ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Houston Montrose Great Books - Book Club - Archive Page </title> </head> <body bgcolor="#e0e4d0" text="#000000" link="#339933" vlink="#0066cc" alink="#990099" > <!-------------------------------New stuff---------------> <center> <table width="100%" border="0" align="center" bgcolor="#336633" > <center> <table border="35" bordercolor="#336633" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="100%"> <td> <!-----------------------------------------------------------> <center> <br> <img src="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/images/houstonbookclubs.png" border="0" align=center alt="Houston Book Clubs Logo" width=450 height = 125><br> <table> <tr><td> <h2><font color="#660033" face="times">Houston Montrose Great Books - Book Club - Archive Page</FONT></h2> <center><h4></b>Affiliated with<br> <img src="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/images/greatbookslogo.gif" alt="Great Books Logo" align="middle" width="296" height="24"><br> <font size="3"><em>a Non-Profit Educational Organization</em></font></h4> </td></tr></center> </Table> </center> <UL> <H4> Reading Selections for the Houston Montrose Great Books - Book Club <br> in Our Earlier Years</H4> <H3> Readings for 2011</H3> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Jan 6 - </font> <i>THE CRYING OF LOT 49</i></b> by Thomas Pynchon (publ 1966) 183 pages<br> Included in TIME's list of 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.<br> Author seems to be making a point about human beings' need for certainty, and their need to invent conspiracy theories to fill the vacuum in places where there is no certainty. Mixes obscure historical fact and fiction. Protagonist learns about a series of secret societies and strange groups of people involved in a sort of renegade postal system. She is not sure whether she is the victim of an elaborate conspiracy or prank. Some say that it includes delightfully controlled chaos.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Wendy leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Feb 3 - </font></b> discussion of <i><b>RICHARD III</b></I> cancelled because of bad weather </I> Rescheduled for Sept 1. <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Mar 3 - </font> <i>THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK</i></b> by Arthur Miller (publ 1940) 112 pages<br> Set during the Depression, the play is a moral drama that questions the American Dream. The good fortune of the main protagonist, who is seemingly immune to disaster and who tries desperately to find justification behind his successes, highlights the tragedies of those around him. A quest for validation of his identity results in a deepening paranoia that questions the existence of God and the meaning of life.<br> Note: It is recommended that you use the advantage of shorter reading time for this month to begin ahead of time reading the longer book for next month.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Marcella leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Apr 7 - </font> <i>THE POISONWOOD BIBLE</i></b> by Barbara Kingsolver (publ 1998) 546 pages<br> A 2000 Oprah's Book Club selection...also short listed for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. The narrative alternates among four daughters...The four girls increasingly mature, as each adapts differently to African village life, to the misogyny of their father, and the political turmoil that overtakes The Congo in the 1960s...as the girls mature, the villagers become fully fleshed out human beings immersed in a complex, sophisticated culture<br> Note: note that reading for preceding month is relatively short to allow for additional time to read this months selection which is longer than usual.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Anne leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>May 5 - </font> <i>LAUGHTER IN THE DARK</i></b> by Vladimir Nabokov (publ 1932) 308 pages<br> Story of a rich, respectable, happy middle-aged man who lives in Berlin with his wife and daughter, but abandons them for a very young woman, whom he loves but is not loved in return. One Amazon reviewer writes "There are many points in the book where you can't help but laugh hysterically at the main character and his willingness to avoid seeing the truth/reality of several situations." and another one writes: "The ultimate sexual betrayal scene is brilliantly depicted by Nabokov and elucidated in great and grand detail."<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Will leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Jun 2 - </font> <i>THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING: A NOVEL</i></b> by Alaa-Al-Aswany (translation publ 2004) 255 pages<br> Best selling Arabic novel for 2002 and 2003; voted Best Novel for 2003 by listeners to Egypt's Middle East Broadcasting Service; has been translated into 23 languages worldwide. Award winning translation. A scathing portrayal of modern Egyptian society. "The building is a microcosm of Cairo, containing the extremely wealthy and very poor but one finds that all of them are prostituting themselves to greater forces in the attempt to escape from their demons." "..one of the most important contemporary Arabic novels."<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Alice leading discussion.<br> Note: election of new titles at this meeting-<br> Ballot here at: <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/jun2-2011.html">http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/jun2-2011.html</a><br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Jul 7 - </font> <i>THE CYBERIAD</i></b> by Stanislaw Lem (publ 1965) 312 pages<br> Author is winner of many prestigious awards both in Poland and other areas abroad.<br> A collection of stories where main characters are constructor robots who try to out-invent each other. They travel to the far corners of the cosmos to take on freelance problem-solving jobs, with dire consequences for their employers. From a review at Amazon.com, Lem's style is "the futuristic fable, mixing intellectual slapstick, brilliant wordplay, and deep philosophy."<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Jo leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Aug 4 - </font> <i>WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD</i></b> by E.M. Forster (publ 1905) 192 pages<br> The author's first novel - a prim English family encounters the foreign land of Italy. Story is a comedy of manners that utilizes the elements of farce to demonstrate how a comic clash of cultural sensibilities can quickly turn to tragedy.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Alice leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Sept 1 - </font> <i>RICHARD III</i></b> by Shakespeare (written 1591) 100 pages<br> A history play depicting the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England...widely considered to be one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. Malicious, power-hungry, and bitter about his physical deformity, Richard aspires secretly to the throne and decides to kill anyone who stands in his way to become king.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Claudia leading discussion<br><br <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Oct 6 -</font> <i>RABBIT, RUN</i></b> by John Updike (publ 1960) 272 pages<br> The novel is featured in Time's All-TIME 100 Greatest Novels.<br> Story depicts five months in the life of a 26-year-old former high school basketball player named Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom, and his attempts to escape the constraints of his life. It spawned several sequels, two of which were Pulitzer Prize winners.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Jean leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Nov 3 -</font> <i>HUNGER:A NOVEL</i></b> by Knut Hamsun (publ 1890) 272 pages<br> Nobel Prize Winner in 1920.<br> Set in late 19th century in Norway's capital, it is the adventure of a starving young man whose sense of reality is giving way to a delusionary existence on the darker side of a modern metropolis. While he vainly tries to maintain an outer shell of respectability, his mental and physical decay are recounted in detail. <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Jo leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Dec 1 -</font> <i>WASHINGTON SQUARE</i></b> by Henry James (publ 1880) 266 pages<br> Story recounts the conflict between a dull but sweet daughter and her brilliant, domineering father - one of the more popular works of the Jamesian canon. "The only child of a rich New York physician, shy, unattractive Catherine Sloper falls an easy victim to the attentions of a good-looking fortune-hunter." <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;--Will leading discussion<br> Note: election of new titles at this meeting. Ballot (in progress) is <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/dec1-2011.html"> HERE </a> <H3> Readings for 2010</H3> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>January 7, 2010</font> <i>IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT A TRAVELER</i></b> by Italo Calvino (publ 1979) 304 pages<BR> Author was the most-translated contemporary Italian writer at the time of his death, and a noted contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. List of awards of author can be viewed on wikipedia.org<br> This book is about a reader trying to read a book called <i>IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT A TRAVELER</I>. According to this book, the entire novel, even its plot, is an open trajectory where even the author himself questions his motives of the writing process.<br> --Jo will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>February 4, 2010</font> <i>THE PRINCE</i></b> by Niccolo Machiavelli (publ 1532) 134 pages<BR> Sometimes shockingly direct how-to manual for rulers who aim either to establish and retain control of a new state or to seize and control an existing one. Makes a clear break from the Western tradition of political philosophy that preceded the author where the thinkers of this tradition were concerned with issues of justice and human happiness, and with the constitution of the ideal state.<br> --Alice will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>March 4, 2010</font> <I>THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH</I></B> by Tolstoy (publ 1886) 86 pages <br> Tells the story of the life and death, at the age of 45, of a high court judge in 19th century Russia who is a miserable husband, proud father, and upwardly-mobile member of Russia's professional class. The story progresses in the second half of the novella to the judge's terror as he battles with the idea of his own death caused by a trivial accident and then finally to his deathbed and his final interactions with his family.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;Brian will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>April 1, 2010</font> <UL>Two short stories by E.M. Forster: <LI><i>THE MACHINE STOPS</i></B> by E.M. Forster (publ 1909) 31 pages<br> A short science fiction story that describes a dystopian world in which almost all humans have lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual lives in a cell, with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine. Those who do not accept the deity of the Machine are viewed as unmechanical and are threatened with Homelessness.<br> Available online at <a href="http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/prajlich/forster.html">http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/prajlich/forster.html</a> <LI><i><b>THE CELESTIAL OMNIBUS</i></b> by E.M. Forster (publ 1911) 10 pages<br> A modern fantasy with wordplay and hidden allusions that allow it to function as an allegory.<br> This second short story was not part of original list but added later after the conclusion was reached that <i>THE MACHINE STOPS</i> has not enough content for a full discussion.<br> Available online at <a href="http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a1126.pdf">http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a1126.pdf</a><br> Note: I will make copies of short stories available (no guarantees I won't run out of copies). Hope that some of you will be able to download it on your own or buy the short story collection by the author or check it out from the library.<br> Also Note: These short stories being relatively short should leave more time so you can start reading early for next month, given that <i>THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN SARAGOSSA</i> is rather long at 656 pages. &nbsp;&nbsp;Alice will lead discussion<br><br> </UL> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>May 6, 2010</font> <i>THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN SARAGOSSA</B></I> by Jan Potocki (pub 1805-1815) 656 pages<br> A great late-18th century classic of Polish/French fiction that is a web of stories reminiscent of the Arabian Nights. The narrator of the story tells of the brigands, demons, succubi and evangelists he encounters. The stories cover a wide range of genres and subjects, including the gothic, the picaresque, the erotic, the historical, the moral, and the philosophic; and as a whole the novel reflects the author's far-ranging interests, especially his deep fascination with secret societies, the supernatural, and "Oriental" cultures. <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;According to one Amazon reviewer: "The plot, if it could be called such a thing, unfolds like a chinese puzzle, one unreliable narrative nested within another. ...It wends its way into your thoughts like an ear-boring worm." Though not well-known by Americans, it is defined as a masterpiece by every review I have read thus far.<br> Recommended publisher is <a href="http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0140445803">Penguin Classics</a> translated by Ian MacLean.<BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;Jo will lead discussion <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>June 3, 2010</font> <i>THE MAN THAT CORRUPTED HADLEYBURG</I></b> by Mark Twain (publ 1900) 128 pages<br> Classic tale that is a funny yet blistering indictment of political hypocrisy. A mysterious stranger is treated badly by the town of Hadleyburg-the town that proclaims itself "the most honest and upright town in the region." Through an ingenious sting operation, the stranger sets out to expose Hadleyburg's leading citizens and reveal their greedy, deceitful natures.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;Alice will lead discussion<br>r Note: At end of discussion, group will vote on new titles for upcoming reading list. Ballot in progress at: <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/jun3-2010.html">http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/jun3-2010.html</a> <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>July 1, 2010</font> <i>NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN</i></b> by Cormac McCarthy (publ 2005) 320 pages<br> By far McCarthy's most exciting and suspenseful novel in recent years, the story speeds along, the body count rising in shocking scenes of depravity. A mesmerizing modern-day western. The plot follows the interweaving paths of the three central characters set in motion by events related to a drug deal gone bad near the Mexican-American border in southwest Texas.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;Brian will lead discussion <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Aug 5, 2010</font> <i>ORYX AND CRAKE</i></b> by Margaret Atwood (publ 2003) 416 pages<br> Critically examines developments in science and technology such as xenotransplantation and genetic engineering, particularly the creation of transgenic animals such as "wolvogs" (hybrids between wolves and dogs), "rakunks" (raccoon and skunk), and "pigoons" (pigs and humans, for organ transplants). This society has also produced an exacerbated gap between rich and poor, as well as the commodification of human life and sexuality in prostitution and online child pornography. <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;David will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Sep 2, 2010 </font> <i>PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD </i></b> by Marjane Satrapi (publ 2004) 160 pages<BR> A graphic novel selected by the Houston Public Library as its choice for this years annual community-wide effort known as Books on the Bayou designed to encourage reading of the same book at the same time. More publicity of the event will occur in July. But in the meantime, we have elected to participate by choosing this book for our schedule during the month of September.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, the author tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. More information and excerpts from the book at: http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/persepolis.html<br> --Jo and Wendy leading discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Oct 7, 2010 </font> <i>A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS </i></b>by Robert Bolt (first performed in 1960) 163 pages<BR> Play based on the true story of Saint Sir Thomas More, the 16th-century Chancellor of England, who refuses to endorse King Henry VIII's wish to divorce his aging wife Catherine of Aragon, who could not bear him a son, so that he could marry Anne Boleyn, the sister of his former mistress. The play portrays More as a man of principle, envied by rivals such as Thomas Cromwell and loved by the common people and by his family.<br> --Brian leading discussion <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Nov 4, 2010 </font> <i>THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE </i></b> by Muriel Spark (publ 1961) 160 pages<BR> The bizarre, unforgettable character of Miss Jean Brodie brought Spark international fame and boosted her into the first rank of contemporary Scottish literature. Time Magazine included the novel in its list of Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;In 1930s Edinburgh, six ten year old girls are assigned Miss Jean Brodie who as their teacher is "genuinely intent on opening up her girls' lives, on heightening their awareness of themselves and their world, and on breaking free of restrictive, conventional ways of thinking, feeling, and being."<br> --David leading discussion <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Dec 2, 2010 </font> <i>A SEVERED HEAD </i></b> by Iris Murdoch (publ 1961) 208 pages<BR> Despite the serious themes of marriage, adultery, power struggles and incest within a group of civilized, middle-class and educated people, A SEVERED HEAD is regarded by many readers as the most entertaining of Murdoch's novels. As British novelist William Sutcliffe put it, "Of all the lots-of-people-screwing-lots-of-other-people novels this is probably the best, and certainly the weirdest."<br> --Carol leading discussion<br> Note: election at this meeting. Ballot in progress - see what's submitted so far at: <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/dec2-2010.html">http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/dec2-2010.html</a> <br><br> <!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> <H3> Readings for 2009</H3> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Jan 1, 2009 </font> No discussion this month because of holiday.</b> This should give you more time for extra long book to be discussed in February.<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Feb 5, 2009</font> <i>MIDDLESEX</i></b> by Jeffrey Eugenides (publ 2002) 544 pages <br> 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner, 2007 Oprah Book Club selection<br> The narrator and protagonist, an intersexed person has 5-alpha-reductase deficiency. The bulk of the novel is devoted to telling his coming-of-age story growing up in Detroit, Michigan in the late 20th century. ...story is intertwined with elements of a family saga, meditations on the era's zeitgeist and bits of contemporary history. Possible discussion questions <a href="http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1318"> HERE</a><br> --Marcella will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b> Mar 5, 2009</font> <i>WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS</i></b> by J.M. Coetzee (publ 1980) 156 pages<br> Author is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003.<br> Story is set in a small frontier town of a nameless empire. The Nobel Prize committee called this book "a political thriller in the tradition of Joseph Conrad, in which the idealist's naivete opens the gates to horror". "Early in the novel, it's apparent who the barbarians really are, that's no surprise. What is a surprise, however, is the compassion Coetzee shows his victims and villains alike." Possible discussion questions at <a href="http://www.geocities.com/aauw_vancouver/groupdetail/barbarians.html">geocities.com</a><br> -- Alice will lead discussion.<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Apr 2, 2009</font> <i>ROCK 'N' ROLL</i></b> by Tom Stoppard (premier 2006) 144 pages<br> List of awards for Sir Stoppard at: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Stoppard#Honours_and_awards">Wikipedia.</a><br> ROCK 'N' ROLL is a play concerned with the significance of rock and roll in the emergence of the democratic movement in Eastern Bloc Czechoslovakia. Takes place over several decades.<br> FYI - A group theatre event by Montrose Great Books members is planned for the May 3rd afternoon local performance at the Alley Theatre. Feel free to purchase your tickets anytime if you have not signed up with Alice for a ticket but let Alice know if you want to be included in the dinner reservation planned for after the performance.<br> -- Leader of discussion is TBD<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>May 7, 2009</font> <i>CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES</i></b> by John Kennedy Toole (publ 1980) 352 pages<br> Pulitzer Prize winner in 1981<br> Setting is New Orleans in the early 1960s. The central character is an intelligent but slothful man still living with his mother at age 30 in the city's Uptown neighborhood, who, because of family circumstances, must set out to get a job. In his quest for employment he has various adventures with colorful French Quarter characters. Many locals and writers of New Orleans think that it is the best and most accurate depiction of the city in a work of fiction.<br> -- Claudia will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>June 4, 2009</font> <i>TOO LOUD A SOLITUDE</i></b> by Bohumil Hrabal (self published in 1977) 112 pages<br> Considered one of the greatest Czech writers of the 20th century, the man whom Kundera considers to be one of his masters.<br> Tells the story of an eclectic and dimwitted old man who works as a paper crusher at a hydraulic press in a dark cellar in Prague. Using his job to save and amass astounding numbers of rare and banned books, he is an obsessive collector of knowledge. The books that he must destroy become his whole life, his only companions.<br> --Jo will lead discussion<br> Note: At end of discussion in June, group will vote on new titles for upcoming reading list..<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>July 2, 2009</font> <i>SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES</i></b> by Ray Bradbury (publ 1972) 317 pages<br> About two thirteen-year-old boys who have a harrowing experience with a nightmarish traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern town. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr. Dark" who bears a tattoo for each person who, lured by the offer to live out his secret fantasies, has become bound in service to the carnival. Novel places emphasis on the more serious side of the transition from childhood to adulthood.<br> Cassie will lead discussion.<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>August 6, 2009</font> <i>MAIN STREET</i></b>- by Sinclair Lewis (publ 1920) 448 pages<br> First American to win Nobel Prize in 1930.<br> Captures the aura of small town America which requires conformity to tradition and social standards in exchange for recognition, respect and love from one's neighbors, versus the City as depicted by Washington which seems to offer freedom and individuality precisely because there's no one there who cares about you or what you do.<br> --Susan will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>September 3, 2009</font> <i>UBIK</i></b> by Philip K. Dick (publ 1969) 224 pages<br> Named by Time magazine as one of the one hundred greatest English-language novels published since 1923.<br> A combination of Science Fiction comedy with the unease of reality gone wrong...the protagonist is hired by a company which blocks telepathic snooping and paranormal dirty tricks. Something goes terribly wrong when a big job is tackled on the moon.<br> For those looking for book on Amazon, check <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ubik-Philip-K-Dick/dp/0679736646"> HERE</a><br> --Brian will lead discussion<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>October 1, 2009</font> <i>THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD</i></b> by Zora Neal Hurston (194 pages) publ 1937<br> From the 1930s through the 1950s, Zora Neale Hurston was the most prolific and accomplished black woman writer in America. The book was not universally praised by Hurston's peers, with particular criticism leveled at her use of black southern dialect to show that complex relationships and metaphoric language are possible in something considered "substandard" to English. Setting of novel is central and southern Florida in the early 20th century. The main character, an African American woman in her early forties, tells via an extended flashback, the story of her life which has three major periods corresponding to her marriages to three very different men. <br> <b>Participating in the Books on the Bayou program sponsored by the Houston Library</b><br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>November 5, 2009</font> <i>HARD TIMES</i></b> by Charles Dickens (publ 1854) 313 pages<br> Novel highlights the social and economic pressures that some were experiencing at the time. Dickens wished to satirize radical Utilitarians whom he described ... as "see[ing] figures and averages, and nothing else." He also wished to campaign for reform of working conditions. Setting is the fictitious Victorian industrialist town named Coketown.<br> --Marcella will lead discussion<br> Note: our group will elect a play from list of available performances provided by Alice to be discussed in March (play must be available in text form)<br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>December 3, 2009</font><i>THE BELL JAR</i></b> by Sylvia Plath (publ 1963) 288 pages<BR> Book is semi-autobiographical with the protagonist's descent into mental illness paralleling the author's own experiences chronicled with stunning wit and devastating honesty.<br> Story begins with the protagonist as a young girl from the suburbs of Boston gaining a summer internship at a prominent magazine in New York City.<br> --Wendy will lead discussion<br> Note: At end of discussion, group will vote on new titles for upcoming reading list..<br><br> <H3>Readings for 2008:</H3> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Jan 3, 2008 </font><i>THE HOMECOMING</i></b> by Harold Pinter (96 pages) publ 1964<br> Author was 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature<br> The cruel underbelly of society in the 60s surfaces almost surely with sexually explicit themes and themes of violence. The play is concerned with the return of Teddy, a professor of philosophy at an American college, to the North London house occupied by his father, uncle, and brothers, all of whom seem to operate on the fringes of working-class society, some distance from respectability. Teddy is accompanied by his wife, Ruth, who then finds herself at the centre of a series of Pinteresque power-struggles<br> ---Wendy will lead discussion<br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Feb 7, 2008 </font><i>THE ANALECTS</i></b> by Confuscius (102 pages) written 479-221 B.C.<br> Since Confucius' time, <i>the Analects</i> has heavily influenced the philosophy and moral values of China and later other East Asian countries as well. Together with the other three volumes of the Four Books, it taught the basic Confucian values including propriety, righteousness, loyalty and filial piety, all centered about the central thought of Confucius  humanity. Recommended text will be the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0140443487/sr=8-2/qid=1191121608/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful/105-6947018-6658025?ie=UTF8&n=283155&qid=1191121608&sr=8-2#customerReviews">Penguin Classics paperback version </a> but there are numerous other versions available including several downloadable from the web if that is your choice.. <br>--Betty will lead discussion<br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Mar 6, 2008 </font><i>OTHELLO</i></b> by Shakespeare approx 100 pages) written around 1603<br> A tragic play about deception, manipulation, and revenge- The devotion seems ideal between Othello and Desdemona until they become victims of Iago's exploitation. Play will be performed live this Spring at the Alley Theatre here in Houston. A theatre gathering for our group will possibly be organized for a Sunday in the latter part of March depending on interest. Text available for downloading online from: <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext00/0ws3210.txt">http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext00/0ws3210.txt </a> <br>---Alice will lead discussion<br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Apr 3, 2008 </font><i>MALTESE FALCON</i></b> by Dashiell Hammett (217 pages) publ 1930 <br> A crime noir classic. A greedy and ruthless trio of characters bent on finding the statuette meet their match in Sam Spade. The plot, characters, and dialogue in <i>The Maltese Falcon</i> are perfectly controlled by Hammett, incorporating a vigor and style that became the paradigm for hard-boiled crime fiction. Possible discussion questions at <a href="http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_M/maltese_falcon1.asp">www.readinggroupsguides.com</a> <br>---Christopher will lead discussion<br> Note: Election tonight. <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/apr3-2008.html">Ballot here!</a><br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>May 1, 2008 </font></b> Readings by Mark Twain: <UL><LI> <i><b>THE NOTORIOUS JUMPING FROG OF CALAVERAS COUNTY</b></i> (9 pages) publ 1867 <br> <a href="http://members.cox.net/deleyd/religion/solarmyth/frog.html">http://members.cox.net/deleyd/religion/solarmyth/frog.html</a> <LI><b><i>WAR PRAYER</i></b> (2 pages) publ 1905<br> <a href="http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/warprayer.html">http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/warprayer.html</a <LI> <b><i>NO. 44, MYSTERIOUS STRANGER</i></b> (200 pages) publ 1982, not 1916 - <br> <b>Please read version publ by Univ of California Press 1982</b>. (other versions such as one published posthumously in 1916 reputedly not written by Twain) <br> <i>Mysterious Stranger</i> is the story of a devil wreaking subversive havoc on a socially repressive culture by playing on their hypocritical terms. One example of where it can be purchased is on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Stranger-Mark-Twain-Library/dp/0520045459">amazon.com </a> </UL> ---Anne will lead discussion<br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Jun 5, 2008 </font><i>THE STRANGER</i></b> by Camus (123 pages) publ 1946<br> Author was 1957 Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature<br> The new English translation by Matthew Ward published in 1989 is the <b>preferred translation</b>.<br> Book is one of the best-known examples of absurdist fiction. Some classify it as Existential. The setting is Algiers. The stranger of the story is a young man who commits an unpremeditated crime in a moment of aberration and then is slowly and methodically condemned to death. One of the translations is available <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/15969/Albert-Camus-The-Stranger">HERE</a><br>. ---Wendy will lead discussion<br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Jul 3, 2008 </font><i>A HANDFUL OF DUST</i></b> by Evelyn Waugh (publ 1934) 308 pages <br> Included in Modern Library List of Best 20th-Century Novels.<br> Story focuses on the breakdown of a marriage. Waugh's own marriage was disintegrating when he wrote this, and his unhappiness led him into wider realms of feeling pathos, rage than any you find in his earlier triumphs. If this is Waugh at his bleakest it's also Waugh at his deepest, most poisonously funny as described <a href="http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/0,24459,a_handful_of_dust,00.html">HERE</A> <br> --Carol will lead discussion<br> Note: Meeting will be in downstairs conference room. <br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Aug 7, 2008 </font><i> THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER</i></b> by Carson McCullers (356 pages) publ 1940<br> One of the top one hundred works of twentienth century fiction chosen by the Modern Library. <br> A haunting, unforgettable story that gives voice to the rejected, the forgotten, and the mistreated. Tells an unforgettable story of moral isolation in a small Georgia mill town in the 1930s where a deaf man encounters a young girl, a labor agitator, a restaurateur, and an idealistic African-American doctor. Possible questions for discussion available <a href="http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/mccullers_heart.shtml#discussion">HERE</a> <br> - Cassie will lead discussion <br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Sep 4, 2008 </font><i>THE ROAD</i></b> by Cormac McCarthy (publ 2006) 256 pages<br> Pulitzer Prize winner, an Oprah Book Club Selection. Movie to be released in November 2008.<br> A post-apocalyptic tale describing a journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months across a landscape blasted years before by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and, seemingly, most life on earth. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearting, a cart of scavenged food  and each other. Possible discussion questions <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307387899&view=rg"> HERE </a><br> --Susan will lead discussion<br><br> <li> <font color="#660099"><b>Oct 2, 2008 </font><i>ELLEN FOSTER</i></b> by Kaye Gibbons <br> selected by the Houston Public Library<br> Set in the rural South in the 1970s, the story of 11-year-old Ellen's fight for survival and search for a home. Since 2002 Houston Public Library has hosted an annual community-wide project to foster a culture of reading by encouraging people to come together to discuss a selected book. <a href="http://www.houstonlibrary.org/booksonthebayou/" rel="nofollow">Click Here</a> for more info.<br> Possible questoins for discussion available <a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/obc_pb_19971027_babout/3"> HERE </a><br> --Alice will lead discussion (unless someone else wants to volunteer?)<br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Nov 6, 2008 </font><i>CATCH 22</i></b> by Joseph Heller (publ 1961) 464 pages<br> The novel, set during the later stages of World War II from 1943 onwards, is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the Twentieth century. Classic novel of wartime madness. Story is a general critique of bureaucratic operation and reasoning, among other things. Joseph Heller's brilliance lies in his ability to exaggerate an issue, idea or element of society so perfectly that we see it for just how foolish it is. --Wendy will lead discussion<br> Note: At end of November discussion, group will consider election of a play from available Houston theatre schedules - (classic preferred, excluding musicals for now) --hopefully one performed somewhere in Houston in March. Play to be discussed at our March 6th meeting so play needs to be one where text is available.<br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Dec 4, 2008 </font><i> TROPIC OF CANCER</i></b> by Henry Miller (publ 1934)<br> The Modern Library named it the 50th greatest book of the 20th century. Only a historic court ruling that changed American censorship standards permitted its publication.<br> Famed mixture of memoir and fiction, which chronicles with unapologetic gusto the life and sexual adventures of a young expatriate writer, his friends, and the characters they meet in Paris in the 1930s. <br> --Susan will lead discussion<br> Note: At end of discussion, group will vote on new titles for upcoming reading list..<br><br> <!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> <H3>Readings for 2007</H3> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Jan 4 </font><i> THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING</b></i> by Milan Kundera (314 pages) publ 1984<br> Author is a nominee for the Man Booker International Prize and has won the highest literary award in the CSSR (Czech Republic) and other international literary awards.. --book deals heavily with philosophical concepts--depicts life for artists and intellectuals in Czechoslovakia after the USSR invaded- story of a famous surgeon (and his family) who criticizes the Czech Communists and as a result loses his position.<br> Alice will be leading discussion. <br> <br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Feb 1 </font><i>ON THE ROAD</i></b> by Jack Kerouac (307 pages) first publ 1957<br> often considered the defining work of the postwar Beat Generation that was so affected by jazz, poetry, and drug experiences-- hundreds of references have real-world counterparts--thinly fictionalized autobiography, filled with a cast made of Kerouac's real life friends, lovers, and fellow travelers. the soul of the Beat movement and literature. <br> Sophia will be leading discussion. <br> <br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Mar 1 </font><I>A SIMPLE HEART</i></b> by Gustave Flaubert (approx 100 pages) written 1876 <br> Deceptively simple story of a housemaid and her approach to a lifetime of servitude renders her mundane life with great beauty and psychological integrity, Available online at: <a href="http://www.bibliomania.com/0/5/136/344/8571/frameset.html">http://www.bibliomania.com/0/5/136/344/8571/frameset.html</a><br> Alice will be leading discussion. <br> <br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Apr 5 </font><i>BLINDNESS</I></b> by Jose Saramago (292 pages) Engl trans publ 1998<br> Saramago is the only Portuguese writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature which he won in 1988.<br> This book explores loss and disorientation in a modern city in which every person but one becomes blind. <br> Carol will be leading discussion.<br> Note: Election of readings for July thru Dec (excluding October) will occur during last 15 minutes of the meeting. Please send in your suggestions BEFORE the meeting to Alice. You must have attended two meetings in order to submit up to two suggestions. <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/apr5-2007.html">Ballot Here </a> <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>May 3 <I></font>LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT</B></I> by Eugene O'Neill (192 pages) written 1942<br> Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama in 1957.<br> Widely considered to be his masterwork. The action covers a fateful, heart-wrenching day in August of 1912 at a seaside Connecticut home - the autobiographical representations of O'Neill himself, his brother, and their parents. <br> Mary will be leading discussion. <br> <br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Jun 7 </font><i>THE BOSTONIANS</i></b> by Henry James (414 pages) publ 1886<br> Verena Tarrant arouses the passions of two very different people: Olive Chancellor, a Boston-bred suffragette, who wants to make Verena a campaigner for women's rights and Basil Ransom, a Mississippi-bred lawyer, who wants to make her his wife.<br> Carol will be leading discussion. <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Jul 5 </font><i>BRAVE NEW WORLD</i></b> by Aldous Huxley (288 pages) publ 1932<br> Huxley uses the setting (London in 2540) and characters from this futurist fantasy to express widely held opinions, particularly the fear of losing individual identity in the fast-paced world of the future. Warfare and poverty have been eliminated in the world it describes. And the society is hedonistic deriving pleasure from promiscuous sex and drug use, especially the use of soma.<br> Wendy will be leading discussion. <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Aug 2 </font><i>SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE</i></b> by Kurt Vonnegut (186 pages) publ 1969<br> Combines science fiction elements with an analysis of the human condition from an uncommon perspective, using time travel as a plot device and the bombing of Dresden in World War II, the aftermath of which Vonnegut witnessed, as a starting point. On <a href="http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html"> Time Magazine's list of 100 best English novels</a><br> Steve S. will be leading discussion. <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Sept 6 </font><i>INTERPRETER OF MALADIES</I></b> by Jhumpa Lahiri (excerpt listed is 93 pages) publ 1999<br> Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award.<br>. A collection of short stories about the lives of immigrant Indians (from Asia) who are caught between the culture they have inherited and the "New World" they now find themselves in. A <a href="http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/interpreter_maladies.shtml">Reader's Guide here </a> is available. Titles of short stories to be discussed are limited to those 4 listed below so we can do justice to this prize winning collection. <ul> <LI> <i> Interpreter of Maladies</i> <LI><i>A Real Durwan</i> <LI><i>Sexy</i> <LI> <i>Mrs. Sen's</i> </ul> Laurie will be leading discussion. <br><br> <li><font color="#660099"><b> Oct 4</font><i> BLESS ME, ULTIMA </i></b> by Rudolfo Anaya (publ 1972) 304 pages <br> A Houston <b>Books On The Bayou</b> event which is a city-wide reading initiative sponsored by the Houston Public Library<br> Winner of the Premio Quinto Sol national Chicano literary award. Bestseller.<br> A coming of age story in New Mexico in the 1940s of a boy who meets a curandera (or healer) who struggles to stop the witchcraft of the main villain. The boy, who is witness to several deaths, is forced to deal with religious and moral issues. Sample of some discussion questions available at <a href="http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/bmurecommended.htm"> http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/bmurecommended.htm</a>. FYI - This selection was also chosen by the Austin Public Library for their "Books on the Bayou"equivalent in Austin, TX in 2002 and also FYI - the book was banned in Colorado for reading by High School students (in case that piques your interest.more than this little summary description, LOL)<br> Text is usually widely available at any Houston Library.as well as in Houston retail book stores during the month of Sept.<br> Note: Election of readings for January thru June will occur during last 15 minutes of the Oct meeting. Please send in your suggestions BEFORE the meeting to Alice. You must have attended two meetings in order to submit up to two suggestions. <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/oct4-2007.html">Ballot Here </a> <br><br> <LI><font color="#660099"><b>Nov 1 </font><i>ANTHEM</i></b> by Ayn Rand (272 pages) publ 1938<br> Science fiction taking place at some future date when mankind has entered another dark age as a result of what the author saw as the weaknesses of socialistic thinking and economics. Technological advancement is now carefully planned (when it is allowed to occur at all) and the concept of individuality has been eliminated (for example, the word "I" has disappeared from the language.) Included on <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html"> the Reader's List of Modern Library's 100 Best Novels/</a>. Also, <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext98/anthm10a.txt.">Project Gutenberg e-text of ANTHEM available here</a><br> Wendy will be leading discussion. <br><br> <LI> <font color="#660099"><b>Dec 6 </font><i>ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE</b></i> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (432 pages)<br> first publ in Spanish in 1967, in English in 1970 <br> Author is Nobel Prize wininer for Literature in 1982<br> Novel awarded Venezuela's prestigious Rómulo Gallegos Prize for literature in 1972.<br> Considered to be author's masterpiece, metaphorically encompassing the history of Colombia. The novel chronicles a family's struggle, and the history of their fictional town, Macondo, for one hundred years. A reader's guide with discussion questions is available at <a href="http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides/one_hundred_years_of_solit.asp">readinggroupguides.com</a><br> Helen will be leading discussion. <br><br> <!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> <hr noshade size=5> <H3>Readings for 2006</H3> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Jan 5 </font> <i>TAKE ME OUT</i> </b> by Richard Greenberg<br> (128 pages) published 2003<br>  The New York Empires locker room will never be the same after a charismatic young baseball star at the top of his game casually reveals a personal truth: he's gay. & A joyous tribute to baseball that celebrates the glory of the game, and the men who love or learn to love America's pastime. Winner of the 2003 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play and a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. <br> Sofia leading discussion<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Feb 2 </font> <i>THE GREAT GATSBY</i> </b> by F. Scott Fitzgerald <br> (209 pages) originally published 1945<br>  ..arguably Fitzgerald s finest work& Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings.<br> Steve leading discussion<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Mar 2</font> <i>HADJ MURAD</i> </b> by LeoTolstoy <br> (192 pages) written 1904<br> "..a great chieftain, Hadji Murád, broke with the Chechen and fled to the Russians for safety. Months later, while attempting to rescue his family from prison, Hadji Murád was pursued by those he had betrayed and, after fighting the most heroic battle of his life, was killed." Per an Amazon reviewer: "an action-packed, well-written, historically interesting story with compelling characters."<br> Alice leading discussion<br> Vote on new future reading selections to follow discussion. <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/mar2-2006.html">Ballot Here</a><br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Apr 6 </font><i>TO THE LIGHTHOUSE </b> by Virginia Woolf</i><br> (209 pages) published 1942<br>  ..explores the subjective reality of the everyday life of the Ramsay family of the British Hebrides islands. A 'feminine' book, filled with irony, sadness, and doubts about life.  <br> Steve leading discussion<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">May 4 </font><i>AGE OF IRON</i></b> by John Coetzee<br> (208 pages) published 1998<br> <a href="http://www.greatbooks.org/typ/index.php?id=92">Great Books Penguin Selection summary and questions available. </a><BR> From Library Journal: "This is the South African novelist's most direct indictment of apartheid yet. It takes the form of a letter-diary from Mrs. Curren, a former classics professor dying of cancer, to her daughter in America. She details a series of strange events that turn her protected middle-class life upside down." Author won Nobel Prize in 2003. <br> Alice leading discussion<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">June 1 </font><i> RAGTIME </i></b> by E.L. Doctorow <br> (270 pages) publ in 1975<br> Received the first National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction in 1976 as well as the Arts and Letters Award given by the American Academy and National Institute of Arts and Letters. Bestseller. Set in the decade prior to World War I, Ragtime "rags" an array of historical figures that include Houdini, William Howard Taft, J.P. Morgan, Sigmund Freud, and others. Historic and imaginative events are woven so skillfully that by the end of the novel the nature of historical truth is called into question. <br> Steve S. leading discussion.<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">July 6 </font><i> A BEND IN THE RIVER </i></b> by V.S. Naipaul <br>(288 pages) published 1989 <br>Author is a Nobel Prize Winner- "A chronicle of the descent of a Central African nation (Zaire) from postColonial disruption to New African corruption to utter chaos & hooliganism as seen through the eyes of Salim, a Muslim Indian shopkeeper... " <br> Alice leading discussion.<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Aug 3 </font><i> DINNER WITH FRIENDS </i></b> by Donald Margulies <br>(112 pages) (a play) Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2000 <br>...a funny yet bittersweet examination of the married lives of two couples who have been extremely close for dozens of years. Although it seems to be treading on familiar ground, Dinner keeps changing its perspective to show how one couple's breakup can have equally devastating effects on another's stability. <br> Hedwiga leading discussion.<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Sept 7 </font><i> SONS AND LOVERS </i></b> by D.H. Lawerence <br>(394 pages) publ in 1913 <br>"first modern portrayal of the Oedipus complex". "Never was a son more indentured to his mother's love and full of hatred for his father than Paul Morel, D.H. Lawrence's young protagonist." Available online at: <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=217285">http://www.gutenberg.org</a> <br> Steve S. leading discussion.<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Oct 5 </font><i> RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER</i></b> by Rachel Simon (304 pages) publ 2003<br> A <a href="http://webadv.chron.com/ads/ads_b/booksonthebayou/">Houston Books on the Bayou </a> selection by the Houston Library - book will be VERY widely available for checkout at any Houston library.<br> The author's sister Beth who has mental retardation, spends her days riding the buses.. The drivers are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community This book is the chronicle of a remarkable time that was a result of Beth asking her sister to accompany her on the buses for an entire year. <br>. Leader of discussion is TBD. <br>Note: Election of new readings held at end of October discussion. <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/Oct5-2006.html">Ballot can be viewed HERE</a>.<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Nov 2 </font><i> GILEAD </i></b> by Marilynne Robinson (publ 2006) (256 pages) <br>Pulitzer Prize 2005- from Publisher's Weekly: "...a mesmerizing account of meditations on creation and existence fully illumined" by a preacher in the small Iowa town of Gilead  in the form of a letter to his young son, to whom he imagines reading it when he is grown. <br> Lisa leading discussion.<br><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Dec 7 </font><i> LIFE OF PI</i></b> by Yann Martel <br>(336 pages) publ 2002 <br>Man Booker Prize Winner 2002. Bestseller. "This is a story of survival. A little kid shipwrecked tries to survive in the middle of the Pacific ocean...with a wild murderous tiger...alone in a boat." <br> Alice leading discussion.<br><br> <br> <hr noshade size=5> <!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> <H3> Readings for 2005</H3> <LI> <b><font color="#660099">January 6, 2005</font></b> - Marquez:<i>One Hundred Years of Solitude</i>(464 pages)<br> - Alice leading the discussion<br> Author won Nobel prize in 1982.<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Feb 3, 2005</font></b> - Miller:<i>The Crucible</i> (95 pages)<br> - Alice leading discussion<br> Play being performed at the Houston Alley Theatre - Feb 25th thru March 20th.<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">March 3, 2005</font></b> - Jones:<i>The Known World</i> (432 pages)<br> - Ann Leading discussion<br> Our March selection won the Pulitzer prize in 2004 as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award.<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">April 7, 2005</font></b> - Voltaire:<i>Candide</i> (112 pages)<br> - Alice Leading discussion <br>At the end of our April discussion - we will vote on new selections for July thru October. Be thinking about selections you can submit for the ballot <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/april7-2005.html"> HERE </a>. <LI><b><font color="#660099">May 5, 2005</font></b> - Barker:<i>Regeneration</i> (232 pages)<br> - Ann Leading discussion<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">June 2, 2005</font></b> - Dostoevsky:<i>Crocodile</i> (22 or 82 pages depending on whether you print out online or get a text with a lot of introduction)<br> Online link <a href="http://eserver.org/fiction/the-crocodile.txt"> http://eserver.org/fiction/the-crocodile.txt </a> - Alice Leading discussion<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">July 7</font></b> - Kundera: <i>FAREWELL WALTZ</i> (288 pages)<br> published 1998<br> Note: This selection has an earlier translation titled THE FAREWELL PARTY published in 1976 which is out of print. Neither translation appears to be available thru the Houston Public Library but the newer translation seems easy to find online at Amazon and Barnes-Noble which means you can order thru local retail book stores as well.<br> Karen leading discussion<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Aug 4 </font></b>- Forster:<i>A ROOM WITH A VIEW</i> (224 pages)<br> published 1908<br> Steve leading discussion<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Sept 1</font></b>- Tennessee Williams:<i>A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE</i> (142 pages) <br> published 1947<br> Alice leading discussion<br> Vote on new future reading selections to follow discussion. <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose/ballots/sep1-2005.html">Ballot Here</a><br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Oct 6 </font></b>- Khaled Hosseini:<i>THE KITE RUNNER</i> (384 pages)<br> published 2004<br> Anne leading discussion<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Nov 3 </font></b>- Evelyn Waugh:<i>BRIDESHEAD REVISITED</i> (251 pages)<br> published 1945<br> Steve leading discussion<br> <LI><b><font color="#660099">Dec 1</font></b> - Tolstoy:<i>THE COSSACKS</i> (224 pages)<br> written 1862<br> One of serveral online versions available at: <a href="http://www.litfix.com/tolstoy/onlinetexts/cossacks/index.html">http://www.litfix.com/tolstoy/onlinetexts/cossacks/index.html</a><br> Alice leading discussion<br> <hr noshade size = 5> <!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> <H3> Readings for 2004</H3> <LI>January: Embers, Sander Marai <LI>February: On Happiness, Aristotle* <LI>March: As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner <LI>April 1, 2004: The Plague, Albert Camus (Orig scheduled for May) <LI>May 6, 2004: The Apology, Plato* (orig scheduled for April) <LI>June 3, 2004: Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad*<br> * These selections are found in the <a href="http://www.greatbooks.org/programs/gb/series/first.html#first">First Series of Great Books Reading and Discussion Program</a><br> To order, call 1-800-222-5870 or go to <a href="http://www.greatbooks.org"> www.greatbooks.org</a>.<br> <LI>July -- Durrell: Justine<br> <LI>Aug -- Shakespeare: Taming of the Shrew<br> <LI>Sept -- Cather: My Antonia<br> <LI>Oct -- Martinez: Crossing Over - A <i>Books on the Bayou</i> selection. Click <a href="http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/booksonthebayou/program.html">[HERE] </a> for info on Books on the Bayou, 200r<br> <LI>Nov -- Fuentes: The Old Gringo <LI>Dec -- Penn Warren: All the Kings Men <!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> <hr size=2> <H3> Readings for Previous Year -- 2003</H3> <LI>January 2, 2003: The Tin Drum, Gunter Grass <LI>February 6, 2003: Forged in Battle: The Civil War Alliance of Black and White Soldiers, Joseph Glatthaar (depending on availability) <LI>March 6, 2003: The Double, Fydor Dostoyevsky <LI>April 3, 2003: Man¹s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl <LI>May 1, 2003: Death in Venice, Thomas Mann <LI>June 5, 2003: <a href="http://academics.triton.edu/uc/files/aeotp.html">An Enemy of the People</a> , Henrik Ibsen <LI>July 3, 2003: The Fire and The Sun: Why Plato Banished the Artists, Iris Murdoch <LI>August 7, 2003: Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf <LI>September 4, 2003: Heaney: Beowulf: The Modern Translation <LI>October 2, 2003: Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 <LI>November: <a href="http://www.colorado.edu/English/engl4652/realcontents.html">The Real Thing</a>, Henry James <LI>December: Rothschild's Fiddle, Anton Chekhov* <H3> Readings for Previous Year - 2002</H3> <!------------------------------------------------------> <LI>Jan 3,2002 Tolstoy: <a href="http://www.ccel.org/t/tolstoy/family/">Family Happiness</a><br> Group will meet at Central Market<br> 2nd floor community room<br> 3815 Westheimer(at Weslayan)<br> from the collection: Great Short Works by Leo Tolstoy<br> ISBN: 0060830719 (repeat use)</LI> <LI>Feb 7,2002 O'Connor: <a href="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html">A Good Man is Hard to Find</a><br> (on the web)<br> Meeting at Freed-Montrose Library<br> 4100 Montrose<br> 2nd Floor Coference Room <br> <LI>Mar 7,2002 Adler:The Paideia Proposal:An Educational Manifesto</LI> <LI>Apr 4,2002 Edmunds: Wittgenstein's Poker: The Story of a Ten-Minute Argument Between Two Great Philosophers <LI> May 2,2002 <A href="http://www.newyorker.com/PRINTABLE/?fiction/011008fi_fiction">"Comfort,"</a> a short story by Alice Munro in the New Yorker 10/08/01 (and on the web) <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/PRINTABLE/?fiction/011008fi_fiction">click here.</a> <LI>June 6,2002 <a href="http://tech-two.mit.edu/Shakespeare/measure/index.html">Measure for Measure </a>(changed from The Merchant of Venice ), William Shakespeare <LI> July 4,2002 "The Declaration of Independence" Area-wide discussion at Central Market (HEB store) 3815 Westheimer - Time: 3pm Loc: 2nd floor community room <LI>August 1,2002 --Carson McCullers: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe <LI>September 5,2002-- Giuseppe de Lampedusa: The Leopard <LI>October 3, 2002-- Ernest Gaines: A Lesson Before Dying <LI>November 7, 2002-- Jhumpa Lahiri: Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri <LI>December 5, 2002-- Mary Lavin: On Happiness <!-------------------end of 2002 -----------------------------------> <Hr size = 1> <H3>Readings for previous year - 2001:</H3> <!--------------------------------------------> <LI>Jan 4,2001 Tolstoy:Kreutzer Sonata<br> from the collection: Great Short Works by Leo Tolstoy<br> ISBN: 0060830719</LI> <LI>Feb 1,2001 Shakespeare: Hamlet<br> ISBN: 067172262X</LI> <LI>Mar 1,2001 Stoppard: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead<br> ISBN: 0802132758</LI> <LI>Apr 5,2001 Dostoevsky: The Gambler<br> ISBN: 0486290816 or on the web at<Br> <a href="http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Fyodor_Dostoevsky/The_Gambler/">http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Fyodor_Dostoevsky/The_Gambler/</a></li> <LI>May 3,2001 O'Connor: Wise Blood<br> m the collection: Three by Flannery O'Connor<br> ISBN: 0451525140</LI> <LI>Jun 7,2001 - meeting cancelled due to flood <LI>Jul 5,2001 Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilych<br> from the collection: Great Short Works by Leo Tolstoy<br> ISBN: 0060830719 (repeat use)</LI> <LI>Aug 2,2001 Fugard: Hello and Goodbye<br> from the collectin: Blood Knot and Other Plays<br> ISBN:1-55936-020-8</LI> <LI>Sep 6,2001 Eliot: Murder in the Cathedral<br> ISBN: 0156632772</LI> <LI>Oct 4,2001 O'Connor: The Violent Bear it Away<br> from the collection: Three by Flannery O'Connor<br> ISBN: 0451525140 (repeat use)</LI> <LI>Nov 1,2001 Fugard: Boesman and Lena<br> from the collection: Blood Knot and Other Plays<br> ISBN:1-55936-020-8 (repeat use)</LI> <LI>Dec 6,2001 Bring your own selection - group will meet at Cafe Express on Kirby 3200 Kirby Drive.</LI><br> <!--- Earlier suggestions: <a href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Kirby/suggestions/">clicking here</a>----> </UL> </UL> <br> <!----- <hr size 2> <A href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Kirby/collections.html">Collections by Nobel Prize winners (that can be purchased)</A> submitted by Alice as a response to a request by Rachel.----> <center> </center> <!-------------------------------------------> </UL> <br> <br> <br> <!---------(Note: We try to follow as best we can the Great Books <a href="http://www.greatbooks.org/programs/gb/sharinq/rules.shtml">Shared Inquiry</a> Method. --Alice) -----> <br> <br> <!----------------------New Stuff----------------------------> </UL> </td> </center> </table> <!-- trailer------------------------------------> <hr size 1> <center> <P> <hr size 1> <FONT face="helvetica, arial" size="2" color="#660033"> <A href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/"><B>back to Houston Book Clubs home page</B></A> <br> <A href="http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose"><B>back to Houston Montrose Great Books - 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