Ken’s Comments (group member since Jan 21, 2020)

Ken’s comments from the The Obscure Reading Group group.

I might join as well. April is the cruelest month for flowers, but probably not journeys.

"Grub Street" is the name of a writing center that offers classes and publishes a lit. journal from Boston.

I wonder if the idea for their name is this George-On-Speed fellow. Oh, just kidding. Riffing on Jannifer's joke, is all.

George Gissing's The Nether World eked out a one-vote win to become our obscure but worthy selection to read and discuss together beginning Feb. 1st.

This thread is a place for any pre-chat discussion about the book's history, author, setting, etc. I can start by saying I'd never heard of Gissing even though he's British and I know my Brits pretty well (being a British major, no wait, English major, in college).

By the looks of things, he looks like a mini-Dickens, but we shall see! Reading schedule (probably split into two weeks as it's around 400 pp.) will be posted in the coming weeks. Meantime, if you plan to join, you have all of January to find a copy and to have at least the first half of the book finished by the day before Groundhog Day.

And if you're interested in the poll results, there's a shortcut here.

Happy New Year, indeed. We pray it every year, and with good reason.

Anyway, today is your last chance to vote on the last poll. We have a real horse race this time, the three books separated by only three votes -- the top two by only ONE vote.

So, yes. Your vote can make a difference, so practice democracy!

Final poll for Feb. book is up.

Today is DAY TWO of the first round of voting for February's discussion choice.

If you haven't already, visit the ORG's Group Home page and scroll to the bottom where the poll awaits your vote.

Tomorrow will be the one-day, final poll consisting of the Top 3 vote getters.

New Year's Day will feature a title choice slash winner, shiny and new (even though it's dusty and old, being an obscure classic).

Today and tonight offer the last chance to nominate a classic for February. If you have a pick, text it my way!

The all-call for Feb. nominations went out last night. If you're interested in nominating an obscure classic (1899 publication or sooner, any country as long as available in English), text me your nomination!

And I hope everyone enjoyed Boxing Day slash St. Stephen's Day.

Thank you both, and Merry Christmas to all celebrants here as well!

Classical Thinking Caps

I know it's a busy time of year, but in the week between Christmas and New Year's, I'll be sending an all-members request for nominations for our February book.

Remember, February is the one special book of the three we read a year. It must have a published date of 1899 or earlier, making it a classical gas.

So, yeah. Push those dancing sugar plums a bit to the right in your head so there's room to start brainstorming about books both great and obscure and "classical" that we might share come February.

Gina wrote: "Yes. I'm looking forward to Eng's next book. When and how does this group decide what to read next."


Gina, our next read-together month is February. A call for nominations will go out between Christmas and New Years, followed by voting, followed by the winning title's announcement in the early days of January. Discussion begins on the first of February.

Also, Feb. is special in that it is "Obscure Classics Month" of the three months we read (Feb. -- June -- Oct.), meaning the book must have been published before 1900.

This week we will discuss Book One only of The Gift of Rain. If you have barreled ahead into Book Two, please take care to avoid spoilers.

In addition to the usual topics -- your opinions on the author's style, characterization, plotting, and conflict -- Book One offers ample tangents on history, cultures, war, love, and human nature. It starts with the first of many stories within a story, then unfolds in an area of the world many of our readers are unfamiliar with. What is working for you as a reader so far? How do you see the author working with various narrative structures? Any questions and opinions are welcome as we dive into history here!

This novel is conveniently divided into two "Books," so we will break our discussion in two, using the author's design.

WEEK ONE DISCUSSION (October 1 - 7)

Have finished by 10/1 all of Book One (Chs. 1-22), in the hardcover edition, pp. 1-248.


WEEK TWO DISCUSSION (October 8 - 15)

Complete the novel by 10/8, reading Book Two (Chs. 1-23), in the hardcover edition,
pp. 251-432.

I like the sound of rain. And gifts.

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng has been selected as the Obscure Reading Group's October selection. In the coming weeks, those who wish to participate will be finding a copy to read for our discussion beginning on Oct. 1st.

This thread is for any pre-discussion thoughts readers may have (e.g. background material on the author, the book's setting, time, and place, etc.). At some point I will bring up logistics as well -- dividing the book into two or three weeks of discussion threads, for instance (I believe it is around 450 pp., though GR page counts aren't always accurate and I don't have a copy in my hands yet).

Thanks to all who participated in the polling process. If you were on the sideline for the voting, but this book intrigues you, you're welcome to jump in for our October roundtable as well!

P.S. If you wish to see the final poll result, simply click "Polls" in the menu to the right on the ORG's homepage.

Glad you found the Promised Land (er, Poll), Sue.

ROUND TWO'S poll is now ready for voting. We had a clean three for most votes, so that whittles the original ten down nicely.

Sue wrote: "Ken, where is the poll? I seem to have forgotten how to find it or missed a link."

Go to the group's homepage and scroll all the way down. There she be!

Hi, Pamela. Lucky indeed! Not an independent bookstore in sight in my hometown (much less neighborhood). Glad you'll be able to jump in this October. Welcome!

Just sent the poll for our October selection. Thanks to those of you who provided such great titles.

Two days to vote. Enjoy!

Proust *cough* is a trudge *cough*. Well, I'm a bad source because I got bogged down in the first 100 pp. of the first book, even though it was supposed to be the lovely Lydia Davis translation.

But certain classic authors do that to me: Henry James, Wm Faulkner, "Who's Afraid of" Virginia Woolf, Proust. I just get itchy and impatient with the language.

As for Oblomov, I fear this train left the station before I even packed my luggage at home!