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| My display of book club party food. |
My book club met at my house last night to discuss Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. I really enjoyed reading the book, and I was looking forward to discussing it. This is the first book club I've every joined, and I've only been a member for a few months, but so far the experience has been rewarding. I generally read two kinds of books: pulp sci-fi/fantasy and "good literature" (generally books that are either classics or modern fiction that my mother the English teacher has recommended to me). The problem with reading literature without the benefit of a college class or discussion group is that it can be hard to fully appreciate the book. I often feel like I'm just going through a book just to find out what happens in the story, but then I miss the underlying themes and the nuances of the language. And if I do find something insightful, I have no one to share it with.
I've now read two books with my book club, Out Stealing Horses and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Both times read the book at a slower pace than is my usual habit. I underlined passages, took notes, and thought of things that I wanted to discuss with the group. It has been an exciting experience. I feel like I'm in college again. And the discussion with my friends has been rewarding. They notice things that I have missed and respond differently than I do to elements of the story. I was sad that the group did not unanimously like Out Stealing Horses, especially since I am the one who chose it. The found the story and language too fragmented, and the themes of the book depressed them. But I still think it is an excellent book. I thought it was pleasurable and thought provoking. The fragmentation seemed to me to be a tool used by the author to depict the state of mind of the narrator.
I think it would be fun to write an essay on Out Stealing Horses. I've started thinking about it, but if I'm going to do it I want to do it right, which will take me a while. Meanwhile I'm going to continue reading Anna Karenina until it's time to start working on The Inheritance of Loss, the next book club assignment.
I read OSH about a year or so ago. It's beautifully written. Trond is not very likable, but I couldn't help doing so at least a little if only for his honestly.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of us have trouble coming to terms with our past. I found it easy to visualize the setting and I always appreciate that.
I thought that OSH would be a forgetful novel, but I still think about on occasion.
I wish I could have been there with your group for the good book and the yummy cake.
L.