Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > Reading Recommendations > Book Clubs

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 11-22-2011, 02:42 AM   #1
sun surfer
languorous autodidact ✦
sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
sun surfer's Avatar
 
Posts: 4,235
Karma: 44637926
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: smiling with the rising sun
Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage
Post The MobileRead Literary Book Club December 2011 Nominations

Help us select the work that the MobileRead Literary Book Club will read for December 2011.

The nominations will run through November 27 or until FIVE works have made the list.

Final voting (in a new poll thread) will begin by November 27, where the month's selection will be decided.


The category for this month is:

Open (anything considered literature)


In order for a work to be included in the poll it needs FIVE NOMINATIONS (original nomination plus four others).

Each participant has three nominations. You can nominate a new work for consideration or you can support (second, third, fourth or fifth) a work that has already been nominated by another person.

To nominate a work just post a message with your nomination. If you are the FIRST to nominate a work, please try to provide an abstract to the work so others may consider their level of interest.

Please keep in mind the differences in nominations between the general book club and this one - only five works will make the final list here, and a work needs five nominations to make the final list.

What is literature for the purposes of this book club? A well-regarded work. Often (but not always) it is important, challenging, critically acclaimed, has a deeper meaning, makes one think. It may be from ancient times to today; it may be from anywhere in the world; it may be obscure or famous, short or long; it may be a story, a novel, a play, a poem, an essay or another written form. If you are unsure if a work would be considered literature, post it and ask. This is an educational (and enjoyable) process for us all.


The floor is now open to nominations!
sun surfer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2011, 08:57 AM   #2
fantasyfan
Wizard
fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
fantasyfan's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,367
Karma: 26308818
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ireland
Device: Kindle Oasis 3, 4G, iPad Air 2, iPhone IE
I nominate The short stories of Saki {H. H. Munro,18 December 1870 – 13 November 1916} with the central text being Beasts and Super-Beasts. I would choose that as the core volume because it is the most famous of his short-story collections, but anyone would be free to bring in a story from another of his collections if they wished. For instance “Sredni Vashtar”--one of his most powerful works--is in The Chronicles of Clovis.

Munro was born in Burma but after the death of his mother he and his brother and sister were sent home to be raised by a grandmother and two maiden aunts. This was a Disaster. The aunts were totally unsuited to bringing up three lively children. Ridiculous, stupid, and often contradictory restrictions on their wards were constantly applied by the aunts; hence, Charles, Hector, and Ethel were united in hating their "guardians" with a passion. As a result of this experience, Saki wrote a number of brilliant stories featuring a conflict between intelligent, imaginative children and repressive hypocritical adults. The horrible women that dominate many of these stories {such as “The Lumber Room” and “Sredni Vashtar”} are based directly on the two aunts.

Saki was quite happy to criticize the self-satisfied assumptions and morals of Victorian and Edwardian society. Frequently authority figures and conventional attitudes are portrayed as foolish and futile. Nature, on the other hand is "red of tooth and claw" making a mockery of human civilised behaviour patterns.

Saki is one of the most imaginative writers of short fiction in his era and a master of the ironic, macabre and unsettling ending.

All of the works of Saki are in the public domain and available free of charge as e-books through Project Gutenberg. In addition, there are inexpensive collected editions easily obtainable.

Last edited by fantasyfan; 11-22-2011 at 04:02 PM.
fantasyfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 11-22-2011, 03:12 PM   #3
John F
Grand Sorcerer
John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.John F ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 7,075
Karma: 62739845
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Kobo Glo HD
I'll nominate The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

From Amazon:

Spoiler:
Greeted with high praise in England, where it seems certain to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Ishiguro's third novel (after An Artist of the Floating World ) is a tour de force-- both a compelling psychological study and a portrait of a vanished social order. Stevens, an elderly butler who has spent 30 years in the service of Lord Darlington, ruminates on the past and inadvertently slackens his rigid grip on his emotions to confront the central issues of his life. Glacially reserved, snobbish and humorless, Stevens has devoted his life to his concept of duty and responsibility, hoping to reach the pinnacle of his profession through totally selfless dedication and a ruthless suppression of sentiment. Having made a virtue of stoic dignity, he is proud of his impassive response to his father's death and his "correct" behavior with the spunky former housekeeper, Miss Kenton. Ishiguro builds Stevens's character with precisely controlled details, creating irony as the butler unwittingly reveals his pathetic self-deception. In the poignant denouement, Stevens belatedly realizes that he has wasted his life in blind service to a foolish man and that he has never discovered "the key to human warmth." While it is not likely to provoke the same shocks of recognition as it did in Britain, this insightful, often humorous and moving novel should significantly enhance Ishiguro's reputation here.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


If it wins, I won't be leading the discussion.
John F is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2011, 03:59 PM   #4
toomanybooks
Addict
toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.toomanybooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
toomanybooks's Avatar
 
Posts: 302
Karma: 1039424
Join Date: Apr 2009
Device: Ipad, Ipod Touch, KIndle Fire
I'll second the Saki short stories.
toomanybooks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2011, 06:23 PM   #5
Hamlet53
Nameless Being
 
fantasyfan I am a little unclear on this. Are you proposing reading some or all of Saki's short stories. Is there any specific book (collection of short stories) that you are nominating? Or are you more proposing that the discussion be about him? I am just trying to envision what the discussion will be about.
  Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 11-22-2011, 07:57 PM   #6
Loosheesh
Wizard
Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Loosheesh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Loosheesh's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,674
Karma: 3111989
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Jianghu
Device: PW1, PW5, iPhone SE 2016, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Pro 2021
I'll second The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Loosheesh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 04:40 AM   #7
fantasyfan
Wizard
fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
fantasyfan's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,367
Karma: 26308818
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ireland
Device: Kindle Oasis 3, 4G, iPad Air 2, iPhone IE
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlet53 View Post
fantasyfan I am a little unclear on this. Are you proposing reading some or all of Saki's short stories. Is there any specific book (collection of short stories) that you are nominating? Or are you more proposing that the discussion be about him? I am just trying to envision what the discussion will be about.
I am nominating the short stories of Saki in general--not a specific book or collection. My idea is to explore his vision of life, society, people, and relationships as it is transmuted through the prism of his work.

However, he wrote six collections and they take up nearly 600 pages in the Penguin anthology of his works. I am not proposing that we read all of them. {Though, on a personal level, one could certainly find that an interesting journey--something good would always be turned up in the experience } When dealing with a writer of short fiction, one often starts with a specific collection: Thus, if exploring the work of Frank O'Connor one would probably begin with My Oedipus Complex and Other Stories and branch out into other stories from there. I would think that the three central collections of Saki would be The Chronicles of Clovis, Beasts and Super-Beasts, and The Toys of Peace. Most of what I have read of him and enjoyed have been from these three {and I have by no means read all of them}.

So my suggestion is that it would be useful to look at the stories in Beasts and Super-Beasts as a starter. But one could easily enough start anywhere and make notes about stories that were interesting. Some might like to use a "Best of . . ." collection.

So far as his personal life and character are concerned, I only mentioned the biographical bit to encourage an interest in what he wrote. Again, if anyone in the discussion wanted to link the stories with the life of the writer, there is no reason they shouldn't share their insights with us--but that is the case with any author.

I hope this clears things up.

Last edited by fantasyfan; 11-23-2011 at 03:21 PM.
fantasyfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 03:25 PM   #8
Hamlet53
Nameless Being
 
Thanks fantasyfan, all is clear now. For those who are curious The MR Patricia Clark Memorial Library includes the following Saki works:

Beasts, Super-Beasts LRF*

The Chronicles of Clovis LRF*

Reginald in Russia and other Sketches LRF PRC

*Download and unzip for LRF

Last edited by Hamlet53; 11-23-2011 at 03:28 PM.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 05:03 PM   #9
Hamlet53
Nameless Being
 
So sports fans, I was going to toss out The Makioka Sisters by my favorite Japanese author Junchiro Tanizaki, and considered his masterpiece. I actually considered this as my pick for November, but thought it might be a bit too long. Seeing how my actual pick struck out I am glad I did not, and won't nominate The Makioka Sisters now.

Since it may be past the deadline before I can get this done I will now nominate two books:

Twenty-Six and One and Other Stories by Maxim Gorky Inkmesh

I consider these three short stories some of Gorky's best work.


My second nomination is The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis. Unfortunately this does not appear to be available is and e-book. It sucks that copyright keeps this from appearing on PG, yet no publisher has made it available as an e-book.

Quote:
Hailed as a masterpiece by critics worldwide, "The Last Temptation of Christ" is a monumental reinterpretation of the Gospels by one of the giants of modern literature. Nikos Kazantzakis, renowned author of "Zorba the Greek, " brilliantly fleshes out the story of Christ's Passion, giving it a dynamic spiritual freshness. Kazantzakis's Jesus is gloriously divine, yet earthy and human, as he travels among peasants and is tempted by their comfortable life. Provocatively illuminating ever dimension of the Gospels, "The Last Temptation of Christ" is an exhilarating modern classic.
(from Amazon)


My final vote will be used to third fantasyfan's nomination. I plan to read the collection Beasts, Super-Beasts sooner or later, sooner rather than later if it is the club selection, but my third applies to fantasyfan's nomination as she phrased it.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 05:30 PM   #10
sun surfer
languorous autodidact ✦
sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
sun surfer's Avatar
 
Posts: 4,235
Karma: 44637926
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: smiling with the rising sun
Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage
Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasyfan View Post
I am nominating the short stories of Saki in general--not a specific book or collection. My idea is to explore his vision of life, society, people, and relationships as it is transmuted through the prism of his work.

However, he wrote six collections and they take up nearly 600 pages in the Penguin anthology of his works. I am not proposing that we read all of them.
What do others think of this type of nomination (i.e. read what you like from this array)?

I like the ambition of it, though I wonder, come discussion time, how it will be if some of us have read some short stories while others have read others. It could be interesting, or it could be in conflict with the purpose of discussing a work together.
sun surfer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 05:47 PM   #11
issybird
o saeclum infacetum
issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.issybird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
issybird's Avatar
 
Posts: 20,114
Karma: 220864438
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: New England
Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlet53 View Post
Seeing how my actual pick struck out
Whoa, there, cowboy! The pick was just what I'm looking for, something to expand my horizons. I loved it and I'd never have read it on my own. I will make it to the discussion thread. I've had limited posting time, especially for more thoughtful posts.

Back on topic: I'll fourth Saki while I consider what I'd like to nominate.
issybird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 06:02 PM   #12
sun surfer
languorous autodidact ✦
sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.sun surfer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
sun surfer's Avatar
 
Posts: 4,235
Karma: 44637926
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: smiling with the rising sun
Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage
Hamlet53, I am also still reading Spring Snow, and loving it. I don't know how long it will take me to finish, but when I do I will be posting in the discussion.

Nominations through post #14:

The short stories of Saki [4]
The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro [2]
Twenty-Six And One And Other Stories by Maxim Gorky [2]
The Last Temptation Of Christ by Nicos Kazantzakis [1]
The Daughter Of Time by Josephine Tey [1]

Last edited by sun surfer; 11-24-2011 at 04:08 AM.
sun surfer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 06:19 PM   #13
jersysman
Wizard
jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.jersysman ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
jersysman's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,747
Karma: 3761220
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Pennsylvania
Device: T1 Red, Kindle Fire, Kindle PW, PW2, Nook HD+, Kobo Mini, Aura HD
I'll second Twenty-Six and One and Other Stories by Maxim Gorky.
jersysman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2011, 09:08 PM   #14
ficbot
Wizard
ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ficbot ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 2,409
Karma: 4132096
Join Date: Sep 2008
Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App
I want to participate more regularly in the club I think I got discouraged early on because the books I voted for never seemed to win, but I want to read more edifying books in the coming year so I am going to at least give an honest go of every book that's picked. So, for this month's nomination I am going to go for something I hope will have broad appeal: a historical mystery which as a bonus is available for free from this forum: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey.

Summary:

Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard is recovering in hospital after surgery. During his convalescence, he investigates a historical mystery: who really murdered the princes in the tower? Was Richard III really guilty?

It interests me, the idea that the main character investigates the whole thing while marooned in bed, and I want to learn more about history. What do you think?
ficbot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2011, 04:56 AM   #15
fantasyfan
Wizard
fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.fantasyfan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
fantasyfan's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,367
Karma: 26308818
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ireland
Device: Kindle Oasis 3, 4G, iPad Air 2, iPhone IE
I'll use my second nomination to third Twenty-Six and One. BTW it's also available from Project Gutenberg and Many Books.

Last edited by fantasyfan; 11-24-2011 at 04:58 AM.
fantasyfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
book club, literary, literature, nominations

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club October 2011 Nominations sun surfer Book Clubs 38 09-27-2011 05:30 PM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club September 2011 Nominations sun surfer Book Clubs 55 08-27-2011 10:40 AM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club August 2011 Nominations sun surfer Book Clubs 15 07-25-2011 04:33 PM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club July 2011 Nominations sun surfer Book Clubs 85 06-28-2011 11:38 AM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club June 2011 Nominations sun surfer Book Clubs 76 05-27-2011 09:46 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:03 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.