The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis General Discussion

[Debra]

Enter you general comments here

[Debra]

If you can get your hands on ISBN 0195151364 for this book, then you can read Stephen King's introduction for the novel. If you can't find it through you library system, Amazon has several used copies starting at 99 cents.

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Hey everyone, I need some information from those of you who have picked up this book in preparation of our April-May group read.

Apparently the different editions have different divisions of chapters and are not presented as the original was in increments of three volumes with three chapters each. Three, three and three is how I have set up the discussion threads. Now I need to rethink this format, based on what everyone is actually going to be reading.

Please respond to me here with the outline of how the book you are going to read is laid out. For the moment the topic threads are frozen from comment. I will re-name them to the best advantage of our discussions and un-freeze them on April 1st.

Looking forward to a lively discussion. This book seems to scream for everyone’s opinions!

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Joe has offered this site http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/l/lewis...
as a source,

and I am including Project Gutenberg's:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/601

Thank you Joe for sharing your research.

[Linda]

I think I'm going to look for this book on audio, I suppose if I can't find it, I will look for an ebook edition......

[Linda]

Was unable to get this one on audio, I'm bummed!!! I pulled it up on my Nook and there are so many copies!!! and I can't decide if I want to read this one...... Ugh.........

[Debra]

I didn't think this one would be on audio. So, why are you thinking you might not want to read this one? We would love to have your input in the discussions, ya know?

[Ann]

You can download a copy of the eBook right from Goodreads. I have it in Mobi Format now on my PC so will have to check the chapter format later. I need to upload it to my Kindle. The library had the version that SK write the intro for on the shelves at a couple of branches.

[Linda]

I'm not sure, it sounds good and sounds like a book I would want to read, but I think I am having bad flash backs from The Woman in White. while I enjoyed that book, it seemed to take me forever to read it and I ended up putting it down - I really don't like doing that.....

[Debra]

The Monk is a much faster read than The Woman in White, and shorter, Linda. I don't think you will have the same troubles with it.

[Linda]

Ok, I will seriously think about it - I looked for it on my Nook, and I can get it for $.99.

[Debra]

Cool!

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Well, I haven't gotten a copy yet, waiting for the library to notify me.

Sooo...I've decided to leave the discussion names as they are and just remove the chapter designations. Apparently every edition is a little different.

I am hoping that based on the discussion titles, we will generally be able to tell which part of the book we are discussing.

Begin!!!

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Appraisal by Stephen King
"The Monk was a black engine of sex and the supernatural that changed the genre--and the novel itself--forever. There has never been anything quite like it. At this writing, the book is over two hundred years old and still explosive" (Stephen King, 2002)

[Linda]

I haven't downloaded this one on my Nook yet, I guess I should do that soon....

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Have my copy now.

Ready to start.

See you all in the discussion thread, Gipsy's Song!

[Linda]

Ugh.... I don't know what is holding me back from downloading this book on my Nook and reading it. I don't want to read any of the discussions since they are filled with spoilers.... what to do... what to do.....

[Debra]

Anything we can do to help, Linda? Need a kick in the booty? lol

[Linda]

LOL!!! I think so :)

[Ann]

hmm, the mobi version is in chapters with no header names in sight so this will be a challenge to post properly. It is three parts: part one with three chapters (1-3) part two with four chapters (chapter 1-4) and part three with five chapters (chapters 1-5)
I am going to guess and hope it isn't too far off.

Almeta wrote: "Sooo...I've decided to leave the discussion names as they are and just remove the chapter designations."

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Ann wrote: "hmm, the mobi version is in chapters with no header names in sight so this will be a challenge to post properly. It is three parts: part one with three chapters (1-3) part two with four chapters (..."

I think that the first 3 chapters will match. When you get to the next set, I have 3 chapters and you have 4. The last 3 chapters, somehow got expanded into 5 elsewhere.

[Jonathan]

I just got mine in the mail today- It is the Wordsworth Edition, edited by David Stuart Davies. It is not divided into parts, just 12 chapters with no division.

[Debra]

Hey Jonathan! Good to see you here!

[Debra]

My copy with the Stephen King introduction doesn't have part numbers either, but it is divided into 3 volumes and the chapter numbers start over at 1 with each new volume. Almeta will be changing the discussion headings to try to come up with a way for folks to match the discussions with the chapters their reading.

Did anyone pick up the book with the Stephen King intro?

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Debra wrote: "Almeta will be changing the discussion headings to try to come up with a way for folks to match the discussions with the chapters their reading. ..."

Okay, I have re-labeled the discussion topics based on what seems to be the most popular divisions of three volumes and the chapters within. Just in case your edition does not follow this format, I have also included the beginning words of each chapter, so that you may identify the section by the text.

I have spent more time on organizing this than actually reading it!

Now...down to business. ☻

[Ann]

Including the beginning words of each chapter is very helpful, Almeta! Thanks!

[Jonathan]

Thanks, because your divisions don't line up with mine, the beginning words are indeed helpful!

[Debra]

Glad we are now all on the same page... hehe

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Debra wrote: "Glad we are now all on the same page... hehe"

Does anyone copy have Epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter? I don't know if referencing them in the discussions will be understood if they don't exist in your copy.

For instance the first chapter quotes Shakespeare's Measure for Measure.

[Debra]

Mine had epigraphs. Course I didn't make any notes about them to discuss.