Last night I watched “The Jane Austen Book Club” (which is not a bad movie, although parts of it really frustrate me [teacher-student relationships, and having seen how screwed up that is in real life]). However, it did make me want to be in a book club again. One different from the one I was in in high school. I just like how, in the movie, they built that kind of community around the common theme of Jane Austen’s books. And I like how the characters’ lives mirrored the lives of the book they were assigned to. And I liked the porch swing at what’s-her-name, the blond girl’s house. And I love, love, love Hugh Dancy’s character. He is my favorite.
So I was thinking, I want to be in a book club and meet once a month and have food and talk about a good book. I know that I am really good at thinking up these potentially great ideas and planning everything out and never putting it into action, but this I think could be fun. But what books to do?
See, I am really into this specific genre of the women’s novel from 1900ish-1960ish, and I want to talk about these books, but no one else has ever heard of them. So how about the Persephone Books Book Club (and take turns picking a different book from the list)? The Other Elizabeth Taylor Book Club? The Frances Hodgson Burnett Book Club (and then a trip to Knoxville to see where she lived)? The Dorothy Whipple Book Club? A Summer Book Club (Summer at Tiffany’s, The Summer Book, etc)?
I think the problem would be finding enough people interested in doing it; I can only think of one or two. And, of course, finding the time to do it. Most of the books can be gotten pretty easily though inter-library loans (a.k.a. i.l.l. a.k.a. my b.f.f.)
So anyway. I don’t know. What do you think?
2 Comments
March 22, 2009 at 12:31 am
I devour books so the one time I was in a book club was in 5th grade and I dropped out because we were reading Jane Eyre and they wouldn’t let me read more than one chapter a week. I read all sorts of books, but I’ve never read of much what you mentioned up there … may have to check out some of them! Thanks! (I’m here via that next button up top).
June 4, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Just found your blog from Persephone Post – love the shot of your bookcase, especially since possibly my all-time-favourite-book is there: EMD Provincial Lady. And Rebecca and Suite Francaise and The Other Elizabeth Taylor… all wonderful.
Oddly enough, in about half an hour’s time I am off to a Persephone Book Group! They’ve just started one in Oxford, where I live, which is great and should be fun…