Last night I ventured out into the freezing night to attend Book Club. Since 1993 a group of women ranging in age from mid eighties to early twenties have assembled at the local hotel to discuss a novel each month.
Book club is the highlight of my social calendar. Living in a rural community as a non sporting enthusiast limits social opportunities. This isolation became especially noticeable once my children completed primary education and moved away to boarding school.
Over the years we have read some fabulous books. We actually do talk about the books but the discussion usually veers on to other topics. Book Club has acted as a network and support group and has been a really positive part of my life.
Before my marriage I worked as an English teacher and I have always loved reading and books. One of the perks of being the Book Club coordinator is that I am largely responsible for the selection of books so only rarely do I find the books not to my taste!
Last night we discussed State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. We all enjoyed the compelling plot and discussed the impact of contact with Westerners on the primitive people of the Amazon, the unscrupulous motivations of multi-national drug companies and our unanimous distaste at the notion of being parents in our twilight years.
State of Wonder reminded me a little of Heart of Darkness, a novel I read many years ago (so many!). Perhaps it was the jungle setting but also the idea that without the boundaries of civilisation our true natures are revealed("The horror! The horror!")
In a sense book club is like this. There in the enclosed dining room we shed our public faces and can reveal our true selves. Luckily my fellow book clubbers are more empathetic than your average jungle dweller and our hearts are not so dark.
What happens at Book club, stays at book club but suffice it to say that over the years nearly every book club member has been able to draw support, encouragement and perspective on some very challenging life events through referencing themselves to events and characters in the books under discussion and from sharing concerns with the other members.
The wine also helps!
Being part of a bookclub is very important to me. I've been part of two amazing book clubs - a foundation member of the No. 1 Melbourne Ladies Bookclub (in, of course, Melbourne) and then once I moved to Sydney I started up Books'n'Gossip along with my fellow mums from primary school.
ReplyDeleteNow, back in Perth, I'm looking for a new bookclub. I've had plenty of offers but having established book clubs in the past (and administered them) I'm not sure how I'll go joining and already established one...