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BOOK CLUB - Galway

TristanPeter

Hi All!

If, like me, you're tired of the same old pub, club, supermacs social scene of galway, why not stimulate the old brain cells and meet new people by doing something intellectual!? I've started a book club in Galway, where people can get together and chat about books they've read, discover new books together and generally have a bit of literary crack. We meet in different members houses, over a glass of wine (or water if that's your poison

), to loosen the opinionated tongues!

We've already got a few members and would quite like a few more, so post here or drop me a pm if you think it's a good idea, bad idea or you just don't care.

Hoping for lots of Responses!
Tristan
P.S. For obvious reasons it's for Grown Ups only, no under 18s please!!

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bethm

TristanPeter wrote: »

I'll bet there are no problems picking the worst five
8:30 sounds good to me.

ye no problem on the worst 5 and the book club introduced me to at least two of them but ye got to kiss a lot of frogs etc.

TristanPeter

Hi All,

Don't forget that we are having our Galway BookClub gathering this evening around 8:30, The Cottage Bar, Lr. Salthill.

See you all then

Martty81

Is the normal room kept for us or are we just meeting at the bar?

TristanPeter

As far as I know, we are just meeting in the bar somewhere. Whoever is in first, if you could try to get a good table and keep an eye out for anyone looking lost

bethm

TristanPeter wrote: »

As far as I know, we are just meeting in the bar somewhere. Whoever is in first, if you could try to get a good table and keep an eye out for anyone looking lost

See you all around 8.30

lindap

Hi Tristan,

We have started a book club in Roscommon town, we have had 5 meetings and it is going really well. Meetings take place monthly and we have seven members so far. We have mixed tastes in literature but we are discovering new material every week.

How are you doing with your club?

Linda

TristanPeter

Hi Linda,

That's great news. I hope it goes well for you all. Galway BookClub is fine. I think it has been going for nearly 2 years now and we have managed to squeeze in quite a few books

We were out last night actually. Great fun and I'm paying for it today.

How do you all meet up? In a house or pub? How do you nominate books? We were just talking about picking our Christmas book. Last year we read Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory. Surprisingly enough, it was difficult to find a Christmas choice. That's why we are thinking about it now, well in advance. Do you use Boards.ie as a forum?

tristan

TristanPeter

Finally, the long awaited Jude: Level 1 review. It has taken me a long time to get around to it so my apologies. Now, where to begin

Okay, I think I will do this in reverse order so I'll start with the other member's reviews first...and here they are:

Martina
"Very poor. No depth to story or main character. Absolutely no earthly interest in reading Level 2 & 3 in order to conclude story. Avoid!"

Maja
"Episodic structure, shallow and facile humour, almost non-existant story. Didn't like it."

Caroline
"No structure to story, too many far-fetched situations with very obvious conclusions. No sympathy for main character."

Breeda
"Only read first few pages - got good advice 'not good, not worth reading' so I didn't."

=========================================

Please bear in mind however that these are just member's opinions and as we all know...everyone is entitled to one

I did mention in a post previously that I felt that I was missing something with this book; that perhaps I wasn't picking up on some deeper meaning. Other members reassured me last night that I wasn't. In a way I was kind of hoping that I was because the story, the characters, the situations etc. were so poor and contrived and yet the list of high critical acclaim inside some of the covers was as long as arm. Why

If I remember correctly, Woman's Way (or something like that. Please correct me if I'm wrong anyone) called the book "a triumph!" There you have it; Woman's Way and Tommy Tiernan loved Jude Level 1. That speaks volumes IMO

Maja, at one of the previous club meetings did say that it's not nice to be overly negative about a book, even if it is pretty bad, and I agree with her. I have never written a book, but I would like to at some stage and I can imagine that it's a very difficult thing to do, to transfer correctly what's in your mind onto paper. So, on that note I'll leave it. Actually, just a couple of other things I still don't understand:

(1) Why does the main character (idiot) speak (read?) as if he's from the middle ages?
(2) Why are loads of the nouns capitalised e.g. page 19 "The water tank must have overflowed in the attic, and the subsequent Damp is causing a Crackling in the Circuits of the Record Player." These capitalised words are all over the book. That's done in German, but as far as I'm aware, not in English

I did like tha part about Dublin not having changed though, but that was the highlight for me.

geekychick

Well done, Tristan, though I do feel I have to insert a small correction here: it's not that I think it's "not nice to be overly negative" about a book, it's just that it is both possible and fair to be truthful and direct without actually insulting the author or his work - as I feel has been aptly demonstrated with our treatment of "Jude" in the Galway Book Club!

Thank you everyone for a great night out, BTW, I laughed so much and I could barely believe it was 3 am on my way home! :eek:

Martty81

Tristan my avoid comment was supposed to be in capital letters!!

Great night last night folks. I had a wee sore head today though...

Why don't we read a Dickens book for Xmas like Scrooge? I've always meant to read a Dickens book but have never gotten around to it. Does the book have to have Christmas in the title?

bethm

Martty81 wrote: »

Tristan my avoid comment was supposed to be in capital letters!!

Great night last night folks. I had a wee sore head today though...

Why don't we read a Dickens book for Xmas like Scrooge? I've always meant to read a Dickens book but have never gotten around to it. Does the book have to have Christmas in the title?

Thats the only Christmas book I can think of am sure there are others but nothing else comes to mind at the moment, Ye sure was a good night last night head ok but in tonight watching the Client on tv good movie.

lindap

Hi Tristan,

Thanks for reply, we meet in my house, we haven't selected anything for Christmas reading, but we have arranged our Christmas party! Everything in perspective of course

. I must check out Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory, have you read the Christmas Tree by Jennifer Johnston, I enjoyed it, read it years ago.

Have a good week.

Linda

Ms. Ka

I completely forgot that I am in Tullamore for work tomorrow, if I am back in time I will stop in for book club.

deedana

HI hows things? I'll pop into the cottage tomorrow at 7.30 just got the book today so will have to a bit of speed reading- if there anywhere in partic that u sit? or anyway to spot u (besides all the books i suppose)
Deirdre

TristanPeter

Hi Deedana,

We sit in the small room immediately on your left just inside the main entrance. We usually meet around 8:00/8:30. See you then

Martty81

Folks,

Sad news but I've just found out that my commitment to broadway is going to take up four nights of my week until the show is over in February. Therefore, I'm going to have to bow out of book club until then. I think it only fair, as my book was going to be some what of a book club experiment, that I pass over my book selection to someone else and I'll pick mine back up when I'm back again if it can be slotted in. I'm going to read the other books as you choose them if I can.

I'm disappointed to be missing tomorrow nights meeting particularly as I'd say the "debate" regarding the book will be legendary. Try and keep me posted on what was said!! In one sense it's probably good that I'm missing the meeting because I didn't read the book and if I'm honest I probably won't be doing it in the future either. I wonder would I get a good price in Charlie's for it? I think I'll read your reviews before I decide to sell it!

Also, I am free on Friday nights so if there's another session before Christmas let me know. There's a Guggenheim Grotto gig in Roisin's on Dec 11th if anyone is interested? They're the band from home I was telling you about.

lmk,

Marty

geekychick

Hi Martty,

I feel you will be missed by all in our BC, however it's not all bad as I am sure you will be enjoying doing the show, and time flies anyway, February is really only a few books away!

Good luck with those limelights :cool:, see you in a bit!

germanSandra

Hi!

My name is Sandra and I’m German. For a considerable time I enjoy your book club. I have read some of the books too. (If I could buy them in German.) Yes, it’s not fair to read it and never write something. I’m sorry.

Apparent (at a distance of many, many kilometres) I can’t take part in the meetings.

But if you’re intrested in my why of thinking about some books, I’ll write something. (I beg your pardon for every mistake in terms of grammar, choice of words and spelling.)

Greetings Sandra

carol123

Hi!

I was looking for a book with a Christmas theme and didn't find anything that looked any good. Looked a few days ago also but nothing. Could we possibly do both The Dead and A Christmas Carol? They're each quite short.:)

PopeBuckfastXVI

I love the dead, such a brilliant read.

Available for free here:
http://www.online-literature.com/james_joyce/958/

Martty81

http://www.literature.org/authors/dickens-charles/christmas-carol/

And A Christmas Carol is here!

geekychick

Thank you, Pope and Martty

:)

germanSandra, hi! I'm glad you are enjoying our reading choices. I hope I am speaking for everyone in the Galway Book Club if I say that you are welcome to share your views on the books we are reading on here, maybe a written discussion could also evolve at times...

Our next read is Lionel Shriver's "We Need To Talk About Kevin", for 1st December. Hope it's good!

TristanPeter

"As far as the weather in itself was concerned, things were becoming worse. It seemed to us that the rainfall was becoming more offensive with each succeeding year and an occasional pauper was drowned on the very mainland from the volume of water and celestial emesis which poured down upon us; a non-swimmer was none too secure in bed in these times. Great rivers flowed by the doorway and, if it be true that the potatoes were all swept from our fields, it is also a fact that fish were often available by the wayside as a nocturnal exchange. Those who reached their beds safely on dry land, by the morning found themselves submerged. At night people often perceived canoes from the Blaskets going by and the boatmen considered it a poor night's fishing which did not yield to them a pig or a piglet from Corkadoragha in their nets...It need hardly be said that the local people became peevish at that time; hunger and misfortune assailed them and they were not dry for three months...One day I put the matter tothe Old-Fellow and I entered into conversation with him.
-Do you think, oh gentle person, said I, that we'll ever be dry?
-I really don't know, oh mild one, said he, but if this rain goes on like this, 'tis my idea that the fingers and toes of the Gaelic paupers will be closed and have webs on them like the ducks from now on to give them a chance of moving through the water. This is no life for a human being, son!
-Are you certain that the Gaels are people? said I."

I think Flann O'Brien was on to something

Not much has changed in the 68 years since The Poor Mouth was first published!

Extract from The Poor Mouth; pg. 99-100 by Flann O'Brien
First Published 1941

bethm

TristanPeter wrote: »

"As far as the weather in itself was concerned, things were becoming worse. It seemed to us that the rainfall was becoming more offensive with each succeeding year and an occasional pauper was drowned on the very mainland from the volume of water and celestial emesis which poured down upon us; a non-swimmer was none too secure in bed in these times. Great rivers flowed by the doorway and, if it be true that the potatoes were all swept from our fields, it is also a fact that fish were often available by the wayside as a nocturnal exchange. Those who reached their beds safely on dry land, by the morning found themselves submerged. At night people often perceived canoes from the Blaskets going by and the boatmen considered it a poor night's fishing which did not yield to them a pig or a piglet from Corkadoragha in their nets...It need hardly be said that the local people became peevish at that time; hunger and misfortune assailed them and they were not dry for three months...One day I put the matter tothe Old-

Fellow and I entered into conversation with him.
-Do you think, oh gentle person, said I, that we'll ever be dry?
-I really don't know, oh mild one, said he, but if this rain goes on like this, 'tis my idea that the fingers and toes of the Gaelic paupers will be closed and have webs on them like the ducks from now on to give them a chance of moving through the water. This is no life for a human being, son!
-Are you certain that the Gaels are people? said I."

I think Flann O'Brien was on to something Not much has changed in the 68 years since The Poor Mouth was first published!

Extract from The Poor Mouth; pg. 99-100 by Flann O'Brien
First Published 1941

How poignant seems to fit the bill, any quote on the other big news re the hand of fate that deprived us of our trip to ~South Africa

germanSandra

Let’s talk about Kevin

Thanks for your cordial welcome. I’m very glad.

Here are my opinions of the book: Would I recommend this book? No, I wouldn’t.
I’m sorry but I don’t like it. (I don’t finish this book yet. I’m on page 360. I write more when I finish it.)

It is hard-going. Not like the Cloud Atlas. After a few pages of a new story inside of Cloud Atlas it was easier to read. (Even though the style of writing and the epoch changed.)
The beginning of the book was good. The switch between the normally facts (like the uncertainty in relationships, make jokes about your parents, to be upset of trivia) and situations which nobody would like to have (a child who kills, a town where you are abhorrent, the fear of living the flat) was intriguing delineated.
From the time when Kevin was described as a the ultimate evil (and this since he was a baby) the book was unrealistic for me. (that could be a story from Stephen King) Henceforth the storyline was built of this fact. Kevin is a killer because he is bad. It’s not enough and wrong in my view. Eva is an angel, Franklin loves Kevin but he never espouse himself for Kevin and he has no intention to change something. The relationship of them was deleted before Kevin was born.
Many thinks are unanswered, inconclusively and modest wrong.
In case like this parents crew up the life of there kids. (A certain tendency premised and the children could be (after years of neglect and mistreatment) killers)
What is Kevins real motive for this massacre? He hates them, but it is not enough for a massacre in my way of thining.

Personal remark: I can’t understand Eva. Children are the greatest reason to live. I know there are many people who love there children, but I can’t reconstruct this. I never forget the first time I carry a child in my arms (the daughter of my cousin). What a great feeling must it be to carry your own child?

Important question: What is the next book?

I hope that I could explain you my opinion. I will be glad for every impulse.

Sandra

bethm

germanSandra wrote: »

Let’s talk about Kevin

Thanks for your cordial welcome. I’m very glad.

Here are my opinions of the book: Would I recommend this book? No, I wouldn’t.
I’m sorry but I don’t like it. (I don’t finish this book yet. I’m on page 360. I write more when I finish it.)

It is hard-going. Not like the Cloud Atlas. After a few pages of a new story inside of Cloud Atlas it was easier to read. (Even though the style of writing and the epoch changed.)
The beginning of the book was good. The switch between the normally facts (like the uncertainty in relationships, make jokes about your parents, to be upset of trivia) and situations which nobody would like to have (a child who kills, a town where you are abhorrent, the fear of living the flat) was intriguing delineated.
From the time when Kevin was described as a the ultimate evil (and this since he was a baby) the book was unrealistic for me. (that could be a story from Stephen King) Henceforth the storyline was built of this fact. Kevin is a killer because he is bad. It’s not enough and wrong in my view. Eva is an angel, Franklin loves Kevin but he never espouse himself for Kevin and he has no intention to change something. The relationship of them was deleted before Kevin was born.
Many thinks are unanswered, inconclusively and modest wrong.
In case like this parents crew up the life of there kids. (A certain tendency premised and the children could be (after years of neglect and mistreatment) killers)
What is Kevins real motive for this massacre? He hates them, but it is not enough for a massacre in my way of thining.

Personal remark: I can’t understand Eva. Children are the greatest reason to live. I know there are many people who love there children, but I can’t reconstruct this. I never forget the first time I carry a child in my arms (the daughter of my cousin). What a great feeling must it be to carry your own child?

Important question: What is the next book?

I hope that I could explain you my opinion. I will be glad for every impulse.

Sandra

Hi Sandra
Did not read your review yet only because I have not finished the book and did not want to spoil it for myself. We meet next week to review it but some members may have finished well before then. Will let you know what I think soon as I have finished it. Chat then. B

geekychick

Hi there, Sandra, Bethm and the rest,

I was just thinking the other day that I may post something about WNTTAK, as I am finding it quite a challenging read, as well. I am today exactly halfway through it and it is becoming increasingly difficult to proceed - the inexorability of where it is all leading feels quite punishing, and the whole issue is so overwhelmingly bleak and lacking in any meaningful redemption - just like life sometimes, I suppose; that's the scary thing.

So yes, Sandra, I agree with you that, for example, The Cloud Atlas was a book that is 1. easy to read and 2. easy to love, it is masterfully written, but, although touching upon some grave themes concerning human condition (trust/betrayal, artistic integrity, nature of dignity, savagery/civilization, do androids dream of electric sheep

) it manages to stay light of touch and a joy to read. WNTTAK is a completely different kettle of fish, it is the opposite of Cloud Atlas on both counts.

Being a mother myself, I also find it very difficult to identify with the main character in this book - I find it utterly strange how she couldn't bond with her child right from when he was born, although I do believe it can happen - stranger things than that happen. My own experience of becoming a mother was so joyful and nothing short of falling in love in a very profound way, but then it is also "natural", as they say, because of all the hormones that are doing their job in both mother and baby at the time. I find this book really perplexing, this character really complex and enigmatic. On one hand, she is a strong and decisive woman and is so utterly honest about her feelings (or lack of thereof) for her child and everything else that comes to mind, really, and on the other, she doesn't seem to be capable to get the "home front" (as it were) under control, or establish a true, honest relationship of equals with her (much loved, albeit dangerously deluded) husband. It is as frustrating to read about all the power games going on among the three people in that household, as it is to have the knowledge of where it is all leading. It is like some kind of Greek tragedy, it is so unrelenting and inexorable.

Don't know... this is another one of my late night posts, feeling a bit tired, am I making any sense? This book is really depressing the heck out of me.

Laters

TristanPeter

This book is tough-going alright...and I thought Berlin, the Downfall was a hard read. I find that I really need to pay attention to every word or else I wander off. Speaking of every word; I think I found a typo on page 20: "For me it would a relief to find something of consequence to spend it on." Shouldn't there be a be in there? Considering more than 1 million copies were sold, you would think they would have sorted that out. Tut tut

That's what too much concentration gets you! Maja, you're the English scholar. Is that a typo or am I mistaken

Martty81

I'm so surprised that ye're not really enjoying this book. I really thought it was fantastic and for what it's worth it was No. 1 on my top 5 list.

I understand how the whole Kevin's mother not liking her son since he was born is a concept that other mothers may not get but I see it from the point of view of personally still being unsure as to whether children are in my future. I understand the feeling of not being sure of having a maternal instinct and then being afraid if I had a child whether one would or even could develop. To have a husband/partner that wouldn't understand that feeling must be very frustrating and disappointing especially if you had no other outlet to vent those feelings.

I definitely think you should stick with the book. The discussion regarding it will be interesting, especially to hear the female vs male sides and the mother vs non-mother sides too!! I just found out I'm free for Book Club on Tuesday night so see you all then! Laters my peeps!

carol123

Hey folks
Have to say I doubt I'll finish it. Didn't take to it I'm afraid. Found the idea of an "evil" baby unconvincing. Halfway through and she doesn't look like giving an opinions as to why a child from a completely conventional background may grow up to commit such a violent act. Dunno, maybe it's the concept that sold copies rather than her examination of the subject.