Feeling bookish
- Nqobile Bella
- Jan 15, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 31, 2020
Book clubs have been around for years, the advent of book clubs predates Oprah’s Book Club which was established in 1996. According to a very reliable source (Google) it was in 1634 that a religious renegade Anne Hutchinson organized the first all-female discussion group. Then again in the late 1760’s, Hannah Adams, established a circle that read and discussed letters and shared their own poetry and prose writing.
Thinking of book clubs, I am reminded of the movie Jane Austen’s Book Club which romanticised the idea of book clubs. I am a self-proclaimed bookworm and since the movie I have wanted to belong to a club in the hopes of finding my Mr Darcy in the modern world. Does anyone remember the confession? *swoon*
“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” – Mr Darcy
Tired of swooning alone and finding these gems with no one to share them with, I became a member of a book club we called ‘the in between drinks literary club’. Our first book was titled The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna. We started the book in 2017 and are yet to complete it. Admittedly, we are not proud of our progress. However, we have vowed to complete our chosen book this year. Funny thing is, we’ve read so many other books these past few years, but just not the chosen one.
The club should be renamed and called ‘the in between books wine club’, it’s more appropriate; because more wine has been drunk than pages read.
The Memory of Love is an interesting read but for some reason it drains me mentally; some books just aren’t easy reads. Conversely, there are those books that are so easy and effortless like all books by John Green (clearly my bias). Perhaps, when I pick it up again I might find it an easier read, as circumstances have changed, and I’m in a different head space.
Concerned with the lack of progress, we regrouped as club members and identified the lack of accountability and consistency as being the main culprit; we just need to be disciplined and responsible. We have vowed to do better this year. Our mission is to complete the book and not buy more books or pick up new ones before completing ‘The Memory of Love’. This is going to be struggle for me because as I write I have three books I’m reading and just completed ‘Of Love and Other Demons’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and that was a beautiful read, it made me want to take afternoon siesta’s under an apricot tree in Columbia.
If we are honest, book clubs can be stressful and increase anxiety. I have done some research on how book clubs can be effective, stimulating and joyful. The idea of a book club is fantastic but the implementation and continuity can be challenging. So, here are a few tips I found that can be useful.
Disclaimer I haven’t tried them as well, so we are doing this together:
Pick a book with no more than 300 pages. Leave the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien or War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy for your own personal reading; as they can be intimidating and overwhelming for other club members.
Be realistic with timelines. Acknowledge that every member reads at their own pace; and books should be savoured as one would a molten chocolate cake.
Incorporate a review session after each book; where everyone can share the gems they found and it need not be an essay. Keep it simple and easy.
I have an example below to give some guidance, it’s not a formal review but some notes and commentary.
This review is for the book ‘Of Love and Other Demons’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Q: What stood out for you in the book?
A: How under the guise of religion and piety many demonize and persecute those they do not understand. Ignorance is not bliss, it is dangerous in the hands of the small minded. From the Spanish inquisitions down to today this has persisted. Man has dominated man to his ruin.
Q: Did Sierva love Delaura?
A: I am not fully convinced; she was 12 years old and had been deprived of filial love by her own kin. She was raised and cared for by the mulatto slaves. How and where would she have learnt love? She imprinted (Twilight reference) on the first person who showed her what seemed like genuine care.
Q: Did Delaura love Sierva?
A: This love or obsession of his I couldn’t understand. I don’t think he loved her enough, he had the means to escape from the Convent with her but never did and always had excuses.
Q: Who was my favourite character, and why?
A: The Marquis, I pitied him, also he was self-aware and tried, he tried to make amendments albeit a little too late.
Q: Who was my least favourite, and why?
A: The Marquise, she was a terrible mother and wife. Irredeemable
Q: Any last thoughts?
A: It should be called Madness and Other Demons for love, here, was a demon; feared, hurtful and disgusting.
*End of Review*
See? It’s not that difficult and it will get the members sharing and engaging in robust conversations about the characters, their development and other gems.
I hope to finish the books I’ve started and hopefully will write better reviews in the future as this was just a tester. Let me know how you all feel about book clubs? Are they effective? Are you a reader or would like to be one? Let’s chat.
The eclectic panda is signing out, it’s past midnight.
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