Suggestions for our Oct. & Nov. fiction discussion

Chris OConnor

Suggestions for our Oct. & Nov. fiction discussion

Please use this thread for suggesting fiction books you think would be excellent choices for a group discussion. As you may notice there isn't a date for the next fiction discussion. The starting and ending date of the next discussion period will be determined by the quantity and quality of posts in this thread.

So what would you like to read?

Should we do Wicked? Wicked received a ton of posts when it was an unofficial discussion book.

Saffron · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:52 am Post subject:

I would like to suggest The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

http://www.amazon.com/Things-They-Carried-Tim-OBrien/dp/0767902890

It is a work of fiction and yet the main character's name is Tim O'Brien. It is based on facts and real stories from O'Brien's experiences during the Vietnam war as a foot soldier. He does this intentionally; in his words to better tell the truth. This is an idea that has roots in the work of the German philosopher Martin Heidegger and the Greek concept of truth, Aletheia (anyone read the Golden Compass? Ring any bells - speaking of bells, check out Verbal Fireworks).

Wikipedia Aletheia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aletheia

Here is a simplistic version of Aletheia and writing fiction to tell the truth ((there is a bit of Joseph Campbell in this too). Aletheia is the idea that in describing or telling the truth about anything means you are focusing on one or two aspects or characteristics and not focusing on other aspects. The very attempt to tell the truth warps the whole truth of something -- revealing a truth conceals truth or the truth emerges from what is concealed. So, in order to more accurately tell the truth one must create a story that captures the truth even if all the events are not completely accurate to actual events.

I find this story telling to get to the truth very interesting. I think this book would generate a lot of conversation. It has a hot political aspect, emotionally, the book is super charged and it has a controversial way of telling history.

DWill · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:06 am Post subject:

I'd love to have a chance to read and discuss this book (
The Things They Carried).

DWill

BabyBlues · Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 1:02 am Post subject: Fiction

I think both Wicked and The Things They Carried are fine choices. I think we need to have some sort of fiction choices. I will look around amazon and see if I see any good suggestions.

I have not read it, but I have heard that House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende is good. Below is what Wiki had to say about it.

Ophelia · Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:22 am Post subject:

Thanks, Babyblues, for suggesting The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende.
I haven't read anything by this author, but i'm interested in the themes of the novel.
Here is a link to The House of the Spirits: Politics, History and Class.
http://74.125.39.104/search?q=cache:1l0W7Z9WFUgJ:classshares.student.u sp.ac.fj/LL204/LECTURES/THE%2520HOUSE%2520OF%2520THE%2520SPIRITS/Lectu re%25202.doc+house+of+spirits+allende+class+struggle+power+of+women+po litical+events&hl=fr&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=fr&client=firefox-a

Grim · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject:

I haven't heard of any of those titles but they all summarize good. I am interested in anything!!

YEAH FICTION

Saffron · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:56 am Post subject:

I've been meaning to read Honoré de Balzac. Anyone else interested? Have any suggests for me, as to what to read first?

Saffron

Ophelia · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:13 am Post subject:

My memories go back to high school.

Le Père Goriot is considered typical I think, with realistic descriptions of life in Paris of people who live betweeen the middle and the upper middle class.

Le lys dans la Vallée is more romantic, and I think different from his other novels, the hero being in love with a married woman from the nobility (I write from memory). The setting for this novel is a manor (chateau) from the area where I live, the Touraine.

Saffron · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:36 am Post subject:

Thanks, Ophelia!

Chris OConnor · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 8:30 pm Post subject:

If we can get 4 or 5 people interested in a single book we'll add it as an official fiction selection. Now would be a great time to pick a fiction book since we're a week before the end of the month. September and October would be the reading period. But I will sit back and wait for someone to take the bull by the horns and make this happen.

Ophelia · Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 5:59 pm Post subject:

I suggest Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

There is more to it than the battle scenes in the films.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngbeyond/rings/influences.html

http://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Boxed-Hobbit-Rings/dp/0345340426

Grim · Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject:

Most people who haven't read the books may be tempted to assume a knowledge based on having watched the movie only.

Ophelia · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 2:53 am Post subject:

Grim,

In cases when a novel was turned into a well-known film, the problem you mention arises for the casual visitor to the forum. The people who voted and post regularly know that we are discussing the book, and know which parts of the book are discussed in which threads. They can also see that there is a separate thread to discuss the films.

So one has to be organized, but it's actually a plus for a discussion when there is also a good film. I recently discussed Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and it was interesting to see which of our analyses could be influenced by Hitchcock's film.
We even have a counter-example at BT: Our discussion of Conrad's
Heart of Darkness was very successful, but when it came to the time of discussing the film which had been inspired by the novel, nobody wanted to discuss Coppola's Apocalypse Now with me!

Grim · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 10:48 pm Post subject:

Good point, and the movie did leave much material from the books to the "imagination."
Rolling Eyes

Devi · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:11 am Post subject: Fiction Suggestions

I would suggest Lolita. I love Nabokov, but I've never had the opportunity to discuss the book with any book lovers--would be a treat for me.


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