The Great Books Reading & Discussion Group is currently reading from “Even Deadlier: A Sequel to The 7 Deadly Sins Sampler” and a limited number are available for check out at the Emmet O’Neal Library 2nd floor Reference Desk. The group meets 2nd Mondays each month at 6:30 pm in the Library’s Conference Room.

July 13 – “The Custard Heart” by Dorothy Parker
In stories like “The Custard Heart” (1939), Parker satirized the brutality and thoughtlessness of “secure and leisured ladies” who were often her benefactors. (“Life of the Party,” LA Times, 1/22/1995)

August 10 – “Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
One of the finest short stories in the English language, ‘Babylon Revisited’, written by F Scott Fitzgerald after the Great Crash, is an intensely personal portrait of a man who has squandered his life. (“Babylon Revisited,” Telegraph, 1/28/2011)

September 14 – “Nuns at Luncheon” by Aldous Huxley
“Nuns at Luncheon” is a second-hand story told of a nun falling in love. The story mocks the writer’s process, a concept Huxley used in his novel Crome Yellow. (Wikipedia article about Huxley’s short story collection, Mortal Coils)

October 12 – “Weekend” by Faye Weldon
Weekend’ concerns a middle class family from London with three children spending a weekend in their country cottage. Although the story deals with one particular weekend, in many ways it could be any weekend – what we are shown is a glimpse into the ordinary, the habitual, the norm; it appears that the family spend virtually every weekend at the cottage. The story examines the relationship between husband and wife Martin and Martha, and between Martha and Martin’s friends as well as taking a tongue-in-cheek glance at what ‘properly brought up’ children are expected to be involved in. (www.teachenglish.org.uk)

November 9 – “A Woman of Fifty” by W. Somerset Maugham
Set in Florence, Italy, this story concerns the extraordinary lengths a son goes to when the son’s wife come between he and his father. (Rogal, Samuel, A William Somerset Maugham Encyclopedia, p314)

December 14 – “Cowboys Are My Weakness” by Pam Houston
A woman first discovers the difference between real and ersatz cowboys, then figures out that neither variety is ever going to provide “the impossible love of a country song (Kirkus Review 1/1/1992).”

January 11 – “Fat People” by Alison Lurie
Scott kisses Ellie goodbye as he leaves for India, and says, “Well, there is one thing we could both do while I’m gone, Ellie; we could lose a few pounds.” As she desperately tries to follow this suggestion, Ellie sees fat people everywhere, stuffing themselves. She begins to confuse food and sex and loneliness for Scott. The fat ghosts urge her to eat (Books of the Times, NYT 10/3/1994).

February 8 – “My Wife is a White Russian” by Rose Tremain
A businessman with a debilitating condition attempts a business dinner at a fancy restaurant with two clients.  His wife dominates the party while caring for him at the same time, causing him to ruminate on how arrived at this condition. (booksquawk.com)

March 14 – “Krakatau” by Jim Shepard
In ”Krakatau,” a volcanologist broods about the fate of his sibling, who occupies ”that maddening middle ground: too disturbed to function and not disturbed enough to be put away.” Forced to acknowledge the ”private metaphor” in his study of volcanoes, the narrator makes a connection between his own career and his brother’s volatility. Why the obsession with volcanoes? ”Because they go off, regardless of what anyone can do. And because, when they do go off, it’s no one’s fault. Volcanology: the science of standing around and cataloging the devastation (Tales from the Black Lagoon, NYT, 1/25/2004).”

April 11 – “Torch Song” by John Cheever
Angels of death walk the streets of Manhattan (A Brief Survey of the Short Story, Chris Power, 11/16/2012)

May 9 – “Theft in a Pastry Shop” by Italo Calvino
Italo Calvino’s Theft in a Pastry Shop uses suspense and a comic sensibility in a tale of gluttony. Everyone would like to be locked into a pastry shop, but how enjoyable it proves to be depends on the circumstances (metapsychology.mentalhelp.net).

June 13 – TBD

July 11 – TBD

The GBRDG reads from anthologies published by the Great Books Foundation and a limited number are available for checkout from EOL’s Reference Department. Reference Staff are happy to help you find readings in other books when/if copies of the anthologies are not available. What makes a book group great? Great Books and great discussion, of course. The EOL Great Books Reading & Discussion Group uses anthologies from The Great Books Foundation for this book club, creating a truly enriching experience. Those passionate about literature and ideas will find a dynamic environment where attention is focused on classic and contemporary texts, and everyone’s participation is encouraged. Variety is what keeps hungry readers coming back for more. The Great Books Reading & Discussion Group offers a wide choice of intellectually engaging anthologies and short selections that are perfect for people leading busy lives. Today, hundreds of book groups are affiliated with the Great Books Foundation, forming a network of thoughtful, dedicated readers.