Moncton Girl headed out to one of her favourite monthly events .. Book Club!
This months book was "Half-Blood Blues" by Esi Edugyan. It has won several notable awards including the Booker Prize most recently the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize. (The Giller Prize is cool in the fact that new judges are selected every year)
The book is centred around 3 jazz musicians, two african-american's and a african-german during the 1940's. The book covers their travel from Berlin to Paris and then current day in the 90's.
The folks in the group are some of the most intelligent people Moncton Girl has associated with. Most have english degrees and are involved in education... this means they discuss and analyze books on a daily basis! I am thinking about making an excel spreadsheet with a checklist of things to consider when I read a book.. such as:
- Foreshaddowing
- Sentence Structure
- If I trust the narrator
- Does the time period in the book match what was happening in the real world
- Religious symbols - Are any characters Jesus?
That should get me started...
Also, during the reading of this novel and group discussion I realized how little I know about world history and how I wished I knew more. It reminded me of a former roommate I had while in university.
This girl knew nothing about current events, past events, basic canadian geography or past pop culture.
Here is a random selection of topics she had no idea about:
- Who the current US President and Canadian PM were
- That the Rolling Stones were a band
- What Hitler was responsible for
- Why Anne Frank was in an attic
- That Saskatchewan and Manitoba were two different provinces
- That not everyone speaks English
What she did know was how to fake it through school enough to become an RN. I suggest you check any medication that is given to you by a nurse...
Lastly, I heard the best/worst line EVER by some middle aged guys who were drinking the hotel bar at 8pm where the book club was meeting:
Hey.. So, uh...what's next month's book?
Sorry I haven't been too unlucky lately. I'm sure that will change.
* Moncton Girl