we have a problem in our book club

[hermykne]

to kinda sum up, one member is not as literary as the rest of us, i am trying to explain this without sounding snobby but certain words are needed to explain this proble,

she always arrives late and so misses the "book" review.
she has read maybe 2/3 books out of the 16/18 we have done. she hasnt even read the awful ones she picks.

she is very confrontational, when points are raised or opinions about the "book" or general chit chat.

its really annoying, it changes the whole ambiance to the evening, last one 3 of us went home furious with her.

i would say she is naive and this doesnt help and shes protecting her ability to be considered a book reader by being so defensive.

anyway one member W sent a txt to another (Z) asking if the problem re her (U) attendance had been solved - text to all nxt event is on X and one must have read the book to attend-

receiver of txt (Z) replied and sent it to our problem member instead (U), stating yes and maybe she'll read the book.

so Z and U had a talk and she was defensive as usual

what to do
we are having a summer recess as some of the other memebrs just cant listen to her silliness for much longer, and these are older members, she is our youngest.
so

I got a copy you can borrow somewhere.... we got to the point where there was waaaaaay too much 'chat' and not enough book at one point, so the one who suggested the book had to come up with a list of ten questions which were written on seperate bits of paper and folded in a (large) wine glass - we only had large wine glasses...)(book related - not plot based - not to prove ya read it!) and if anyone started monopolising with gossip before we had sacked the 'book' bit they got directed to pick a question and answer it. It sounds v boring, but was actually a good way of reminding people for 30 minutes that were supposed to have at least opened the front cover... and depending on who wrote the q's they were hilarious... (not mine obv. v studenty and i reguylarly had to translate into 'wine-soaked illitrate')
a way of reminding her of her bookish obligations? before she's allowed to move onto 'me'

that would be 'regularly' and 'illiterate' obviously... time to pour the rest down the sink i think...

off to book club to dry out now...

actually no I didn't , never got into it myself tbh.

funny peculiar - last one she chose she didnt read it even thou she'd been on a hol, but "she needed a break", absolutely crap book by james frey,i didnt read it, just couldnt.

oohh, I like Romy's idea - might try that with our book club

Hermykne - whilst i share your pain on reading crap books (we had 'Call Me Elizabeth for one of our choices - it made me feel itchy to read such badly written junk. Still read it though!), that's the point of a book club to an extent isn't it - to read things out of your comfort zone, as well as within. I wouldn't want tosh more than once a year, but once a year it helps remind you what good writing is about

This thread is well funny.
I have laffed and laffed and laffed.
I take back everything I said before. Tell her to *uck off and go off and read your
War and Peace
Anna Karenina
Captain Correlli's mandolin

( I only quote these becasue often people say they are unreadable)

P.S. Is Confederate new ?
I haven't seen her before.
She(he) is well funny.

LOL, Oblovimov - Anna Karenina was our last book club book (went down very well )

yes a most enjoyable thread

very graphic

i have read war and peace twice

in one week

i had to do a opresentation seminar on it for a course called the historical novel in europe and i left my preparations a bit late

Hermy - bloody hell I feel for you!

You've been accused of allsorts!!

Have only scanned the thread but to read some of the posts I'm sure you must have committed a very serious crime

I have a book group at my house once a week (yes zippi, you can come, we have had two members leave as they have found lurve, the rest of us are happily divorced/single/married)

The main problem with bringing new people in is that they may like ac ompletely different level stuff to the rest of you. We aren't particulary high brow, we are a very mixed group but have found our 'level', our very favourite book was The Woman in White, we also loved A Prayer for Owen Meaney and Rebecca.

We had a new member who had completely different tates to the rest of us - she was more of a Catherine Cookson/Daddy I've had a crap childhood sort of person. Nothing wrong with that but she really didn't fit in.

You have my utmost sympathy. I love my book group and it only takes one person to upset the equilibrium, even if it is unintentional. And I'm really crap at confrontation