I don't think I can take any more Faulkner. As a southerner, it was shoved down my throat one too many times....I prefer Wharton's other works, such as "Summer" and "Ethan Frome." Perhaps the Shelley is more appealing, as I have not read that author.

Not Ethan Frome but I've never read Summer. A new Wharton sounds great, but I'd also try The Last Man. I hated some of Falkner and loved other stuff. But it's been a LONG time and I can't remember As I Lay Dying.

OK let's make a decision about this, so we can have a discussion on 1 September.

Adam

Didn't we just do a month of Faulker?

Here are the nominations so far. Are we ready to vote?

>The Last Man

>Age of Innocence

>Mademoselle Benoir

>Bel Canto

>Corelli's Mandolin

>Frankenstien (this actually could be perfect for October)

>The Dead by James Joyce

>Cathedral by Raymond Carver

I'd vote for Corelli and Cathedral

I'll cast my vote for The Age of Innocence.

Bel Canto

Age of Innocence

Bel Canto or Corelli's Mandolin

I guess you can vote for your own suggestion, so Bel Canto, but I would like to reread Frankenstein.

The Age of Innocence as well.

I have a question. Why was the Faulkner book, As I Lay Dying, dropped from the list?

I see 4 people who didn't want to deal with it (one of those 4 came in with negative comments on it twice), but 6 people who said that the Faulkner would be OK with them.

I'll be glad to discuss Faulkner if anyone else wants to. I haven't read any of his novels before, so count me in. I'll also do The Age of Innocence too.

adam

But I did say I would urge those who hadn't read it to do so and have a discussion-there is lots to discuss.
I try to be fair.

I assumed that Faulkner was dropped because he was a recent discussee. But that was my first choice. The others totally don't interest me, or are books that I have tried before and set aside.

veronicae, I feel the same way.

But could somebody tell me when Faulkner was a recent discussee? How recent is "recent"?

I looked back for 4 months and found no discussion of Faulkner. Maybe I don't know how to look.

>I assumed that Faulkner was dropped because he was a recent discussee

Um, I'm not in charge here. When I typed the list, I didn't think we would read Faulkner because we just read him (am I remembering wrong, but wasn't our last discussion a series of stories by Faulkner?) But notice my post - I said 'are we ready to vote?'. If we aren't, then we'll stop and add what ever is necessary. We don't have to start the first, either. So, As I Lay Dying should be on the list?

I usually read along but don't discuss...so I'm not sure how much weight my vote carries, but I would like to see it...and, because I like Faulkner, would probably jump in. Otherwise, I will sit quietly and learn.

veronicae, your vote and opinion is much valued here, as is everyone else's. I enjoy your insights into books, and for you to add your interpretation to a Faulkner discussion would be great.

I don't recall any debate about Faulkner here on RP. That's not to say it didn't happen, as I miss all kinds of things here.

If there is enough interest in discussing Faulkner, then I would be glad to lead the talk, but remember I have not read him before and I'm not much of a literary scholar.

We need someone to lead for the Bel Canto discussion. Any volunteers?

Also, would someone like to take charge of The Age of Innocence discussion?

All set for the beginning of September.

Adam

>I don't recall any debate about Faulkner here on RP

I did some searching. Apparently there had been talk of Faulkne last time around, and Turn of the Screw was chosen. I had thought that was a Faulkner work. Mea culpa

>but remember I have not read him before and I'm not much of a literary scholar.

In my humble opinion, this is much preferred - readers who come to a book with their own experiences and discuss their thoughts with similar types. If we have someone who is a scholar to help us, great. But I don't think its a necessary trait in a leader. In fact based on some discussions that have been lead by a 'literary scholar' elseforum, its not even helpful.

So now Im confused - are we doing As I Lay Dying in Sept?

Ok...this is easy. Bel Canto has been murmuring from the top of the secondary TBR pile for awhile...and getting louder and more insistent, and I think that The Age of Innocence is up there as well. And I have the Faulkner on order at the library. First, I have to finish The Art of Mending and The Turn of the Screw. Great Itinerary for a rainy weekend.

Discussion to begin on:

October 1: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton and Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

November 1: Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (Adam to lead discussion).

How does everyone feel about this?

All we need now is someone to lead the discussion for Bel Canto, Age of Innocence, and Corelli's Mandolin.

Adam

Got it...good that gives me time to slide in a couple of books I have close at hand.

Um, refresh my memory - is this the group that discusses for two weeks on one book? If so, that sounds just fine, and I'd be glad to lead Corelli's Mandolin.

So is there a book for Sept?

Can we please have some volunteers to lead the October 1 discussion of The Age of Innocence and Bel Canto.

I'm not volunteering for this because I've never been around when you had DG. But I wanted to bump this up, since I want to participate. Haven't got the books yet, I'd better hurry!

I really want to discuss Wharton's book, so I'll lead an initial discussion on it.

Adam

I'd like to join in with The Age of Innocence and Bel Canto, and I will try to. However, with the Booker short list coming out tomorrow, I'm going to have anything between two and six books which I want to read before the prize is announced On October 10th. (It depends on how many I've already read!)

I'll certainly join in with As I Lay Dying. I've never read any Faulkner - his reputation as a "hard" writer has put me off.

Martin, with all the books you have undertaken, I don't believe you will find Faulker "hard." Some people have trouble with his stream of consciousness books, but As I Lay Dying won't be difficult for you. Disgusting, maybe, but not hard.

BTW, one son is named Darl; and in a lit class after I went back to college as an adult, the teacher gave any number of names that could have been meant to be, including a pet name for Darling. She evidently wasn't a Georgia redneck or from rural Kentucky, or she would have known that it obviously is a corruption of Darrell.

Have picked up The Age of Innocence from the library today and will read that instead of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil :-) I'm also hoping to join in with the Faulkner.

I found a lovely B/n copy of Age of Innocence and will start reading it as soon as I finish my current read.

About the name Darl in As I Lay Dying: it's probably the same as Daryl, with a different spelling. It's probably spelled the way the family would pronounce it.

So will the discussions of Bel Cantoand Age of Innocence both start on Oct.1? I'm about 1/3 into Peace like a River and I have 2 more library books due before the discussion books, obviously I need to do some planning here.

I have ordered The Age of Innocence from the library but it may be some time before it arrives.
I have seen it printed 'on line' but it's not an enjoyable or practical way for me to read a novel.

ttt since Sept is half over! Oct 1 is fast approaching.

Almost done with Age of Innocence, and plan to read House of Mirth afterwards. Oh, this is good!

Check your library shelves, especially the main branch. Age of Innocence was checked out but I found it in a collection of 3 Wharton novels, Ethan Fromme, A of I and Old New York.

There was another volume with AOI in it as well. The one I got was smaller and I've never read, or I'm ashamed to admit, heard of Old New York!Will try it next.

The collections didn't show up in the online catolog, found them just because I checked when I went to pick up Bel Canto!

I've looked for Bel Canto on Project Gutenberg but don't see it. I don't read printed books but can read online ones. If I requested this book on tape from the Talking Books library, it would take much too long to get it.

Does anyone know of an online version of this book?

>I don't read printed books

I'm curious jw - why not? I can't read much online except for articles. Reading a whole book is just impossible for me in front of a screen.

Project Gutenberg will only have etext for books that belong in the public domain or have no copyright issue. Bel Canto is too recent to be on Gutenberg. However, you can sometimes find ebook editions at Amazon and other eBook sellers online. It appears that Amazon sells an audio download for Bel Canto but not an eBook, so I doubt there is an eBook edition yet.

Cindy, I'll be curious to hear what you think of House of Mirth, having just read it. I thought it better than Age of Innocence. I would like to discuss House of Mirth as well as Wharton's Summer with anyone interested.

I cannot imagine reading an entire book on line. Perhaps a short story, but even that would be pushing it for me.

cindydavid4, you ask:

I don't read printed books
I'm curious jw - why not? I can't read much online except for articles. Reading a whole book is just impossible for me in front of a screen.

--------------
I have a chronic disorder that makes it almost impossible to hold up a book or turn the pages for very long--and there are vision problems too. On the screen I can keep magnifying the text until I get it right.

I (re)read all of The Mayor of Casterbridge in the Project Gutenberg format--unfortunately, it was months too late for anyone here to be interested in talking about it!

georgiapeach, thanks for reminding me about the public domain matter. I ought to have remembered that but didn't!

jw, thank you for your response. Totally understand.

>I would like to discuss House of Mirth as well as Wharton's Summer with anyone interested.

I suspect I'll be finished with House of Mirth by the time we start. I think the discussion could be very interesting if people made comparisions between Age of Innocence and the other books they've read by Wharton. Would that be ok?

Sounds fine to me.

Sure, sounds good.

Just wondering if anyone is reading Bel Canto? All the chatter is about Wharton. Finished BC a few days ago and have one HUGE point I want to discuss!

Am enjoying AOI. Just got to part 2. I remebered the first part really well but don't remember the 2nd part. I wonder why not. I forgot how much I love her writing especially her vocabulary!

gran, I just finished House of Mirth and agree so much about her writing - descriptions of her characters are so perfect! (more later tho)

I read Bel Canto ages ago and have been in a couple of discussions on it. I think I know the huge point you want to discuss - around the end, is it? I'll be there to discuss.

I have The Age of Innocence and Bel Canto on reserve at the library and both haven't been returned yet. I will join the discussion on both novels as soon as they come in and I read them. As I put my hand up to lead the discussion for The Age of Innocence, I won't be able to do it. So, can someone else please start off the thread on October 1 for both books? Even if is just one question to get the ball rolling. Thank you in advance.

Adam

I could do The Age of Innocence, but not on the 1st as I hardly ever turn on the PC on Sundays. Haven't read Bel Canto.

Cindy, actually my point is from the very early part! Now I'm wondering about what I missed at the end!

Hee. I take it you didn't finish it? If you want, email me tell me your point. Or wait for the discussion :)

Yes I did finish it! Have thoughts about the ending but not as much about the early on issue. I'm going to wait so i don't have to say things twice.