Group Reads - Anyone Interested?

DiscussieDystopian novels

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Group Reads - Anyone Interested?

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1fannyprice
Bewerkt: apr 3, 2008, 5:51 pm

I am in love with this often-depressing genre and I love getting suggestions on LT, but I'm wondering if we can take it further. Is there anyone who is interested in trying to set up a group read or a series of groups reads of various dystopian novels?

I know that we have all read a variety of different books and it might be a little tough to find things of interest that enough people have not already read, but if people are interested, I think this could be fun. We could either schedule a time to discuss together, or just create a thread where discussion could happen as people have time.

Anyone interested? Any ideas for potential books?

Edited to provide suggestions:

I have the following suggestions, based on the dystopian classics list posted in another thread, LT/Amazon tags, and my TBR pile:

Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner (available used on Amazon)
The sheep look up by John Brunner (supposedly a 'sequel' to the previous)
The Sleeper Awakes by H.G. Wells
The Croquet Player by H.G. Wells
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
The Children of Men by P.D. James (I still haven't seen the movie, so its all new to me)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
Kallocain by Karin Boye
Swastika Night by Katharine Burdekin
It Can't Happen Here: A Novel by Sinclair Lewis
The Iron Heel by Jack London
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Erewhon by Samuel Butler
The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
334: A Novel by Thomas M. Disch
The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess

(wow, are touchstones messed up today?)

2heinous-eli
sep 8, 2007, 8:54 pm

I'm in. I don't know about suggestions, though, since I want to read something I haven't read yet.

3shewhowearsred
sep 10, 2007, 4:49 am

I'm in, too!

4nohrt4me
sep 10, 2007, 8:12 am

Dit bericht is door zijn auteur gewist.

5nohrt4me
sep 10, 2007, 8:14 am

Me three (or four)! I tried to post yesterday, but my dial-up connection died.

Just to narrow the list a bit, here are the ones I haven't read and I think are still in print:

The Sleeper Awakes by H.G. Wells

The Croquet Player by H.G. Wells

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

The Children of Men by P.D. James (I still haven't seen the movie, so its all new to me)

Kallocain by Karin Boye

Erewhon by Samuel Butler

The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard

334: A Novel by Thomas M. Disch

I like the idea of reading "Children of Men" and then watching the DVD (is it out yet?) and adding that dimension.

But I'd be interested in reading any of the above.

Suggest that maybe everyone comes up with one discussion question to throw out for the group to consider.

6heinous-eli
sep 10, 2007, 11:24 am

I like the idea of reading and watching Children of Men, as contrasting them will be fun.

7shewhowearsred
sep 10, 2007, 7:26 pm

Something that hasn't been mentioned on this thread: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The Road is also on my TBR pile and I wouldn't mind reading and discussing The Giver again.

8_Zoe_
sep 10, 2007, 9:13 pm

I love the idea of this, though I don't know whether I'll actually have time for it now that school's started up again. I've been meaning to read We forever, and I also like the idea of discussing Children of Men together with the movie.

There was a group discussion of The Giver in the Read YA Lit group a while back, if anyone's interested in joining that one a bit late.

9nohrt4me
sep 12, 2007, 11:48 am

I'm going to pick up "Children of Men" and "We" at the bookstore today. I've got some of the others at home, so I'm ready to start whenever.

I like the idea of setting up a thread we can post to as time permits. Just a suggestion: Maybe everyone could be responsible for coming up with one discussion question for the group? That's worked well in the "live" discussions I've been in, and keeps discussion hogs (like me) from blabbering too much.

10Enraptured
sep 27, 2007, 11:54 am

I'd possibly be interested.

11nohrt4me
sep 27, 2007, 11:55 am

I finished "Children of Men" and am about halfway through "We."

So lemme know, everyone, when you want to start.

12kiwidoc
okt 21, 2007, 9:14 pm

I would be interested.

The H. G. Wells books appeal to me as I have been meaning to get to more of his works. Perhaps Fannyprice can bite the bullet and select the book to discuss after reviewing the posts?

13fannyprice
okt 25, 2007, 12:50 pm

My reading has been slight lately, due to work and a change in how I commute (no public transportation means so much less time to read!), but I am thinking of trying to start H.G. Wells's The Sleeper Awakes soon, so maybe I will just start a thread for that and see if anyone joins.

14beatles1964
apr 3, 2008, 10:17 am

Dit bericht is door zijn auteur gewist.

15beatles1964
Bewerkt: apr 3, 2008, 10:19 am

I think we should think about starting our own group reads.Right now I am reading A Handmaid's Tale.
I have never read it before now but I have always
meant to get around to eventually reading it. Should we take a vote on who else wants to start a group read? And if so, should we start one right away and have one for April or wait until May?

beatles1964

16fannyprice
apr 3, 2008, 5:57 pm

I would still be up for trying this, if there is enough interest. I'm doing the 888 Challenge this year and one of my categories is dystopian novels. I have already read The Handmaid's Tale and I'm not sure I'm ready for a re-read already, but I might be able to contribute a few comments here and there. This year I've also read The Giver by Lois Lowry and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, so I could also contribute a few comments on those, if people wanted to read them.

The books I've got on my plate for dystopias include: The Sleeper Awakes by H.G. Wells, We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. I'd be particularly interested in doing the first three, since I have them all in hand right now. I'd also be up for reading A Clockwork Orange, or re-reading 1984 or Brave New World, if anyone else is interested.

17Medellia
apr 3, 2008, 8:50 pm

I'd be in for a group read if it's anything but The Road. (Sorry, I've tried three times to get into it, but it's not working for me.)

I'd vote for We or Oryx and Crake, both of which I haven't read. But I'd also be happy to reread The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, Brave New World, or to read The Sleeper Awakes or A Clockwork Orange.

18nohrt4me
apr 4, 2008, 3:21 pm

"We" or "The Giver" works for me. I re-read both this year.

19avaland
Bewerkt: apr 4, 2008, 4:18 pm

I might be able to join you although I'm a bit overextended with theme reads and project work I have to do (not to mention some delicious-looking books which have arrived recently). I have determined to back off some of it in May so I can concentrate but one never knows.

mark me down as a possible.

20avaland
Bewerkt: apr 16, 2008, 3:58 pm

I have run into some interest in reading or rereading The Handmaid's Tale on some other groups, so I'm checking around to see if there might be others who would be interested. I'm always up for rereading one of my favorites:-) I have opened a thread up in the Atwoodians' group relative to it, perhaps we can cross-post?

HERE'S the link to the Atwoodians group.

21fannyprice
apr 22, 2008, 5:07 am

I don't know if we'll manage a group read - it looks like only a couple of people are interested, but I'm reading We by Yevgeny Zamyatin right now.

22nohrt4me
apr 22, 2008, 7:28 pm

fannyprice, send me a message when you finish, will you? I'm interested to know what you thought of it! I don't know anybody who's read this I can talk to "live" about it, but I found it fascinating.

23fannyprice
apr 22, 2008, 8:27 pm

will do - I try to write pretty lengthy reviews, so I will make sure I send you a note when I finish.

24avaland
apr 23, 2008, 9:02 pm

ack! ladies, o the temptation! If it were any other month upcoming than May I would join you but I have a rather large educational deadline looming. . .

25avaland
jul 14, 2008, 8:36 pm

Oryx and Crake is the summer read for the Atwoodians group, if anyone is interested in joining in. Discussion set to begin in August, I believe.