After over seven years of being involved in twenty book clubs - counting the one I myself initiated earlier this year and the "cl" of two started with a good friend in early 2015 - Mt. Rushmore needed this book club iteration. Each of the books on my mountain has been the source of rich discussions at four different clubs. And each is worth your attention. Alphabetically, by author ...
1.) The Elegance Of The Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery: Of these titles, this impressionistic character study is the most challenging. Be patient. Allow yourself time to be fully absorbed by the two unique voices. This is not a plot book; it's a meditation on beauty and authenticity.
2.) The Round House - Louise Erdrich: The most overtly political of the three novels here though the politics are secondary to the powerful family story being told. Prose with the texture of poetry.
3.) In The Garden Of The Beasts - Erik Larson: The only non-fiction entry, although Larson's narrative about the US Ambassador to Germany in 1933 has the momentum of a great novel. Disturbing, compelling, important.
4.) Where'd You Go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple: The most accessible of these four but make no mistake - this talented author has a lot on her mind. She just delivers it in a deceptively breezy way.
Book club geeks: Got four home runs that have been featured at four different clubs? Everyone else: I'll take any four with post 2000 copyrights that knocked you out but only if you couldn't wait to tell others about them.
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
Excuse me for chuckling at your twenty book clubs. But I'm wondering: Did you ever find what or whom you were looking for?
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