How this works
One book a month, chosen by whoever hosted last. No set questions, no one takes minutes, and nobody is asked what they thought going clockwise round the table. If you have read half, come anyway; if you hated it, come especially.
We are about a dozen people and have room for a few more. There is no membership and no fee. The only rule that has ever been enforced is that spoilers for the next book are not allowed.
This year so far
- Stoner — John Williams (chosen by Ruth)
- The Remains of the Day — Kazuo Ishiguro (Daniel)
- Piranesi — Susanna Clarke (Amara)
- The Death of Ivan Ilyich — Leo Tolstoy (Ruth again, unopposed)
- Gilead — Marilynne Robinson (Peter)
- The Leopard — Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (Yusuf)
The argument of the year, so far
Whether a novel that ends without resolution has failed, or whether expecting resolution is a habit borrowed from television.
Unresolved after two hours, as it should be. Peter has promised to return to it when we reach something with a plot.
Coming up
Suggestions for next month are open. So far: something in translation, something under two hundred pages, and — a recurring campaign — something written this century. Bring your case, we vote by show of hands and it is rarely close.