Week 9: Book Club meeting report

A Book Club of Social Perspecitve

            

A couple of weeks ago . . . I caught a break.  As a mom-wife-employee-student—I need all the breaks I can get.  As it so happens, I was able to catch a break and be a student at the same time.  That is the best type of homework! For class, we were asked to attend and observe a book club.  I have friends who have had a book club for awhile and have wanted me to join them for some time.  However, because of all of the demands on my time it was not a possibility.  This was the chance we have been waiting for.

The group held a meeting about a year ago where they brought books they were interested in having a discussion about and did a round robin book talk about their books.  The group then voted on what to read and discuss.  They have decided that a whole year of planning is too much so in two months they will meet and plan for the next six months instead.

This week the book was Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.  Unfortunately, I was unable to find time to even peak at the book—though I did check it out of my local library.  I arrived a little early so I could catch as much as possible.

        

The event takes place at a member’s house from about 8:30 p.m. until approximately 11:00 p.m.  This is done so members have a chance to get their households settled and possibly in bed before they leave.  The group is a combination of mothers of brand new babies, mothers of children of varied age groups, grandmothers, working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.  The scheduled time is loosely scheduled.  They try to wait as long as they can for attendees to show up.

The host for that week also provides refreshments for the group.  Tonight’s refreshments featured a favorite . . . chocolate in varied forms (cookies and brownies) and to wash the goodness down, a fruit punch.  Yum! After almost everyone showed up, the questions commenced. 

One member chose the book and therefore led the discussion off with a question. The leader seemed to lead off and then the discussion took on a life of its own.

Because this book is a classic some of the questions asked were of a comparative nature between past responses to and within the book compared to what would the reception have been like today—if it had just come out.  Also, would characters in the book have responded the same way they did in the time frame it was written if it was written in today’s time frame?  Some of the questions led off into other subject matter (although relative) such as how to help someone who is in obvious deep depression and does not know how to help themselves.  There would be someone who would bring it back to the book with another question—not always the “leader.”

This group of members is passionate about participation.  Everyone had something to say.  Someone saw that I wanted to make an observation, someone interrupted on my behalf so that I could comment.  Everyone got a chance to participate. 

Honestly, it was hard to leave.  The camaraderie that was felt was infections and uplifting.  They were still talking when I left, but it was 11:00pm on a weekday and I was turning into a pumpkin.  I plan to attend again as soon as time allows for it.  The next book up for discussion is Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.