December-Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

The ten participants at December's meeting were led by David in an enthusiastic discussion of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. David began with a short survey of critics' opinions of the work, and continued with a condensed biography of the author. He then surprised us with the information that Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now is a modern retelling of Heart of Darkness. Parallels between the book and the film were pointed out.

The discussion continued with a list of discussion questions. We considered:
The meaning of the title; the motives of the British colonists; the contrasts between Kurtz's female native companion and his "intended" left behind in England; and the question of whether men who think they are invulnerable to the forces of darkness are, at that point, most vulnerable to temptation. We then briefly considered the question "Is man innately good, but corrupted by society, or is man innately evil and saved by society." Please feel free to comment to the blog with your own opinions.

The next meeting is on January 17. Brenda will lead a discussion of Saints at the River by Ron Rash. We will meet at 5:30 here at the library. Watch this blog, or check at the Beaufort Reference Desk for the room location.

December Meeting-Heart of Darkness

Remember, we are meeting a week early in December. Join us Thursday, December 13 at 6:00 PM (instead of the usual 5:30) in the 2nd floor lobby of the library at 311 Scott Street. Our book this month is Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. David will lead our discussion. Bring a snack to share if you like.

Come early and see the Beaufort Railroaders' model train exhibits ub the second floor meeting room and the first floor Children's Programming Room. These are wonderful displays for the young and the young-at-heart.

Background on Devil in the White City

Here's a full text online book (20+ chapters) you might want to point to the book clubbers. The site allows you to print it out, too.

http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/history/holmes/index_1.html (H. H. Holmes info.)

And this is a 10 minute video with good pictures but not of History Channel production quality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nifJ4z6VxJU

Here's a 7 minute one from a National Geographic documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ngPdCdWgug



Amanda Brewer, MLS, Reference Librarian

Devil in the White City

Erick Larson’s The Devil in the White City elicited a lively discussion from the Beaufort Book Club. First we watched about ten minutes of the DVD Expo: Magic of the White City. The introduction to the film showed contemporary photos and art of the Columbia Exposition of 1893. We also looked at some still photos of the Fair and discussed what happened to the originals and what remained of the Fair today.

The first question we tackled was in what way Daniel Burnham, the talented and driven architect of the Fair was like H. H. Holmes the “devil” serial killer. We decided that both were determined and creative, Burnham in his vision of the Fair and Holmes in the way he lured and disposed of his victims.

We then discussed the dream-like atmosphere of the Fair. Participants decided that the choice of white paint for the buildings surrounding the Court of Honor waterway and the massive size of buildings, fountains, and sculpture gave the fair that unreal quality. Various members noted the contrast between the clean, white fairgrounds and the smelly, stockyard-dominated Chicago of 1893.

Enumerating the innovations introduced at the Fair was a fun exercise. They included: spray paint to ready the buildings quickly, massive public lighting using Westinghouse’s alternating current that set the standard down to the present, the building of the first ever Ferris wheel, the introduction of Cracker Jacks, and the popularity of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer that won medals at the Fair that are reproduced on the label to this day.

Participants also discussed the structure of the book. We approved of the author’s use of short chapters alternating between the actions of the murderer and those of the Fair’s creators. Brenda read some descriptions in lyrical language that approximated the use of language in 1893 when letter-writing and elaborate speech-making were in vogue.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, December 13 at 6:00 PM. The one time change to the 2^nd Thursday and the later time was due to holiday activities. We will meet in the second floor lobby to discuss Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness. The discussion will be lead by David. This meeting is free and open to the public.

November Meeting

Our November discussion is tomorrow evening, Thursday the 15th at 5:30 PM. Our book this month is Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. We are in the 2nd floor meeting room still.

The Year of Magical Thinking

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Of the 8 attendees at October’s meeting of the Beaufort Book Club, only two felt that we had chosen a worthy book. Six people were of the opinion that the author did not have her heart in the writing of this book. There was some speculation that she wrote it merely to satisfy the demands of her publisher for a new work. Readinggroupchoices.com describes Didion’s tone in this book as “detached.” Perhaps it is that tone that struck a wrong note with our group. Some thought that the author “over-talked” about despair, pain, and the fear of losing a daughter. Whatever the reason, no one in the group wanted to read more books by this author.
The narrative of the book involves one year in which Joan Didion’s only daughter was hospitalized in septic shock. Her doctors induced a coma, and put her on life support. Returning from a visit to their child, Didion saw her husband of 40 years collapse with a heart attack and die. Didion spent the ensuing year trying to learn everything she could about the cause of his particular heart attack, as if the knowing could change the result. Later that same year, her daughter, now recovered from septic shock, collapsed and underwent brain surgery “to relieve a massive hematoma.” Again, Didion’s life was characterized by fear and grief, and the desire for medical knowledge that could put the new disaster into a context.
Two of the group members felt that the author really was writing in an involved manner and had a message. To them, she appeared to be working her way through the worst tragedy of her life by putting herself in her husband’s place mentally, emotionally, and physically in order to understand the extent of his peril. Those members felt that she had done an enormous amount of research to share with her readers as she, and potentially they, tried to understand how someone so alive one minute could be irrevocably gone in the next.
Submitted by David

October Meeting

Our October meeting is on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 5:30 in the library's second floor meeting room. Judy will lead the discussion of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Hope you can come!

Discussion of The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy

The Beaufort Book Club met of Thursday evening for a lively discussion of The Water is Wide. We also looked briefly at Sallie Ann Robinson's Gullah Homecooking the Dafuskie Way as Sallie Ann is one of Conroy's former students. We tried to guess which student was Sallie Ann, having concluded that the author created names for the students as well as for the island. One attendee reminded us that the fictional name of Yamacraw referred to a Native American tribe once resident near Savannah.
A former teacher related the experience of teaching children who had formerly been isolated in coal camps in rural Kentucky. Her experience with these isolated students was similar to Conroy's in that the children had little conception of the geography, culture, and opportunities in the outside world. We concluded that both white and black children in some areas had been cheated of a useful education during that period in our history.
We discussed the motivations of the other teacher, Mrs. Brown, who "beat" the children and exposed them to what would now be considered emotional abuses. Former teachers, and former students among us recalled the fact that spanking students for infractions was common during that time. We concluded that Mrs. Brown may have been using behaviors that were used by teachers when she was a student.
The group also discussed Pat Conroy's teaching methods to keep the interest of his students. Today's lesson plans would have been no use to him at all considering the vastly limited points of reference his students would bring to traditional curriculum. We applauded his use of classical music to gain their attention and give them a success in identifying pieces of music that they could show to visitors.
The discussion concluded with examining the symbolism of the title. We agreed on the idea of separation and isolation suggested by the water image.
If there are parts of the discussion not seen here that were significant to you, please click the "comment" link and let me know. Your posts will be included as soon as I receive them. Remember, you can sign your posts, but when sending them, they will only send if you check "Anonymous."
Next Meeting:
Thursday, October 18. Judy will lead the discussion of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Add to you list of upcoming titles:
February 21-Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King (8 copies in the library system including LP)
March 20- A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss (6 copies in the library system)
April 17-Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (8 copies in the library system including LP)

Note from Sandi

Just a tidbit for the club tonite. The Kite Runner is coming to the big screen in Nov. ! Hope to be back in November. I have registered our club on various Book Club webs hopefully we will win some freebies. Sandi

Meeting Thursday, Sept. 20

Don't forget, we are discussing Pat Conroy's The Water is Wide on Thursday evening at 5:30 in the second floor library meeting room at 311 Scott Street. Be ready for a lively discussion!

Suggestion from Brenda

maybe we can read one of hers

and have her come to Book Club next year!

http://www.cassandrakingconroy.com/book_clubs3.htm
Brenda

More Ideas for Book Selections

As you can see, we did not make enough choices for the entire year. We will do that after the discussion of The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy on September 20. Here are the suggestions so far:
THE CITY BELOW by James Carroll
THE MANGROVE COAST by Randy Wainwright
MY LOSING SEASON by Pat Conroy
CONSPIRACY OF PAPER by David Liss
POET by Michael Connelly
THE COLONY OF UNREQUITED DREAMS by Wayne Johnston
A MAN IN FULL by Tom WolfeSARATOGA by Richard Ketchum
1421 by Gavin Menzies
THE SPARROW by Mary Russell
SEIZE THE DAY by Saul Bellow
EMPIRE FALLS by Richard Russo
THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS by David McCullough
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME by Mark Haddon
THE POET AND THE MURDERER by Simon Worrall
BENEDICT ARNOLD by Willard Randall
THE STONE CARVERS by Jane Urquhart
EATS, SHOOTS AND LEAVES by Lynne Truss
TALK TO THE HAND byLynne Truss
SHALIMAR THE CLOWN by Salman Rushdie
NICKEL AND DIMED by Barbara Ebrenreich
BIAS by Bernard Goldberg
THEODORE REX by Edmund Morris
SAILING THE WINE-DARK SEA by Thomas Cahill
KILLING OF BONNIE GARLAND by Willard Gaylin
1776 by David McCullough
A LESSON BEFORE DYING by Ernest Gaines
A GATHERING OF OLD MEN by Ernest Gaines
ABSOLUTELY AMERICAN by David Lipsky
KRAKATOA- THE DAY THE WORLD EXPLODED by Simon Winchester
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
Searching for Caleb by Anne Tyler
Morgan's Passing by Anne Tyler
Child of My heart by Alice McDermott
Educating Alice by Alic Steinbech
The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer
Middlessex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
When the Emperor was Divineby Julie Otsuka
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
In America by Susan Sontag
Absolutely American by David Lipsky
Outlander by Diane Gabaldon
The Planets by Dava Soba (I think this is the right one.)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
The Apostle by John Pollock
The Great Lion of God by Taylor Caldwell
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter

If I left out anyone's suggestions, I am truly sorry. I was writing as fast as I could.

We still seemed to think we needed more suggestions from which to choose, so bring more picks to the next meeting!

Reading List

September 20-The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy-Discussion leader: Fran
(10 copies at Beaufort Branch Library in both the Local History and Book Club areas)

October 18-The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion-Discussion leader: Judy (3 copies in the library system; 1 copy at Beaufort Branch)

November 15-The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson-Discussion leader: Fran
(11 copies in the library system; 3 copies at Beaufort Branch)

December 13 (2nd Thursday of the month to avoid the holidays)
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad-discussion leader: Alice
(4 books in the system; 1 at Beaufort Branch and separate books on CD at both Beaufort and Bluffton.)

January 17-Saints at the River by Ron Rash-Discussion leader: Brenda
(4 books in the library system; 1 at Beaufort)

August Meeting

Several people have dropped by the library to ask about our August book choice. Please remember that we are each bringing what we are currently reading, or something significant we have read to share with the group. If the book you bring is not one of your choices for our fall/winter reading list, please bring your list of titles and authors. Bring a friend too! We will meet at 5:30 on Thursday, August 16 in the 2nd floor meeting room, or in the lobby if that seems a more congenial, and less institutional spot. See you there. Fran
PS
I apologize. An earlier post had the wrong date. We are meeting today!! If you can't come, send me a list of your book choices by email: fhays@bcgov.net. Our "Comments" link to the blog is disabled at the moment for unknown reasons. When it is back up, feel free to use it to communicate, and I will make a post from your comments.

Digging to America

Digging to America"

Let's start with the title. Is this a play on the familiar phrase "digging to China?" I believe that's a metaphor for working at something for so long and hard it was as if you were "digging to China." So is "Digging to America" similar inthat against great odds these Asian babies have come to be rescued and live in America? Is the author using the word "America" as metaphor for a utopian existence--a Mecca or Shangri-La? Some place or some state (like Nirvana) that we all aspire to?

Taylor doesn't fill the book with much plot; it's more about attitudes and traditions and impressions and character-building.

Regarding the naming of the Korean girls, I think the Yazdans, both first generation Americans of Iranian parents, are still very conscious of their ethnicity and ever mindful of "fitting in" to Western society. Therefore, they have opted to eschew her given name Sooki for Susan, a somewhat similar American one. The Dickinson-Donaldsons, several generations American, embrace Jin-Ho's Koren name and even dress her up in traditional clothing on occasion and teach her Korean songs. They are not as threatened about blending in and about their Americanness, because they were already deeply established in the culture.

Maryam's character is developed more fully than all the others combined. In my view, the book leans most towards being first person Maryam; perhaps her character is one the author is very familiar and comfortable with. Maryam is a complex woman. The classic introvert. I readily identify with her! Like Maryam, I think it would be unforgivable if someone put me on the spot in front of so many people and popped "the question." (aside: Is overconfidence an extrovert trait?) What I don't understand, is how she could be such a freethinking feminist in her native country, but put all that aside in this county. Is it because she was trying to help her husband (and herself) fit in to America's status quo, her mainstream way of being? What changed for her? But here she is, later in the book, long after the death of her husband, where she has every opportunity, every right to be an eccentric feminist and she plays it safe instead. For Maryam, the less you say, the less chance you have of making a mistake and looking even more like an outsider. "Very rarely did she go out in public in the mornings. Going out was work. It required conversation. It raised the possibility of mistakes."

and

"Somehow, for no other reason she could name, she had never felt at home in her own country or anywhere else; which was probably why her three best friends were foreigners."

Maryam's relationship with Dave could be a cautionary tale for those too proud to let down their guard and dare to be loved or needed. "She had resented his never-ending neediness. It hadn't yet occurred to her that a life where no one needed her would be a weak, dim, pathetic life." But then she calls herself a fool for falling in love. It's a constant struggle with Maryam, her desire to be above all that--all that is needy and emotional, versus BELONGING and all the give-and-take-and-feelings that come with that. "Oh, the agonizing back and forth of romance! The advances and retreats, the secret wounds, the strategic withdrawals."

Maryam sets wide boundaries. She suffers in silence (and enjoys it!). Some people don't want to be rescued. Maryam finds comfort and balance in her sterile, staid, minimalist home environment.

At time, Anne Tyler's writing has a poetic aesthetic. I love her alliterative passages such as "...he was just another hapless man desperate for a helpmate." And "She greeted Farah with a flood of Farsi."

But at other times, Tyler's writing is inconsistent and confusing, particularly in the end. All of a sudden in Chapter 9 we go from equal coverage of the Yazdans and Dickinson-Donaldsons to first-person Jin-Ho. Bitsy and Brad throughout this entire chapter are Jin-Ho's mom and Jin-Ho's dad this, and Jin-Ho's grandpa that. I found it very distracting and disruptive of the flow of the book. Also, I had to reread the ending to see if I missed something. It was as if she'd forgotten what she'd written already. "She and Dave were spending every day together and every night." (aside: Were they conjugal or merely companions?) Then, 20 pages later, Farah is visiting Maryam and asks, "Do you ever hear from him?" "Oh, from Dave," Maryam said. "No."

That said, I think it was an overall good book that proposes many important questions of what it means to belong; both to a country, and to a relationship or family. Why do some fear eccentricity and "otherness" while others embrace it?

Is there anywhere that books are rated like films? If not, why? I give this a 2-3/4 star rating out of 4.

~ Brenda

July Meeting

Don't forget our meeting tomorrow night, July 19, at 5:30 in the 2nd floor meeting room of the Beaufort Branch. See you there!
Please bring a list of books that we can consider for fall and winter.

Questions for Discussion: "Digging to America"

Sandi Jordan has agreed to lead our July 19 discussion of Digging to America by Anne Tyler. See you on the second floor at 5:30!
Below are discussion questions provided by Random House:

1. In calling their baby Susan, the Yazdans “chose a name that resembled the name she had come with, Sooki, and also it was a comfortable sound for Iranians to pronounce” [p. 10]. The Donaldsons keep their baby’s Korean name, Jin-Ho. What is the significance of these choices, both within the context of the novel and in the context of adoption in general? Is it important for an adoptive family to give children from another country or ethnic group a sense of their heritage? What insights does Ziba and Bitsy’s fractious disagreement about “Americanization” [p. 46] offer into this question?

2. Right from the start, Maryam feels a deep connection with Susan—“something around the eyes, some way of looking at things, some onlooker’s look: that was what they shared. Neither one of them quite belonged” [p. 13]. Does Maryam’s pleasure in bonding with Susan hint at needs or emotions that she is unable or unwilling to acknowledge? To what extent does her insistence that she is “Still and forever a guest, on her very best behavior” [p. 15] serve as a convenient excuse for remaining aloof from other people?

3. What aspects of her heritage does Maryam value most and why? Why is she so unsettled by her visit to Iran and her reactions to Iranians in the country [p. 39]? Why is she annoyed when her cousin’s American husband sprinkles bits of Farsi into his conversation [p. 147]? Why has she raised Sami to be “more American than the Americans” [p. 83], even as she clings to her otherness?

4. Does Maryam’s behavior show that she feels not only estranged from American society but also in some way superior to it? What specific incidents and conversations bring this aspect of her personality to light?

5. In addition to being a wonderfully amusing vignette, what is the import of Sami’s “performance piece” [pp. 80–81]? Why does Tyler use humor and mockery to convey a serious point about Americans and how they appear to immigrants? Does the fact that Sami is American-born and-raised make his criticisms more credible (and perhaps more acceptable) than they would be if a newcomer to the country expressed them?

6. How does Maryam differ from Ziba’s parents and her cousin Farah, the other Iranian immigrants depicted in the novel? What factors, both practical and psychological, influence the characters’ desire and ability to make a place for themselves in American society? What do these varying portraits show about the process of assimilation? Are there inherent contradictions between accepting the culture of an adopted homeland and retaining one’s ethnic identi

7. Compare and contrast Ziba and Bitsy. How do they differ as women? As mothers? Which woman is more sympathetically drawn? How does Tyler use both negative and positive attributes to bring each woman to life? How do the women’s individual approaches to motherhood influence the way they regard and evaluate each other? Is Ziba overly susceptible to Bitsy’s criticism and suggestions? Does her friendship with Ziba, as well as her frequent encounters with Maryam, affect Bitsy’s beliefs or behavior? Does the relationship between Ziba and Bitsy change over the course of the book?

8. How do the portraits of Sami and Brad compare to those of their wives? Are their personalities as richly described? Do they play parallel roles within their families? Is their behavior in relation to their children and wives a reflection of their personalities and the nature of their marriages, or do cultural patterns, expectations, and values also play a part?

9. Does the romance between Dave and Maryam unfold in a realistic way? In addition to Dave’s moving reaction to Connie death, what other events or conversations show that he contains a depth and a self-awareness that Maryam and the others seem oblivious to?

10. What does Maryam’s description of her courtship and marriage [pp. 155–160] add to our image of her? Why has she chosen to keep the story to herself, not even sharing it with Sami?

11. Discuss Maryam’s reaction to Dave’s proposal [pp. 211–214]. What does her conversation with Sami and Ziba reveal about her difficulties in reconciling her prejudices about Americans and her affection for Dave? In what ways do her protests also bring to light her ambivalent feelings about who she is and what she is willing to give up at this stage of her life? Why do you think Maryam makes the decision she does at the end of the book?

12. To what extent does Digging to America echo the themes and concerns Tyler explored in her previous novels? Do Tyler’s views on marriage and family here differ in significant ways from those presented in her earlier works? How does Digging to America compare to other books you have read that portray women trying to establish an identity apart from what is expected—or demanded—of them?

Questions: July and August Meetings

Our meeting in July is on Thursday the 19th. We chose to read Digging to America by Anne Tyler. The August meeting will be on Thursday the 16th. Since no title was chosen for August, why don't we all just plan to share with the group what we are currently reading. It does not need to be an elaborate presentation; you don't even need to have finished reading the book, article, short story, etc. Just share what it is, why you like or dislike it, and maybe to whom it would appeal.
We did put off reading Devil in the White City by Erik Larson because it is long. What about doing it in September? There are 12 copies in the library system, and there is lots of time. Yes? No? Other choices?
Fran

Review of Heat by Bill Buford prepared by Brenda

Those of us who attended the last book club meeting were in agreement that this was a superbly written book, giving insights into a little-known world of the gourmet chef. We would have liked to discuss it with others who did, and did not like the book, but it was not to be…

Journalist Bill Buford explores the mysteries and kitchen secrets of EVERYTHING that goes into and onto the plate of a restaurant meal. Buford’s book project begins as a chronicle of the life and times of the famed chef, Maurio Batali, of NYC’s three-star restaurant, Babbo. His curiosity of what goes on behind the scenes in a gourmet restaurant soon becomes an obsession as he attempts to emulate his subject as Batali’s cook/kitchen slave. But after learning what goes on in the various stations, the pasta station, the grill, the pastry station, the plate-and-serve station, the produce prep station, etc., and even getting promoted to line cook, this is not enough. Buford then wants to study with the masters that shaped the creative genius of Mario Batali. After several trips to Europe to apprentice with pasta makers, butchers and noted chefs, Buford gives us vivid picture of the entire process of how a gourmet meal becomes gourmet.

He delves into the history and philosophy of cooking, regional variations and practices, the importance of buying fresh and local (when available, as long as it is not inferior) and shaping the weekly menu around that, not selecting a menu then trying to find the food to make it. Even purchasing meat requires an education in what the animal was fed, and where it was raised, or under what conditions a particular crop was harvested. And then there are the strong personalities one finds in the great restaurant kitchens of the world. There was a repeated theme of these larger-than-life chefs, all competitive, high-energy, in-your-face, socially inappropriate, ECCENTRIC, emotionally-charged, temperamental, and yet extremely quick (in body and mind), talented individuals. One chef stated “I prefer working with women. There is so much less testosterone bravura.”

The book is “peppered” with recipes, food terms, wine pairings, and helpful cooking techniques. And there is something for everyone to “chew” on here; a travel guide to fine dining and drinking as well as a travel guide to the great food regions of Italy, France, and England:13 pages written about cookery, travel, and literature.

Yes, Buford and some of his subjects are quite poetic at times:

"Teresa was effervescently happy. She hummed, broke into song, laughed at the slightest absurdity, and because she found the world delightfully absurd, she laughed all the time, unless she laughed too hard, and then she cried. "

"It’s not the breed but the breeding."

"For Dario, implicit in the culture of a place was its language and its art AND its food—maybe the most direct expression because the habits of cooking and eating arise out of the land itself."

And referring to the slow, steady curing and cooking of old, “You cannot do traditional work at a modern pace.”

For someone who is not passionate about fine food and drink, this book would be a difficult read. But as a psychological study in obsessive, exhibitionist personalities and a rare glimpse into some of the great kitchens and how a dinner dish comes together, it is an exciting read. At times Buford repeats himself, and we’re not sure if it’s bad editing or perhaps to underscore a point. And he borrows liberally from other “foodies”; even his title is taken from British chef Marco Pierre White’s book “White Heat.” Interestingly Buford comes full circle in this book from his first dinner with Mario-the-great-chef to the last chapter, another dinner with Mario where he is more the chef’s equal, even being encouraged to open his own restaurant.

Oh, did I mention that during Buford’s entire “one-track fetish with all things cookery,” that he was married? His wife Jessica Green, also a successful journalist, sometimes accompanied him to Europe. She must be a saint, tolerating his taking over their apartment kitchen for a week while he dresses every part of a pig; he would go for days without seeing her, coming home during the wee hours after cooking late then staying up until dawn trying to unwind. Buford (at age 50) and his wife are now parents of twin boys. In a a quote from Dante’s Divine Comedy, he dedicates his book “For Jessica …che move il sole e l’altre stelle” (“whose love moves the sun and the stars”).

Comment on Eat, Pray, Love

Gilbert lost favor with some in the book club because in the end, she finds love again. In her defense, Gilbert spent a year of her life doing nothing but trying to put the past behind her, working through her pain, reconnecting with her inner self, devoting the whole of her days to prayer, meaningful interaction, and soul-searching for truth and knowledge of how we fit into the universal scheme of things. Not many of us have the luxury of taking a year off to do this, which is why it can take us the better part of a lifetime to make the leaps she has made in just one year, to overcome the bitterness of a failed relationship, or to enlighten ourselves on a path of inner peace and happiness. It's not like she jumped from one relationship to another (although David was the epitome of a rebounder). Gilbert shunned going out to the party where she met Felipe, the Brazilian, but eventually gave in to the peer pressure to "get out and circulate." Then she kept a safe distance from him after they met; she didn't just plunge into a love affair, she led in with her big toe, one foot, then the other, slowly followed by body and soul. Sometimes no matter how hard we fight it, when the right love comes along, its power is too strong to deny. What does one gain in trying to fight it, instead of giving in to love? In our time, it Pollyannaish to be a romantic? Who are we to say that two persons from two different continents who found each other on a third continent weren't meant to be together? Isn't life about seeking happiness? Did not Thomas Jefferson recognize this when framing our constitutional right to "the pursuit of happiness?"

Comment from a member

Since this comment requires some thought before we meet, I'm entering it as a post so that all of us are sure to see it.

Food for thought:Since there are some "summer reads" I've been looking forward to, I won't be able to read those AND book club selections. I will probably not attend the next 2-3 months so that I can focus on some other things. If I'm not the only one wanting to take a break, I propose we do something that would take less personal time but still would be a meaningful book club meeting. We could have 1 month where people select 2-3 poems from their favorite poet(s) to share with the group, as well as a bit about the poet. Another meeting could be the same with essays. There are many wonderful books of essays and poetry out there that are often overlooked. And then there are the short stories, some by prominent authors, others unknown. How do these compare with their larger works?

Posting Comments to This Blog

Here's a tip to post a comment. Click on "Comments" under an earlier post, then click on "Anonymous" so that the username/password boxes for Google disappear. Please send comments, especially if you can't come to a meeting. We all want to hear your opinion! See you on the 21st at 5:30 for our discussion of Heat.

Heat by Bill Buford

Discussion Questions for June 21 at 5:30 PM. We will meet in the library's 2nd floor Paul Siegmund Room, 311 Scott Street. For information about the Beaufort Book Club, email fhays@bcgov.net or just come to the meeting!

1. Did Heat make you want to become a cook, or did it make you want to run far, far away from the kitchen?
2. Why do you think Buford included the story about Miguel, the cook who killed himself?
3. Which larger-than-life chef were you most intrigued by? Mario Batali, Marco Pierre White, or Dario Cecchini? In what ways are they alike, and how are they different?
4. Have you ever spent an intense period of time learning a new skill, the way Buford did in the Babbo kitchen and the Cecchini macelleria?
5. At one point, Buford is told that the heat of the kitchen means the chef's sweat flavors every meal. Do you think this was meant to be an interesting fact? A provocative metaphor? A slightly disgusting reality?
6. Rate Heat on a scale of 1-5.
   
   
   

Discussion Questions-Winter of Our Discontent

Questions for Discussion:

1. In what ways does Steinbeck show the reader that a new order is replacing the old in New Baytown.
2. As the story opens, is Ethan Hawley part of the new order or the old? Explain.
3. Critics have stated that Steinbeck is presenting a paradox: “[man] can simply become one of the ‘eaters’ who simply fulfill their needs and urges, or he can try to make a difference as a moral, conscious individual." How is Ethan tempted to abandon his values and morals?
4. How does he himself expand on those temptations? What are the results?
5. When Margie reads Ethan’s fortune, she gets a vision of a snake shedding its skin. What might the image of the snake signify?
6. How do the actions of Ethan’s son mirror Ethan’s decline?
7. What is Ethan’s reaction?
8. What prevents his suicide?
9. To Mr.Marullo, Ethan is the “light” because he has not taken a kickback from a salesman. Who does Ethan discover as his own symbol of light for the next generation?

April 19-Eat, Pray, Love Discussion

In the absence of Maura (We missed you!), I will touch on the highlights of our discussion.

• One of the questions for discussion from the publisher quoted author Gilbert as saying that American is"an entertainment-seeking nation, not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one." Our group agreed, noting how often we feel guilty for "doing nothing" when we should be enjoying a chance for solitude or an attempt to rest and reflect. Europeans, we decided, are much more able to just relax and enjoy when the opportunity presents itself.

• A member commented on the brilliant structure of the book: one chapter for each of the 108 beads on the japa mala, Indian prayer beads. We also decided that the order in which the author visited her countries was well chosen: Italy to eat too much, learn to relax, and gain weight; then India to the ashram where she ate vegetables and brown rice and scrubbed floors--surely an accidental weight-loss program!

• During her stay at the ashram, Gilbert decides to become silent. Her goal is to become"The Quiet Girl." At that point she is assigned the job of Key Hostess, a job where the assignment is to greet new guests and be "social and bubbly and smiling all the time." She must talk! The universe has a sense of humor, and a sense of a person's true personality.

• Another discussion ranged around the author's quest for a word that describes her. She had been told that cities have a defining word: "Rome's word is SEX" for example. She finally decided to choose "Anteavasin" for herself. The word means "one who lives at the border." She sees herself as one who has left her normal life to become a seeker after wisdom, but one who has not yet arrived. The club decided that her word was really one on which she focused in Italy: Attraversiamo. It means "Let's cross over." The two words seem related in meaning.
  

Upcoming Titles for the Beaufort Book Club

June 21st-Heat by Bill Buford (The library system has 6 copies total. It is also in paperback for under $12, at least on Amazon.)
July 19th-Digging to America by Anne Tyler (The library system owns 7 copies. It is in paperback on Amazon for just over $10.)
Happy Reading!

Don't Forget Our Meeting!

Remember, our club meets tomorrow night (Thursday, April 19) at 5:30 in the 2nd floor meeting room. Bring a snack or drink to share, maybe a friend (!), and come ready to enjoy discussing Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. If you have a chance, go to her website at www.elizabethgilbert.com/faq.htm to read more about the trips behind her book. There you will also see pictures of the people about whom she writes: Dario and Giovanni (yes, too cute), Wayan & Tutti, and others. I'll bring a print-out to the meeting. See you there!

The Book Club by Maura

The Beaufort Book Club met on March 15^th to discuss The Book Club, by Mary Alice Munroe. In this novel, Mary Alice Monroe weaves a story of relationships and friendships that are forged through a meeting of the Book Club. Eve, Doris, Annie, Gabby and Midge undergo difficult times. Their friendships provide support and solace and deepen their relationships.

The book is predictable at first but as the story progresses, the reader is led through the intertwining of lives.. Two of the characters, Eve and Doris live parallel lives. Gabby, a nurse is the most truthful and must support her family when her husband loses his job. Midge, an artist, struggles with her own problems when her mother decides to move closer to her. Annie’s behavior causes a split in the friendships but helps the women grasp what is really important in life.

Change is difficult and in the end the women realize they can and must take control of their lives. The strength and support of the their friendships helps the Book Club members emerge as stronger women.

The next meeting of the Beaufort Book Club is April 19^th at 5:30p.m. The book for discussion is:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Changes-We are Evolving

You may have noticed that the club name keeps changing! First we decided to drop "boadacious" as it seemed to relate to Queen Boadicea and exclude the males in our club. Next to go was "bookies." Not sure why on that one, although I'm sure my 76-year-old mother is relieved that her daughter is not associated with anything that could be construed as gambling! (We don't, by the way, unless you count hazarding an opinion as risky.) Anyway, we are now the Beaufort Book Club.
Another change: While we are still reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert for April 19, the May 17 selection has changed to The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck. Beaufort Branch has one copy, Hilton Head Branch has 3 copies, and Bluffton has one regular print and one large print copy.
Books being considered for later meetings are:
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (summer)
The Bridge by Doug Marlette
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Atonement by Ian McEwen
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
The Bastard of Istanbulby Elif Shafak
anything by John Irving
Give this some thought and make your preferences known. Happy Reading!

Discussion Questions: Eat, Pray, Love

These questions are courtesy of the publisher of Eat, Pray, Love.

Discussion Questions From the Publisher
1. Gilbert writes that "the appreciation of pleasure can be the anchor of humanity," making the argument that America is "an entertainment-seeking nation, not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one." Is this a fair assessment?

2. After imagining a petition to God for divorce, an exhausted Gilbert answers her phone to news that her husband has finally signed. During a moment of quietude before a Roman fountain, she opens her Louise Glück collection to a verse about a fountain, one reminiscent of the Balinese medicine man's drawing. After struggling to master a 182-verse daily prayer, she succeeds by focusing on her nephew, who suddenly is free from nightmares. Do these incidents of fortuitous timing signal fate? Cosmic unity? Coincidence?

3. Gilbert hashes out internal debates in a notebook, a place where she can argue with her inner demons and remind herself about the constancy of self-love. When an inner monologue becomes a literal conversation between a divided self, is this a sign of last resort or of self-reliance?

4. When Gilbert finally returns to Bali and seeks out the medicine man who foretold her return to study with him, he doesn't recognize her. Despite her despair, she persists in her attempts to spark his memory, eventually succeeding. How much of the success of Gilbert's journey do you attribute to persistence?

5. Prayer and meditation are both things that can be learned and, importantly, improved. In India, Gilbert learns a stoic, ascetic meditation technique. In Bali, she learns an approach based on smiling. Do you think the two can be synergistic? Or is Ketut Liyer right when he describes them as "same-same"?

6. Gender roles come up repeatedly in Eat, Pray, Love, be it macho Italian men eating cream puffs after a home team's soccer loss, or a young Indian's disdain for the marriage she will be expected to embark upon at age eighteen, or the Balinese healer's sly approach to male impotence in a society where women are assumed responsible for their childlessness. How relevant is Gilbert's gender?

7. In what ways is spiritual success similar to other forms of success? How is it different? Can they be so fundamentally different that they're not comparable?

8. Do you think people are more open to new experiences when they travel? And why?

9. Abstinence in Italy seems extreme, but necessary, for a woman who has repeatedly moved from one man's arms to another's. After all, it's only after Gilbert has found herself that she can share herself fully in love. What does this say about her earlier relationships?

10. Gilbert mentions her ease at making friends, regardless of where she is. At one point at the ashram, she realizes that she is too sociable and decides to embark on a period of silence, to become the Quiet Girl in the Back of the Temple. It is just after making this decision that she is assigned the role of ashram key hostess. What does this say about honing one's nature rather than trying to escape it? Do you think perceived faults can be transformed into strengths rather than merely repressed?

10. Sitting in an outdoor café in Rome, Gilbert's friend declares that every city-and every person-has a word. Rome's is "sex," the Vatican's "power"; Gilbert declares New York's to be "achieve," but only later stumbles upon her own word, antevasin, Sanskrit for "one who lives at the border." What is your word? Is it possible to choose a word that retains its truth for a lifetime?

New Feature on Our Blog

Reference Librarian Rachel Kingcade has added a new feature to our blog: Instant Messaging. The link on our blog is that green and black rectangle on the left that says "Yaplet" and "Chat Here." I can't monitor it all the time, but we could use it at the next meeting to communicate with others who can't come. Does anyone have a laptop you'd like to bring? We have WiFi in the meeting room so that we can IM.
Nex meeting: Thursday, March 15, 5:30 PM in the 2nd floor meeting room. See you there. Bring a friend!

Synopsis: Marie Antionette-The Journey

Was Marie Antoinette, heartless Queen or misunderstood royalty? These and many other ideas were discussed at the Beaufort Bookies first meeting on Thursday night. Antonia Fraser presents quite a different picture from the usual of Marie Antoinette. Instead of seeing her s the queen who said, “Let them eat cake!” readers are led to a completely different conclusion.

Throughout the book, the author shows the influences of Marie’s mother, the circumstances of Marie’s upbringing and how manipulations of people at the court of Versailles impacted on this often-misunderstood queen. Parallels were drawn in the discussion between Marie Antoinette, Princess Diana and Lady Sarah Ferguson. In the book, Marie Antoinette makes many decisions, which are unpopular with the populous, and the people at court. Her fall from the favor of the French people was fueled by financial excess, and suspicions that she was trying to further the influence of Austria at court.

Despite all of the troubles brought on by the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette chose to remain at the side of her King. Her courage at her trial and execution evoked admiration even from her enemies.

This book allows the reader to re-examine the view of history during that period, and obtain a different perspective of a Queen who may have simply been misunderstood.
Synopsis by Maura

Reading Group Site

Sandra Jordan has found a good site for synopsis of book plots/content for us. It is at:
www.ReadingGroupGuides.com.

Bring Someone Along With You

In response to a question today: Yes, bring someone, or several someones, along with you on February 15! This group is open to the public, so tell your friends. If someone cannot come, but wants to take part, I will publish an outline of our discussion for your comments on this blog. If you wish to comment on the book, Marie Antoinette: The Journey before the meeting, please feel free to do so through the blog.