Discussion
Ten Writers I Can No Longer Read
One of the things I have learned after many years of reading and writing is that you are allowed to dismiss what you once loved; you are allowed to give up on writers who no longer speak to you and have set up a barrier in your mind to enjoyment of their work. I do not mean that I care that deeply about their political, racial, psychological or emotional issues (the list of acceptable writers would be incredibly short if I dismissed the ones who did not reach such high standards). I am simply concerned with what is on the page and how it makes me react, as Vladimir Nabokov once stated, “between the shoulder blades” (where you really do feel the work).
By Kendall Defoe 2 years ago in BookClub
Murder In The Family By Cara Hunter
So, I have a confession to make. I had not read a book in close to 10 years because I didn’t ever feel the need too. As soon as I left school, I put reading behind me and never looked back, until recently. I had some extra money, a suggestion for a book that was right down my alley from my boyfriend and went for it. I lost myself in this book, something I am not used to doing but very much enjoyed. This book had such a unique concept to it that I had no chance in resisting as soon as I opened the front cover and turned that first page, I was hooked.
By YesItsMocha2 years ago in BookClub
Gift
No other book has had so much effect on me like The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. And I’ve read many, like most of Russians do. In the beginning of 80s I was lucky to borrow a copy of Khudozhestvennaya Literatura magazine dated 1973 where a full complete uncut version of the book had been published, a surprising oversight by government. There I was, in my early 20s, born and raised in Soviet Union, gone through all the pre coordinated by government stages of a proper soviet child. Patriotism, obedience, and loyalty to the state where the Communist Party had absolute power over everything, were inflicted at each stage, from kindergarten to university.
By Natalia Grin2 years ago in BookClub
The GULAG Archipelago
I've lived long enough now to feel that books rarely change me. Probably the last one was Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt that I read in 2004 or 2005, early in my doctoral program. Even then I wouldn't say that it changed me as much as it shook me in realization that human history was full of misery and suffering universally until quite recently and that we are probably living in the best human times in terms of life's comfort and personal security. And it all is incredibly fragile.
By Lana V Lynx2 years ago in BookClub
Love or Illusion? The Cognitive Dissonance of Jay Gatsby
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is a character who has lodged himself into the collective consciousness as an epitome of the American Dream gone awry. But what underpins Gatsby's ceaseless pining for Daisy Buchanan? The concept of obsession unfurls itself within the complex tapestry of Gatsby’s psychology. Our exploration traverses the realms of psychology, neuroscience, and literary analysis to deconstruct what makes Gatsby a case study for fixation.
By Margaret S.2 years ago in BookClub
My strange choice of a Book
I remember watching the movie of Mark Zuckerberg's motivation for creating Facebook. If I am remembering correctly, it all stemmed from his being heartbroken and a bit angry over the breaking up of a relationship. He is a brilliant, but awkward genius, much like many of his successful peers who had rocky relationships. So, we can see that inspiration can be attained form any source anywhere. Facebook started very small in his college years and grew to be a worldwide phenomenon.
By Novel Allen2 years ago in BookClub
