Mumsnet Talk

As discussed over here - some of us are up for having an ongoing reading group to work through those texts that don't lend themselves to the usual monthly book club format.

So it's been suggested that we kick off with Mary Daly's Beyond God The Father: toward a philosophy of women's liberation (bonus: it's available for cheap on Amazon marketplace)

We could keep this unstructured and just post here as and when, or have some sort of schedule eg one chapter per fortnight/month. I favour a bit of structure myself.

Any thoughts as to how this could work best for you?

hi. glad to see this proles. i started reading this over summer and it is pretty intense - loved what i read but found it needed so much processing.

will dig it back out and see where i got to later and get back to you.

So is the idea that this'll replace discussing Beyond God The Father in the non-fiction bookclub? It was set to be November's book, wasn't it?

I think some structure would be helpful and a chunk per fortnight sounds good to me - personally I think monthly might be too big a gap,and result in discussion losing momentum.Would like to hear what others think.

Yes I agree, one chunk per month is not enough, one a week might be difficult to keep up with: fortnightly seems a good plan.

I hadn't noticed that BGTF was down for November's non-fiction book club

I like a chunk a fortnight.

I suggested the first three chapters to be read for the November Book Club date with people posting when they want / need. Then adding another chunk in two weeks. We could think about doing the first chapter for the second Wednesday in November and then the next two chapters for the last Wednesday.

How does that sound?

is it as upsetting as gyn/ecology?

Thumbs up to SGM's suggested way forward

Tenderly, I'm sorry I don't know - haven't started reading BGTF yet. I know what you mean about Gyn/Ecology though. I had to stop reading it about a third of the way through, couldn't cope with any more at that time. But I definitely want to go back to that one.

i wasn't finding it 'upsetting' as such but i don't know, there was something quite devastating about it. it was spelling out for me where i am and how i got here and how there is no real way back.

This is why I thought an ongoing reading group might work better for these books: reading them can be a pretty intense process so I thought it might be good to have some company on the road, you know?

yes. there are so many links you know? it would be good to be able to discuss both the content and ideas of the book and the implications and effects of what was read upon the individual.

incidentally it was the first book i'd read in a long time and particularly outside of study that i had to write notes all over and keep underlining things - basically barely a page passed without having to scribble and underline and have my head buzz things around trying out the ideas on different experiences and situations of my own for fit. and there was a lot of 'fit'.

sorry i'm waffling vaguely because i'm aware you haven't read any yet.

is november a bit far off for one chapter? if it goes too slow i find i lose momentum and worse still forget.

I know what you mean; reading Gyn/Ecology was just like that for me. Dizzying!

So the plan is to read the first three chapters for the regular November nonfiction book club (because you're right, one chapter doesn't seem enough) and then bring it over to this thread to continue. Does that sound OK to you?

i'm sure i've read first three already but i go back over them for the book club. will you remind me though? i always miss it.

grab me before then if you start reading and fancy talking about it - on fb or whatever.

Will do, I'm going to make a Big Effort to stick at this (I'm usually bloody hopeless at keeping up with book club)

It does to me but I think we should make sure all the posts are on this thread and not the other one. I will give this one as the link in the Book Club newsletter.

Thanks for sorting this,Prolesworth and SGM.I am off on holiday now with BGTF as one of my holiday reads .

ooh where are you off to PoC? Have a great time

Just started the book. It's fucking genuis. My brain is spinning from it.

Is this the right place to discuss BGTF? Is there a date or an agenda or certain sections, or just general chat any time?
My last 2 attempts to contribute to book threads on here were met with stony silence

Just start chatting with this one. I've started it but got so excited/ worked up that Ive been contemplating a blog.

What edition do you have? I have a newer one with an interesting new intro by Daly.

just go for it vezzie, chat away: I could do with a spur to get on with it (still on the early bit of chapter 1 here )

Haven't got very far yet but I will lurk tomorrow night!

I am nowhere near finished.

Mostly because I have restarted because their is just so much going on. Will post initial thoughts later but really loving this book.

I totally love this book

Vezzie I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I've taken pages of quotes/notes but I love this one at the beginning of the new introduction on my edition: <Happiness, understood in this context, is not a mere passing emotion. It is a life of activity, the Unfolding spiritual, intellectual, sensory, physical e-motional potency.> [p. xi]

Also, I like verbicide which is the killing of the living, transformative energy of words.