Wednesday, December 08, 2010

The Dreaded Curse of the Book Club

It’s happening already. I am procrastinating reading my book club selection because I hate it. Hate it hate it hate hate hate hate it, as I wrote in a message to Elana, our fearless leader. What should I do? Elana says I should come to the meeting anyway and talk about why I hate it. That would certainly be what a grown-up member of a book club would do. But right now I just want to blow raspberries and drum my heels into the floor chanting HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT, like my kids did when I tried to make them eat something yucky.

8 comments:

Sarah Laurence said...

That's why I dropped out of my book group years ago. I hate reading something I dislike. Boredom is even worse. I think the last straw for me was that Ya Ya book. I was then FREE to read A Suitable Boy, all 1,400 pages or so.

Still, it's good to get people together to talk about books, and you are fair to link to a more positive NYT review of a book you dislike. I'm sure your reaction will make for interesting discussion.

Melissa said...

I didn't last a half hour (if that) with this book on audio ... so, it's not just you.

Unruly Reader said...

When this happens to me (hating on the book club selection), I skim the thing at a very brisk clip -- and then talk about why I detested it. I think it's actually a great thing when one of us despises the book and is willing to speak freely about it -- man, do things get spritely in a hurry!

Margo Baxter said...

i like unruly reader's comment. grit your teeth through this one, bring some good commentary to the discussion, and maybe the next selection will be better... if not, then hmmm, DNF on the book club may be the way to go. there are too many good things to read to spend time reading things you hate.

Vintage Reading said...

That's my problem with book groups. If the whole group makes a decision about a book I know I'll hate and I'm the only dissenting voice I have to read it ... and buy it! My reading time is too precious to waste.

Anonymous said...

My book group is pretty easy-going, so no stress if you don't finish a book. If it one I hate, I just show up and say it was dreck and why. Heaven knows I never hold back my opinion. Of course, when it is my selection everyone else hates I have to be graceful about it. I do try to give it 50 pages, but some books don't even deserve that. Book groups are supposed to be fun. If you hate it, read something else and go just to drink the wine (you do serve wine, don't you?)!

Jeanne Foster Kuyper said...

Was that slow-cooked chicken really gross? It looked good until I saw the last ingrediend... cornstarch. :)

Becky Holmes said...

Jeanne, I left out that whole last step with the cornstarch! It's totally unnecessary. It's delicious, but even at 16 yrs old my youngest kid won't eat it. But now instead of a temper tantrum, he tells me it looks "vomit-esque." I can't decide if I'm mad at him for his attitude, or thrilled that he knows how to apply the "esque" suffix.

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