The book selection process is such that everyone, in rotation, has the opportunity to bring to the group a book of specific interest to review in detail, usually with the aid of Book Club/Study Group Questions. The variety of books selected is, in my opinion, an important element of the Book Club. We are exposed to genres that they would generally not consider, with our limited time to complete even those well-intentioned Must Read books gathering dust stacked on the bedroom night stand. The Club has covered popular Best-Sellers, Historical Novels, Modern Fiction (including several Canadian authors), a few Oprah selections and several Literary Classics.
After an hour or two of discussing a particular book, each one of us rates it on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (masterpiece). Below I have included the 16 books with the group as well as John rating for each of them. Generally, we are in agreement with the overall rating of the majority of the books, but there are several fascinating exceptions.
Wuthering Heights - the first selection of the Book Club was made by Guylaine (GP) based on a reference in the Twilight book series as a favourite Gothic book by Bella. Guylaine and I found it fascinating, while others found the emotional intensity overblown and childish.
One Hundred Years of Solitude - WOW, did this book stir up a visceral reaction from Cindy and the rest. Guylaine selected this one too, thinking it was a 'family romance' and figured she couldn't go wrong with an Oprah seal of approval. Well, all four chicks hated this work of 'magic realism,' and as much as I tried, I could not convince them of the beauty of the blood from a dead character meandering through the streets to finally arrive at his mothers home and his bedroom. And what was with Remedios the Beauty levitating alive into the heavens? I rated it a Masterpiece, much to the disbelief of the 4Cs!
Man in a Uniform - This time I was the dissenter within the group. This Historical Political novel just did nothing for me. But I did complete it and the 4Cs rather enjoyed this story centered on the Dreyfus affair. Again one of the aims of the book Club is to expose one to a genre he/she ordinarilly would not consider.
Note: Guylaine recently selected big winners within the group with Book of Negroes and The Book Thief! It is possible to recover from misguided information from so-called book 'experts!' Although to me Wuthering Heights & One Hundred Years of Solitude were two of the most enduring books in which I regularly reflect.
P.S. The next selection is Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell, about a woman down on her luck in Victorian England. Stay tuned - I will post a summary of the Book Club's reaction to it in an upcoming post!
Book / Author (member selection) Club (John) rating
Wuthering Heights
By Emily Brontë (GP)
|
6.0 (9.5)
|
Stonehenge
By Bernard Cornwell (NP)
|
6.9 (6.5)
|
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
By David Wroblewski (--)
|
7.4 (7.5)
|
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
By Stieg Larsson (JM)
|
7.9 (7.0)
|
The Gargoyle
By Andrew Davidson (CC)
|
9.1 (9.0)
|
One Hundred years of Solitude
By Gabriel García Márquez (GP)
|
4.2 (10)
|
A Man in Uniform
By Kate Taylor (NP)
|
6.0 (3)
|
Pamela
By Samuel Richardson (JM)
|
6.5 (7.5)
|
The Historian
By Elisabeth Kostova (CC)
|
7.7 (7.0)
|
Secret Daughter
By Shilpi Somaya Gowada (TS)
|
7.4 (6.0)
|
The Book of Negroes
By Lawrence Hill (GP)
|
8.3 (8.5)
|
Sea of Poppies
By Amitav Ghosh (NP)
|
6.5 (7.0)
|
Tale of Two Cities
By Charles Dickens (JM)
|
9.3 (10.0)
|
The Shadow of the Wind
By Carlos Zafon (CC)
|
7.7 (8.0)
|
The Help
By Kathryn Stockett (TS)
|
7.5 (6.5)
|
The Book Thief
By Markus Zusak (GP)
|
9.8 (10.0)
|
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