The Entmoot Book Club

[jerseydevil]

I thought this might be cool - but then again - I don't know how well it'll succeed. I thought having a book club where we decide to read a particular book and then we can discuss it chapter by chapter or something.

Not exactly how it would work yet - I got the idea on the way to Barnes and Noble.

Anybody who is interested - give submit your suggestions. Should we model it after the Silmarillion Chapter thread - where people are assigned chapters to write about and everyone discusses it? Or should we read a chapter or so a day and then discuss them? I'm not really sure and I'm not sure how many people would be interested.

If you are interested - post here and make some book suggestions. I figure we can start out with some shorter books - Like 1984, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, Farenheit 451, etc. Just make some suggestions.

[wahine]

hmm, well it's an interesting idea...

And since I have been thinking about re-reading the book To Kill a Mockingbird...that's my suggestion.

[Sheeana]

I'd like to do something like this, but I've already got a pile of books that I'm planning on reading. Maybe if you include Jekyll and Hyde in there, I'll sign up.

[HOBBIT]

i just unfortunately read catcher in the rye - 'eh' not that great, short? its over 200 pages..if thats short, then ok.


I also just read To Kill A Mocking Bird - that was very good - 50 x better than catcher.

[cassiopeia]

It sounds like a good idea -- I'd be in it. Perhaps we shouldn't do Catcher in the Rye because there's a long thread on that book all ready. From the books listed, I would like to read Lord of the Flies, because I've wanted to read it for a while, but never got around to it yet. I need a bit of prodding. As the books would have to be short, I suppose this rules out most of Dickens' books, expect for A Christmas Carol. My suggestions are Animal Farm by George Orwell and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (I think that's short, been a while since I've read it).

[azalea]

I like this idea, but I have two questions:
1. Should books for which a thread already exists be disincluded, since they could just as easily be discussed in their threads? (Or better yet, those who haven't read it can all read it at the same time, and just use the existing thread for the discussion, and if that's the case, a post could be made here to let people know the discussion is there. I like this option, because although the thread exists, this project would mean analyzing it ch. by ch.).

2. If we've already read a book that's chosen, could we join the discussion w/out having to reread it? (because like Sheeana, I have a waiting list of books to read already, and I don't want to "pre-emt" a book I haven't read with one I have).

3. And a comment: I think doing a chapter every few days would be better to give everyone a chance to have it done, but I don't think there would need to be a summary intro for each ch. like in the Silm project. I think people could just start in w/ questions and discussion points, OR the person who suggested the book could just make a post when it's time to discuss the next ch.

[jerseydevil]

I like your ideas Azalea. By the way - the only reason I mentioned that I felt they should be short books - is because it would take a year to read something like Les Miserables if we do a chapter a day or every couple of days (which I do think makes more sense). I thought to start out we should pick a short book to work out any problems and see how everything works.

As for rereading it - I think if it's been a while - a person should at least glance through it. I read Catcher in the Rye awhile ago - but there is no way I can discuss it. I remember bits and pieces. I would also have to reread Crime and Punishment if we did that or The Scarlet Letter.

As for books that already have discussion thread - I like your suggestion. We just read it at the same time and then discuss it in the existing thread. Any new book would have the thread title like "Crime and Punishment: Entmoot Book Club Discussion". What do you think?

[jerseydevil]

Book suggestions....

Catcher in the Rye
Farenheit 451
Lord of the Flies
1984
Jekyll and Hyde
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
To Kill a Mockingbird
Crime and Punishment
The Idiot
Animal Farm
Dickens (various books)
Catch 22
Slaughter House 5
One Flew Over the Cookoos Nest
All's Quiet on the Western Front
Red Badge of Courage
Scarlett Letter
The Island of Dr Moreau
The Time Machine
The War of the Worlds
Paradise Lost
This Side of Paradise
The Jungle
Camber of Culdi Series (not really a classic - but anyway I think good discussion can come about if people can find these books at their library)

This list will be updated as suggestions are made. I think we should give it a week. If you know of anyone else who might be interested - let them know about it. I contacted Jonathan and told him.

[wahine]

I have a question...

Could we also read Shakespearian plays, or perhaps books of poetry?

If so, how would we do discussion and assignments?

[HOBBIT]

nah, think i'll pass.

reasons:
1. school has started = tons of work. loads of hw. PLUS we get books to read for english during the school year......

2. i have already read many of the books suggested and almost all the rest i will read either this year or sometime in my high school english reading career.

3. only time i could join in would be summer....but oh wait - i have to read two books (forget what they are at the moment, i think one is jane eyre) over next summer...

4. school assignments are bad enough

5. i dont like poetry very much



sounds like it would have been fun though.

[wahine]

Are you just racking up your posts?

Because why say you aren't doing it, just don't post at all!

, HOBBIT--I am joking, take the joke, accept the joke, understand the joke

[HOBBIT]

i understand it.

if you must know I posted that to further put of my homework (already on the first day!). I'm such a procrastinator.

plus i felt you all should know after I expressed some interest

[Ruinel]

Originally posted by wahine
...Could we also read Shakespearian plays, or perhaps books of poetry. ....

Woohoo!!! Shakespear! I'm in!!!

Poetry suggestion: The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri I already bought Inferno and Purgatorio, which I intend to read. I need to buy Paradiso ( hmmm I wonder why I only chose to buy those two?)

[azalea]

Any of those suggestions sound good to me. I can't PROMISE I'll have time to read every one that's picked, but I'd like to participate when possible. (I currently have two chapters upcoming in the Silmarillion project, so I'm reading a bunch of HoME stuff,etc., plus Letters PLUS I want to start East of Eden by John Steinbeck. But I can put that off.)
I like the idea of doing plays and poetry as well, but I do think for the first couple it should be prose, just to get the format down.
Although we may not all have the same poetry collection by whatever author, we'll all be able to at least check out something that will be sure to include many of the same ones. Also, we should try to stick with books that most people will have or can check out from the library (IOW, nothing too obscure, at least at first) so that more people can participate.
I'm excited, because there's really an endless number of books we can do, and it'll be fun to read them "with" other people!

[sun-star]

I think this is a really great idea, though I might only be able to dip in and out. I just have one plea - please pick books which are easily available! My local library is not the greatest. It's OK for poetry, because those are sometimes available on the Internet anyway. Who's going to decide what books we read?

My suggestions would be "Of Mice and Men" for a short book and "The Bell Jar" for something a bit longer but very readable.

[azalea]

We can eventually read any books suggested, but maybe JD should pick first since he came up with the idea? And when it is picked we can start, or what?

I have a few suggestions for future (or whenever) books:

Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen) -- I know the guys won't be too excited about this one, but it may surprise you.

Last of the Mohicans (James Fenimore Cooper) -- because I've never read it, and then we can all watch the movie and compare. (I've never seen it -- we could do that for S and S too!)

On the Road (Jack Kerouac) -- again, because I've never read it.

Sometimes a Great Notion (Ken Kesey) -- this is kind of long, but it's my parents' favorite book and I've wanted to read it for a while. (There's a movie for this one as well, w/ Paul Newman).

[jerseydevil]

Okay - I'll pick - but let's get some suggetsions out of these then...

1984
Time Machine
Catcher in the Rye
Crime and Punishment
Animal Farm
Lord of the Flies (I would like to read this one)
One Flew Over the Cookoos Nest


Anyone up for one of those right now?

I did my vote - Lord of the Flies (becuase I haven't actually read this book yet - although I have it)

[Ruinel]

Lord of the Flies? hmmm... I just thought it was so sad when

Simon is killed

and the way

Piggy is treated throughout by the book by the one savage group of boys

.

[sun-star]

Yeah, I'll vote Lord of the Flies too. I've always intended to read it, and I've read most of the others already.

[azalea]

I've read them all except Crime and Punishment (which I have and really want to read, but it is very long, so we could use it for a later selection). Lord of the Flies is fine, it's been years since I read it anyway, and it'll be fun to discuss w/ you people.
Anyone have any commentary on it (or cliff notes ) to aid in the discussion? Just curious.

(BTW, they're all good suggestions, and although I've read them I wouldn't mind reading them again -- well, maybe not the Orwell ones -- yikes! But I could still discuss them )