I could really go for Silent Spring! Anyone else weighing in?

New Choices

When we were gathering ideas that eventually led to One Hundred Years I had some other thoughts. I have mentioned before that I never read my assignments in school so many of the classics passed me by. Additionally, I acknowledge, as I did with In Cold Blood, that some books on my list might have been read by some of you as popular fiction at the time of release. That said, here are my new ideas in no particular order:

• Ulysses by James Joyce
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (I'm very interested in her), obviously non-fiction
• Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller
• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow
• The Awakening by Kate Chopin
• Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon

I welcome other thoughts.

Post the List

Hi all, I'm back. It was an extremely "eventful" trip - between illness and theft. But I am nothing if not a good sport and still managed to have a fabulous time. Luckily we had all Canadians at our table on the cruise so we were able to have some VERY interesting political discussions!
So, I haven't blogged and am feeling a little disoriented today as I spent most of the day filling out forms for lost cards, license, etc. (not to mention deleting the 250 some emails that were totally irrelevant!)
Let's see your list Infobabe. I'm ready to try again.

Back to the Drawing Board

Okay...so magical realism didn't float my magical boat. I have a long list of books that never read. What do you want to read? Let's try again.

100 Years of Solitude

I have begun the book...and I am jumping ship. I'm not even following the Pearl rule, either. Turns out, I don't like magical realism and I don't get this book. The other Garcia Marquez book I read, Memories of My Melancholy Whores was not that great and I know this is on all sorts of lists. Several people I know hold this as one of their favorite books. Perhaps there is something wrong with me. However, I did read and enjoy War and Peace so I am capable of tackling literature not just genre fiction. Bottom line...thumbs down on Garcia Marquez, so far, for me. The rest of you can decide to read it or join Sally and me in our escape pod.

Couldn't Agree More!

Oh Infobabe, I've been lamenting our choice of OBOC since the day I saw it on the ballot. As far as I'm concerned, recommending a limited interest book like this for a community read is no better than answering all of our reference questions using Wikipedia!! It's an embarassment and, I feel, a misuse of our reputation as "go to" people.

Yes, yes, I know that I teach in the Readers' Advisory workshop that we never make judgments about people's reading habits but......with all the wonderful, tragic, uplifting, soul searching literature out there I feel we really dropped the ball on this one. To add insult to injury, Florida Roadkill did not meet the qualifications for placement on the ballot.

The upside is that, according to my "podmate," who's on the Programming Committee, the procedures for choosing OBOC will change next year. I highly recommend The Book Thief.

All that said, I've got to admit that 100 Years of Solitude sure hasn't gotten my motor running yet. I'll stick to the Rule of 50.

One Book One Community

I know we are meant to be discussing 100 Years but most book clubs digress and I really want to get something off my chest to my fellow bookies...I have been rereading Florida Roadkill in preparation for the book discussion I am leading next month. I read the book when it was first published and I went to a panel discussion he was on at ALA a couple of years ago. Since the first book, I have read and enjoyed the next several (I'm a few behind). When the One Book nominations were announced, I was worried about the potential book discussion that would result from a Florida Roadkill win. I stuffed our ballot box in an attempt to stave off that possibility. Alas, my efforts failed and here I sit on the brink of what I feel might be a disaster. My spin through the book this time fills me dread not laughter. At my regular book discussion on Wednesday my group wanted to ask me about Florida Roadkill and we spent 10 minutes on it before we moved onto the actual book for this month. They could not get into the book, did not understand or like Serge, and did not understand why this book was chosen. So many people will pick up the book because "we said so" and are not going to know what hit them. This book is a specialty book with fairly narrow appeal. It's like picking a vampire book or The Shining. Roadkill is not a soul-enhancing book or a shoulda like we are doing here. I'm hoping that I have some Dorsey fans or people who liked the travelogue aspects, but otherwise I think there's going to be a lot of 'splainin' to do, Lucy.

This is great!

I've got a copy at home and the minute I finish my book discussion book, which you can read about on my blog, I'll begin 100 years. Thanks guys. I think this format is totally right for book discussions and I'm really loving it.
We really need to consider doing one for the public - a link from our homepage. I think Sheldon would love it. Maybe after the first of the year?

Variety

I have my copy of 100 Year but I will not be able to start it just yet. There are a couple of other books that need to clear first. Thanks LJ and One-Book-One Community (and my own book discussions)! Please feel free to continue to post comments about In Cold Blood if you wish. Just because we have moved on to another book does not mean that previous books are off limits, by the way. This space is totally free form.

Decided

Let's read 100 Years of Solitude. There are quite a few copies in the library system so we should all be able to borrow it. Begin and post at will. Thank you for participating.

Sounds good!

I would like to read that book as well. I read parts in Spanish and most in English, but it has been a loonnngggg time.

Weighing In

I am in favor of 100 Years; that is definitely a title on my "oughta" list.

Next Selection

I would be interested in 100 Years of Solitude as a book club selection. That's one I would read with the group. When I joined for In Cold Blood I remember that the list you'd compiled at that time for potential picks featured Tropic of Cancer. I would read that as well.

Should have reads...

I've always wanted to read One Hundred Years of Solitude. Anyone else weighing in on this?

The Almost Moon

I can see what would be appealing about The Almost Moon. This book screams book discussion. I'm sure many libraries and individual book groups will choose it in the coming year. I have to admit, I am not a fan of the genre, however, and avoid it when making selections for my own branch book discussions. My vote would go more to books that are "should haves" or "always wanted to" selections, particularly books from other other regions. I know I could do better with World Literature.

What's Next?

Wellllll-I feel really out straight with the overdue books on every desktop I have at home and at work. I'm dying to get to Stephen Carter's New England White and can't renew it cause it's on hold for others, plus I have a big fat book for my Sept. book discussion that I haven't begun reading yet.
However, Ann and I were talking tonight about Alice Sebold's powerful new book. It can be read in a day or two and would make a great discussion - and maybe draw in some new people? It's called Almost Moon and I know Maryellen has read it too. Any other ideas would be appreciated!

Any Other Thoughts?...What's Next for Us?

Does anyone else want to pipe up on this one? There's still time, of course. Have you given any thought to what we should read next? Let's see some ideas.

Mixed Reactions

I finished In Cold Blood this weekend and in the end I think I liked it. Really, it was the last two parts- The Answer and The Corner that made the book for me. I don't seem to have the same problem as Sally and Laura did with the Why. Maybe it is my cynical nature/generation that suggests there does not always have to be a reason. I, like Laura, did not really feel any sympathy for the characters, although I did recognize that the reader was supposed to. I was surprised by how many people in the book were sympathetic to Perry. The trial was absolutely gripping to me. Did they get a fair trial?- I say no. Would they probably be convicted if they had?---yes. Unfortunately, civil rights were not an issue and the defendants were railroaded many times. Nevertheless, it was very interesting to read about. What I liked best about the book was the description of the people involved. Capote was really able to paint a picture. The description of death row and the different killers there really hit home issues about the death penalty and horror of the human psyche/human behavior. I also agree with Tim when he said that there was a shattering of innocence. This was clearly defined in my mind during the trial when Capote wrote that the killing of the Clutter family was not an issue in the majority of the state because of other killings going on. That sounds a lot more like the 21st century than the mid 20th century. Anyway, what I liked least was the fact that I had a hard time believing that there was not a huge amount of artistic license. I mean some parts of the book made me think "he has got to be making this up". Still, in the end, I thought it was a worthy book.

Why?

That's what I'm looking for too Laura. I just don't feel that Capote ever really answered that question. But then, perhaps the answer is that there isn't one.
I've been thinking a great deal over the last few days about random acts of violence. There's been a huge story in the NYTimes over the past week about the murdered family in Cheshire, Connecticut (not that far from where I was born and raised in Massachusetts). The cruelty and senselessness of the murders - an 11 year old girl was burned alive after being sexually assaulted - is beyond comprehension to most of us. The whole situation kind of mirrors the Clutter murders in that Cheshire is a sleepy little town where people still sleep with their doors unlocked at night. The murderers had no previous violent crimes to their names, though they had long records of smash and grabs and b and e's. What happens to suddenly push a petty criminal over the edge that way?
Today I was listening to the book in the car and Capote describes Dick's remorse at leaving his elderly parents to clean up after his check kiting scheme. Perry muses about how odd it is that Dick professes to actually care for his folks and even his children, though he's taken no pleasure from fatherhood.
I've always been kind of a bleeding heart, excusing criminals' behavior by believing that something askew in their past manifests itself in antisocial acts. The older I get the more I've begun to think that there are people who are simply born without a moral compass - remember Patty Duke in The Bad Seed? I don't know how else to answer the "why."

My Two Cents

I finished the book and I watched Capote this weekend. Never having read Capote before, I was often impressed by his turn of a phrase. Other times I found his seemingly random use of quotations a little weird. Watching the film, I learned, Capote purportedly had 94% retention of conversations (this was also confirmed by what I read online about him). Perhaps that accounts for his intermittent direct quotes. Nevertheless, I found it odd. As I read the book I eagerly awaited each section to find out what I would learn about the crime and I wondered whether readers of The New Yorker felt the same anticipation when this story was originally delivered in serial form. At least I was in control of when I would deliver the next piece. I was self-serializing. I couldn't wait to find out WHY WHY WHY??? In the end, I know this book was supposed to humanize the defendants, but it didn't work for me. These sociopaths not only took the lives of the Clutters but a certain way of life in Holcomb. The town was never the same once fear and distrust settled upon them. The movie only captured a fraction of the story in In Cold Blood, none of the crimes committed while the pair were on the run, and depicted all sorts of events that Capote didn't include in his own book. The movie is screen written from about 50 pages from Capote by Gerald Clarke. I'm almost tempted to read the Clarke book. If I hadn't read In Cold Blood, I don't know if I would have known what the fuss was all about. I didn't feel that I had a sense of the murder, of Capote, or Perry Smith. Other than Capote telling Harper Lee that he felt a sort of kinship with Perry, you don't really see why. He uses Perry and then stops writing and visiting when it doesn't suit him. He lies to him about details of the book, even when asked directly. I did not find anyone sympathetic except the Clutters and those they left behind to mourn and remember. I am, however, pleased to have read the book and to have experienced the incarnation of a literary style.

Hi Tim,

I really enjoyed reading your comments. Sally mentioned them at our reference staff meeting today. I read In Cold Blood when it came out - I am that old. Saw Capote and Infamous which did tweak my interest again. Reading the comments today made me want to reread it as an adult. I just placed it on hold.

Hi Tim,
Your comments are beautifully written and insightful. I'm especially interested in what you say about the difference in readers' ages ... how this book appears to someone under 30 as opposed to say, someone like me or Jennet or Linda who grew up in the late '50's, early '60's. This will be an interesting line for discussion.By the way, I'm hoping you've seen the movie Capote. Or, were you waiting to finish the book?

I'm Working On It

I have reached Part II "Persons Unknown." I am a little ways into that section. This is my first Capote, did I mention that(?), and I think my first "true crime" novel. I loved your post, Tim. I can't wait to continue reading this book. I also look forward to hearing from some members who have a perspective that span the time periods. The research dork in me is dying to look into the case when I am not reading the book, but I will hold off and plug away. I should have some good quality reading time tonight!

Finished!

I finished In Cold Blood last night.

One of the things I find most fascinating about the book is that, the picture it paints, the overall sense of empathy you feel for all parties involved (often including the killers), is so fleshed out and fully realized that it’s amazing to think this was really the first book of its type, that Capote did not have a blueprint to follow here and that he was, in essence, creating a genre all his own. The funny thing is that In Cold Blood is written at such a high standard that it really shames (and that might be being a little lenient with my criticism) other subsequent entries in the true crime genre. In that sense it’s like Capote set the bar extraordinarily high and then watched as the genre devolved into what it is today, rather than watching the genre evolve into something more amazing than he imagined while creating his meticulously researched, gloriously composed novel.

That the novel was so meticulously researched but still managed to be thrilling and engaging at the same time, accessible to nearly anyone really, is one of its best selling points. I wouldn’t think a reader would have to be particularly interested in the murders or Truman Capote to pick up In Cold Blood and get engaged with the material. This is one of those novels that can be read differently depending on what you’re looking to take out of it. If you just want a gory, eerie true crime novel, you’ll probably be content. If you want a study on criminal psychology this book is for you. If you want to ruminate on the death of the American Dream in the 1960’s and the beginning of the decline in American values and social behavior (because you’re a big dork or whatever) you can pick up In Cold Blood and be more than satisfied. It’s not too short, not too long, and keeps up a pretty good pace, even in the final acts when not much is going on in real time.

I actually thought the last third of the book that focused on the killers awaiting trial was interesting, in part, because it allowed a reader of my age (under 30) to see a legal system that functioned differently than the one I’ve grown up with. Specifically I’m talking about the different rules governing the all too familiar “insanity defense”, and the general abuse of civil liberties (abuse, at least, as it would be perceived today) that took place in the mid-60’s (at least in Kansas). It was really the only part of the book that did not necessarily feel almost timeless to me but was really interesting and enlightening.

Basically, I thought the book was great and couldn’t be happier that I read it for the book club. It’s definitely the kind of novel that will stick with me for awhile.

Hi everyone,
I finally started In Cold Blood today. I'm listening in the car and, fortunately, the book is read by our own reading fest star Scott Brick. He has a great voice for this; using a soft, low cadence he lulls the reader into a false cocoon of security. Of course it's the author's talent that allows us to feel the dichotomy between this wholesome, peaceful town of Holcomb, KS and the horror of what's about to happen. I'm looking forward to it now. Anyone want to go for a ride?

I've Started

Having finished Harry Potter on Sunday I began In Cold Blood yesterday. I did not read as much as I had hoped but today's lunch gave me a good boost. This morning I looked for an interview with Capote on YouTube but found a tour of Holcomb instead. In addition to the tour of Holcomb, the researcher(?)/fan(?)/freak(?) also seems to have gone to a museum or other place where there are facts and evidence. Warning...there are a couple of photographs (not close-up) of the victims post-crime. I will be interested to see the film now that I have see the actual locale.

Wow Tim, you've got me hooked! What a great description of the book and its effect on you so far. Damn, I wish I had time to get into another book. I've got so many overdues now I'm afraid I'll be getting a letter from that nasty "recovery" agency.

Itchy

Now I am more itchy to start the book. Thanks for that awesome post, Tim. I will definitely begin after the review book. As to Wikipedia...I hit it, myself, for personal reference or as a springboard. I am just against it as THE source or a source we give patrons or as a source when clearly there are better things (i.e. databases to which LCLS subscribes). :) lecturelecturelecturelecturelecturelecture:)

This Blog Was Composed...In Cold Blood...

I started In Cold Blood this weekend.

So far, it’s fantastic.

I’ve made it through the first one-hundred pages (paperback edition) and can’t put the novel down. Actually that’s technically a lie since I read eighty of the hundred pages Saturday night (I have no life) and twenty more last night (Tuesday) which means, I guess, that I really didn’t have any trouble putting it down. But I swear I spent a good amount of time thinking about it and wanting to read. Honestly, I only intended to pick the book up and read ten or fifteen pages just to get it on my radar and become invested in the book club, if you will. I’m also reading David Robert’s Shantaram (which I’ve been reading forever) and itching to start David Wellington’s 13 Bullets, plus the new HP comes out this Saturday so I didn’t want In Cold Blood to get lost in the shuffle. I never really intended to start reading heavily but the book is really captivating, full of images I can’t get out of my head.

It moved a little slowly for the first couple of pages but Capote paints such a vivid picture of all parties involved that, by the time I reached the section where the Clutter family is gruesomely and efficiently dispatched, I was really horrified. The fact that the crime took place during 1959 in small-town Kansas only makes it even more impossible to comprehend. These murders would really be shocking to me today, forty-eight years later, so I can’t imagine what kind of amazement and gruesome interest the killings must have generated at the time. I’m just reaching a section where Capote is beginning to stress the level of fear and mistrust the quadruple homicide caused in Holcomb and I can see why. With an apparently motiveless crime wiping out an entire family, and not just any family mind you but some of Holcomb’s most distinguished citizens, I’d definitely be locking my doors from that day forward. And get a watchdog (that isn’t afraid of guns for god’s sake).

I also find that In Cold Blood is surprisingly well written and can only imagine what the true crime genre would be like in 2007 if some of today’s more talented writers devoted their efforts to it. The only pet peeve I have so far is the way Capote puts some of the text in the middle of paragraphs into quotations to stress that a brief snippet is a direct quote, despite the fact that most of the work is simply retold in the structure of a traditional novel. I don’t know why this bothers me, but for some reason it does.

I’ve already done a little background reading about the book (on Wikipedia, don’t kill me Laura!) and will definitely check out the film as well as Capote after I finish.

A final note: I can’t believe how progressive some of these rural folk were in frickin’ 1959. It seems that a lot of participants are divorced, and strict, conservative Mr. Clutter allowed Nancy’s boyfriend to stay at their house until ten p.m. watching television. My curfew was eleven o’clock until I was seventeen and this was the mid to late nineties! And what kind of farmer stays up that late anyway? I thought farmers went to bed early and woke around four or five o’clock in the morning…

Blogging

Just a note for those of you who do not have blogs or have not been a guest writer on a blog...the members of this discussion group have direct posting privileges so rather than leaving a comment on an existing post, you may create and edit your own original posts. We can then comment on your posts.

A Selection is Made!

Let's go ahead and choose In Cold Blood. It is available in numerous copies and multiple formats, including OverDrive downloadable. I will even watch the movie. I expect it will take a little while for all of us to get this one accomplished. Read/listen and post at will.

In Cold Blood In the Lead

It looks like In Cold Blood is in the lead as a selection for the next book. I have not watched the movie, although it is sitting at home. Perhaps I should reconsider. We should have a final decision on this matter shortly. Stay tuned.

Other Book Suggestions

In addition to In Cold Blood here are some possibilities that I have gathered:

• Ulysses
• Peyton Place
• Silent Spring
• Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn
• Slaughterhouse-Five
• The Magnificent Ambersons
• Humboldt's Gift
• The Awakening
• Fear of Flying
• Gravity's Rainbow
• One Hundred Years of Solitude

Any particular thoughts about these? Has there not been a book that you wish someone would push you to read? We could be that collective someone?

How About...

Several of us were talking about our options and we didn't want to pick a classic just for the sake of picking one. Somehow we got around to the subject of Truman Capote and then we wondered about In Cold Blood. I would imagine that with the movie and with the popularity of Capote over the years, some of us may have read that book. None of us here had. I also wondered whether, given the diversity of ages across the group (I hope that was expressed politely), some may have even read it when it was new. Additionally, one of our male colleagues expressed an interest in joining us if we choose that book. Thoughts?

Time For Next Selection?

A number of you have registered and a couple of you have posted. On the whole, this little experiment is progressing. I have been told that I will not be receiving The Fountainhead through iBorrow. Can't say I'm too surprised. My batting average would not get me in Cooperstown where iBorrow is concerned! Anyway...I'm pleased to have read it and am open to some suggestions if the Club would like to continue with this project now that we have a proper forum. What book has been sitting on the shoulda/oughta shelf of your life just waiting for a motivating boost from a friend?

I thought of this blog when I just read an interview with a novelist, Nancy Horan, in PW (May 7th issue). It seems she's just written a fictional account of Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress, Mamah Cheney. It's called Loving Frank. Might be of interest to you Fountainhead readers?

Hi everyone. I probably shouldn't even be posting comments when it's been so long since I read this book but.....I just read Erica's post and wanted to thank her being honest about not being totally on board. I think that many of us will read the same book at different times in our lives and may react a certain way one time and another way the next. I guess that's what happened to me with Rand. I felt like she was beating me over the head with her philosophy of individualism. I prefer subtlety.

Also, I believe that this book was considered quite shocking when it was first published so I'm wondering what you all think is the subtext here. I suspect it has to do with religion - or, in this case, a lack of it. Was it controversial for Rand to propose that there's no higher power than the individual, perfect human being? Wasn't there a lot of discussion about her being an atheist or, at least, a proponent of an atheistic world view?

My Time with Ayn

I finally finished the book. Roark's speech at his second trial became a little tedious. As a cheerleader for my profession, I can understand his steadfast adherence to his ideal's and standards of behavior. I tend to be a little on the severe side. After a couple of pages of his speech, however, I was a little weary. Nevertheless, I didn't want Roark to compromise and I'm glad he got the girl in the end. Is Rand spinning in her grave that, for me, her complex objectivist tome boils down to a stubborn idealist getting the girl?

Book and Film

I didn't finish the book this weekend as I had hoped. Perhaps this week I can finish. Our library system does not have the movie but the thought occurred to me that we do have access to media from other places now. Reciprocal borrowing is a great thing! I just placed a hold for the film. I am so curious to see how this book is represented and how the building are depicted, if at all. In many respects I agree with Erica. I don't find many of the characters likable or sympathetic. Howard certainly has his ideals and doesn't back down. He doesn't play well with others. Sound like anyone you all know? :) I'm going to leave it at that until I finish the book or comment on another comment.

The Fountainhead...

I finished the book this weekend. I am not sure I really liked it. It seemed very self-indulgent. I did not empathize with the characters and by the end, I was like "I get it". Rand seems to take Machiavelli's idea of "self-interest rightly understood" to the extreme. While, Machiavelli and other future philosophers believed that self-interest can result in a "common good", Rand dismisses the "common good". I can't say I agree with her. I know the point of the book is "individualism" and Howard Roark is the "perfect man" because he never compromised his principles, but I am still not on board.

The Fountainhead (and a little War and Peace)

I am on page 500 something and I anticipate finishing this long weekend. I would read something else by Ayn Rand, let me admit that first. She can turn a phrase. Additionally, Rand is a fan of the lengthy sentence and sprinkles commas liberally. In my circle, punctuation is applied as generously as the herbs and spices with which we cook. Rand's sentences are not as complex as those of Robertson Davies (known best for his brilliant trio of trilogies, Salteron, Deptford, & Cornish), but her ideas are deep. The Ayn Rand Institute exists to this day to promote the concepts expressed in The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and Rand's other writings and speeches. From a practical standpoint, I can't help but wonder how Howard Roark's architecture is viewed by the reader as we get more "modern." The Fountainhead was published in 1943. Are we more apt to appreciate his vision than contemporary readers of Rand's? As I sit in my house in 2007, the sketches I conjure in my mind on behalf of Roark, are shaped by my knowledge and love of modern architecture and design. I can't decide whether Roark's designs are more Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater (1934) andTaliesen West (1937) or whether his general aesthetic is more like like the Finnish architects Saarinen and Aalto.

A Little War and Peace...
This past week on Jeopardy on of the categories was War & Peace. I was very excited. The contestant who had the category said she had never read it and Alex responded, " I don't know many people who have." If you followed the other other blog, you know I have as have a few of us. Incidentally, I got all but one question right in the category and I bet a lot on the Double Jeopardy question.

New Home for Book Discussion Blog

So here it is...the other format was not working. Let's try this, a proper blog in which to do an online book discussion. In order to work this as a team blog where other people have the ability to post directly to the blog, I will need to send invitations to which you can respond and then set up a Blogger account, if you do not already have one. If you do not receive an invitation and wish to participate, you have a couple of choices. Post a comment and let me know and I'll work out the details with you or if I am known to you in real life, let me know. I'll be sending out the invitations shortly. Thank you for participating.