Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Book groups

I have belonged to a book group for about five years. We have seldom read a book without any literary merit. I can only think of one book actually. We read more fiction than non, but not exclusively. We have read poetry (1) and plays (2). We have read polemics (What Happened to Kansas) and memoirs (Personal History and Made in Detroit).
Mostly good or great books., right? Yet every month I find myself resistant to whatever the choice is. This month is impossible. Lonesome Dove. 847 pages of which I read not one word. My favorite book was Bel Canto (Patchett). The other ones I really liked, I had read before. Many I had read before actually.
About 25% have been classics like Pride and Prejudice, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Madame Bovary, East of Eden.
I stay in the group because I like the women. They are Democrats and thoughtful, caring people. That seems like a pretty good reason.
They read Megan Abbott's book "Die a Little" and came to her reading.
What more can I ask?

1 comment:

Steve Allan said...

Patti, you gotta read Lonesome Dove. It is such a beautiful book - one of my all-time favorites. The last great book McMurtry wrote. Have you tried any of his other books?