Earlier this year we indulged in our first “community” read here at Carver’s Dog. The title in question was Nathanael West’s Miss Lonelyhearts and quite an enlightening conversation was sparked by the small handful who read the book for the first time.
Since the Miss Lonelyhearts discussion I’ve been asked a few times if we had plans to offer another group read. Well, I may have come across a fitting title, a new release from Counterpoint books, available in trade paperback format:
“Noir” is a French thriller set in the future – the year is 2019 – and a novel quite suitable for turbulent air travel. It’s a mesmerizing narrative about a country and time with much more trouble than our own.
I have not read the book yet (or even ordered it, for that matter) but if I can find two or three takers, I’ll gladly indulge. You can read the entire (very brief) review in the S.F. Chronicle here.
And now a Carver’s Dog poll …
A community read sounds like fun. If you choose your next book as one that is also available in eBook format, I’ll join the fun, and I’ll get a few more to do the same.
Cheers,
Trevas
By: eBookGuru on December 16, 2008
at 1:24 pm
If “Noir”is available in e-book format, Trevas, then feel free to pile on but I think that the majority of my readers prerfer the real thing: you know, a spine and binding, ink and glue, words on the page. I should also add that I drive a Model-T Ford.
By: Rodger Jacobs on December 16, 2008
at 1:42 pm
Re: your poll -
What a bunch of slackers – ever consider rousting yourselves afterwards and then going out shopping – caroling – etc.? I assure you – those non-preferred options are much more interesting once the proper groundwork is laid! How can one be a cautionary tale if no one is graced with your chipper and self-assured presence?
Live a life that’s full – travel each and every highway! *
By: Plug Nickel Outfit on December 16, 2008
at 2:58 pm
I’m up for Noir.
Also, somewhere on the list, the one I always recommend for a community read is Camus’ The Fall.
By: joseph on December 16, 2008
at 5:03 pm
That’s one for “Noir”! Do I hear a second?
By: Rodger Jacobs on December 16, 2008
at 6:14 pm
‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’
Was there a man dismay’d ?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Some one had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Count me in RJ
By: don quixote on December 16, 2008
at 8:57 pm
That’s three … two more and we get a free entree with our dinner. But three is a good start, gentlemen, go ahead and order your books as will I, and we will pre-arrange a date to meet back up here for a chat fest. It’s only $10.17 at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Noir-Novel-Olivier-Pauvert/dp/1582434476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229490625&sr=1-1
By: Rodger Jacobs on December 16, 2008
at 9:09 pm
Ah, Rodger, I would certainly say a big YES to my joining in on this read, but I find that when I’m working on a novel, I cannot read other novels. I can read all I want of newspapers, magazines, sites such as yours — but I need to cloister myself for the duration. It’s just part of my “way,” and as we know, each writer has his or her own ways and eccentricities.
This said, I would happily read the discussion thread — I greatly enjoyed the thread about Dear Miss L.
So, I do hope you go for this one, and I’ll catch up on my reading somewhere down the line, okay? Cheers to Noir!
By: Geoff on December 17, 2008
at 10:22 am
I perfectly understand, Geoff. I’m sure that Joseph and DQ and I (and anyone else who jumps in) will have a fun and compelling dialogue for you to read in the next month or so. Glad you enjoyed the “Lonelyhearts” dialogue. It was originally just a regular site posting but then I started receiving so much search traffic for it (studemts, not doubt) that I kept it up in a seperate tab as a “student aid”.
By: Rodger Jacobs on December 17, 2008
at 11:26 am
I’ll look forward to your discussion (and I will read “Noir” at some point). I was exploring your site one day and just fell into the “Miss Lonelyhearts” thread, so to speak, and was immediately absorbed by it.
With all of the previous discussion of book reviews, perhaps “online reading groups” — with people not afraid to voice strong opinions — are one good avenue to get the word out about good (we hope) books, past and present.
This doesn’t replace the reviews (the well-written ones, of course), but does add that part-academic, part-immediate human reaction touch.
By: Geoff on December 17, 2008
at 1:28 pm
I enjoyed the give-and-take in the Miss L discussion; not everyone shared my unabashed enthusiasm for West’s troubling little novel but they were willing to explore it in detail; then again, I have always admired the intellectual capacity of my small handful of regular readers here.
By: Rodger Jacobs on December 17, 2008
at 1:43 pm
You’ll want some female perspectives, no doubt. Count me in for the discussion.
By: Hurricane Shirley on December 17, 2008
at 3:55 pm
Well, it won’t be difficult for you to get a copy.
By: Rodger Jacobs on December 17, 2008
at 4:23 pm
The French 1984! What’s with the spate of dystopic futurist novels? Really, The Elementary Particles ends up being one too…
By: joseph on December 17, 2008
at 8:23 pm
Dystopia is fun, Joseph.
By: Rodger Jacobs on December 17, 2008
at 10:31 pm