The first book club meeting

I have always been a little intimidated, yet intrigued, about joining a book club. I think the intimidation factor comes from college. I loved to read, so I enrolled myself with wide-eyed enthusiasm into literature classes. I did this stupidly for 2 semesters and then I got smart. I took Women's Literature to fulfill my "minority studies" requirement. I truly felt sorry for the few men who opted to use this class to fulfill their requirements. It is a wonder they left the class with penises intact. But then I guess I wouldn't know if they actually did or not. It was a borderline violent class, full of angry, young female students with an angry older female instructor who encouraged all out brawls. She called it debate, but I beg to differ.

It was a form of voyeuristic entertainment to me as I sat in the back of the class. I read some wonderful books. One of my favorites ever is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko was good. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston was of new exposure to me. And The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe by Jane Wagner really captivated me. If it were just about the reading, and not the brawls, I mean discussions afterwards, it would have been a spectacular experience. Who knew women could start shreiking and yelling at each other about Frankenstein?

I also took Modern Literature. That was an eye opening experience as well. To me "modern" meant "contemporary". Umm wrong. On the first day I was surprised that I didn't recognize hardly any of the books on our syllabus. This wasn't happening to me, I am a bookworm! How could the only author I was familiar with be one of my dad's favorites? James Joyce? I saw it as a challenge.

Modern Literature was FAR less emotionally charged. Instead of screaming about the persecution of women, it was an intellectual, calm, rational discussion of each book. Many times I sat there listening to my peers talk about "well sure the words say this, but they REALLY mean that in a twisted way and it should be interpreted thusly". Uh what? Did I READ the same book as you? I just thought he was talking to his neighbor? But I suppose that was the point of modern literature. I was introduced to a whole new genre of literature I had never touched on in this class. But I learned quickly it could not be taken in the literal sense. Again, I sat in the back of the class, amused by the going ons around me, bound and determined to JUST enjoy the books.

And I did enjoy many of the books. Metamorphosis by Kafka, The Dead by James Joyce, Heart of Darkness by Conrad, Lolita by Nabokov, The Stranger by Camus and I *loved* The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock by Eliot. There were only a few I could.not.do. Umm, Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf pops to mind. Gag.

So given my experience in college lit classes, heated screaming matches that I couldn't get a word in edgewise (yet we were graded on participation, don't get me started on that) and the facade of intellectual prowess through analysis of literature as opposed to simply enjoying it, I was a touch skeptical of a book club. I was sure I wouldn't be able to keep up, not in reading necessarily, but that I would resort to "well this character said this" and having someone frown upon me for taking something literal.

But I put my fears aside knowing that we would mostly be reading contemporary, and reasonably popular literature. I can always quit if I am made to feel like an imbecile right?

No need. I loved it. The book was only mediocre, but the conversation was fabulous. The wine and cake only made it better. Maybe if we had wine and cake in Women's Literature everyone would have mellowed a little and been nice to each other. Maybe if we had wine and cake in Modern Lit the intellectuals would have not seen the purpose of berating others interpretations (or lack thereof). Or maybe it is just the getting a group of adult women, without anything to prove other than a love to read, together to talk about a piece of literature without preconceived notions. (And the wine and the cake...)

I don't know what it was, but I loved it. I made notes in my book, The Pact, and was happy I had. I don't do well at impromptu speaking and it was nice to have issues that I had pegged in the book there to flip to and refer to.

That's it! I am not quitting, I will read the books, and I will look forward to getting together with the women in my club and talking! (And the wine and cake!)