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January 25, 2006

Introducing Marianne's Book Group!

In the world of popular reading, book groups have become all the rage. For the past three years, on the second Wednesday of the month, here at the Library, 20 avid readers have gathered to discuss thought provoking works of fiction and non-fiction.

The first selection in the current series was The Sisters: the Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell who writes with insight, humor and skillful analysis about a dazzling, complex English family and aristocracy during the period from the 1920’s through the 1960's.

In November we read To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Considered one of the great novels of the twentieth century, Virginia Woolf's poignant novel chronicles the lives of the Ramsay family and friends, examining human relationships and emotions with great insight and daring introspective and innovative form.

Last month we read The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys. It is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story about the impact of WWII on English life and the quiet self-discovery by Gwenn, the main character, and her experiences with love and friendship in the ever changing, early days of the war.

Our January title, a memoir, Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildiner is a heartwarming and nostalgic look at what life was like for one little girl growing up in the 1950s in Lewiston, New York, a small town near Niagara Falls. Comments from our members ranged from “hilarious”, “outrageous”, “wonderful”, to “unbelievable”, “disturbing”.

Our last meeting coincided with the revelation that James Frey’s memoir, A Million Little Pieces, contained fabrications which Frey surprisingly defended as acceptable in the larger story he was imparting. This led us to a discussion of how accurate a memoir needs to be, concluding that some “embroidering” of the facts is expected, but it should not disturb the integrity of the essential storyline.

So that’s what we’re reading and discussing. We’d like to hear from you. If you’ve read Too Close to the Falls or want to add your thoughts about what you expect from a memoir or if you simply want to talk books, send us a message at the bottom of this entry.

Posted by marianne at January 25, 2006 10:14 AM