BOOK CLUB - Galway

TristanPeter

Hello Everyone,


The BookClub will be meeting this evening in Bar No.8 around 8:00/8:30 where we will be discussing Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (even though I don't have it finished yet ).

Again, all new mwmbers are welcome so come along

pseudonym1

Yeah!! my book choice- It is heavy going to read it in 2 weeks though!
Really hope someone has finished it as the end is the best bit - I ll bring questions and a couple of notes!

See you all this evening

coconut5

Hi everyone!

This is Marie here, just want to say thanks for a great first meeting. Going to get my copy of 'On the Road' today and get started!

I am now officially nominating 'Oryx and Crake' by Margaret Atwood as my book choice. It's a really good one, and it gives plenty of scope for lengthy discussions.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing you in a fortnight, happy reading!

Ms. Ka

Hey everyone,

Ok, so as was revealed last night the Christmas book that we will be discussing on the 23rd of Dec. is A Christmas memory by Truman Capote. Its short and sweet and hopefully festive.

Please bring mince pies and all things that are edible/drinkable and christmassy!:D

TristanPeter

I'll bring a turkey (I don't mean you Pope Buckfast ).

PopeBuckfastXVI

TristanPeter wrote: »

I'll bring a turkey (I don't mean you Pope Buckfast ).

Why I oughta...

pseudonym1

Hi Guys

We discussed "Tender is the Night" byF Scott Fitzgerald – The American author who also wrote The Great Gatsby at the last meeting.
The book is supposedly based on Fitzgerald’s and his wife Zelda.

The main character Dick Diver is a charming impressive physciatrist when meets Nicole Warren a wealthy heiress who is a mental patient at his clinic. They fall in love and marry.

Whilst holidaying on the French Rivera the couple meet Rosemary – A young charming beautiful actress destined for Hollywood stardom. Rosemary falls in love with Dick and eventually Dick with Rosemary (although love is debatable). Rifts seep into the Diver’s marriage and we see the characters develop weaknesses and strengths. Dick begins drinking excessively (never a good idea when books are involved!) and loses his business and friends.
Gradually the characters are unveiled and removed from how we first perceived them.

Fitzgerald depicts a fabulous stylish image of the roaring 20’s –
They live between ostentatious wealth style and glamour and in the reality of complication and heartfelt relations.

Ending far from happy after – it unfolds into a realistic character rendering novel. It addresses many issues of the Great Gatsby- all the social trappings …. And others I can’t remember! Please add for those who can
I loved the prose and I thought the composition was in places quite beautiful.

Oh and Alcoholism and its effects were a memorable theme!!:p

TristinPeter: Didn’t finish but I’d like to. I’m finding it more interesting further I get into it. Tough going though!

Damien: Nice cover!

Pinkshoes: Didn’t enjoy it all! :rolleyes:

Mrs. K: Didn’t read it - probably not going to !

Pseudonym1: (as written on the night) I liked it! Glad I chose it! Feck the begrudges! standby that

MAire :First time here – but I ll read the next one!

Welcome new member Maire and those who did't attend were missed

Next book is Tuesday week On the Road by JAck Kerouac
Then A christmas memory by Truman Copote
Oryx and Crake by MArgeret Atwood

Our Christmas Book club social is on the 23rd December where we will Drink and be merry

Untill next week

PopeBuckfastXVI

Nice writeup Pseudonym, sorry I missed the meeting, but I didn't even come close to finishing the book... feckin work! Did pinkshoes really put down the :rolleyes: in her comment, or was that perhaps a little editorialising on behalf of the moderator hmmm? :pac:

pseudonym1

Nope - have to be there . good book think I am the only one who really enjoyed it though!probably a bit much to get through in 2 weeks.

Chat ya next week

TristanPeter

Hello Everyone,

BookClub will be meeting this evening around 8/8:30 to discuss Pink Shoe's nomination, On The Road by Jack Kerouac. Venue as usual is Bar No. 8.

See you then

Pinkshoes

Hi guys
I know its bad form seeing as it my book choice but I wont make it this evening. Hope ye have fun.

Tawny

Hey all,

Heres hoping you have a lovely meet tonight. I'm not gonna make it either, and the next one is very close to Christmas so I'm not sure about that one either, so see you all in 2009??

pseudonym1

Hey did anyone go? Sorry 2got dragged for booze qnd food!

Great choice of book pinkshoes and although laboured through it at begining (and not yet finished ) enjoing it.Great to read things ordinarily would'nt . Oh ya :rolleyes: was in jest as am sure you recognised!

Anyhooo all -I insist we should all make extra efoort for xmas book1 and drinks!

Laters - hangover started

TristanPeter

Hello Everyone,

I was supposed to nominate the next book for BookClub but seeing as I have been up to my ears in study for exams, I have asked Pope Buckfast to nominate instead for me. So, as soon as I have further info. I'll post up the nomination, or Pope B will do it.

Thanks

damogood

Galway Book Club 09–12-2008

On the Road
by jack Kerouac


Hi everyone. Its great to have this opportunity to write the report for this weeks Galway Book Club meeting. Late as usual, but what do you expect? It was a great night, as usual. Not as mad as the week before I should mention. It was also Sarah’s birthday last Tuesday, so just like to say “Happy Birthday’ Sarah!

I’m afraid I’ll have to keep this short (very). It was over 10 years ago or more when I read On the Road by Jack Kerouac. It is book I have always loved and should have read again for the book club to refresh the auld grey matter, but unfortunately wasn't’ to be. On the Road is a great American novel written in the 1950’s that came to epitomise the ‘Beat’ generation in America. It was not wrote as an ‘anti-establishment’ novel which it is often viewed as, but came more out of the authors’ quest to invent a new ‘spontaneous prose’ that reflected more the real world that the author existed in. The bulk of the novel was wrote in just 30 days, but was the culmination of 7 years of anguish and torment for the writer. kerouac struggled mainly with style and trying to find his own ‘voice’, to free himself from the influences of writers he admired such as Thomas Wolfe and FS Fitzgerald.

Most if not all of the characters in the book are based on his real friends, with even passages of text quoted verbatim from their personal letters to him. He was to use such personal correspondence from friends as a model to base his new writing style on. The free and powerful prose style Kerouac uses gives the story an energy that thrusts the reader along the highways and by-ways crisscrossing the American continent. The language is colloquial and ‘of its’ time’, which probably makes it sound very dated now to the modern reader. It has an honesty and straight-forwardness. The narrator Sal has a strong reverence and respect for his mentors, companions and his family. This could be due to the Author’s own religious and cultural beliefs and upbringing, coming from a strong Catholic and French Canadian background.

Kerouac never really had trouble finding material to write about, as most of it was taken from his own life and the lives of friends around him. Hard travelling, heavy drug-taking and alcoholism which devastated the narrator Sal Paradise on numerous occasions, was a major contributing factor in the author’s own early demise at the age of 47. There is no moral message about drug-taking or the consequences of a person’s actions contained in the novel. If anything, the writer wants the reader to live life and experience as much as possible. Although, I do believe the author not so much as has a change of heart at the end of the book, but comes to a great and truly sad revelation.

On the Road has set thousands of young people on the road travelling and looking for adventure and self discovery. It is probably Keroauc’s best known novel.

Marie: Half way through. Not really my thing, but I can see why people like it.

Tristan-Peter: Didn't get to read it. Exams! Listened to two thirds of the audio book though. Its’ good, but also a bit annoying at times. Not finished, so cant’ really rate the book out of ten.

Damien: For once I have actually read the book. This book might have had more of an influence on my life than I would like to think. 8/10.

Miss Ka: Didn't’ finish the book, but seemed to be interesting enough.

Looking forward to the next book club on the 23rd. Should be very good. I hope the Christmas book ‘A Christmas Memory’ by Truman Capote (who had bad things to say about Keroauc's style of writing) is a short one, because I haven't’ started it yet. Hopefully see ye all there...
Damogood

coconut5

Great report Damien. I am nearly finished the book now, it's getting a bit 'Requiem for a Dream' on me now, with everyone falling to pieces, but I've actually really gotten into it.

And on a completely separate note, I watched Wall-E at the weekend, best film ever! I highly recommend it to everyone.

pseudonym1

Nice review Damo- Thanks a mill had a great day/night/hangover.
Yep ought to be a merry Christmas book club.

oh - Extra luck for Tristianpeter and Pinkshoes in their exams.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Fantastic Writeup Damo!

OK all as you may have read earlier TristanP wants me to pick a book in his stead, as he is busy with exams, so after some deliberation I'd like to pick:

'Slaughterhouse 5' by Kurt Vonnegut
Amazon Link

TristanPeter

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Nice review Damo- Thanks a mill had a great day/night/hangover.
Yep ought to be a merry Christmas book club.

oh - Extra luck for Tristianpeter and Pinkshoes in their exams.

Thanks Pseudonym. Only 2 to go!

By the way, whoever is attending the Christmas BookClub meeting next Tuesday, don't forget to bring something festive (hopefully the staff will allow us to brring in some food?). Leave the cars at home too so that we can have a bit of an ould session

Great review Damo. I like the Truman Capote tie-in.

Ms. Ka

"I hope the Christmas book ‘A Christmas Memory’ by Truman Capote"

Its really short as its a short story rather than a book so hopefully everyone can get to finish it in time for next meeting.
I think Marie said that she found it on the web, it so short you could just print it off.


Good review too!

coconut5

Sometimes this link doesn't work, but it seems to be back today:

http://www.geocities.com/cyber_explorer99/capotechristmas.html

PopeBuckfastXVI

Upcoming book list updated:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055390490

TristanPeter

Hi Coconut_5, do you have any more details of thet short story, writing competition that we were talking about at the last BookClub meeting?

If I get time, I'm going to try to enter. I'd say others would be interested too.

I read A Christmas Memory in about half an hour last night. The first book I finished in ages. Enjoyable too

coconut5

Yep, I do.

Here is the link:

http://davybyrnesaward.org/

Basically, it's an Irish writing competition and it's sponsored by the pub that is featured in Ulysses (a book I hope no one ever suggests for the Book Club ). The first prize is a huge 25,000 euro, and there are five runner-up prizes of 1,000 euro each. It's 10 euro for entries and the closing date is the 2nd of February. It's a short story competition but there's no word limit.

I haven't gotten started on my one yet, but I'm hoping I'll have more time for it over Christmas.

The last time they did this was in 2005, and there were 1,100 entries, but it's definitely worth a shot.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Would anyone be interested in sharing theirs with the book club... if we promise to be nice!?

TristanPeter

Hello Everyone,

Just a reminder that this evening, our Christmas BookClub will be taking place around 8/8:30 in Bar No. 8. We will be discussing A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote which Coconut 5 kindly posted up a few posts back on this thread. It's really really short so if you have a spare hour (or less even), give it a go and come along.

Try to bring something festive (however you want to interpret that ) remember!

See you then, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone on behalf of the BookClub. I'm sure other members won't mind me taking that liberty

coconut5

Hi there.

I won't be able to make it tonight but enjoy yourselves and I'll see you in the New Year.

pseudonym1

Hey guys
unfortunately wont be able to make it.
Wishing you all a very merry christmas happy and healthy new year x x

PopeBuckfastXVI

Did anyone go?

If no one was around for that one, what about having the discussion for the Capote book at the next one?

*desperately trying to buy time to get the next book*

pseudonym1

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

Did anyone go?

If no one was around for that one, what about having the discussion for the Capote book at the next one?

*desperately trying to buy time to get the next book*

+1
Happy New Year