# Classic Literature Book Club **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 5, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804 "2014-11-05T21:28:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/1 "2014-11-05T21:28:36Z")
I’d love to read more classic literature. I love to read, I feel like I’d get so much more out of so many pop culture references and the classics are classics for a reason, right? But unlike the newest Stephen King release or NYT best seller I don’t know anyone I would be able to discuss the books with in my day to day life. I would get responses ranging from, “Oh yeah, I read that in high school/college” to “What? Never heard of it.” So I’m thinking we should pick a book from the list and all come back in the middle of December so we can talk about it. Who wants to join me in the SDMB Book Club? We can even have a motto! SDMB Book Club - Because you can’t go to a normal book club meeting in your underwear! ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/2 "2014-11-05T21:38:06Z")
I’m totally in. I voted for Tess, but would happily read any of the suggested. Except that Wilkie bastard. What a hack! (j/k) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/3 "2014-11-05T21:39:17Z")
I’m in. I love the Picture of Dorian Gray so I voted for that. I’m willing to read the others, too. ---
**Author:** ![Grrlbrarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrlbrarian/32/4048_2.png) [@Grrlbrarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrlbrarian)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/4 "2014-11-05T21:45:53Z")
I’m in. I’ll read anything. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/5 "2014-11-05T21:47:52Z")
I could do Dorian Gray. How strictly are we defining classics? Ivanhoe level or would something like My Antonia or The Homemaker be acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/6 "2014-11-05T21:57:09Z")
Excellent! I was afraid no one would want to participate. I guess I should have known better around here. 🙂 > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I could do Dorian Gray. > > How strictly are we defining classics? Ivanhoe level or would something like My Antonia or The Homemaker be acceptable? Both of those would work for me. We’ll probably end up squooshing the definition of classic around a bit before we find the limits we are comfortable with for our purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/7 "2014-11-05T22:00:12Z")
I’ve read The Scarlet Pimpernel and wasn’t particularly impressed. For something of that vein, Scaramouche is much better. Perhaps moot, given that no one has yet voted for it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/8 "2014-11-05T23:04:24Z")
The Woman in White is one of the greatest novels of the 19th Century. Definitely pick that. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/9 "2014-11-05T23:06:44Z")
Thomas Hardy is only interesting to Lit majors, and not very many of them. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/10 "2014-11-06T01:12:22Z")
I’m totally in, but wouldn’t read Tess again unless a loved one’s life depended on it. The only book on the list I haven’t read is The Scarlet Pimpernel, but I’m still a bit lukewarm. I don’t suppose I could generate any interest in No Name, by Wilkie Collins? [No Name (novel) - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name_(novel)) [Don’t read the plot summary if you want to avoid spoilers] I haven’t read it, but I understand it’s every bit as good as The Lady in White and The Moonstone. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/11 "2014-11-06T01:34:17Z")
Good idea! I’m interested but I’m only a maybe on if I actually do it or not so I won’t vote. I was thinking I’d like to read the Scarlet Pimpernel, for you know, Batman reasons. I thought it was a play though. I loved the movie of The Picture of Dorian Gray and expect the book to be better. I looked up The Woman in White and it’s from an interesting time for this kind of story sounds and gets good reviews so I wouldn’t mind reading that. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/12 "2014-11-06T01:37:51Z")
I voted for _Woman_, but I’d throw in _Dracula_ or _Frankenstein_ as alternatives. In particular it might be interesting to compare _Frankenstein_ to the typical movie versions of the story. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/13 "2014-11-06T02:19:51Z")
Sounds fun! I’ll read anything - I voted for _Dorian Gray_, but I definitely like the above suggestion of _Frankenstein_. It’s honestly one of my all time favorite books, powerful on so many levels. The movie versions don’t do it any justice whatsoever. Probably not old enough to be considered a classic, but given that it’s required reading in schools across the nation, what about _Lord of the Flies_? Violent as hell, but beyond the gore and rather heavy-handed symbolism is quite a good book. Also great for lively discussions. Anyway, whatever’s chosen, I’m in. Well, except if we choose _Moby Dick_. Even I have limits. 😃 ETA: Oh, and if you’re willing to consider short stories (it might make it more popular, as it would be less of a commitment), I’ve got a bit of a Chekhov obsession. Gooseberries, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/14 "2014-11-06T02:28:25Z")
I love the idea of a sdmb book club. I don’t think Dorian Gray is a great book for this though, its fairly straightforward, not enough meat for discussion. I like something like notes from the underground. I actually think Frankenstein would be good too. Checkov would be really good also I think. I think Catcher in the Rye might be good - I think as an adult it has a whoe different meaning, so that’s what makes it interesting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/15 "2014-11-06T02:53:25Z")
Again, they’re not really classics by most definitions, but in terms of meat for discussion, would anyone be game for _Cat’s Cradle_ or _Slaughterhouse-Five_? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/16 "2014-11-06T03:09:20Z")
So, how is this going to work? Do we get some time to actually read the book? Or does one just start a thread discussing it, waiting for people to read (and perhaps give their reactions as they’re reading?) We do a movie discussion group here in San Antonio and we have three rules for nominating: 1. The movie must be worth discussing - we’re not going to talk about favorite scenes or quotes. This avoids conversations like: “I thought it was funny, when…” “Yeah! And how about that scene where…” 1. You must have seen the movie prior to nominating it. The third rule (it must be available via streaming) doesn’t apply here, so I won’t mention it. 🙂 I also ran a sci-fi book club on another forum and, while it was a chore, it went pretty well. I had three threads: 1. A nominations thread, for books that people wanted to discuss the next month. 2. A voting thread, so people could vote on the books. Timed poll, of course. 3. A month after the voting thread ended, the actual discussion thread (giving people time to read the book.) Like I said, that might be a bit of work, but if the OP/moderator/whatever wants to do it this way, it makes for quality discussions. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/17 "2014-11-06T03:46:07Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > So, how is this going to work? Do we get some time to actually read the book? Or does one just start a thread discussing it, waiting for people to read (and perhaps give their reactions as they’re reading?) > > We do a movie discussion group here in San Antonio and we have three rules for nominating: > > 1. The movie must be worth discussing - we’re not going to talk about favorite scenes or quotes. This avoids conversations like: > > “I thought it was funny, when…” > “Yeah! And how about that scene where…” > > 1. You must have seen the movie prior to nominating it. > > The third rule (it must be available via streaming) doesn’t apply here, so I won’t mention it. 🙂 > > I also ran a sci-fi book club on another forum and, while it was a chore, it went pretty well. I had three threads: > > 1. A nominations thread, for books that people wanted to discuss the next month. > 2. A voting thread, so people could vote on the books. Timed poll, of course. > 3. A month after the voting thread ended, the actual discussion thread (giving people time to read the book.) > > Like I said, that might be a bit of work, but if the OP/moderator/whatever wants to do it this way, it makes for quality discussions. My thought was that we would use this thread to pick a book that everyone reads by sometime in the middle of December, probably the 15th but we can be flexible with the date. Then on that date myself or someone else would start a discussion thread about the book and attach a poll with some additional book choices so we could choose the next book at the same time as we discuss our current book. Many of the options mentioned here could be used to make up the next poll. As for the streaming movie thing, part of the reason I selected those 4 choices is because I know they are all available for free to download on the kindle which would make it cheap and easy for most everyone to participate. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/18 "2014-11-06T04:22:43Z")
Well, the streaming movie thing only applies to movie clubs… I only mentioned it to make a joke. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/19 "2014-11-06T07:15:13Z")
I nominate _The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman_, by Laurence Sterne. “Post-modern,” as they say in [that wacky movie version](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423409/), “before there was anything modern to be post about.” ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804/20 "2014-11-06T12:10:21Z")
I’m in. I voted for _Tess_, but have no opposition to the others. I mainly picked it because I remember disliking it less than other things in my HS reading - but I also never had to read any of the others on the list. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-literature-book-club/703804.md?page=2)