Photo by luis bq
As I promised last Monday, here is a list of books that have not done well in book clubs across the country. My sources were varied and informal — from posts on Book Buzz and Book Lust to general chatter on-line — and I will save my comments until the end (in other words, I do not agree that all of the following titles are duds for discussion). As we all know, taste is largely subjective, but it is interesting to check out a snap shot of what book clubs wish they had not discussed…
1. Possession by A.S. Byatt
2. Middlemarch by George Eliot
3. Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
4. Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
5. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
6. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
7. Bird’s-Eye View by J.F. Freedman
8. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
9. Anything by James Joyce
10. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
First, I must admit that I haven’t read #3, 5, 7, 8, or 10. However, I think any novel that has interesting, complex themes lends itself well to discussion (so I disagree with Possession, Middlemarch and Black and Blue being on this list). Middlemarch IS a serious commitment of time, no doubt, but also seriously worth it.
I was surprised to see Black and Blue on the list — I could not put it down (premise: abused wife of a police officer flees with son to Florida to start a new life… imagine trying to elude the resources of an abusive police officer…). I could easily see a discussion about the power our police force must have and how easily power corrupts, etc.
I remember teaching literary criticism to my Advanced Placement Literature students and introducing the unit with a great exercise from a conference I attended at Carlton College.
I asked students to list 10 novels they had read at some point in their lives. Then, I asked them to circle those books they would reread by choice, for pleasure. Next, they crossed out those titles they would never, ever read again, no matter what incentive. Last, they were asked to put a box around those works they would read again if accompanied by a class or a teacher. We then had a discussion about “reader response” and where meaning resides — with the author, with the text, with the reader, or in a combination of all (obviously the answer I was looking for…).
Not surprisingly, James Joyce is an author who will frustrate many, many readers on their own — but I hate to see his greatness discarded simply because he requires a bit of tenacity. And the same goes for Middlemarch — which is easy to read and understand, but requires a LOT of time.
So, read the above list with a discerning eye. Next week I will reveal the best fiction of 2007, according to Time magazine. Eventually, I would like to do a poll of my own readers, so start thinking about which books you have enjoyed / hated!
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