Breakfast at Tiffany's

Well, I had no idea that the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's was based on a short novel.  And, I had no idea that the short novel was written by Truman Capote. Time to learn something new, at least for me - our selection for the next book forum is Breakfast at Tiffany's.  The book contains the 100 page Breakfast at Tiffany's plus three other short stories by Capote: "House of Flowers," "A Diamond Guitar," and "A Christmas Memory."


We'll meet on February 3rd, 2011.  A new twist to our forum is that we'll show the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's at 12:30 pm in the auditorium and then have our book forum at 2:30 pm in HUM 210, which is a classroom down the hall. Come to one, come to the other, or come to both. Food and drink are available at 2:30 as part of the book forum.



A review of the movie by the New York Times

The Truman Capote page at Amazon.com

The Yiddish Policemen's Union

Michael Chabon certainly has a vivid imagination. I must say that I pause more often than usual while reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union.  Some passages, usually descriptions of characters or settings, simply demand re-reading. The first paragraph of Chapter 16 is a pause-able moment.  Take a look!

My imagination is too limited to think up ideas such as Chabon's setting.  It is good to stretch.  Chabon stretches my imagination.  Unfortunately, I have to form my thoughts into questions to lead a discussion, and that keeps intruding on the imaginative setting.  Okay, let's rely on some discussion questions from the publisher and others:

http://www.harpercollins.com/author/authorExtra.aspx?isbn13=9780007149827&displayType=readingGuide

http://bestsellers.about.com/od/bookclubquestions/a/yiddish_q.htm

I have not studied Jewish culture for over 20 years.  This book makes me think of days gone by and ideas that used to consume my days of graduate studies.  Thank you, Michael Chabon. 

Oracle Bones, by Peter Hessler

Think about how you travel on vacation.  Do you stick to a schedule and like to plan everything out ahead of time?  Or, do you like to wander?  If you like to wander, then you'll like Oracle Bones.

The title comes from the earlierst form of Chinese writing uncovered so far by archeologists.  Peter Hessler uses this as a thread from which to hang his collection of characters and stories.  It is non-fiction, but it reads like fiction. I am glad that I read the 400+ pages.  The last few pages present the wisdom gained by the author from his writing, teaching, and traveling in China. I feel wiser for having read this book.

It isn't one of our book forum selections, but I recommend it for anyone with an interest in China.

Bad Monkeys

My son is taking an advanced placement English class this year. His teacher assigned the novel Bad Monkeys by Mark Ruff for summer reading.  Naturally, I had a chance to pick up the book from the coffee table and read it since my son tends to wait until the last minute for his reading assignments.

Not too bad at all.  If you like conspiracy stories, then you'll love this book. I can see why an English teacher at an all-boys school picked it.  The book is relatively short, easy to read, fast-paced, and full of action. Parents might want to brace themselves since this book has plenty of drug use, sex, and violence.  Jesuits seem to have a higher tolerance for artistic license than most high school administrators.

It is not the type of book I normally read, but it is a great summer novel.  The alternatives were lawn care, painting the basement, or taking the kids to the pool yet again. A soft couch and a good novel won the day.

Out Stealing Horses

This isn't one of our book forum choices, but that's okay.  I'd like to recommend it anyway.

Are you in the mood for a quiet book? Try Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. To be honest, the only reason I picked it up is because my grandmother was Norwegian-American. I wanted to get a glimpse of Norwegian culture. I did. Great book.

I should warn you that my talkative Irish-American wife was highly frustrated by a Norwegian-American novel called Giants in the Earth. She'll pull her hair out if she reads Out Stealing Horses. Norwegians are not a chatty bunch. The book is meandering and reflective, much like our thoughts when we are alone for awhile. If you are in that mood, then you'll love the book. 

My family has traced its Norwegian roots back to the 1700s. We have 3rd cousins by the dozens in Norway. This book makes me want to take a trip there, but it also prepares me for what would probably be a rather understated welcome back to the home turf.

Loving Frank

Well, I didn't love Frank.  I never met Frank.  He died before my time. However, the book Loving Frank is an excellent choice for our book forum on Friday, June 23rd at 3:00 in Humanities 202.

Frank is Frank Lloyd Wright. He ran off with the wife of a client, and this is their story. It is quite a story. I had forgotten how smothering life could be for an intelligent and intellectually ambitious woman in the early 1900s in the USA.  My mom told me stories from her childhood in the 1930s in South Dakota.  Those stories remind me in a childhood way of the grown-up stories in Loving Frank.

The good old days?  You can have them. I like today despite the various trials and tribulations of post-modern life. I am curious to hear the thoughts of our university community on the characters and events in this story.

By the way, Frank was a famous architect. You might want to use Google and look at his work. He was definitely a trendsetter in his field. The story is not about his architecture, but it helps to know a bit about his fame.

A small change this year:  Send your $5 to Lorraine Patrick in the library. This ensures you a copy of the book and some great refreshments at the forum.

Let's Pick Some Books

Well, we need to pick three books for the 2010-2011 academic year.  This is never an easy task.  Here are some suggestions so far from the university community. Other inputs will come from the committee at our next meeting.  As usual, we'll need to sort through lots of possibilities.

 

By the way, the criteria are:

1. A book worthy of attention by a university (no beach books, please).
2. Not too long (War and Peace is not on the list).
3. Readable by a diverse set of people.
4. Capable of attacting a good crowd since our purpose is community-building.

Suggestions so far include:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
• I Am a Man, by Joe Starita
• The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon
• Self-Made Man, by Norah Vincent
• Working in the Shadows, by Gabriel Thompson

Any other suggestions?  Leave a comment and we'll take a look.