Yes please!! I've got it and read it a few years ago, but didn't quite "get" it. I'd be delighted to re-read it.

In fact, I'd also like to suggest another short story for discussion - I found a old battered copy of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark in my bookcase at home.

How about, in fact, selecting (say) four famous short stories or novellas, then starting four discussions on June 1st? That's two already. Any more?

Yes, I would like to take part in a discussion of Turn of the Screw. Martin, good idea about discussing four stories, as it gives us much flexibility.

Adam

I'm in!
For contrast-The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden?
Or Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico ?

I've actually not read anything by James except for Aspern Papers (which I loved). So I guess its about time. I'd be willing to give it a go. ( I'll be out of town for the first part of June - but hopefully I'll find a way to get some net access)

I haven't read Prime of Miss Jean Brodie since HS. I'd love to read that again. July discussion?

Well, I was thinking that Miss Jean Brodie is short enough to count as one of the short stories for June, along with The Turn of the Screw.

cece - though I love Flowers for Mrs Harris (which is the UK title) I wonder if there is enough in the book for a discussion? I might be tempted to suggest Love of Seven Dolls which is a much darker novella by Gallico. Or even The Snow Goose?

Count me in for at least The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and possibly The Turn of the Screw. Great idea to choose four short pieces.

I recently re-read "Miss Brodie" but find it so enjoyable that I could easily skim through it again with pleasure.

Have never read "Turn of the Screw" and have heard that James is daunting. But I would give it a try.

Is it "Love of the Seven Dolls" that was made into the film "Lili" so many years ago? If so, I recall it as being very sad and poignant.

>Henry James's Turn of the Screw?

Count me in!

Love of Seven Dolls is indeed the basis of Lili and also the musical Carnival. But there's a long way between them...

Any other suggestions for famous novellas or short stories? We've got two for sure, I think, with possibly one of the Gallicos as another - though having already suggested The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie I'd prefer someone else to suggest!

But sometimes, you get an idea and you can't resist making a suggestion....

How about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson?

'The Turn of the Screw'? Yes please.

Ooh, how about some Flannery O'Connor? Maybe "A Good Man is Hard to Find" or "Everything that Rises Must Converge"?

Ooh, I love you lot! Martin, thanks for organising my little suggestion into something proper. I'd like to read & discuss 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' (my husband is a Gemini, hence it would count as research). Haven't ever read any Gallico, so that would be good too.

OK

I think the idea of four short stories/novellas for discussion on June 1st seems to have been accepted.

So far the suggestions are:-

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. This has been agreed by popular acclamation, and is a definite for June 1st. Anyanka - as the original suggestion owner, how about you take the lead on the discussion?

The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. Certainly two or three people have shown interest, so if it's finally accepted, I'd be happy to be the lead on that discussion.

The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden. Cece - can you give a bit more information about the story and the author?

Paul Gallico - three suggestions have been made. Mrs 'Arris goes to Paris (aka Flowers for Mrs Harris), Love of Seven Dolls and The Snow Goose. If you want to find out more about these, try The Literature of Paul Gallico. As the resident Gallico expert, I'd recommend Love of Seven Dolls as the "meatiest" of these - but The Snow Goose is a very fine story, and Mrs. 'Arris is without doubt a charming tale.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. I think we all know about this, but how many people have actually read the novella?

Flannery O'Connor - A Good Man is Hard to Find or Everything that Rises must Converge. Phaedosia - can you give a bit more about information?

Mu own opinions are clear, I think, but I'm always feel that I'm taking over a bit. So what does everyone else feel about this collection? Which are your preferences? Are there others you'd like to drop into the mix?

I'm reading AGMIHTF right now. Good choice.

The more I think about it, I agree-Mrs. Harris would not fit in this group.
And I quote:
"Rumer Godden is one of the foremost English language authors of the 20th century, writing novels, biographies, childrenÂs books and poetry. She was born at Eastbourne, England on 10th December 1907 and died in Dumfriesshire, Scotland on November 8th 1998. Her last book, "Cromartie versus The God Shiva Acting through the Government of India" was published by Macmillan in November 1997. Her literary life began with the publishing of some poems in the illustrated London News in 1929. Her first novel, Chinese Puzzle, was published in 1936.
Rumer Godden wrote some 60 works during her life, drawing on her experiences of life in India and Britain. There were times of hardship, happiness and sadness, relative poverty and wealth and success. She was awarded the OBE in 1993.

Rumer Godden had many interests but her greatest were for dancing (she ran a mixed race dance school in Calcutta in the mid 1930s), for Pekinese dogs which she kept for most of her life and for children (she ran junior poetry workshops which kept her in touch with the young) Rumer Godden also had an inquiring religious side to her and she studied great religions of the world. One of her favourite axioms came from an Indian proverb that says

"everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person".

She is the author of one of my 5 favorite oft-revisited books of all time- In This House of Brede.
I suggested The Kitchen Madonna specifically because it is not heavy, as is TOTS or POMJB. In fact, on the official Godden website, it is listed under her children's novellas, but that's the surface story-there's more to it. It would contrast, primarily, in its treatment of children and those who care for them, which is central to the other two-it would not be a stand-alone discussion, but would work as a counterpoint to the other two firm choices if we decide to read all 4 and talk about them as a group.

I also love Godden - Kingfishers Catch Fire - my favourite

BUt - synchronicity rules:

I have told this story on RP in the past -
Rumer Godden once lived in the house in Rye where Henry James wrote much of the 'Turn of the Screw'.

Rumer Godden swears that she could hear childrens' voices in the house (although no children were living there at the time) and that the voices and overheard words were those of Miles and Flora!

seems like fate...

Couldn't agree more. Looks like we have two for sure. Cece - will you volunteer to lead this discussion?

At the moment, I'm working on the assumption that we'll be running four simultaneous discussions (though I imagine we'll have some cross-reference) as I feel that (a) it'll get confusing trying to discuss four stories in one thread and (b) it'll mean that people who only have the time or inclination to read one/some of the stories will still be able to join in their specific discussion.

But I'm willing to hear arguments to the contrary.

Rumer Godden has long been one of my favorite authors. My favorite is "The Greengage Summer" (an English family and its adventures in France).

What a lovely quote from Godden above about the 4 rooms! I recommend her autobiography: "A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep".

FWIW, Gallico's "Snow Goose" is one of my favorites, too.

I don't much care for Flannery O'Connor, as I find her work quite dark and cynical.

Martin-I've done it discussing 4 works simultaneously, but it is done backwards, so to speak-the topic isn't the books, it is the common denominator...or the glaring difference. For instance, Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, Slaughterhouse Five and The Magician's Nephew-time travel and how it happens in each book. As I said, I think The Kitchen Madonna won't really stand alone, (it is only 89 pages) it needs to be discussed in comparison with something else-as it features a nanny, maybe TOTS? Or we can put it aside for now and do it later. whatever works!

I'm in for The Turn of the Screw. Not sure how much I can add to The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as it's been a while since I've read it. Great idea to compare and contrast the works.

PAM

>For instance, Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, Slaughterhouse Five and The Magician's Nephew-time travel and how it happens in each book

Oh, I'd be so into that theme. Or instead of Doctor Who (because I'm not a fan), add The Strange Case of Benjamin Button, and the Woody Allen story about the book time machine (I can't remember the name, but its in his Without Feathers)

I do like the idea of linking themes, and since I am not a big short story reader, it would be enough of a connection to make me interested.

I'm very excited about the Rumer Godden link to Henry James! This reading project is taking on a very proper shape.

I like the idea of 'compare & contrast', but would also like a proper discussion of the James novella. Perhaps we could have one thread for discussing the linking themes, and separate threads for those individual stories that need them?

As an added little diversion, I'd like to suggest that those who are into films and subscribe to one of the internet rental services might want to take out 'The Innocents', a 1961 film version of 'The Turn of the Screw'.

So we seem to be clear about three - TTOTS, TKM and TPOMJB. What about the fourth book? Do we even NEED a fourth book? I only suggested four because it seemed a good number - but three short books in a month is still a fair amount of reading.

Do we have a sort of theme here? Don't all of them have children, and the people that look after them?

FWIW, I'd be happy with no fourth book, or Love of Seven Dolls or A Good Man is Hard to Find - or anything else that anyone might suggest.

I might observe that Love of Seven Dolls sort of fits with the sort of theme we have - the relationship between Mouche and at least some of the puppets is very like a mother and her children....

I'm still hoping for A Good Man is Hard to Find. I'd love to hear your comments on it. I think I'm enjoying it because it is controversial. O'Connor converted to Christianity at some point in her lifetime, but I'm not sure how the timeframe fits with the writing of these short stories. In the last year, I read As I Lay Dying for the first time and there is something about the O'Connor stories that remind me of Faulkner. They share some kind of southern mentality and both use almost disturbing acts to get the reader's attention. If you ask me why I like reading this stuff, I can't say for sure, but there is something challenging about it.

Kathy

Yes, Flannery O'Connor is pretty dark. However, I find her work really funny. She was raised Catholic in the primarily Protestant region of the American South, so her works are often colored with themes of grace, good and evil and misguided attempts at salvation. However, it is her characterization that I love the most. Especially, in A Good Man is Hard to Find the pairing of the grandmother and the hardened criminal, the Misfit. Their conversation on theology in light of the main event in the story, is great--and once again, darkly funny. I guess, I find O'Connor to be the perfect antidote to the schmaltzy "Chicken Soup for the Soul" stories.

However, I really like all the other choices, too, for our discussion =-)

Late getting to this thread, as I so often am late in getting to threads here.

I'm all for The Turn of the Screw AND for the Flannery O'Connor works. All three--the James and the two by Flannery O'Connor--are favorites of mine.

My first reaction when reading some O'Connor short stories was completely negative. But 20 years later, I returned to O'Connor's work, read more of it, and read her letters. I think her fiction has substance, if you get my drift. It's far from shallow, anyway.

I'd be happy to support A Good Man is Hard to Find. I'm not sure that it fits our theme, but what the heck!

Phaedosia or Kathy - would one of you be willing to lead the discussion ?

In other years we have had multiple discussions going each month-so I don't think we need to choose one or the other-how about the three "child" ones as one discussion, and the O'Conner as another? I'll volunteer to kick off the "child" one if we can give a slightly generous lead-time-very busy May until the 23rd-DD graduates, with all the brouhaha and transproting of grandparents and goods that that entails!

I like Flannery O'Connor, haven't read her for many years now. Will try to fit that one in too.

Cece, discussions aren't supposed to start till 1 June anyhow. I'll start the thread on the Screw then (ha!), and you could do the comparison one on the three dealing with children. If you like.

June 1 is good-I'll do Turn of the Screw, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Kitchen Madonna as a blended discussion.

Anyanka will do the indepth discussion of TOTS

So far so good.

Anyanka - I will be away for most of June - and as I have lots of materials and thoughts on TTOTS may I send them on to you to use as, if, and when you see fit?

Of course, Jankin. Unless you want to wait till you're back and then revive the thread. I promise to read it as long as it goes on!

I'll be gone the first part of June, but I plan to take TOTS with me on our trip, so by the time I get back, I'll be able to jump in with both feet! Or so she says...

> until the 23rd-DD graduates

Its been a long week. cc, when I first read this, I thought it said 23rd DD. Wow, thats a lot of kids! But a second later I reread it right. Congrats to you!

good gawd...with tuition bills what they are-educating two is going to be painful enough. At least only one has an eye on a Ph.D.

Sure, I'd be glad to get a thread going for "A Good Man is Hard to Find." I haven't started a thread before, so I may need help. I think I can figure it out by June, though.

Here's a link to the story:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html

I went to the library to get these books and was surprised to be reminded that I read, enjoyed, and even remembered phrases from three of Godden's books. The Kitchen Madonna is fondly remembered from my childhood, and also In This House of Brede (must re-read that) and An Episode of Sparrows. This would put Godden as one of my most-read authors, and I didn't even consciously remember that she wrote all three books, even though I remember the books themselves.

This probably gives some weird insight into my psyche, but I don't know what it is.

Just bumping this back to the top, to keep it in people's minds and to check if others are interested.

Just to confirm - starting on June 1st, we are discussing:-

The Turn of the Screw - Henry James
The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor
The Kitchen Madonna - Rumer Godden

Coming up for suggestions for July....

I dunno - something light and frothy for summer? One of my favs recently was Snobs by Julian Fellowes. Not chic lit, tho could be - its more of an Edith Warton type look at society's mores. Hilarious and thought provoking at the same time.

Since we have been talking about getting kids to read, how about choosing a few recent YA books to discuss? They might spark some discussion about what YA books work for kids, and how we decide what is 'suitable' for a specific age or child.

Hmmm... for the sake of tossing out ideas...

For some reason I've been in the mood to go back and read some of our Southern writers. I know Faulkner has been mentioned here before. Others I've been wanting to revisit include Eudora Welty and Robert Penn Warren. In fact, the new movie version of All the King's Men with Sean Penn, Jude Law and Kate Winslet comes out in Sept. It might be fun to read it before it comes out.

For something fun and frothy, I haven't read anything by Thorne Smith. Thought it might be fun to give him a try, but don't know how available his books are these days.

I'm very up for the Young Adult idea - especially as I'm currently trying to write a novel for teenagers, and therefore reading YA fiction for educational reasons.

Usually I get recommendations from younger daughter - most recently Jennifer Donnelly's 'A Gathering Light' (I think it was originally 'A Northern Light').

I also like the Thorne Smith suggestion; my father loved his novels, and I bought him lots when I stayed in San Francisco 20 years ago. They are not in print in the UK, but I have got a lovely old copy of 'The Stray Lamb' on my TBR pile.

Anyanka, it's not a YA novel, but I thought Maeve Binchey got teen conversation just right in Circle of Friends. Have you read that?

Of course, you know how long it has been since I was a teenager.

I loved both A Northern Light and Circle of Friends. I agree Carolyn, that Maeve Binchy really got Benny right in Circle. It's a wonderful "coming of age" novel. (Actually both books are!)

Anyanka-I'm interested in finding out about your writing project. I've also been working on a YA novel.

I only saw the film of 'Circle of Friends', which I didn't particularly enjoy, although Minnie Driver was good as the main character. Generally too many clichees, though. I've not actually read any Maeve Binchy.

'A Northern Light' has a major clichee at the centre (the poor kid who is needed on Pa's farm because Ma is dead, but who really wants to go to college & be a writer), but it was so well-written and engaging that I didn't mind for once.

SmallCoffee, do you want to chat about our respective novels in private? Send me an email!

I feel I'm too over the hill to read Young Adult stuff and have never suggested anything in these 'what shall we read next' threads, but wonder, perhaps later in the year if we might try The Leopard by Giuseppe Lampedusa first published in Italian in 1958 as Il Gattopardo and now considered something of a classic. Set in Sicily at the time of the Risorgimento and following the decline of a noble family.
I first read it about 30 years ago but still have the aged, yellowing paperback.

Any takers?

Here is a link that might be useful: About Lampedusa

Sounds good, Vee. I remember seeing the film a very long time ago. At least this is one I know I can get from our library.

Veer, I've heard about that book so many times and never picked it up. I'd be game (realizing of course that its a heavy book, IIRC, for summer frothiness. But if thats what we want to do, sure)

I have my original Book-of-the-Month Club copy of The Leopard. It was billed as the Italian Gone with the Wind, which totally ruined it for me because it surely wasn't what I expected at that young, romantic time of my life. I haven't looked at it since, so maybe it is time.