Meeting for The Reader

Meeting:

I was really excited about this meeting because I asked two new girls to join and Megan asked one (though she couldn't make it this time). We had several girls which really helped with our discussion! Lots of fun questions and opinions and coffee...made for a great Sunday!

We met on the top floor of the Natural Start Bakery again (and reserved for our next meeting...SUCH a good spot!). It's nice and cozy, and seems to be close enough to fit everyone's needs. There were six of us, which I felt might be the perfect number. Several girls still didn't show, but having this many people might be nice so there's no pressure to show if you just can't swing it.

About the book...I'm not sure we all felt it, though I got the feeling we were all proud to be able to put it on our I HAVE READ list! It was a really interesting novel with some difficult topics, but it may have been too aloof for us to grab onto. I thought I didn't feel urgency or suspense because I had seen the movie, but two others hadn't and they said the same thing before I had voiced that opinion. I can't put my finger on why we didn't hook in yet, but if I/we figure it out, I'll have to write it down. We did, however, enjoy some really cool discussions about WWII and the implications of living just after that ended. The guilt and process of moving on struck us in general. It's hard to understand because we feel so far removed already. It wasn't that long ago, but it is SO hard to imagine how it even occurred. Then we talked a lot about love and what it goes through; how resilient it can be. Surprisingly, the topic of age didn't really come up in a negative light. I'm becoming pretty socially liberal the more I get into the people around me, but I wasn't sure about the rest of the girls. Maybe it was an avoided topic, but I'd like to thing that we all kind of understood. Then again, after Lolita....well....maybe it didn't need to be brought up. Or maybe it's a gender thing. (Then again, I'm surprised we missed that angle. SHOOT!). Anyway, we all felt for Hannah in some way or another, and were grateful that we can talk about this book in the future!

Final:

The overall sores were 8, 7, 6.5, 6 (me), 6 and 5.5. Average = 6.5 (where 10 is high). Again, not dreadful, but not completely compelling either. I'm stoked for next month!

Reading...The Reader

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - Jan 2010

My titles suck...I use up all of my creativity elsewhere and by the time I get to stuff like this, I'm too lazy!

So the book started off quickly, but I found myself losing interest. I honestly 100% think it's my fault for seeing the movie. There are some huge plot points (huge spoilers here) that would have kept me interested...the illiteracy, the conviction, the suicide; one per "part". I hardly ever finish a book the day before we meet up, but this time the only pressure I felt was that of a deadline -- no plot suspense whatsoever. Had it not been for book club, this book may have not passed the 100 pages rule.

NOT that I hated it. I just didn't have that urgency or suspense to keep me going. There wasn't much to keep my interest as far as beautiful prose goes, or words that I got to look up. So it all should have been in the story.

I know some women haven't seen the movie, so I'll see if they lost interest or stayed intrigued.

Finding The Reader

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - Jan 2010

Finding:
We finally decided on The Reader, though input lacked. So those of us that are enthusiastic did the picking this time! Fine by me! I found my copy at a used bookstore. I am surprised at how thin and small it is. I'm going to get through this one in no time! I assumed the edition I found would have a photo of Kate Winslet on the cover, and sure enough...it's a "movie tie-in". Which ends at the cover art, as far as I can tell. I was excited to get going on this one, so I thought I'd read a chapter before bed. And I read five. The outset isn't slow at all, and there's almost no use for exposition. So it definitely hooks you immediately! Can't wait for our next discussion...