spoko’s Comments (group member since Mar 05, 2021)

spoko’s comments from the EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club group.

I second Of Mice and Men and Fahrenheit 451.

I nominate Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (337 p., pub. 1997).

I nominate Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev (244 p., pub. 1862).

This begins our group discussion of our Modern book selection, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, nominated by spoko.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? This novel is often described as “bleak” or “depressing”—did you find it so? Did you have trouble staying with it? How would you describe the relationship between the boy and his father? What questions were you left with?

This begins our group discussion of our Classics book selection, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, nominated by Lea.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? How did you find the narrative voice—did it add to the story, or distract? Jim is a really crucial secondary character in this book—what did you think of his characterization? What questions were you left with?

The Picture of Dorian Gray has been selected as the Catch-Up title for April 2025. Please feel free to continue with points from previous discussion, or bring up something new!

Do remember that this is the SPOILER thread, in case you would prefer to finish reading before proceeding here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Catch-Up read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Classic read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Modern read by casting your vote here.

Jan wrote: “In my mind, when I read a book, I have an implied contract with the author to tell me a story. I do not want to finish the story. If you wrote it, you tell me how it ends. It is literally your job.”

I don’t have that expectation at all. I don’t believe the ending is the sine qua non of a story, so I don’t think that an ambiguous end means the author hasn’t done their job. I’d much rather read an interesting, well written narrative that leaves me wondering at the end, as opposed to a pallid, uninteresting wet dishcloth of a tale that wraps up in a nice discrete bow. (Not that those are the only two options, thankfully.)

I second My Cousin Rachel.

I second The Martian.

I second The House on Mango Street.

I second A Hero of Our Time and The Awakening.

I second All My Rage.

This begins our group discussion of our Modern book selection, The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, nominated by Renata.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? Stevens seems to be an unreliable narrator—not only to us, but even to himself. Did you find yourself sympathizing with him in spite of (or perhaps even because of) this? Did you appreciate Ishiguro’s writing style? What questions were you left with?

This begins our group discussion of our Classics book selection, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, nominated by Lea.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? The governess is generally considered to be an unreliable narrator; how did this affect the reading of the book for you? What did you think of the ambiguous ending? What questions were you left with?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has been selected as the Catch-Up title for March 2025. Please feel free to continue with points from previous discussion, or bring up something new!

Do remember that this is the SPOILER thread, in case you would prefer to finish reading before proceeding here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Catch-Up read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Classic read by casting your vote here.