Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes
Language is a mushy thing. Lay it bare as a single word and it's even worse. It loses the context that gives it meaning. Being clear on the issues is beyond defining terms. Coming to a common understanding is more useful and that really only comes about through conversation and exchanging ideas and asking questions of the meanings inferred. I really think we're both trying to get at the same thing from different angles -- emotions have no place on the Internet.  |
We've got a lot of common ground here. I think this thread has been unfortunate. I personally would have preferred discussing the aims and the appeal of the book club and trying arrive at a consensus about the topics, appealing to as broad a range as possible. But squeaky wheel and all that, we got a poll.
I'm going to disagree with you about the term classic, however. it's squishy, but it's not that squishy. There's disagreement at the margins, but I think most tend to have a sense of what it means. It's in common parlance, after all, and we seem to get along about it. And know what area of the bookstore to check!