The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach

Hi Everyone,
Sorry about the late post re. last week's BookClub meeting where we discussed The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach. Busy busy :)
I think I can safely say that this was, according to the members who read it and myself, the worst book so far that nominated for BookClub. It's really an autobiography of Richard Bach himself. What an absolute ar*ehole! I never thought it would be possible for a book, well at least in the genre of spirituality & self-help, to make me want to puke. The sad thing is that you have to read his book to realise what an arrogant person he is. This guy has a serious "god-complex." How he ever got married to begin with, let alone being married 3 times, I will never understand...and then to tour America giving seminars to the public about how to make marriage work!
So, a new direction that I'm trying to move in with the Bookclub is to get attendees to write a brief sentence about their opinion of the current book and a rating out of 10...and here they are;
Sec: 6/10 (Sec was the only member to finish the book...so maybe it got better in the end :). "Struggle to finish it!"
Pope Buckfast: 0/10. "Worst book ever! Too sh*t to finish!"
TristanPeter: 3/10. Didn't finish due to "not enough time and didn't really want to. Author is an a**hole"
Shel1: 3/10. Didn't finish.
Damo: 3/10. "Got to page 130. Not finished yet also. The author has no personality...shallow. Didn't want to finish it seeing as the guy divorced in 1999. How stupid he looks!"
TristanC: Didn't read it so no rating.
HisRoyalBadness: Didn't read it so no rating.
Sean: 3/10. "Complete bo**ocks particularly because he has had 3 wives!"
Rachel: Didn't read it so no rating.
So, there you have it. Our new rating system :)
The book for next Tuesday is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hoseini nominated by Caitriona followed by Choke by Chuck Pallahniuk, nominated by Sean. Sorry Shel1, yours if next after Sean's because he was asked to nominate beforehand.

BookClub Discussion: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Hi All,
Yesterday evening we discussed A Confederacy of Dunces. It was a quiet meeting...but very enjoyable and as we expected, Nathan251 didn't attend. Empty vessels make the most noise :)
We all loved the book. It was very very funny whilst be highly relevant. The topics dealt with in it were briliant and refreshing. There was no death or misery really and on the other hand, there was no real love element to it. So, it was different at least. The stereotypes were excellent also. Unfortunately, Tristan C who nominated it couldn't attend.
We also introduced our new, patented rating system :rolleyes:!
Kate gave the book 9.0/10Server gave the book 8.5/10I gave it 9.0/10.
Server nominated The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach.
By the way Pope Buckfast, can you update the reading list please?
The next book we will be reading/discussing is Sunshine Sketches of a Small Town by Stephen Leacock, nominated by Kate. This will be followed by The Poor Mouth by Myles Na gCapilin (or is it Flann O'Brien...or is that his alias? Hmmmm). This was nominated by Damien.

A Confederacy of Dunces: Meeting Postponed until Tue 22nd July

Yesterday evening in Bar No. 8 we decided to postpone the BookClub meeting to discuss A Confederacy of Dunces until Tuesday next week. Very few members managed to finish it. I had 20 pages to go myself. It's well worth the read so we said we wouldn't spoil the ending. My book is 428 pages so it's quite a bit to get read. Very funny however.
In realtion to the meetings themselves, I suppose that they are very easy-going and relaxed. We don't stick rigidly to any format in relation to the correct procedure for discussing books. From day 1 the club was intended to be a social outlet whilst at the same time encouraging some productive use of time - reading books.
Everyone's welcome to come along. See what you think...and don't be shy. I'm sure for many of the outspoken members of Boards you will feel perfectly at home in an enviroment where their opinions are actually sought for a change :D

By the way, welcome to our newest bookClub member; Server from Germany.

'Midnights Children' scoops 'Best of the Booker'

Salman Rushdies 'Midnights Children' has won the 'Best of the Booker'.

It has been selected as the best Booker winner in the prizes 40 year history.

It previously won 'Booker of Bookers' in 1993, the best of the previous 25 books.

Also nominated for both 'Booker of Bookers' and 'Best of the Booker' was 'The Siege of Krishnapur' which we read a few weeks ago.

BBC News Report is here

The Sea by John Banville

Hello Everyone,

So far I think that this book created the least amount of discussion in the long history of BookClub meetings. I personally didn't find it to be a terrible story or anything. It just seemed as though it was written by John Banville with an expectation that it should be minutely analysed word after word by high-brow literary types. There were so many parallels with historical events, mythology, art & culture etc. introduced that I believe the story can't be taken just literally. Therefore I'd say in order to understand it's "brilliance" you would need to be fairly cultured in these categories. If the book is taken just literally, I don't see how it would have won the Booker Prize in 2005? I realise that most novels have a certain amount of these alternate themes running through them...but this was a bit much, unless of course you are into indepth analysis of novels.

Thank God for our next book, A Confedaracy of Dunces, which from what I have heard is a very funny satire. BookClub members seem to be getting a bit disillusioned with our choices so far, not because they are necessarily bad but moreso because they are a bit heavy or lacking in humour. This probably explains the low attendance at this meeting. Perhaps there's an element of "cherry-picking" going on? However, the idea of the BookClub to begin with was that members would take the rough with the smooth and so each member has the freedom to nominate their own choices. This may not be happening but I think it's unfair of members to nominate their own book, attend the meeting to discuss it, and then not go to the discussion of other member's books because they don't like the sound of them. Correct me if I'm wrong but this was a low turn-out and it was said jokingly in weeks leading up to it that it would be a quiet week for discussion.

Members who attended included;

Damien G,
Sandra L,
Caitriona S,
Anne Marie,
Kate B and,
TristanPeter

The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell

Hello Everyone,
Yesterday evening we discussed The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G Farrell. Unfortunately it was a very brief discussion because the music in Bar no. 8 got a bit too loud. No one could hear the conversation and this was the book that I was most looking forward to discussing of all of the books so far at BookClub.
Of course the goal of any pub is to make money and the management are going to cater to the needs of the customers who will bring the most business in. There was some party on so I suppose I can't complain, and the staff always do their best to accommodate us.
We are considering changing the venue however. As the summer comes into full swing it will be hard I'm sure to have an evening in Bar no. 8 when it's quiet enough to hold our meetings. Perhaps we should have our next meeting there in 2 weeks time and see how it goes. If again it's very loud we can move on. Hugh suggested The Cottage in Salthill as there are a few small rooms, which maybe we could reserve. I suggested The Bal because this has three floors and the chances are at least one floor won't be busy on a Tuesday night. Architecturally, I really like it also. It's bright and spacious. Parking wouldn't be such a problem in Salthill either. Anyway, suggestions are more than welcome and if we have to change venue, we can try to make an informed decision.
Back to The Siege of Krishnapur; what a brilliant book in my opinion! I found it very very funny whilst also being very serious in dealing with the predicament that the characters find themselves in. It's a great study of traditional/conservative views versus new/modern approaches to different aspects of life. From technology and innovation to the class system of British society at the time the book is set in...and I'm sure this still applies today, but perhaps to a lesser degree in our society.
All the main characters seem to have a protagonist to their ideals...not necessarily an enemy but someone who generally has conflicting ideas in relation to the same subject...spirituality or religion or government or status or materialism and as the book progresses there is a gradual "stripping down" of these ideals which is paralleled with the gradual wasting away of the characters during the siege. By the end of the story there is a complete shift in some of the character's beliefs as to what they feel is important in life, to the opposite end of the spectrum.
The book itself was quite difficult to read. Small text and over 300 pages but I feel that it's not the kind of story that you want to rush. Almost every sentence in it is relevant, holds undertones of satire or illustrates brilliantly the character's pre-occupation with their own beliefs, a preoccupation which is often detrimental to their hazardous circumstances at any given time, which is what made the book for me so enjoyable.
So without a doubt, I would give The Siege of Krishnapur 10 out of 10. Thanks Pope Buckfast for nominating it :)
All comments are more than welcome re. my own views above about this book. Agree...disagree?
At last night's meeting was:
Anne MarieCaitrionaPope Buckfast (Hugh)Damien GSandraand Myself
Details of the proposed BookClub barbeque will be texted to members shortly :D

Upcoming Books 16-06-2008

Hi All,

Here's the upcoming booklist:

17th June
To Discuss: The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell

1st July
To Discuss: The Sea by John Banville

15th July
To Discuss: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

29th July
To Discuss: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Lealock

See you tomorrow,
Happy Reading!

BookClub Meeting to Discuss The Siege of Krishnapur

Hello Everyone,

Seeing as only one of the five attendees at last night's BookClub meeting (namely Pope Buckfast) read the nominated book, we decided not to discuss it until next Tuesday night, the 17th of June. That's only one week away, not the usual two weeks we have between books but most of us had some of it read at least.

I was happy with this myself because I really didn't want to know the ending of the story until I had read it. I'm finding it to be a very entertaining read, and also very funny. I think this was the general consensus at the club yesterday evening.

Of course this is going to alter the schedule of books to be read so we will modify it asap.

Kate also nominated a book. Don't have a clue what it was but I'll find out or I'm sure she will fill us in on Boards.ie

So, I hope to see lots of members next Tuesday night if ye can make it. The book is well worth reading...and now you all have a 2nd chance :)

Oh yeah, at last night's meeting were the following:

Sandra
Kate
Hugh (Pope Buckfast)
Tristan C
TristanPeter

Book Club Meeting No. 8: The Doors of Perception

Hi All,

Sorry for the delay in the update... I've been up the walls!

It seems 'The Doors of Perception' by Aldous Huxley was pretty well received by those in attendance. Most agreed that while the book was of it's time it was certainly worth the read. Some people felt that Huxley was advancing Mescaline as a panacea for the worlds need to get out of it's collective head, although others thought that he was merely relating a personal experience and a hope that one day a drug may be developed without the associated problems of alcohol and other narcotics.

There wasn't a huge amount of buy in on Huxleys main thesis that we take in much more information than our brain wants to handle, and drug taking simply removes this filter. However we have to remember that there have been many advances in medical science since Huxley wrote the book.

It was quite a short book, which was just as well, as many people found it difficult to follow, given the authors predilection for referencing high art, and as it turns out, we're not exactly a high art bunch!

Special kudos have to go to Kate for being the only one to get stuck into Heaven and Hell too :)

Tristan one the raffle, and his book choice is 'A Confederacy of Dunces' by John Kennedy Toole

I'll publish an updated upcoming book list tomorrow.

Happy Reading!

Hugh

BookClub Meeting No. 7: The Silver Swan

Hi Everyone,

Just a bit about our last BookClub meeting where we discussed The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black. First off, I'd like to welcome our newest members; Kate and Frances.

I think that the overall feeling towards this novel was that it wasn't very good at all. It was overly descriptive of scenes and settings. The characters were not very likable and also, it wasn't much of a "mystery." From the beginning of the novel, it was quite obvious who the killer was (not to me though because I didn't manage to finish it on time. Tut tut!). It was suggested that John Banville tried to adapt his tried and tested manner of writning to a different genre of novel, and the end result was that it just didn't work. Perhaps highly descriptive passsages are more at home in his other books such as The Sea etc. for which he was nominated (or won?) the Booker Prize. Personally, I think that he was trying to break the mould in terms of the formula that runs through crime thrillers in the main...even if it didn't work very well. The hero of the story, Quirke, in the end didn't even solve the crime, It was a lesser involved character, Hackett! This is one of the reasons why I believe that Banville was trying alter traditional story-telling formulas. Also, I believe that he was trying to avoid the "easy-read" style associated with this genre by being highly descriptive and historically accurate. The Swastika Laundry did exist in Dublin during the period in which the novel is set for example.

Some of the scenarios in the story were very very unlikely, especially his daughter Phoebe falling in love with one of the villainous characters, Leslie White, who was Quirke's nemesis I suppose.

Ok, I admit, I still haven't finished it yet either. It is a tough read. I find it very easy to loose concentration. The pace is slow and there is no real need for the copiously descriptive passages or the flashbacks (Phoebe and the leverets when she was a child...). However, I'm still enjoying the book. I do like the historical aspects of it and it does paint a vivid picture of Dublin City, even if it is hard to differentiate the period of the story's setting from the present or any other time within the last 100 years.

To surmise, the majority of the members who read the book didn't enjoy it at all apart from myself and Tristan C. But I want to give John Banville the benifit of the doubt. I do think that he was trying something new, not just in terms of the kind of books he generally writes himself, but of the style of writing associated with the mystery/thriller genre overall. That can't be a bad thing altogether in my opinion at least. So, as I won the BookClub lotto this week, I get to choose the next book. I really want to see how The Silver Swan compares to John Banville's other works so therefore, I am choosing another of his books, The Sea. It could be a quiet week in Galway BookClub :)

By the way, those who attended the meeting were as follows:
Tristan C
Hugh
Anne Marie
Paul P
Sandra
Kate
karl
Hazel
Frances and
TristanPeter

Looking forward to our next meetin and hope to see you all there

p.s. I don't know how to do a spell check on this so please forgive my terrible spelling.

100 Must Read Books

Art of Manliness has listed it's 100 essential books

There's a few interesting ones on the list which might serve as inspiration for book choices.

Upcoming Books 6-5-2008

Hi All,

Here's the upcoming booklist:

13th May
To Discuss: The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black

27th May
To Discuss: The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley

10th June
To Discuss: The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell

See you on the 13th,
Happy Reading!

Willy Vlautin Live at The Crane

Hi All,

I thought it was a really worthwhile outing to The Crane Bar last night to see Willy Vlautin live. What a coincidence that the author of one of the first books we read at Book Club should show up in Galway a few weeks later. I'm beginning to wonder if Matt had insider knowledge of Mr. Vlautin's tour schedule before he nominated the book :)

I felt that the €15 ticket price was a little steep for The Crane to begin with but in the end it was a nice intimate venue which was by no means overcrowded. Maybe that was just because most people in Galway wouldn't be aware of who Willy Vlautin is.

As you can see from the photo on the left, kindly taken by Hugh this evening, I asked Willy to autograph the book on behalf of all the members of Galway Book Club. He seemed genuinely flattered that The Motel Life was chosen as one of the first books to be discussed at the club. He was very friendly too. I'd say he's a nice guy and as for his music, personally I really enjoyed it. The supporting acts were fairly entertaining also although the first guy, Chad ??? sounded a bit like a Johnny Cash impersonator to me. But this is about books so there's no point in me trying to sound like a music critic who doesn't know what he's talking about especially seeing as I never even heard of Richmond Fontaine. However, as the author said himself, his tour which was initially supposed to showcase a "soundtrack" to his latest novel,Northline, gradually became more focused on the music of his band in general. He did play one or two instrumentals though.

BookClub members who attended the gig included Hugh, Tristan C, Sandra, Anne-Marie, Matt Kid, Karl and myself. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 13th may in Bar No. 8 for 8pm to discuss The Silver Swan. Hope to see you all there.

Regards

TristanPeter

Book Club Field Trip: Willy Vlautin at The Crane Bar

Hi All,

It looks like there's a good bit of interest in a field trip to go and see Willy Vlautin doing a set and reading from his latest book 'Northline'.

It's on in The Crane Bar on Tuesday 29th April at 9pm, tickets are €15

Here are the details

As this falls on the same night as the discussion of 'The Silver Swan' we'll have to push that back.

Please comment here if you are interested in going to this gig.

Also what do people think, should we give another two weeks for 'The Silver Swan' or should we switch it to the week after the field trip?

Thanks,
Hugh

Hugh's Book Choice

Hi All,

My Book Choice is:

'The Siege of Krishnapur' by J.G. Farrell

Details here...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Siege-Krishnapur-J-G-Farrell/dp/1857994914

There might be a change in dates due to the upcoming field trip, so I'll post an updated book/date list when I get a chance

The Silver Swan on Sale in Dubray Books

Hi All,

I just picked up The Silver Swan in Dubray Books on Shop Street for €12, normal price is €18!

I've just been on their website too, and it seems if you register your book club with them you can get a 10% discount on your book club selections.

I'm away this weekend, but maybe Tristan could call into them to inquire?

Thanks!
Hugh

Upcoming Books 9-4-2008

Hi All,

Here are the current upcoming books...

15th April
To Discuss: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

29th April
To Discuss: The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black

13th May
To Discuss: The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley

See you on the 15th,
Happy Reading!