"There will be no emails associated with the book clubs; you’ll have to access the site to see the posts, so bookmark that section or set up your RSS feeds." I can't find an RSS feed for just the book section - I don't want to use an RSS feed for your whole substack site because that will just mirror all the email I already receive. How do I follow the book club stuff without repetitively just visiting the web site which I won't remember to do? I did just get a copy of Cement Garden so I'd like to follow along...
“It should go without saying there won’t be any trigger warnings here.” 😂. I liked atonement a lot. Disliked Saturday, Nutshell and On Chesil Beach. Looking forward to a book club!
oh hell yeah. i love the cement garden a lot. a very vulgar and taboo-breaking but strangely heartfelt(? in my opinion at least) book about a young family who tried their best in living the anti-oedipal dream and, tho with much trouble and setback, from both outside authoritarian forces and their own naive folly, were definitely not wrong for trying their best. u can already tell i have a lot of hot opinions about this book, and i cant wait to lay em out for a peer group that may or may not like it, but at least will respectfully listen. c: <3
ok, heartfelt maybe not the right word, but sympathetic? maybe? ill admit its been a long while since i read this book in my own sexually awkward and anarchist-leaning adolescence so my opinion might change a lil. good exercise for me to commit to reading books again, ill thank u for that, fred. ^u^
also, i should also note that i read this book initially because madonna's "what it feels like for a girl", which is a song very important (both in its original form and the above & beyond remix) to my self-discovery as a trans woman(ish person), opens with a sample of julie talking to jack about gender expression from the 1993 film adaptation, which still to this day, ive never seen. :P
What wankerish things has McEwan done? I liked atonement and I seem to be the only one who thinks that everyone missed the point of machines like me. Anyone got a link for some more background?
Yes that's fabulous, thankyou! I love a good literary rant. And that was definitely a good one. Going to pick up Cement Garden this week and have a read.
I was working in the Waterstones bookshop head office in the UK during the start of the Blair years. Lots of staff with 'useless' degrees in literature and philosophy, and very strong opinions. This would have been very much in keeping with two drinks into the evening when we all went out. I miss those days :-)
Ok. I just saw this comment now after checking to make sure that I hadn't missed any book club update. Can I just say:
1) I loved, loved, loved your rant here
2) I don't know about McEwan's politics, but you delineate exactly what I disliked in his books. The only one I liked was Atonement and I was quite moved by that one. But the others that I read are stilted, not credible, cold and creepy.
3) Thank you for baring your soul here and exposing yourself. I know that anxiety-feeling you mention after a rant like this. The worry about What Others On-Line Will Think or Say.
4) I can't WAIT to hear your comments in the official book club
How do your books clubs work? Do you have virtual meetings on Zoom or is it all written? Thanks. I recommend your writing liberally, licentiously . . . SWG
Sweet! I'm excited too. Book isn't arriving until Monday, but I'll catch up afterwards. Genuinely can't wait!
Agreed excellent news; look forward!
This is awesome, thank you!
The book is only $1.99 on Kindle right now.
Thanks for the tip, I just got a copy!
Thanks! I read it a decade ago and clearly didn't enjoy it enough to keep it on my shelf, so $1.99 isn't a bad price for a second look.
"There will be no emails associated with the book clubs; you’ll have to access the site to see the posts, so bookmark that section or set up your RSS feeds." I can't find an RSS feed for just the book section - I don't want to use an RSS feed for your whole substack site because that will just mirror all the email I already receive. How do I follow the book club stuff without repetitively just visiting the web site which I won't remember to do? I did just get a copy of Cement Garden so I'd like to follow along...
Lemme investigate that question
I want the emails too. Maybe a separate list like for RBG?
“It should go without saying there won’t be any trigger warnings here.” 😂. I liked atonement a lot. Disliked Saturday, Nutshell and On Chesil Beach. Looking forward to a book club!
Never heard of it. Excited to learn! :)
oh hell yeah. i love the cement garden a lot. a very vulgar and taboo-breaking but strangely heartfelt(? in my opinion at least) book about a young family who tried their best in living the anti-oedipal dream and, tho with much trouble and setback, from both outside authoritarian forces and their own naive folly, were definitely not wrong for trying their best. u can already tell i have a lot of hot opinions about this book, and i cant wait to lay em out for a peer group that may or may not like it, but at least will respectfully listen. c: <3
ok, heartfelt maybe not the right word, but sympathetic? maybe? ill admit its been a long while since i read this book in my own sexually awkward and anarchist-leaning adolescence so my opinion might change a lil. good exercise for me to commit to reading books again, ill thank u for that, fred. ^u^
also, i should also note that i read this book initially because madonna's "what it feels like for a girl", which is a song very important (both in its original form and the above & beyond remix) to my self-discovery as a trans woman(ish person), opens with a sample of julie talking to jack about gender expression from the 1993 film adaptation, which still to this day, ive never seen. :P
What wankerish things has McEwan done? I liked atonement and I seem to be the only one who thinks that everyone missed the point of machines like me. Anyone got a link for some more background?
I don't dislike Atonement, I just think there's a better book in there that got lost.
Yes that's fabulous, thankyou! I love a good literary rant. And that was definitely a good one. Going to pick up Cement Garden this week and have a read.
I was working in the Waterstones bookshop head office in the UK during the start of the Blair years. Lots of staff with 'useless' degrees in literature and philosophy, and very strong opinions. This would have been very much in keeping with two drinks into the evening when we all went out. I miss those days :-)
Ok. I just saw this comment now after checking to make sure that I hadn't missed any book club update. Can I just say:
1) I loved, loved, loved your rant here
2) I don't know about McEwan's politics, but you delineate exactly what I disliked in his books. The only one I liked was Atonement and I was quite moved by that one. But the others that I read are stilted, not credible, cold and creepy.
3) Thank you for baring your soul here and exposing yourself. I know that anxiety-feeling you mention after a rant like this. The worry about What Others On-Line Will Think or Say.
4) I can't WAIT to hear your comments in the official book club
Sadly the ebook is not available in the Kobo store...
How do your books clubs work? Do you have virtual meetings on Zoom or is it all written? Thanks. I recommend your writing liberally, licentiously . . . SWG
All written in the comments ALTHOUGH I'm open to a Zoom!