Book groups..... place of fear, disappointment and trepidation. I am often terrified, is the selection appropriate? Will they like it? What if they don't?
Especially traumatic events include the time when I said "I chose this book because...... " and the withering response came back from the mildest mannered participant, "And just WHY did you choose this book Philippa". The book in question was Mrs Gaskell's Cranford (we have occassional forays into the classics) and I chose it because Moree has so many Cranford moments. It did not go down well.
Recently a popular novel set in Oxford was chosen because I felt sure the members would like it, but I really didn't want to read it myself. Towards the end of the discussion I said "To summarise, what features of this book would make you recommend it to me - as I haven't read it?" I will never make that particular mistake again. Emotional scars can take a long time to vanish.
Everyone reads novels in different ways; some read for the plot and the story, others are concerned with plausibility, language, structure and meaning. Sometimes it seems that everyone has read a different book - because such different interpretions emerge from exactly the same material.
The discussions are nearly always rewarding, as some sort of concensus is usually reached. The most difficult scenario to handle is when everyone likes the choice, as there is very little to discuss! Luckily, that doesn't happen very often.
We meet on the last Wednesday of each month at 6pm at the shop. If you would like to know the current month's book, please call Wise Words on 02-67522213.
