12 Angry Readers

2008 Half-year schedule: January-June

2008-02-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

Jan 13th: Kockroach, by Tyler Knox - 368pp, with an optional reading of Kafka's Metamorphosis. Renee/Tina leads

Feb 10th: The Milagro Beanfield War, by John Nichols, 464pp - Paul leads

Mar 9th: Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest
Treasure, by Donald Kladstrup & Petie Kladstrup - 304pp - Carl leads

Apr 13th: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire - 560pp - Kacie leads

May 11th: Charity Girl, by Michael Lowenthal - 336pp - Renee leads

June 8th: Wars of Blood and Faith: The Conflicts That Will Shape the 21st Century by Ralph Peters - 384pp - Jeff leads

Oct 07: Sherlock Holmes selections

2007-09-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

For our October meeting, we'll be discussing the following stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:

The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Empty House
Silver Blaze
Musgrave Ritual
Reigate Squires
The Greek Interpreter
Charles Augustus Milverton
The Abbey Grange
The Second Stain
The Bruce Partington Plans
The Devil’s Foot
The Dying Detective
His Last Bow
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Adventures of the Speckled Band
The Final Problem

Carl will be leading the discussion.

Rest of 2007 Schedule

2007-09-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the proposed schedule for the rest of the year:

Sept 9th @ 4pm: The Children of Men, by PD James & movie
Oct 7th @ 5pm (normal time): Sherlock Holmes Selections
Nov 16th-18th: Wintergreen Weekend; book is Princess, by Jean Sasson
Dec: Skip Month

Books to Share

2007-04-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

This is a new thing we can try out: sometimes we read a book, but don't want to keep it in our collections. Here's the first of probably several that I wouldn't mind giving away or trading:

Not Enough Indians, by Harry Shearer.

Anyone who wants it may take it home at next meeting.

Apr 07: As Simple As Snow Questions

2007-04-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not have an edition of the book with the questions, so here they are:

1. Why does the author leave the narrator of the story unnamed, but tells us that he was named after his mother's brother who had died at thirteen? What clue does Anna give the reader about what the narrator's name might be?

2. Anna mentions the legendary escape artist and illusionist Houdini on several occasions. What about Houdini fascinates her? How does she ultimately emulate him?

3. The first time the narrator visits Anna's house he finds a Bible on Anna's nightstand in which she has underlined the following passage: "And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; I perceived that this also is vexation of the spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." The narrator finds a card in his locker with the same inscription, after Anna's disappearance. Why was the passage so relevant to Anna? What might it say about her relationship with narrator?

4. Why is Anna so fascinated with obituaries? Do you think she was telling the truth when she tells the narrator that her obituaries have come true? Do the obituaries serve another purpose besides describing each person's life and death?

5. Who caused Anna's bruises? Why does she lie to the narrator about them?

6. What was Anna's relationship to Bryce Druitt? Why do you think she ran his car into the bridge? Why did Bryce also have a box full of things that Anna had sent him? Why did he know about the obituary that the narrator had received in the mail after Anna's disappearance?

7. Where did the condom wrapper that Anna's father found come from? Do you think she planted it, and if so, why? Did she have another lover? What evidence supports or refutes this possibility?

8. Why do you think the narrator's sister Joan abandoned the family, avoiding contact with anyone? Why would she not at least contact her brothers?

9. Why was Anna so adamant that the narrator write a ghost story? Was that the real reason Anna wanted to visit Mumler? Was it coincidence that she walks across the ice?

10. What did Anna know about Mr. Devon and why does she dislike him? The narrator finds a letter from Anna when he's helping Mr. Devon clear out his office for the summer. What does the letter reveal about Anna's possible connection to Mr. Devon? Do you think his explanation about the letter is the truth? Do you think he's told the truth about the fire that killed his girlfriend?

11. Why do the narrator's parents relate so poorly to each other and their chldren? Does it have someting to do with the loss of their daughter, Denise? How do they each try to reach out to the narrator after Anna's disappearance?

12. What do you think actually happened to Anna? Interpret the evidence she left behind - does it support the idea that she killed herself, was murdered, or the theory that she ran away? What senario does what she wrote in the narrator's obituary suggest?

13. Early in the book the narrator says, "I'm bland. I'm milk. Worse, I'm water." How has his opinion of himself changed by the end of the book? What has he come to realize about himself, and what does he credit for the change?

Apr 07: As Simple As Snow poem revealed

2007-03-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Diane kindly translated the Baudelaire poem from the book:

You should always be drunk. Everything is there:
it's the only question. To not feel the terrible
burden of Time, which breaks your shoulders and bends
you toward the earth, you must always get drunk
without respite.

But from what? From wine, from poetry, or from
virtue; as you wish. But get drunk.

And if sometimes on the stairs of a palace, on the
green grass of a ditch, in the dreary solitude of your
bedroom, you wake up and the drunkenness has already
diminished or disappeared, as the wind, the wave, the
bird, the clock anyone that flees, anyone that groans,
anything that rolls, anything that sings, anyone who
speaks, ask what time it is, and if the wind, the
wave, the star, the bird, the clock responds: It
is time to get drunk! To not be slaves martyred by
Time, get drunk, get drunk without stopping! From
wine, from poetry, or from virtue, as you wish.

Mar 07: The First Casualty - Questions

2007-02-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

Marichka offers some food for thought and discussion for our March selection, The First Casualty, by Ben Elton:

1. The title presumably comes from the axiom "The first casualty of war is truth". In your view, could this be a play on the expression, or have a double entendre, and refer to something else as well/instead?

2. What would you call this book - a historical novel, thriller, murder mystery, social commentary, satire....?

3. Previously (and in his next book coming up this year), Elton has always written about contemporary or slightly futuristic times and issues (media, biotechnology, traffic,celebrity, etc.) Why do you imagine he chose this particular setting and time period?

4. Did reading this affect any previous knowledge or perception you had of World War I? - Did the setting affect how you felt about the story?

5. Does the novel support or undermine Kingsley's arguments for conscientious objection to the war? - Kingsley opposes the war because of its scale, but then muses about other, "smaller" injustices he's overlooked in everyday life. Thoughts about this position?

6. Should Kingsley feel morally compromised for his participation in battle?

7. Is Kingsley's relationship with Kitty a betrayal of Agnes? (Particularly considering that he knows how Agnes feels?)

8. How guilty or responsible should Kingsley feel for what happens to Hopkins?

9. What is the value or point (if any) for an investigation like Kingsley's amid such a difficult situation/environment?

10. What do you think of Shannon? - If you took out the scene with Shannon and the girl under the docks at Folkestone, would it change the story for you?

Mar-May 07 Selections

2007-02-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

March 4th: The First Casualty, by Ben Elton (389pp). Discussion leader: Marichka

April 1st: A Spot of Bother, by Mark Haddon (354pp). Discussion leader: (change from email) Diane

May 6th: Why Darwin Matters, by Michael Shermer (224pp). Discussion leader: Jeff

Feb 07: Fear and Trembling - Questions

2007-01-23T07:18:00.000-08:00

Jay gives us some questions for consideration:

1. How effective would the story be if the reader did not know anything about the 1980-1990s Japanese business culture?

2. What is the reason for Amelie’s inclusion of Fubuki’s congratulatory letter to her in the end of the book?

3. What is Amelie’s fascination with Fubuki in the book?

4. Does the fact that there is very little story beyond Amelie’s life at Yumimoto take away from the book?

5. Since we read 1984, what similarities are between the cultures of Yumimoto and Oceania?

Some book ideas and reviews

2007-01-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

In Washington Post's (AKA "WaPo")January 14th Book World, I found reviews about some promising (ie, Book Club-friendly) reads:

- House of Meetings, by Martin Amis. Novel about two brothers in a Soviet gulag.

- Charity Girl, by Michael Lowenthal. Novel about WWI "charity girls": women who were accused of and detained for spreading STDs to servicemen and thus harming the war effort.

Check 'em out!

Feb 07: Fear and Trembling

2007-01-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

February's book is Fear and Trembling, by Amelie Notholm . Our book club will meet February 4th at 5pm.

Jan 07: 1984 Discussion Questions, Part 2

2007-01-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some more questions for your consideration:

1. Who represents more threat to the system, the "Julias" or the "Winstons"? In any political system, is it the conscious rebel - Winston - or those who have no particular ideology, but use the system (and the flaws in the system) to their own ends - Julia - who are the greatest threat?

2. What is the significance of the appendix? For one interesting analysis of the appendix, go to this article in the Guardian by Margaret Atwood.

3. How does Orwell's writing style - especially in Winston's thoughts - compare to Newspeak? And, what are the broader implications of controlling language to control thought? Does this reflect on current ideas of "politically correct" speech, "hate speech," and, in a broader sense, does an attempt to control speech help or harm a society?

4. How much of this work is commentary of Orwell's time and how much is broader sociopolitical commentary? Related to this, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using fiction as a vehicle to examine political issues?

5. Is there a paralleling of the Party structure of Oceania (and therefore, the socio-cultural environment of Oceania) and religion? On a surface level, the setting certainly resembles a "secular theocracy" with a quasi-mystical father figure at the top - Big Brother - an insular priest caste - the Party members - and a Bible - the Newspeak dictionary. Are there other parallels one can find and what was the author trying to suggest through the absence of any formal religion in the narrative?

6. What is Orwell's purpose of having the party "ignore" the proles?

7. Do you agree with Winston's original assessment that the proles are the hope of the future? Related to this, the narrative is bleak; does Orwell, provide "clues" to the flaws in INGSOC - and, by extension, in any totalitarian system - that inherently lead to its demise?

8. Why does the Party go to such lengths to break Winston if they're just going to make him an unperson?

9. Why do you think Winston's associate Syme was made an unperson?

10. Orwell creates a world in which information is tightly controlled and constantly changed to fit the needs of the moment. Essentially, the information Winston receives about the past, present and what the future holds, is inherently - and by design - unreliable. Can information, however, be "too free" and lead to the same situation; i.e., where one can never be certain how accurate the information is that one is consuming because there are too many sources and there is no "quality control" except that of the individual consumer?

Jan 07: 1984 Discussion Questions, Part 1

2007-01-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

The following are a selection of questions copied from ReadingGroupGuides.com. While some of them are pretty poor, they should serve to at least get the discussion started and, for those who are new to book clubs, they do give an idea of how to devise discussion questions. A little later in the week - probably Wednesday - we'll have another post with some questions we've come up with.

1.The world within which Winston lives is replete with contradictions. For example a, major tenet of the Party's philosophy is that War is Peace. Similarly, the Ministry of Love serves as, what we would consider, a department of war. What role do these contradictions serve on a grand scale? Discuss other contradictions inherent in the Party's philosophy. What role does contradiction serve within the framework of Doublethink? How does Doublethink satisfy the needs of The Party?

2. In the afterword, the commentator describes 1984 as "a warning." Indeed, throughout the text, Orwell plants both subtle and overt warnings to the reader. What do you think are some of the larger issues at hand here?

3. Describe the role that O'Brien plays in Winston's life. Why do you think that initially, Winston is drawn to O'Brien? Why does he implicitly trust him, despite the enormous dangers involved?

4. Discuss the significance and nature of Winston's dreams. Deconstruct the dream wherein O'Brien claims that they "shall meet in a place where there is no darkness," and the dream in which Winston's mother and sister disappear. What are the underpinnings of these dreams? What deeper meanings do they hold? Why do you think the author devotes as much time as he does to Winston's dreams?

5. Discuss Winston as a heroic figure. What qualities does he possess that could define him as one?

6. Compare and contrast some of the other characters in Winston's world: Parsons, Syme, O'Brien. How does Winston view each one? How do they differ from Winston? What opinion do you think each one has of Winston?

7. Winston reflects on the omnipresence of The Party: "He thought of the telescreen with its never-sleeping ear. They could spy upon you night and day, but if you kept your head you could still outwit them….Facts at any rate, could not be kept hidden. They could be tracked down by inquiry, they could be squeezed out of you by torture. But if the object was not to stay alive, but to stay human, what difference did it ultimately make?" What, in essence, is Winston saying about the lone individual in relation to The State? Does this contention remain true throughout the novel?

8. Early on in the novel, we learn of Winston's belief in the proles as a liberating force. What accounts for Winston's almost blind faith in the proles? What are some of the characteristics of the proles that, in Winston's eyes, make them the ultimate means for overthrowing Big Brother?

9. From her first appearance as "the dark-haired girl," through to the end of the novel, Julia is a key figure in 1984. Trace the path of Julia in relation to Winston's life; in what ways does she influence him? Did you trust her, initially? Overall, do you feel she had a positive or negative impact upon him?

10. After his first formal meeting with O'Brien, Winston receives a book, ostensibly written by Emmanuel Goldberg. In reading passages from this book, Winston is further enlightened as to "how" the current society came into being. Focus on these passages, and in particular, on the theory of the High, Middle and Low classes. If true, what does this theory hold for the proles? Is Winston's plan for the proles now altered? Why or why not?

11. During Winston's interrogation, O'Brien explains that whereas preceding totalitarian regimes had failed, The Party was truly successful in its consolidation of power. How, according to O'Brien, does The Party as an oligarchy differ from Nazism or Russian Communism? How does he define the role of the martyr, both in terms of The Party and the other totalitarian systems?

12. Following his capture in Mr. Charrington's spare room, Winston undergoes a process of "philosophical cleansing" and re-education against which he valiantly, but unsuccessfully fights. Discuss Winston's "capitulation" at the hands of O'Brien. How is Winston brought to "love Big Brother?" In sacrificing Julia, how has Winston, in essence, signaled his own end?

13. How would you describe the author's tone in 1984? Does it add to or detract from the character's discourse?

14. Discuss the role of sex and intimacy in 1984. What specific function does the Party's directive on sexual interaction serve?

15. In the final analysis, how accurate was Orwell in his vision of the future? In what ways does our contemporary society compare to his idea of society in 1984? Are there examples in which he was correct? What is most opposite? Do you see a potential for aspects of Orwell's "vision" to come true?

16. During his final encounter with O'Brien, Winston argues that, if all else fails, the inherent nature of the individual-the "spirit of man"-is strong enough to undermine a society such as that created by The Party. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Is Winston's belief applicable to the world we live in today? Can you cite examples in our own recent history that support or dismiss Winston's belief in the resiliency and righteousness of the human spirit?

17. Prior to meeting her, Winston fantasizes about Julia in violent, humiliating ways. Later, he describes in his diary an encounter with a middle-aged, toothless prostitute. How do you account for these thoughts? How does Winston's understanding of women change after his first liaison with Julia?

18. Given Winston's own acknowledgment that he is under constant surveillance, and that it would only be a matter of time before the Thought Police caught him, no one in his world could be trusted. Prior to his capture, which character or characters did you envision as betraying Winston? How did you foresee his ultimate demise? Did you, on the contrary, feel that by some chance he would overcome the forces aligned against him, and fulfill his wish to conquer The Party?

19. Imagine yourself as Winston Smith at the beginning of 1984. What would you do to undermine The Party? Knowing what you know now, how would you extricate yourself from the fate that awaits you?

20. Refer back to Winston's conversation with the old man at the pub. Why is Winston so determined in his approach to the old man? What is Winston hoping to learn from him?

Our New Blog

2006-12-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

This is the official blog for our "new" book club called Twelve Angry Readers. We decided on Twelve Angry Readers because we were twelve at the opening party, but alas we were not angry...but full of consternation regarding the name. Our secret name, actually the runner up, is DC Area Book Sluts because we're willing to read and discuss just about anything. Hmmmm.

More to come...