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Welcome goonlings to the Awful Book of the Month! In this thread, we choose one work of Resources: Project Gutenberg - http://www.gutenberg.org - A database of over 17000 books available online. If you can suggest books from here, that'd be the best. SparkNotes - http://www.sparknotes.com/ - A very helpful Cliffnotes-esque site, but much better, in my opinion. If you happen to come in late and need to catch-up, you can get great character/chapter/plot summaries here.  For recommendations on future material, suggestions on how to improve the club, or just a general rant, feel free to PM me. Past Books of the Month [for BOTM before 2014, refer to archives] 2014: January: Ursula K. LeGuin - The Left Hand of Darkness February: Mikhail Bulgalov - Master & Margarita March: Richard P. Feynman -- Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! April: James Joyce -- Dubliners May: Gabriel Garcia Marquez -- 100 Years of Solitude June: Howard Zinn -- A People's History of the United States July: Mary Renault -- The Last of the Wine August: Barbara Tuchtman -- The Guns of August September: Jane Austen -- Pride and Prejudice October: Roger Zelazny -- A Night in the Lonesome October November: John Gardner -- Grendel December: Christopher Moore -- The Stupidest Angel 2015: January: Italo Calvino -- Invisible Cities February: Karl Ove Knausgaard -- My Struggle: Book 1. March: Knut Hamsun -- Hunger April: Liu Cixin -- 三体 ( The Three-Body Problem) May: John Steinbeck -- Cannery Row June: Truman Capote -- In Cold Blood (Hiatus) August: Ta-Nehisi Coates -- Between the World and Me September: Wilkie Collins -- The Moonstone October:Seth Dickinson -- The Traitor Baru Cormorant November:Svetlana Alexievich -- Voices from Chernobyl December: Michael Chabon -- Gentlemen of the Road 2016: January: Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the Dog!) by Jerome K. Jerome February:The March Up Country (The Anabasis) of Xenophon March: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco April: Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling May: Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima June:The Vegetarian by Han Kang July:Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees August: Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov September:Siddhartha by Herman Hesse October:Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse November:Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain December: It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis 2017: January: Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut Current: The Plague by Albert Camus Amazon link here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QLVNII/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 You can find it for free online with a quick google, and it may be out of copyright in some English-speaking countries, but I'm not sure about copyright in the U.S. so I won't repost the link. (Or, y'know, visit a library, people). About the book: quote:The Plague (French: La Peste) is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1947, that tells the story of a plague sweeping the French Algerian city of Oran. It asks a number of questions relating to the nature of destiny and the human condition. The characters in the book, ranging from doctors to vacationers to fugitives, all help to show the effects the plague has on a populace. Themes and Background quote:Of all Camus’ novels, none described man’s confrontation – and cohabitation – with death so vividly and on such an epic scale as La Peste, translated as The Plague. Most of us read The Plague as teenagers, and we should all read it again. And again: for not only are all humankind’s responses to death represented in it, but now – with the advent of Ebola – the book works on the literal as well as metaphorical level. https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/jan/05/albert-camus-the-plague-fascist-death-ed-vulliamy quote:Far from being a study in existential disaffection, as I had so badly misremembered, The Plague is about courage, about engagement, about paltriness and generosity, about small heroism and large cowardice, and about all kinds of profoundly humanist problems, such as love and goodness, happiness and mutual connection. Camus published the novel in 1947 and his town's sealed city gates embody the borders imposed by the Nazi occupation, while the ethical choices of its inhabitants build a dramatic representation of the different positions taken by the French. He etches with his sharp, implacable burin questions that need to be faced now more than ever in the resistance to terrorism. Perhaps even more than when La Peste was published, the novel works with the stuff of fear and shame, with bonds that tie and antagonisms that sever. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/apr/26/classics.albertcamus Pacing Just read, then post. References and Further Reading Camus was pretty directly inspired by Daniel Defoe's Journal of the Plague Year, which is definitely out of copyright and a free read, and also very interesting because its fiction/nonfiction status is still under debate. I'd also point to Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus essay as an important condensation of his philosophy. Final Note: Thanks, and I hope everyone enjoys the book! Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 05:23 on Feb 6, 2017 |
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Feb 6, 2017 05:18
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Awesome! I found my copy and discovered I got as far as Part 3 but I can't remember anything about it so not a bad idea to start again. I also discovered I used to make bookmarks by sticking cutouts of bikini babes to a thin piece of card and wrapping it in sticky back plastic. I wanna say this means I read the book about 20 years ago!
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Feb 6, 2017 18:44
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Good; I, too, read it 20+ years ago. Back then it was in Norwegian translation. Will do it in English this time.
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Feb 6, 2017 21:22
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By some amazing coincidence, my friend lent me his copy last month. So I guess I'm doing this!
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Feb 8, 2017 01:24
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Actually thought I had this but it turns out this is one of his I haven't read. Going to pick up my hold tomorrow or the next day and get started.
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Feb 8, 2017 02:13
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Because Camus is so approachable and generally easy to read I think he gets short shrift as a writer, but his prose here in The Plague is among his best, in my opinion (I think it's only surpassed by The Myth of Sisyphus). If you were assigned The Stranger in English or French class and you thought it was "hokey" or "pointless" or whatever it is that high schoolers say about the books they are forced to read, I would urge you to give him another shot with The Plague. That is my argument for reading this book, this month.
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Feb 9, 2017 01:01
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What happened to not reading a book by a dead white guy?
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Feb 9, 2017 21:44
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fridge corn posted:What happened to not reading a book by a dead white guy? Democracy fails; ask Plato. So I just found a Modern Library edition of this that I didn't know I had. Very handsome copy that I must have gotten used for a fiver. Anybody want to give me some hints for things to notice?
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Feb 10, 2017 02:29
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fridge corn posted:What happened to not reading a book by a dead white guy? Democracy. Seriously. The last time we picked a female author it was because i'd rigged the poll so there were no male author choices. mdemone posted:
Pretty much every character in the book is reflective of a philosophical viewpoint; watch for Camus' opinion of the validity of each of these viewpoints.
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Feb 11, 2017 02:47
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Haven't we had enough lessons about how democracy can fail in the last year? Anyway just started this this afternoon, haven't read Camus in awhile so I forgot how much I liked his style. Will post once I've read more.
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Feb 11, 2017 22:05
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I picked this up about a week ago along with the January BOTM, since they're both pretty short reads, and a good little break from The Guermantes Way. Definitely enjoying it thus far, though I'm only a little more than a third of the way through.fridge corn posted:What happened to not reading a book by a dead white guy? Stay tuned next month for MIDDLEMARCH MADNESS!
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Feb 12, 2017 05:49
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Picked this up the other day, looking forward to it.
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Feb 12, 2017 09:53
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Finished this the other day. I wish I had known it was a metaphor for the Third Reich when I was reading it because it puts all the insane plague worshippers into perspective. All the philosophical speeches about fighting death were extremely cool. I don't have any other valuable insights.
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Feb 16, 2017 19:36
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fridge corn posted:What happened to not reading a book by a dead white guy? Yeah, what could anyone possibly learn from reading a book by an Algerian-born Nobel Prize winning author who lived through Nazi occupation and wrote extensively about the grim realities of colonialism.
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Feb 18, 2017 02:24
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Blurred posted:Yeah, what could anyone possibly learn from reading a book by an Algerian-born Nobel Prize winning author who lived through Nazi occupation and wrote extensively about the grim realities of colonialism. So did you read the book? Want to discuss it? Nobody else seems to want to discuss it despite it getting the most votes  but seriously thanks for coming in here to defend the honor of Albert Camus, I'm sure the person you're addressing dislikes him specifically
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Feb 18, 2017 06:18
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Blurred posted:Yeah, what could anyone possibly learn from reading a book by an Algerian-born Nobel Prize winning author who lived through Nazi occupation and wrote extensively about the grim realities of colonialism. drat, I'm eagerly awaiting to hear what the rest of the Wikipedia entry says
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Feb 18, 2017 10:03
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Seriously though, I love the inconclusiveness of the morality explored within The Plague. It's educating, but not instructive. Also the very last line is super chilling and obviously newly relevant today
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Feb 18, 2017 10:10
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Still have a little left of the book, appropriately I've been sick with a lot of coughing and fever. Probably not the plague in my case though.
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Feb 18, 2017 23:07
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Finished. The thing that's stayed with me the most is the descriptions of how all normalcy is drained from the town.
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Feb 21, 2017 09:51
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Next month?
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Feb 21, 2017 13:55
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Groke posted:Finished. I like how it starts out that way but then it becomes a new normalcy that people are even more wary of giving up when things finally seem to start getting better. It was also a gut punch when Tarrou was infected right when everything seemed to be ending, and then Rieux's wife dies as well. It reinforces how individual tragedies can still happen even at the moment of triumph and apparent safety Hieronymous Alloy posted:Next month? Not sure if this is kosher, but can I nominate Republic of Wine again? It lost by one point and would've tied if ulvir had voted by the deadline. If you don't normally do that I will recommend something else with a write-up later.
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Feb 21, 2017 17:15
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Feel free to keep renominating anything. Half the books that win have been previously nominated, I've shoved Plague into at least two previous polls.
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Feb 21, 2017 17:29
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Feel free to keep renominating anything. Half the books that win have been previously nominated, I've shoved Plague into at least two previous polls. Ok awesome, well then I do that. I'll also repost my old write-up so you don't have to do the legwork: quote:Republic of Wine by Mo Yan - Mo Yan is a Chinese author and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. This one I have read and it is my favorite of his. Follows a few narrative threads including a detective story and fictional letters to Mo Yan by a fellow author and fan, but is largely about corruption and bureaucracy using food and drink a metaphors for greed and excess. I highly recommend it, it is a little heftier at 350 pages but is a page turner IMO so it shouldn't be hard to get through. Also as an aside I'm reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende since at one point that got up to an early lead and I forgot to pause my hold. But it was a happy accident because it is really excellent so far.
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Feb 21, 2017 17:33
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Next month? Babyfucker by Urs Allemann
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Feb 21, 2017 18:32
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I dunno if it was done recently but what about White Noise by Don Delillo?
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Feb 21, 2017 19:30
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Guy A. Person posted:I like how it starts out that way but then it becomes a new normalcy that people are even more wary of giving up when things finally seem to start getting better. It was also a gut punch when Tarrou was infected right when everything seemed to be ending, and then Rieux's wife dies as well. It reinforces how individual tragedies can still happen even at the moment of triumph and apparent safety That section hit me pretty hard, too. Some other things that got me thinking: The plague as a metaphor for authoritarianism isn't as readily apparent until Tarrou tells his story, saying "I was infected with Plague once before", and then my mind went back over the book to that point and the parallels became much clearer. The plague also seems to be a broader metaphor, pointed out by the asthma patient, for any ills that afflict people at large and threaten the breaking down of social order, and Camus seems especially to single out indifference.
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Feb 22, 2017 22:18
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Finished this today, and it left me feeling grim and drained, but in a good way. Camus has an excellent command of place and pacing, and the way the town sags instead of crumbles under the weight of the plague was palpable. The truth that life really does continue on as normal, but in a washed-out facsimile, I suppose. I thought some of the longer monologues dragged, but were still filled with insightful and moving passages. Tarrou's life story is particularly powerful, especially when set against the "scientific" approach of the Principality and the quarantine camps. The final scene with Cottard holed up inside his house, only for the police to drag him out and attack him en masse, was surprising, but given Cottard's progression (regression?) it felt like a good place to end the narrative. I'm really glad I read this sooner rather than later, since I only just started getting into Camus' writing.Hieronymous Alloy posted:Next month? If graphic novels are allowed, then Alan Moore's The Ballad Of Halo Jones. If not, then Angela Carter's Nights At The Circus.
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Feb 22, 2017 22:18
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Next month? The Giants, by JMG Le Clezio
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Feb 22, 2017 23:41
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CestMoi posted:Babyfucker by Urs Allemann I'm really hesitant to pick this just because "SA Mod picks pedo novel as official book of the month" could start all kinds of extraneous drama we don't need. I know, Lolita, etc., but with Lolita it'd be a lot easier to shut down the poo poo-stirrers. Sandwolf posted:I dunno if it was done recently but what about White Noise by Don Delillo? I'll put it in the poll but reading this recently I found it extremely dated. The whole upper-class-academic-with-fake-problems thing just seems like an artifact of another century. A human heart posted:The Giants, by JMG Le Clezio Can you give me a blurb? Like a couple sentences saying why someone should read this? Gertrude Perkins posted:
Why Halo Jones over Promethea, or for that matter Jerusalem?
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Feb 22, 2017 23:49
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Because it's really cool and not many people read Le Clezio even though he got the nobel a few years back and it has sentences like this quote:It is not the men who are in command of the bulldozers. It is the bulldozer who invented men, and then, since they failed to interest it, obliterated them with its muscular arm.
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Feb 22, 2017 23:53
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I'm really hesitant to pick this just because "SA Mod picks pedo novel as official book of the month" could start all kinds of extraneous drama we don't need. I know, Lolita, etc., but with Lolita it'd be a lot easier to shut down the poo poo-stirrers. Make me a mod, and I will happily fall on my sword
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Feb 23, 2017 06:03
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:
I wasn't familiar with Promethea until you just mentioned it, and Jerusalem is more of a "Book of the Year" given its scale.
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Feb 23, 2017 11:46
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Finished this last night. A Good Book.Meaty Ore posted:That section hit me pretty hard, too. Some other things that got me thinking: The plague as a metaphor for authoritarianism isn't as readily apparent until Tarrou tells his story, saying "I was infected with Plague once before", and then my mind went back over the book to that point and the parallels became much clearer. The plague also seems to be a broader metaphor, pointed out by the asthma patient, for any ills that afflict people at large and threaten the breaking down of social order, and Camus seems especially to single out indifference. Yeah I think the latter is definitely true, there's this general sense of oppression which hangs over everything. Like the plague isn't so much this active, violent thing, it's a weight pressing down on the population and they're doing their best just to bear up under it. Camus directly talks a few times about how there's no heroic actors going around doing amazing things, there's just a lot of people doing small necessary stuff in order to cope.
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Feb 24, 2017 14:40
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I am cogitating re: poll It will go up tomorrow there may be surprise entrants possibility: are we sick of books about fascism?
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Mar 1, 2017 05:17
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Corrode posted:Yeah I think the latter is definitely true, there's this general sense of oppression which hangs over everything. Like the plague isn't so much this active, violent thing, it's a weight pressing down on the population and they're doing their best just to bear up under it. Camus directly talks a few times about how there's no heroic actors going around doing amazing things, there's just a lot of people doing small necessary stuff in order to cope. A thought that just struck me is that the plague may work just as well as a metaphor for normal life. Because we do all live under constraints all the time, death does take whomever it wants whenever it wants (not that death actually wants anything, but YKWIM) and we are forced apart by circumstances and the only thing to do is, exactly, to do the small necessary stuff for as long as you can. Or go bugfuck and start shooting at people, as an alternative.
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Mar 1, 2017 11:34
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Pretty much every character in the book is reflective of a philosophical viewpoint; watch for Camus' opinion of the validity of each of these viewpoints. Finished the book just now. Tarrou's speech was the absolute peak of the book for me, and the book really dragged me through the emotional muds. Anyways, is there a write-up specifically about what was in the quote? Thinking on it, Cottard is either fatalism or nihilism, Rieux is stoicism, Tarrou is probably existentalism, but I'm not sure about Grand. Am I looking at this in the wrong way? I'd like to learn more!
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Mar 1, 2017 19:55
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Groke posted:A thought that just struck me is that the plague may work just as well as a metaphor for normal life. Because we do all live under constraints all the time, death does take whomever it wants whenever it wants (not that death actually wants anything, but YKWIM) and we are forced apart by circumstances and the only thing to do is, exactly, to do the small necessary stuff for as long as you can. Or go bugfuck and start shooting at people, as an alternative. I think you're on the right track and this is very much the authorial intent. He goes into this theme more explicitly in the "Myth of Sisyphus" essay linked above.
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Mar 1, 2017 20:06
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Groke posted:A thought that just struck me is that the plague may work just as well as a metaphor for normal life. Because we do all live under constraints all the time, death does take whomever it wants whenever it wants (not that death actually wants anything, but YKWIM) and we are forced apart by circumstances and the only thing to do is, exactly, to do the small necessary stuff for as long as you can. Or go bugfuck and start shooting at people, as an alternative. I haven't finished the book yet, or read the Sisyphus essay although I've had it laying around for years, but being generally familiar with Camus' work it seems that this was surely his high-level aim for it. Of course it also works as an allegory for fascism, mostly because the ways in which fascism destroys society are largely the same ways in which normal life (read: the terror of death) destroys the individual, but a strictly existentialist reading of the text makes a lot more sense to me. It reminds me as usual of Beckett, although he stripped away the rot and touched the absurd core of things -- which play was it that had "I can't go on; I'll go on"? Was it Godot?
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Mar 2, 2017 02:44
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mdemone posted:It reminds me as usual of Beckett, although he stripped away the rot and touched the absurd core of things -- which play was it that had "I can't go on; I'll go on"? Was it Godot? The Unnamable. It reminded me of Beckett too, although I'm also not finished yet.
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Mar 2, 2017 04:04
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Oops, I totally missed the further reading list in the OP. One thing that I keep coming back to is Father Paneloux. He really does feel like a real person (as does other characters in this book) in that his worldview goes through a big shift when he witnesses the agony of Othon's son. It makes himself question his faith in God, and it seems like he rationalizes it into an extreme kind of faith. It feels to me like Paneloux did this so that he didn't have to choose an alternative to God. He simply sacrifices himself for God even while he's totally uncertain, and then a parallel is drawn with this by having Rieux be totally uncertain as to what exactly killed Paneloux. The difference between them lies in what they do with that uncertainty. Paneloux bails, but Rieux fights to the end. One person's sense of control is defined by an abstract being and its imagined power. The other person's sense of control is rooted in his expertise. I don't know if Camus intended to comment like this, but it's a reading that makes sense to me.
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Mar 3, 2017 14:43
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