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Book Club Proposal

Book choice

  • A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dante's Divine Comedy

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Leviathan - Thomas Hobbes

    Votes: 3 30.0%
  • Minima Moralia - Theodore W. Adorno

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Moby Dick - Herman Melville

    Votes: 5 50.0%
  • No Place Left to Hide - Greenwald

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The Disappearing Spoon - Sam Kean

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The Prince - Machiavelli

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Ulysses - James Joyce

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    10

Polaris

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TBerg said:
Does everyone else have a copy already?

Got mine. Sixty pages sounds reasonable...

Should I close the poll?
 

Ex-User (11125)

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i can read only like 30 per day...midterms coming up :'(
 

Teffnology

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I voted for Prince.

I have read it several times but rereading it with a group would be interesting.

I would like to nominate for the future The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Don Quixote.

I will read Moby Dick if that is the consensus or Leviathan, for that matter. I haven't read either front to back before, just excepts here and there from secondary sources.
 

Olivia

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I'm interested in joining. But does anyone mind telling me the state of the book club right now? I'm too lazy to read the whole thread. What are you reading, when is the deadline for finishing it, what type of discussions are you doing, where can you get the book (assuming it's online), is the book club even still operating, etc. I could just read the replies but I'm mentally spacing out so it would be nice if someone could just straight-up tell me :)
 

Yellow

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Wait, I just realized that my copy doesn't say anything on it about being abridged, despite the fact that it was printed in 1931, but it only has about 550 pages. Is everyone's edition of a comparable length? Because Wikipedia suggests that some versions are 900+ pages. With discrepancies like that, would it be better to go by chapter?

I'm interested in joining. But does anyone mind telling me the state of the book club right now? [...] I'm mentally spacing out so it would be nice if someone could just straight-up tell me :)
We're reading Moby Dick and we're working out the details of our pace.
 

Olivia

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We're reading Moby Dick and we're working out the details of our pace.

Ok, thanks. Sorry for spamming :facepalm: I'm an idiot sometimes xD

Also, mine is about 480 pages, and also does not say anything about being abridged. However, the text is very "squished", so it makes sense I guess. We have an abridged edition in addition to this copy, and it's more like 250 pages. So my guess is that you have the correct edition. Could be wrong though.
 

Absurdity

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My edition is 570 pages. I'm at page 120 right now but I'm sure I'll fall behind. Work is insane. 15 hour day today.
 

Ex-User (11125)

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You can check the different editions on goodreads...if theyre listed under the main moby dick page then they're probably unabridged
 

Olivia

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My edition is 570 pages. I'm at page 120 right now but I'm sure I'll fall behind. Work is insane. 15 hour day today.

Yeesh. Insane is right.
 

The Introvert

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Let's read by chapter rather than page length, alright guys? People's copies seem to be pretty variable and it'd be easier if either everyone had the same copy (which they don't) or if we read by chapter. I don't have my copy yet... but going to the library now to pick it up. I say we try to take minimal slices at first and then vamp up the length of readings if we need to, to avoid biting off more than we can chew. Baby steps.

On that note, to what chapter do you think we should read? Like I said I don't have my book yet, so I don't know what chapter lengths are or what would be reasonable.
 

Olivia

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Let's read by chapter rather than page length, alright guys? People's copies seem to be pretty variable and it'd be easier if either everyone had the same copy (which they don't) or if we read by chapter. I don't have my copy yet... but going to the library now to pick it up. I say we try to take minimal slices at first and then vamp up the length of readings if we need to, to avoid biting off more than we can chew. Baby steps.

On that note, to what chapter do you think we should read? Like I said I don't have my book yet, so I don't know what chapter lengths are or what would be reasonable.

The chapters are pretty short, some are only a few paragraphs. I have my book, but I haven't started reading either. So it would be helpful if some of us slowed down while the others caught up, but it doesn't really matter I guess. I heard someone say they were on page 120 or something, out of a 550 page book.

It would be handy to have some SJs here right now xD
 

Yellow

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Since this book is still a part of school curriculum in some places, there are a lot of theme-related chapter-chunk breakdowns. One in particular has 15 chunks that range from 6-12 chapters each. Maybe we can just do a chunk every two days? That will pace the book out over the month, giving everyone a chance to keep up, and it will give us time to actually discuss everything as we go. Also, it is a good pace to allow late-comers a chance to catch up and join in.

Here's the breakdown:

Chapters 1-9
Chapters 10–21
Chapters 22–31
Chapters 32–40
Chapters 41–47
Chapters 48–54
Chapters 55–65
Chapters 66–73
Chapters 74–81
Chapters 82–92
Chapters 93–101
Chapters 102–114
Chapters 115–125
Chapters 126–132
Chapter 133–Epilogue
 

Olivia

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Since this book is still a part of school curriculum in some places, there are a lot of theme-related chapter-chunk breakdowns. One in particular has 15 chunks that range from 6-12 chapters each. Maybe we can just do a chunk every two days? That will pace the book out over the month, giving everyone a chance to keep up, and it will give us time to actually discuss everything as we go.

Here's the breakdown:

Chapters 1-9
Chapters 10–21
Chapters 22–31
Chapters 32–40
Chapters 41–47
Chapters 48–54
Chapters 55–65
Chapters 66–73
Chapters 74–81
Chapters 82–92
Chapters 93–101
Chapters 102–114
Chapters 115–125
Chapters 126–132
Chapter 133–Epilogue

Sounds pretty reasonable. Except what about the people who are halfway through already, and the people who haven't even started?
 

TBerg

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That plan is quite feasible, since the pages are not packed too voluminously with words at all.
 

Olivia

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My question is how are we all going to get to the same spot?
 

Olivia

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TBerg

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Can we also agree that the Leviathan will be next and that then we will perform another round of nominations?
 

Teffnology

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Can we also agree that the Leviathan will be next and that then we will perform another round of nominations?

I like this plan. I have my copy of Moby Dick. I will jump into it after my evening THC. Reading on the herb is WAY TOO MUCH FUN. It makes reading sober a chore for me, as with many things in life haha. Definitely not for everybody and the right strain is essential, but it has the capacity to laser focus my comprehension. Just sayin.
 

Teffnology

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I wish I had a regular supply of that kind of cannabis.

I could send you the numbers, so you can find a comparable strain at a legal dispensary (they even deliver now, if you have an online supported/verified prescription).

It is higher in CBD than THC.

Growing your own from a clone (a cutting of an established FEMALE plant) is ridiculously easy. Water, lots of sunlight (or artificial light on a circadian cycle), with proper air flow, and a tiny bit of nutrients combined with about a 4 month basic TLC process of plants in general and you are all set (plucking decaying leaves, monitoring for pests and mold, talking to it, playing it music, keeping it above freezing temperatures and below earth scorching ones, etc).

Granted I don't know where you live or the legality of growing your own medically prescribed herb but if the law isn't an issue then there really shouldn't be one, it is very easy to do. It is not worth getting arrested over that is for sure but the mechanics of it are very simple.

Or get a script and get in delivered right to your front door.
 

Yellow

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So... I'm liking this book. Anyone else through chapter 9 or beyond? Are we supposed to stop and discuss, or should we start working toward chapter 21?
 

Polaris

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So... I'm liking this book. Anyone else through chapter 9 or beyond? Are we supposed to stop and discuss, or should we start working toward chapter 21?

I read past chapter 9 and realised it will be a little bit difficult to remember where the points of interest were (for me), so I've started adding notes. For this reason I thought it may be better to discuss things at shorter intervals unless everyone is taking notes, of course.
 

Ex-User (11125)

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Can we also agree that the Leviathan will be next and that then we will perform another round of nominations?

It would be nice if we could alternate between fiction and nonfiction for future rounds
(Tbh tho, I'm not too excited about reading leviathan :P)
 

kvothe27

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I might be interested in doing this another time depending on the chosen book.
 

Puffy

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Subscribing to thread in case I want to join in the future.

I'm a pretty fast-paced reader, I tend to skim & isolate the main themes, ideas & concepts and if it seems worth the time I'll give it a proper read and if not shelf it. A lot of the books in the poll are too long for me really, I do read long books but only if it's especially worth the time & commitment.

Of the poll, wouldn't mind Machiavelli or Burgess. A Shakespeare play or Nietzsche might be fun.
 
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