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

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

Notices

View Poll Results: The MobileRead Literary Book Club July 2011 Vote
Bleak House by Charles Dickens 14 34.15%
The Tale Of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu 6 14.63%
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote Of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes 4 9.76%
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie 5 12.20%
Paradise Lost by John Milton 12 29.27%
Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 07-16-2011, 09:41 AM   #46
paola
Wizard
paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
paola's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,824
Karma: 5843878
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Device: Pocketbook Pro 903, (beloved Pocketbook 360 RIP), Kobo Mini, Kobo Aura
I am afraid I am nowhere near the end yet...
paola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2011, 01:47 PM   #47
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 sun surfer View Post
Would anyone like to volunteer to lead the discussion on Bleak House which will start in two days?
I'll be finished tomorrow and have really enjoyed the book.

If no one else is interested I'll volunteer. But it's only fair to point out that I've never led a discussion before and you might prefer someone more experienced.
fantasyfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2011, 02:25 PM   #48
CharlieBird
¿Huh?
CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
CharlieBird's Avatar
 
Posts: 349
Karma: 1004526
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: rural Jalisco
Device: HiSense A7 CC, Fire HD6, Kobo Libra2
"Not to put to fine a point on it..."
I finished yesterday and am really looking forward to the discussion as I have very mixed feelings about it. Since this is my first (and last I might add) Dickens book I am curious about one thing: are all of Dickens characters so one dimensional?

I am back to The Master and Margarita (which I am really liking more than the first time I read it some years ago) and Anna Karenina (with which I am struggling a bit).
d
CharlieBird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2011, 08:44 PM   #49
taosaur
intelligent posterior
taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
taosaur's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,562
Karma: 21295618
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Ohiopolis
Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro
Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlieBird View Post
are all of Dickens characters so one dimensional?
I haven't had an opportunity to even start Bleak House yet, but I do find it an ironic selection for the "Literary" book club. Dickens was as general and "pop" an author as any who lived in his day, a one man industry analogous to Stephen King in our time. Yes, his works have become classics, but are they thus transmuted from mass-market commercial efforts into literary works? I gather Bleak House was one of his more ambitious and abstract works, but shall we read Stephen King's Rose Madder or Insomnia next? If Dickens lived today, he would probably be writing television.

I don't genuinely object to Bleak House's inclusion nor insist that we observe a more stringent definition of "literary." I'm just making the observation for it's own sake, really. At the time of their publication, Dickens' works almost certainly saw more attention in book clubs of the sort from which ours diverged than from serious critics. Perhaps it can be a talking point for the discussion: is this a genuinely literary work, a commercial work, a self-indulgent departure by a popular author with an established reputation, or other?
taosaur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2011, 05:17 AM   #50
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 taosaur View Post
I haven't had an opportunity to even start Bleak House yet, but I do find it an ironic selection for the "Literary" book club. Dickens was as general and "pop" an author as any who lived in his day, a one man industry analogous to Stephen King in our time. Yes, his works have become classics, but are they thus transmuted from mass-market commercial efforts into literary works? I gather Bleak House was one of his more ambitious and abstract works, but shall we read Stephen King's Rose Madder or Insomnia next? If Dickens lived today, he would probably be writing television.
Quite true. {and I'm all in favour of TV adaptations of Dickens.}

But does popularity and commercial success mean a work can't have genuine literary stature? Shakespeare's plays were quite successful and most of them are still acknowledged as being great--and in some cases--supremely great works. I think the same applies to the works of Dickens. He was certainly a populist author and a man of his times who knew what his readers wanted and made sure to give them what they desired--no doubt about that. But he could also transcend his times and create works of enduring quality.

IMO I think that no transmutation is involved. They are what they are because of intrinsic literary merit.

Last edited by fantasyfan; 07-17-2011 at 08:02 AM.
fantasyfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2011, 08:28 AM   #51
Hamlet53
Nameless Being
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by taosaur View Post
I haven't had an opportunity to even start Bleak House yet, but I do find it an ironic selection for the "Literary" book club. Dickens was as general and "pop" an author as any who lived in his day, a one man industry analogous to Stephen King in our time. Yes, his works have become classics, but are they thus transmuted from mass-market commercial efforts into literary works? I gather Bleak House was one of his more ambitious and abstract works, but shall we read Stephen King's Rose Madder or Insomnia next? If Dickens lived today, he would probably be writing television.

I don't genuinely object to Bleak House's inclusion nor insist that we observe a more stringent definition of "literary." I'm just making the observation for it's own sake, really. At the time of their publication, Dickens' works almost certainly saw more attention in book clubs of the sort from which ours diverged than from serious critics. Perhaps it can be a talking point for the discussion: is this a genuinely literary work, a commercial work, a self-indulgent departure by a popular author with an established reputation, or other?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasyfan View Post
Quite true. {and I'm all in favour of TV adaptations of Dickens.}

But does popularity and commercial success mean a work can't have genuine literary stature? Shakespeare's plays were quite successful and most of them are still acknowledged as being great--and in some cases--supremely great works. I think the same applies to the works of Dickens. He was certainly a populist author and a man of his times who knew what his readers wanted and made sure to give them what they desired--no doubt about that. But he could also transcend his times and create works of enduring quality.

IMO I think that no transmutation is involved. They are what they are because of intrinsic literary merit.
The time to settle the question of whether or not Bleak House represents a literary book, and whether it satisfied the following monthly criteria was during the nomination period and vote.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sun surfer View Post
The category for this month is:
Highly Challenging (especially difficult or long works we may be hesitant to choose otherwise)

I seem to recall that there was a brief heated discussion on this topic, though not about Dickens, and Stephen King's The Stand was nominated. It just did not received enough additional endorsements to even make it to the vote. I don't know what alternative there would be to just leaving these selections up to the popular vote. That is unless Sun Surfer would like to take on the unenviable task of tossing out nominations that are deemed not literary enough.

I have my own opinion, already expressed somewhere else in this Reading Recommendations forum, as to whether or not Bleak House met all criteria. However, it was chosen, I read it, enjoyed it as I have most of Dickens' works, and will participate in the discussion.

Anyway thank you Fantasyfan for volunteering to lead the discussion.

Last edited by Hamlet53; 07-17-2011 at 08:52 AM.
  Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2011, 01:08 PM   #52
taosaur
intelligent posterior
taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.taosaur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
taosaur's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,562
Karma: 21295618
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Ohiopolis
Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlet53 View Post
The time to settle the question of whether or not Bleak House represents a literary book, and whether it satisfied the following monthly criteria was during the nomination period and vote.

I seem to recall that there was a brief heated discussion on this topic, though not about Dickens, and Stephen King's The Stand was nominated. It just did not received enough additional endorsements to even make it to the vote. I don't know what alternative there would be to just leaving these selections up to the popular vote. That is unless Sun Surfer would like to take on the unenviable task of tossing out nominations that are deemed not literary enough.
Well, again:

Quote:
Originally Posted by taosaur View Post
I don't genuinely object to Bleak House's inclusion nor insist that we observe a more stringent definition of "literary."
Popular vote seems just fine. I'm just making conversation. Off topic, I suppose, but the thread has served its original purpose.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasyfan View Post
But does popularity and commercial success mean a work can't have genuine literary stature? Shakespeare's plays were quite successful and most of them are still acknowledged as being great--and in some cases--supremely great works. I think the same applies to the works of Dickens. He was certainly a populist author and a man of his times who knew what his readers wanted and made sure to give them what they desired--no doubt about that. But he could also transcend his times and create works of enduring quality.
Of course, these points bring up the question of whether being literary has anything to do with quality, stature or greatness. I don't distinguish literary works from bad or unimportant works, but from conventional fiction. Conventional works may have great merit and become classics on the basis of the quality of their conventional elements: a memorable character, dramatic events, or as in Dickens' case, a setting evoked and revisited throughout a body of work. Conversely, publishers daily reject literary novels which are terrible and won't even have the privilege of ignominy.
taosaur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2011, 11:50 PM   #53
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
If no one else is interested I'll volunteer. But it's only fair to point out that I've never led a discussion before and you might prefer someone more experienced.
There is no preference, only who if anyone would like to help lead the discussion, so you are perfect.
sun surfer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2011, 04:50 AM   #54
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 sun surfer View Post
There is no preference, only who if anyone would like to help lead the discussion, so you are perfect.

OK. I'll give it a try!

I'll post the opener as soon as the Discussion thread begins.
fantasyfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2011, 01:47 PM   #55
Ea
Wizard
Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Ea's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,490
Karma: 5239563
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Denmark
Device: Kindle 3|iPad air|iPhone 4S
Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlieBird View Post
"Not to put to fine a point on it..."
I finished yesterday and am really looking forward to the discussion as I have very mixed feelings about it. Since this is my first (and last I might add) Dickens book I am curious about one thing: are all of Dickens characters so one dimensional?
In "Aspects of the novel" E. M. Forster discusses whatbhe terms 'flat' and 'round' characters and uses Dickens to illustrate the terms". According to Forster, Dickens' trick was to describe flat, one-dimensional characters in a way so that they appear more round than they actually are.
Ea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2011, 08:40 PM   #56
CharlieBird
¿Huh?
CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.CharlieBird ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
CharlieBird's Avatar
 
Posts: 349
Karma: 1004526
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: rural Jalisco
Device: HiSense A7 CC, Fire HD6, Kobo Libra2
Guess I'll move Aspects of the Novel up on my TBR list. It's been languishing near the bottom for nearly a year now. Thanks, folks, for the insights...should be an interesting discussion.
fantasyfan, you're braver than I, but then you are also more articulate. Sure you'll do fine.
d
CharlieBird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2011, 05:11 PM   #57
paola
Wizard
paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.paola ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
paola's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,824
Karma: 5843878
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Device: Pocketbook Pro 903, (beloved Pocketbook 360 RIP), Kobo Mini, Kobo Aura
Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasyfan View Post
OK. I'll give it a try!

I'll post the opener as soon as the Discussion thread begins.
I'm resisting joining the discussion until I'm finished with it - hope to be able to join you soon!
paola is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
book club, literary, literature, voting

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 November 2011 Vote sun surfer Book Clubs 60 11-18-2011 08:34 AM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club October 2011 Vote sun surfer Book Clubs 36 10-17-2011 01:22 PM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club September 2011 Vote sun surfer Book Clubs 25 09-14-2011 03:29 PM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club August 2011 Vote sun surfer Book Clubs 88 08-18-2011 10:12 AM
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club June 2011 Vote sun surfer Book Clubs 54 05-31-2011 01:18 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:17 PM.


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