I missed the meeting, and always love events at your house. Someone has to tell me about the amaretto shrimp. Are you sharing the recipe?
I have to admit that I still haven't finished Snow. The prose is so intensely beautiful that I keep rereading, and it is unusually slow going for me. But knowing that you had a good discussion gives me the impetus to put aside that new Janet Evanovich and continue.
I just checked out the reviews of Cold Comfort Farm on Amazon. I had vaguely heard of the book, but somehow never read it. It sounds like great fun. Do we have a date and location for the August meeting?
Debra
We don't have the date and time yet of the next meeting -- it is at Kate's; she is going to email everyone. The shrimp recipe I will type up and send out . . .
I really liked FLU.
Bettie, I LOL when I saw the 4th choice in voting. I picked Snow and wasn't crazy about it. I picked it because a good friend of mine said it was one of her favorite books. She had the same reaction as Debra. I just didn't get it; I feel like such a philistine.
Ricia, I was kidding! I was reminiscing about previous scorned books - YOU'LL NEVER EAT LUNCH IN THIS TOWN AGAIN by Julia Phillips comes to mind . . .
Bettie---thanks for sending me this link--it's like hearing your voice! I read Red--haha--and it was a VERY dense read, with masses of history with which I was totally unfamiliar--and Istanbul, Memories and the City, which was nice, but not Snow. Maybe you have a copy of it hanging around? more later---love from yer sista
Interesting to know.
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