Ten Thousand Lovers

I've been meaning to write about my book club for a while and finally feel inspired to do a posting.  I started the club over seven years ago and the membership has surged and waned over the years as members have moved to various parts of the globe (Toronto, Ireland, and Paris) or had babies, some returned and some did not.  Despite the ebb and flow, there's been a core group of about five of us who've been members since the start.

The women -- we did try to open membership to men, but found that they had alterior motives -- are  a variety ethnicities (white, asian, east indian) and religious beliefs (sikh, christian, jewish) and countries (Bahamas, India, Singapore, Canada, to name a few).  I love our cosmopolitan compostion since it makes for much more interesting discussion as we have such different backgrounds, though surprisingly often the same perspectives on our reading material.  Odd that despite vastly different upbringings that we for the most part, have similar viewpoints.

Truth be universally acknowledged that men and women like different books
A study recently conducted by the University of London found that men and women have substantially different tastes in literature.  Men apparently prefer existential books that deal with alientation and isolation such as Camus' the Outsider, Heart of Darkness by Conrad and Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut.  While women prefer novels on passion and "domestic" concerns such as those by Bronte, Austen, and Atwood.  Funny that I for the most part fit into these stereotypes.  My favorite novel of all time is Austen's Pride and Prejudice (also the favorite of most women -- at least in England -- based on a UK poll).  Of the list favored by men, I like at most only half.  I found Camus and Kafka painful to read in undergrad.  It just didn't speak to me.  Perhaps I have too positive an outlook on life ;)  I'm surprised Hemingway isn't on their list, as I find him to be a very masculine writer.

I also wonder how many men's book clubs exist?  I suspect not many.  I only know one guy that belongs to a "book club" and he said they don't even read books, nor meet frequently.  Apparently they initially read one book about investing and then decided to instead look for investment opportunities and almost purchased a winery together.  IMO they should rename their gathering to investment club since ostensibly a book club is well about books.  What prompts women to meet and discuss books and not men? 

Our club operates democratically, we take turns organizing, and vote every month for upcoming selections. We read a wide range from classics to autobiographies to murder mysteries.  The topics usually foster frank discussions of religion, dating, racism, and family life.  We don't censure people for not reading the book and encourage members to attend even if they haven't had time to do anything more than read the jacket cover!  We spend the first hour of each meeting gossiping / catching up, as for some this is the only time we see each other.  The second hour we discuss either generic questions or book specific questions (given the popularity of book clubs some publishers now conveniently provide this).  We all bring an appie or dessert and usually a bottle of wine.  Though many members are now pregnant so it might be more grape juice and less vino for the next few months.

My favorite books have been, for the most part, autobiographies/memoirs.  The selection next month is 10,000 Lovers by Edeet Ravel, which is a love story set  in Jerusalem in the 1970s, about an Israeli-Canadian linguistics student who falls in love with a handsome army interrogator.  It was a toss up between that and The Bookseller of Kabul which portrays an Afghani family living under fundamentalist Islam by a European female war reporter.  But since we had just finished Marley and Me (a light-hearted memoir about a family and their crazy dog) we decided for a novel this time around.

Shakespeare's Sister
The following is listing of all the books we've read since the start and my/the club's impression of each to the best of my recollection:

1999

• Shirley, Charlotte Bronte - not a good start for the club.  Was awfully boring.  There's a good reason this is one of the lesser known works by Bronte.  I was the only member that managed to finish it.  I suggest the feminist novel Tenant of Wildfell Hall by her sister Anne Bronte instead.
• Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden - fabulous.  None of us could believe that a man could write so well from a female point of view.  Many didn't realize that it was fiction. (Haven't seen the movie yet).
• Daughter of Persia, Sattareh Farmaian - interesting autobiography about growing up in Iran, though not easy to read.
• The Pilot’s Wife, Anita Shreve - was okay, was left with a feeling that this could be a lame made for tv movie.
• Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells - loved it.  Classic chic lit!  (Movie wasn't as good as the book.)
• An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde - scintillating drawing-room comedy.  A great classic!  Recommend the movie too.
• Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres - we had mixed opinions.  I couldn't finish it and found it painfully boring. I disliked it so much it turned me off watching the movie.
• Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger - classic about teenage angst/alientation.  We liked it.
• Tara Road, Maeve Binchy - no substance, very typical of her writing.  Wouldn't recommend this.
• The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver - I didn't read it
• The Enchantment of Lily Dahl, Siri Hustvedt - disappointing.  Wouldn't recommend it.

2000

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling - excellent children's fantasy that is just as readable for adults :)
• Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson - none of us could finish this.  So much for our attempt at sci fi.  For good sci fi, I suggest Fahrenheit 451 instead.
• The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Hysmith - I found this creepy.  Others liked it.
• House of Spirits, Isabelle Allende - enjoyed this mystical tale on Chilean history, from the early turn of the century  through the upheaval and revolution of the 70's.
• Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha, Roddy Doyle - not sure if I read this.  I can't recall anything about it.
• Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom - loved it!  Poignant true story about what's really important in life.
• Travels with my Aunt, Graham Greene - quirky story about an unassuming (boring) bank manager and the odd situations he's drawn into because of an eccentric aunt.  Enjoyable/Funny.
• Anil’s Ghost, Michael Ondaatje - well written, though sad story about the tragedies experienced by the populace in Sri Lanka.  Highly recommended.

2001

• Paris to the Moon, Adam Gopnik - charming true account by an American journalist about ex-pat life in Paris with his wife and son.
• Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland - is really a series of stories within a story regarding the history behind a Vermeer painting.  Brings to mind the movie the Red Violin, which I loved.  The novel by Vreeland, however was only okay.
• About a Boy - Nick Hornby - humorous and sarcastic novel about fairly dark subject matter - suicide, love,  parenthood. Written with a deft touch.
• Chocolat, Joanne Harris - I read this after seeing the movie and thoroughly enjoyed both.  This is delightful story about love, religion, chocolate and forgiveness in a small French town.
• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers - a bit long, but overall quite good. About a young adult having parenthood thrust upon him after the sudden death of both parents and his amusing and heartfelt depiction of raising a younger sibling. 
• The Beach, Alex Garland - didn't read it.
• Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte/A Country Life, Rachel Cusk - I Read Jane Eyre in university.  Excellent classic (much better than Shirley -- see above).  A Country Life paled in comparison.
• Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood - didn't read it.  I loved her book The Handsmaid's Tale though -- a disturbing feminist fable about a theoracy governing the US.
• Drowning Ruth, Christina Schwarz - didn't read it.

2002

• Stanley Park, Timothy Taylor - didn't read it.
• The Jade Peony, Wayson Choy - didn't read it.
• White Oleander, Janet Fitch - didn't read it.
• Nine Parts of Desire, Geraldine Brooks - Illuminating depiction of life for women under Islamic rule.  Insightful view on muslim women in the Mid East.
• House of Blue Mangoes, David Davidar/Empire Falls, Richard Russo - disappointing.  Couldn't get into this. 
• Clara Callan, Richard Wright - didn't read it.
• The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho - an inspirational fable about following your dreams.
• Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Marian Keyes - didn't read it.
• Fall on Your Knees, Anne Marie McDonald - didn't read it.

2003

• Lucky, Alice Sebold - heartbreaking memoir about the rape of a female college student.  Strange, I can't recall if I read this.
• Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Stories, Azar Nafisi - About an English Professor in Iran during the Revolution and her attempts to continue educating students in classic (banned) Western literature in spite of the repression she faced.
• The Hours, Michael Cunningham/Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf - didn't read it.  I think members found it boring.  As an aside, Woolf's A Room of One's Own is a wonderful feminist essay on art and sexism.  I found her discussion regarding Shakespeare's sister incredible.  It's astounding that this wasn't assigned reading in school - or maybe not so astounding :(
• A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving - didn't read it.
• The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd - didn't read it.
• Bee Season, Myla Goldberg - didn't read it.
• The Life of Pi, Yann Martel - didn't live up to the hype.  Though I loved the alternate ending.
• Atonement, Ian MacEwan - didn't read it.
• The Mistress of Spices, Chitra B. Divakaruni - didn't read it.

2004

• The Colour of Water, James McBride - didn't read it.
• First Person Plural, Cameron West - didn't read it.
• Watermelon, Marian Keyes - didn't read it.
• The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold - about the rape and murder of a little girl told from her perspective in heaven.  Haunting.
• The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown - gripping controversial thriller.  All of us throughly enjoyed this page turner.
• The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini - didn't read it.
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon - didn't read it.
• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith - disappointing.  Can't believe this is a bestseller.  It's not remotely compelling.  All of us found it a waste of time. 
• Bel Canto, Ann Patchett - didn't read it.
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom - didn't read it. But want to.

2005

• Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, Lorna Landvik - Surprisingly good. Given the title,  I had very low expectations.  Follows the lives of five friends covering several decades and the ups and downs we all experience.  Is touching and funny.
• Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, Queen Noor - Interesting history of her life and of the politics in the Middle East.  Would have been nice if she had been maybe a bit more frank about palace politics.  Though I suppose that wasn't possible without creating a scandal.
• Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck - Loved this classic, sad story about two misfits trying to survive during the height of the depression in the US.  I hope to find the time to read Grapes of Wrath.
• Almost French, Sarah Turnbull - Funny tale on trying to adapt to life in France by Aussie journalist. 
• Eleven Minutes, Paolo Coehlo -didn't read it.
• The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck - didn't read it.
• Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee - only read part of it.  I didn't find it authentic.
• Nights of Rain and Stars, Maeve Binchy - can't believe the club would select another book by her. Her lightweight style is akin to a soap opera.
• The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks - Enjoyable true-story, but given the subject matter of alzheimers, love and loss could have been much better - to me it seemed a bit like an after school movie.  Don't bother reading the book -- rent the DVD.
• A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain: Stories by Robert Olen Butler - I'm not a short stories fan.  Read about half of them. Didn't find this particularly compelling.

2006

• Marley and Me - see above.
• Ten Thousand Lovers - we all thought it was okay but that her repeated digressions in discussing the history behind Hebrew words was distracting and stopped the progress/flow of the book.
• The Bookseller of Kabul - TBD.
• The Secret History, Donna Tartt - couldn't get into this.  I didn't find the protagonist sympathetic.  Pathetic is more like it ;)