Terrible book - what to discuss at book club?

[OrdinaryJo]

Hi all

We're reading 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog' for our wee book club on Friday everyone of us has hated it. I think only two of us have finished it, which is a record as we're all usually pretty good.

So my question is - what to discuss at book club tomorrow? Does anyone have any ideas for general discussions / book-orientated games? It's my first time hosting so I don't want to be rubbish!

Thanks

PS do not read The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Hi,
If you are keen on an idea for a different terrible book to suggest to your club, I can thoroughly recommend "the prince of mist" by carlos ruiz zafon, for an entirely bad read.

So, in order to make it interesting, you might discuss other books that are equally bad that the members should stay away from?

IME some of the most interesting BC coversations are about books that you all hated. It makes you think about what a book needs to be 'good'.

it is not always easy to say why you hate a book.

Oh dear, I have this on my bookshelf waiting to be read. What is so bad about it?

Aleene, one person did like it an another friend of mine who isn't at bookclub liked it too so don't take our word for it! But personally I found it twee, trite and irritating. It's sooooo two-dimensional and pleased with itself.

If you look here www.goodreads.com/book/show/2967752.The_Elegance_of_the_Hedgehog and scroll down to Kahaya's review dated March 19 2009, she explains it better than I ever could!

Thx for responses! Can anyone recommend something good for next time? I've just bought the Snowman by Jo Nesbo, any takers?

Well, certainly some mixed reviews there. I guess you either love it or hate it!

If you are going to go with the bad reads theme, I'd add A Round Heeled Woman to the list. Have to had to read it for my book club & couldn't get past chapter 2!

I'd have thought a discussion about why you hated the book and why no-one could finish it would be much more & differently interesting than a conversation about why you all liked something. Thinking about what makes a book unlikeable/unreadable is a good exercise.

I hope the meeting went well.

I agree, we have much better conversations about books we have disliked - we talked for hours about the failings of 'Northern Clemency'. It's good to bond over a book, even if it's dreadful!

We all enjoyed 'The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox', 'White Tiger' and 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society' and 'One Day' was loved by a some, hated by others.

interesting that both the Elegance of the Hedgehog and the Zafon book mentioned as well are both translations into English - i wonder if that has something to do with it - may be a point for discussion - does you club generally like/not like foreign language novels? i've found that many BCs have mixed views to spanish books for some reason
PS I loved the Elegance of the Hedgehog but am told by those who know that its much better in French (doh!)

My experience of reading groups is all academic, but I find that people love discussing a terrible book. People are always much keener to dissect why something is crap/wrong than they are to discuss what they liked about it.

Encourage them to vent their spleens.

Thanks all

It was a good night. We have decided we don't like translations, we think the book will actually make a great film, and if it had been written by a British writer it would have been a slapstick romp - a Pythonesque Jilly Cooper, if you will. Top night.

I really liked that book! But I think it's a lot to do with the lost in translation bit.

My all time favourite book club discussion was about "The Sea" (booker prize winner a few years back). I hated hated hated the book, but through discussion I came to really appreciate it.

I am glad you had a good time btw.

We had 'Hedgehog' at our group and it really attracted opposite reviews.Two oele loved it, others couldn't get into it and others hated it. I loathed the first three chapters and gave up-unusual for me.
Don't give up on translations, Stieg Larsson is wonderful, amd my group loved 'The Reader' which is translated from German.

Ordinary Jo, that is a great website link thanks. And I'll make sure if I do read the book I'll have loaned it from the library rather than bought on one of my Amazon sprees.

Oh blimey, I was given this by dh and reading it made my hackles rise. It was the author showing off by stealth.

If everyone hated it, I'd just go for a bitchy trashing session rather than discussing specific questions (which always makes me think of school anyway) [hgrin].