fiction files redux discussion

Kris wrote: "House of All Nations by Christina Stead, which is monstrous long, almost entirely plotless, totally exhausting, but frequently hilarious and dead on target."

sounds like my kind of book! i'll add it to my list. i actually went ahead and read Life: A User's Manual while i was waiting. maybe we can read Frolic in 2010. :)

I would like to know if I could lead a discussion on Jonathan Carroll's finest novel, 'The Land of Laughs'. It is a beautifully written horror novel next to 'Bones of the Moon.'

The Land of Laughs A Novel by Jonathan Carroll

How about House of Mirth by Edith Wharton?

Shel wrote: "How about House of Mirth by Edith Wharton?"

Did you read my mind? I just pitched House of Mirth to my "real life" book group, and they soundly rejected it in favor of a couple of Julia Child books. Gotta get ready for that Nora Ephron movie, you know. Let's talk at the Dork...

Martha wrote: "Shel wrote: "How about House of Mirth by Edith Wharton?"

Did you read my mind? I just pitched House of Mirth to my "real life" book group, and they soundly rejected it in favor of a couple of Ju..."

Shel wrote: "How about House of Mirth by Edith Wharton?"

My office is reading this for our "Summer Read" this year. I just finished it. I'd be happy to join in a discussion here, too.

OK then. Do we want to start in August or in September when summer is over?

September would be my preference. I need a refresher. Also, others may want to read & join in...

Yeah. I was thinking I would post it. I just have to think of a way to make it sound... EXCITING!

Can you spice this up?
"First published in 1905, The House of Mirth shocked the New York society it so deftly chronicles, portraying the moral, social, and economic restraints on a woman who dared to claim the privileges of marriage without assuming the responsibilities. Lily Bart, beautiful, witty, and sophisticated, is accepted by "old money" and courted by the growing tribe of nouveaux riches. But as she nears 30, her foothold becomes precarious; a poor girl with expensive tastes, she needs a husband to preserve her social standing and to maintain her life in the luxury she has come to expect. While many have sought her, something—fastidiousness or integrity—prevents her from making a "suitable" match."
What exactly are those privileges of marriage she's trying to claim? How about the "expensive tastes"? What hidden proclivities prevent her from making a suitable match? SPICY!

And maybe I can add that Scully from the X-files played her in the movie.

I like it. Materialism!

doesn't anyone set up polls and vote on things like this anymore?

That poll's still open. #4 how often should we have a poll?

Shel wrote: "OK then. Do we want to start in August or in September when summer is over?"

September would be better for me. I am full tilt into Infintie Summer right now, but cruising along around page 800 this weekend. So my reading list should be looking pretty clear post-labor-day.

Looks like you all had a great time up in Puget Sound. Cheers, mm

Well... really I'm just attempting to put some energy back into the group - but I think August is a bad time to try to do that.

And of course I love the book so I'm going to volunteer for that one...

I had forgotten about the polls. Dan... maybe there's something totally opposite to House of Mirth or Women In Love that you want to tackle? Like a Murakami?

Well... really I'm just attempting to put some energy back into the group - but I think August is a bad time to try to do that.

And of course I love the book so I'm going to volunteer for that one...

I had forgotten about the polls. Dan... maybe there's something totally opposite to House of Mirth or Women In Love that you want to tackle? Like a Murakami?

I definitely understand what you are trying to do Shel because it is rather lifeless in these parts. Also I didn't mean to sound like I was anti-House or Women in Love.

I am just not sure that a non-polling method is going to get people excited or "on board." I say we make a list of 5 books and poll on those five then the group read happens and then another poll is done for the following group read.

I think it is too hard to decide a novel or two ahead for the group reads. I have no idea what is going to sound good a month down the road. There are probably others who feel this way too.

I think you should do the poll. people like you better and will vote more. :-)

Shel wrote: "I think you should do the poll. people like you better and will vote more. :-)"
Can I vote three or four times? Or twenty?

Alright Shel, while I don't think you are right about the liking thing, I did start another thread asking for suggestions and setting out the rules (of sorts) for the process. hopefully there is some interest.

I would really enjoy hearing about how you think of "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. Any takers for a group monthly read?

Are we going to do another group read soon?

I've been reading "books that didn't win the Pulitzer" since there wasn't one for fiction this year. Swamplandia, Train Dreams, and Pale King were all finalists. Wanta read one before the Dork? Also reading Wild by Cheryl Strayad (very engrossing AND Oprah chose it to resurrect her book group) and Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes which is the finest thing I've touched in some time. As usual, I'll read anything...

Patty wrote: "Are we going to do another group read soon?"

Jonathan was really talking up Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk: A Novel. Hugh said he loved it on Facebook. He even included some endorsement like, "You can thank me later...."

I am going to get it right away.

Martha, I read "The Pale King." It is DFW, but it isn't. It made me terribly sad. I had this feeling that he might have truly hated it and saw no way out of the labyrinth.

The others you mentioned sound interesting!

I'm a little more than halfway through Billy Lynn's and it is a pretty great book so far.

Let's hear some suggestions for a Fiction Files group read. Perhaps if we can get a few suggestions and vote on them we can get it started by the beginning of Sept.

I think that we should try for a book that is a little on the more difficult side that way we can help each other through it. I remember it was the discussions of the Idiot by Dostoevsky that really helped propel me through the book.

That being said, I know Les has an interest in tackling Gaddis' JR as a group read.

I am interested in reading JR, but not sure if it is a good choice for a group read. Input from Patty or others who have read it on whether or not it is a good choice would be appreciated.

I would also nominate The Instructions (Levin), Lonesome Dove, and a Prayer for Owen Meany. I do love Dan's idea of tackling something that would be a challenge on one's own. My track record there is not brilliant though (Moby Dick . . . cough cough).

Will be open to whatever though and will drive tacks into my thumbs to stick with it.

I think JR would be a tough choice for our group, but I highly recommend checking out another group, Occupy Gaddis. It's like a JR version of the Infinite Summer, and I think it might be led by the same person who start Infinite Summer.

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...

I read and hated a Prayer for Owen Meany, but it's my best friend's favorite book, and if other people want to read it, I might be willing to try again.

Maybe we should start by compiling a list of books that people have already suggested for group reads? Or maybe we should just compare our to-read lists?

100 years of solitude
the code of the woosters
We Were the Mulvaneys
Oryx and Crake
Drood A Novel
House of the Spirits
Voices from the Street
Song of Kali
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Dr Bloodmoney
Flying to America 45 More Stories
The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath
The Rings of Saturn
Between Life and Death
Independent People
Sentimental Education
Look at Me
Magnetic Field
Erasure
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
Women in Love by D H Lawrence
Passage to India by E M Forster
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
the Good Earth
The Big Sleep
Farewell, My Lovely
Land of Laughs
House of Mirth
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Sense of an Ending
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk: A Novel

I think these were all of the titles taht were mentioned. Sorry for any duplicates, and we may have already read some of these.

Great Occupy Gaddis link Patty!

With a list this big perhaps instead of a traditional voting procedure (one vote per round, multiple rounds) each person could select each of the books they are willing to read as part of a group read (I don't believe that goodreads supports this kind of polling but I could probably set something up using a google form).

I would really love to see a lot of readers taking part in this group read.

Maybe something like this:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/v...

Dang! Patty and Dan are a machine. Mine is submitted. Are the results tabulated in a top secret bunker, Dan?

A Passage to India is the one Forster novel I have not read, so I'd be up for that. A lot of these books I've never heard of though, and I'm always happy to be turned on to new things so I'm prepared to go with the group. I did pick a few on the list. I wish they all listed the authors though...there's me being difficult.

Well I'm sitting at work, a little on the bored side so it was easy to put it together. Sadly, I'm not so bored to have added in Author names where they were missing.

I'd be glad to share the results document with anyone who wants to see them as the arrive. I just need your email address to do share. So message me your email address and you can see the results.

Also, I hadn't necessarily intended to get people voting already before we finalize the list but I guess it can't hurt.

Dan! Is it too late to update your survey? I forgot to add the ones that Les just mentioned.

Lonesome Dove
Prayer for Owen Meany
Moby Dick
The intructions
JR

Oh Dan! Whoops! I didn't realize that was just an example. I can vote again once the finalized list is ready.

Thanks, Patty. Swanny already valiantly led Moby Dick with largely a crew of pansy landlubbers . . . okay, I just feel better about myself by including myself in a non-existent group. Point being, it was a group read a bit over a year ago.

Sorry, Dan. I did not realize it was meant as a "for example" alone. You can ignore those until we decide the nominees have all been suggested.

I've added those books and many of the authors that I knew off the top of my head (so some could be wrong).

I can easily clear the submissions and start over.


There are at least 20 books on this list I would definitely group-read.

Les, don't feel so bad. I totally failed at Moby Dick too. I also failed at Absalom! Absalom! and A Light in August. Obviously Faulkner is my kryptonite.

Does anyone know/remember how to send an message to everyone in the group?

I'd definitely like to get as many people to have a chance to weigh in as possible.

Dan wrote: "Does anyone know/remember how to send an message to everyone in the group?

I'd definitely like to get as many people to have a chance to weigh in as possible."

Yup, shall I send it now? Or would you like to send it? You go to the moderator guideline page, and it's on the right-hand sidebar. http://www.goodreads.com/group/modera...

Ahhh! That's where it is. I'd be more than happy to have you send it (if you don't mind). :)

Here is a shortened url for the survey:

http://bit.ly/ffsgroupread

OK, I sent an email. Let me know if you do/don't get it.

Got it, you're the best Patty. Thanks!

i got it! and voted for a handful of books. it turns out i read most of my own contributions to the list, and several others suggested. i've been having group reads by myself, damn it! :)

Got it, Patty. Thanks!

Grrrrrrr! Where were you people a few years ago on MySpace when I created a special group to discuss Moby Dick? The only ones from the Files who participated were Jonathan & my younger brother, Billy.

You should all be sentenced to finishing Wittgenstein's Mistress. :P

If you vote for Tiptree's Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, be aware that this isn't a novel; it's a collection of novelettes & short stories. If nothing else, read the fascinating James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon.

Shirley Jackson, YES.

OMG no Wittgenstein's Mistress? I just read it and loved it! //cries Gaddis....OMG no, so not for me. I just got House of Mirth and am a long-time Chandler fan, so I'm a sucker for those.

Dan, that spreadsheet is a marvel.

(wow, comment actually posted first try! first time in DAYS that happened)