Help with my snobby bookclub

With the current news, what about to kill a mockingbird?

Lots of additional topics now, Nd sets the scene for the sequel later.

I re-read the Magus a while back after being transfixed as a student the age of the protagonist (who is v naive). OMG I was shocked at the misogyny and sexism, and not at all charmed with it from the other side of young adulthood. Weird. I love the French Leiutenant's woman though

Few alternate ideas-
poetry bookclub- everyone can bring a poem and share get pissed and performs it

YA- marjorie Blackmans' Naughts & crosses. Loads to choose from in this genre.

Base it around books written in your locality- that gets people moving on from classics only.

Travelogues,non fiction,Bill Bryson

Base choices on food from a particular country,then you can eat,drink and read it : )

Ghost stories- MR James and Dickens short stories are great for a winter's evening

Shakespeare- why not? Doesn't take long to read a play,most people will have been to a play and there is loads of info on the net.

We've read books which have been adapted into films,sometimes we watched the films to compare not because we are lazy and usually drunk

I wonder how long your club has been going for? Some people get very hung up about what they think they 'should 'read and don't like to admit they love a bit of sci fi / Enid Blyton / books about pets.

Drifting away from accepted classics, but stuff that should raise an eyebrow

Morte D'Arthur - Sir Thomas Malory

or if you want to read one of the best and most beautiful adaptations "The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights" - John Steinbeck (sadly he died before finishing it).

And on the Arthurian theme - "The Once and Future King" - T.H. White

Graham Greene - Our Man In Havana, The Third Man

Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange

Robert Graves - I Claudius & Claudius the God

I see that The Magus has had a couple of mentions. These years later, I can't remember really what it was about, but it was remarkable for me because I was glued to it first reading, then immediately started re-reading when I'd finished, thinking wtf?

Anyone mentioned James Joyce ? Ulysses ?

As an alternative to Lodge, have a look at Alison Lurie "The War between the Tates" set in an American uni in the 1970s...although I prefer "The Truth and Lorin Jones".

Hey what about The Lonely Passion of Miss Judith Hearne

It's blood fantastic. Depressing but somehow uplifting too....well written.

I love early Lodge, especially the academic novels, up to and including Nice Work. But I'm not entirely convinced non-academics would be particularly enthralled?

Not sure why Rebecca keeps coming up, but I have taught it on several university courses, focusing on adaptation (Rebecca and Wide Sargasso Sea in terms of what they do with Jane Eyre) or on feminist critical approaches courses. The question of whether it's in fact deeply conservative in its gender agenda (the rebellious, rule-breaking woman demonised and multiply killed off and the timid domestic mouse, without even a name, instituted as the ideal of femininity) or quite radical (Rebecca, despite being 'demonic' and dead, is still the most vital character, naming and dominating the book, and controlling the narrative) is always good for an argument.

It's so good Bell, I think you'll love it. Mags is super isn't she!

Would you be drummed out of the group if you suggested a pair of books by sibling authors?

The Game by A.S Byatt and A Summer Bird Cage by Margaret Drabble are both about two sisters. There are autobiographical aspects in both books but from very different view points so lots to talk about.

Robertson Davies is one of my favourite writers - I don't think they would be able to find any fault with that choice.

given we have a poster with a good literary name how about some Baudelaire ? Or Maupassant ? I cried at Boule de Suif ....

I LOVE the sound of The Summer Book. Thank you Ilovemargaretatwood (I do too BTW). I'm going to get The Summer Boon as a present for my friend's birthday

oh oh hearts, do Lodge's 'the British Museum is falling down' as each chapter is a pastiche of another author's style! See if your book club types picks up on that!

Loved reading this thread- some great ideas for me!

I second 'Rebecca', I reread it recently and found so much in it I'd 'missed' the first time round.

How about 'The Summer Book' by Tove Jansson (wrote the moomin books)- it's absolutely charming, quirky, a short and simple masterpiece I think. All about a young girl and her grandmother staying on a tiny island in the gulf of Finland. It's so beautiful.

Hope it all goes well OP!

I did not really MIND Rebecca per se, cheesy, but it has just been so overdone now hasn't it? and it is not really 'up there' with fine literature as people seem to think. My sister hates it btw!
~

The Book of Dave by Will Self is fantastic. He's written it all in a language he created, reminiscent of Middle English!

The unbearable lightness of being by Milan Kundera
If on a Winters night a traveller By Calvino
Or a coming of age one - the greengage summer/I capture the castle/ we were liars

(How did I do that then ?)

The Magus?

Ha Sunny! I haven't found anyone else ever who hates 'Rebecca' - dire, isn't it?

Is that us up to three 'Miniaturist' suggestions now? It's really not that good - inaccurate, derivative, plodding, bizarre characterisation, and needs a damn good edit.

Ha Sunny! I haven't found anyone else ever who hates 'Rebecca' - dire, isn't it?

Is that us up to three 'Miniaturist' suggestions now? It's really not that good - inaccurate, derivative, plodding, bizarre characterisation, and needs a damn good edit.