Matters arising

    Our book group discussion on The Optimist's Daughter raised a couple of things I wanted to address at greater length. Dark Puss asked about our next book, and I've yet to choose it (although I do have some strong candidates in mind), but I thought we should have a break over the summer, taking July and August off and reconvening in September. I'll get the next title up as soon as I can, so keep an eye out for it - it will appear in the left hand sidebar and the post itself will be found any time in the Book Group books category, should you miss it in the normal course of things, but before I make my choice, would you tell me whether you'd like something short and 'undemanding' that you can easily fit in with your summer reading, or something longer that you can really get your teeth into, but which can be read at as slow a pace as you'd like given that we'll have around ten weeks to do it. Which would you instinctively prefer: long or short?

    Secondly, to take up a point raised by Barbara in her comment on our Eudora Welty book I gave a link to a short clip of the late John O'Donohue. Here is a wise man of great intellect whose books I've never read, though I was aware of them, but when Pamela referred to one the other day I went off to find out more about their author and ended up listening to a long, unedited interview with this philosopher, poet and former priest which I found quite fascinating. Would that there was more of the same. His books live on, though, and I wondered if you'd read any, for example Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World, Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace or Eternal Echoes: Exploring Our Hunger To Belong (which inspired John Barry's album of the same name). 

Comments

[Susan in TX]

Instinct has me going for short.

[Dark Puss]

I have no "instincts" here. Something I haven't read (that should be trivially easy) and something thought provoking. After that if it is a short poem or of War and Peace length I do not care. You are giving us ten weeks. My reading pattern and my choice of books does not change with the seasons.

Warm (finally and now dry too) greetings from MIT

[Sandy]

How long should the next book be is a difficult question ...

If the story grips me I will want at least 7 volumes. If it is like 'pedalling in the sauerkraut', two pages is one too many!

My preference is a new author to me with at least one character with whom I can emapathise and 20 more books by the same author to be read later. OK I know that is all too much!

..................

I enjoyed the clip of John O'Donohue, whose reaction to his experience of witnessing deathbeds was interesting. Thanks for the link,

[Barbara MacLeod]

Long or short? No strong preference. I usually am unfamiliar with the author so I'm up for whatever is your choice.

John O'Donohue: I don't know him or his books. He certainly is a beautiful speaker in the videos on YouTube. I get the feeling he was mainly based in the States. I gather he touched a lot of lives; so sad he died in his sleep aged 52 years.

[Cornflower]

Terribly sad - he seemed like a charming and exceptionally interesting man.

[Susan in TX]

It struck me later in the day that length or brevity probably doesn't matter. As Dark Puss pointed out, we will have 10 weeks to read it.

[Christine Harding]

Something long please, to get my teeth into! And something my library is likely to have in stock - which could limit you somewhat.
I've read some of John O'Donohue's work, and always find him interesting.

[Julie Fredericksen]

I shamefully admit that I could not make head nor tail out of Anam Cara.

Long or short? How about medium. Ten weeks does not mean anything to me, because I will read the book, however long it is, only a week or so before the discussion.

[Ruthiella]

I am with Christine. I vote for long!

[Anji]

Thanks for the links to Johm O'Donaohue. I had never heard of the man and I agree that he is very interesting. I loved listening to that Irish lilt!

As we have a bit of time ahead of us, it is an opportunity to try something completely different. I am not quite sure what else to sugguest.