Bookgroup

Tommy Martyn · Post by **Tommy Martyn** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 5:07 pm

Right then,

here we go. Seeing as it was my idea etc. I have picked the first book. Basic criteria are: not too long/expensive. No classics. Paperback. That's about it.

The book is EMBERS by Sandor Marai. If you can't get it local then Amazon has several copies second hand. Please avoid (if you can) the online reviews. They are all good but they will colour your own thoughts.

Mona Simpson writing in the Atlantic Monthly recently stated that, "One of the pleasures that members of book groups everywhere discover is the gradual and delicately thrilling way in which they come to know one another as they talk about the books." That sort of thinking shaped my choice. A couple of months ago my other bookgroup read this and the subsequent discussion was widely regarded as the best in over ten years of meeting.

Matino if you have trouble getting this book I am happy to get your address from Mc and mail one off.

We should all look to have read it by the latter part of August.

Happy reading.

Brett · Post by **Brett** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 5:43 pm

I'm picking up a copy after work. Kim, me and Shay are heading south for a few days, so it should be nice to read in between log rolling bouts.

Post by **mccutcheon** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 6:03 pm

I'll get one as well.

Post by **mccutcheon** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:49 am

Actually Tommy can I have your copy to read?

Post by **Sloth** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 7:37 am

Count me out.. reading sucks ass.

Post by **Sloth** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 7:38 am

Count me out... reading sucks ass.

Maverick · Post by **Maverick** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 10:51 pm

I'm in...I'll get it as soon as I can. No book reports, I hope?

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 5:07 am

Won't pay money for it, no. But if I can find it at the library, sure.

Ooh, I must say I admire your stance, but if I can find it at the library, I'm in.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 8:25 pm

And Sloth I must also say that I understand when you say reading sux. If I was posting this while I was in school (I'm not) I'd be far more emphatic about it, but still, I do believe that in a certain sense reading does suck. I love to read, but I prefer something short and sweet, quick and dirty like a newspaper, magazine or perhaps short story. I read newspapers pretty much religiously. I absolutely must read something while I'm eating, it's a compulsive habit for me. I usually don't have the patience to read through an entire long book because it requires me to be sober on the one hand (McC how DO you manage to read all the books you do??!) and it requires me to ignore the more immediate pleasures (for me) of music or films.

But Tommy says the book isn't too long so I'm gonna see if the library has it. Just wanted to weigh in on this concept of "reading sux".

Myke115 · Post by **Myke115** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:56 pm

I'm in. Though I'll obviously have to leave any discussion I have of the book strictly here! I'm with McCutcheon. I can't not be reading some book all the time. I always have at least one if not two or three that I'm working through. Of course, sometimes I like to just read a good pop novel ... a good quick and easy mystery ... as not all good books have to possibly one day be literary classics or present a moral to the story ..

myke

martino · Post by **martino** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 10:50 am

thanks for the recommendation and offer of help, tommy.

i just bought the book at amazon; it will take 10 days to get here but i hope to read it soonafter

looking forward to discussion!

my current reading list, by the way:

- newest harry potter (an easy read but i don't like it much; my daughter wanted me to read it so we can compare impressions)

- hard-boiled wonderland and the edge of the world, by haruki murakami (this is just great and i recommend it strongly to anyone who can handle a certain level of complexity)

- provinzialismus by karl heinz bohrer (only if you can read german but phantastic if you want to understand why the elites in my country are so darn boring)

Post by **Sloth** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 4:42 pm

Mark, I don't really think that reading sux... I just thought it would sound funny coming from a writer.

<rosie> · Post by **<rosie>** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 6:38 pm

tony the tiger=tommy martyn?

martino · Post by **martino** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 6:42 pm

no, but captain kangaroo=mc

Post by **mccutcheon** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 6:20 pm

So who has started reading the book? I don't have a copy yet. I'm looking today.