I voted for a standard Wednesday but can’t pinpoint any issues with the other dates at this stage.
Has been a great reread so far (1/2 done).
Seemed like we had some college/grad school dates to avoid that were discussed at the end of the zoom? Guessing these are all out of that window.
Oh they are not at all, except by accident. I don’t remember those dates (or that conversation if I’m being honest).
Folks should let me know if these are problematic. But they seem to be the best dates left before the end of the year.
That was about avoiding beginning of December I think
Oh gosh - - - I have not read A of K&C in a few years; gonna go back and reread and jump in on this.
Think it was at the buzzer… my recollection is it was early December too so these should be good.
I do think it would be great idea to get the gang together before Refuge changes for sure. Maybe just pick the six week mark for “Matterhorn” once we iron a bit further?
For whenever we do discuss:
One thing I’m really keen to discuss is the recurring motifs of different types of locks, often self-imprisonment, deception, and escape/unlocking. How literal aspects of these intersect with the figurative and emotional. Added to that is whether and how true is the recurring concept of the quote by Will Eisner at the beginning of the book, “We have this history of impossible solutions for insoluble problems.”
Some examples of how aspects of these motifs play out over and over:
How do the comic book characters themselves fit in?
One thing that struck me as off about the book were several uses of dramatic irony where Joe refused to read his mom or Rosa’s letters or other instances where a character didn’t know something, that seemed a bit like a plot driver and unnecessary. But perhaps it was part of the concept of self-deception or self-imprisonment.
Looks like the 16th is a good option.
Do we want to lock in for that date so that we’re not trying to move it last minute etc? That gives people close to two-weeks of heads up. While it’s a long book, it’s incredibly readable so two weeks isn’t undoable for people who want to join in!
Let’s do it. In keeping with some of the vibe of the book, I may be a few minutes late or need to duck out as it turns out it is one of the eight nights of Hannukah, but as soon as my kid opens her present, she’ll retreat into her room to get swallowed up by YouTube, so it won’t be much of a delay if any. Honestly, I’m sure if I suggest lighting the candles a bit early she’s not gonna complain.
Just finished Kavalier and Clay. It was my first time reading it and, wow, what a book. Really looking forward to discussing it. I don’t think I have ever finished a 600 page book that quickly.
Yes! For people turned off by the length or who haven’t started, would still encourage to join still. I’m only a third of the way through and loving the readability, pace and absence of literary bloat. Excited to work my way through the rest this weekend over a bottle of a decent red.
Buckle up Sarah, it gets more intense and readable as we go! I’ve got about 150 pages left. Has been a wonderful reread. I didn’t give it as much care as required in read one (nor did I have such a stellar discussion group to plug into).
I may be in the minority but I’ve found it somewhat difficult to read. It’s encouraging that it gets more readable, I’ve enjoyed the dialogue but have had to re-read some of the context and details. I’ll keep working through it.
Probably too late to finish this 12/16 one on time but I just scored a copy of Matterhorn at Half Priced books yesterday for $8. Excited to read that door stopper.
Been really enjoying as well but don’t think I’ll finish in time. I feel like the fast pace of their lives kinda translates to reading, sort of makes you feel like you need to read faster to keep up with the spirit of their dialogue.
Well, THIS is interesting:
Huh, looks like it is going to be a series on Showtime. Should make our usual discussion of who should play the characters in a film adaption even more relevant!
This is the first time I have really clear, specific actors in my head as I read. Will be curious to hear others’ thoughts on this!
I just finished this morning- I’m so glad we’re going to be discussing this book! Thanks for the suggestion @CoCrFanBoy and for everyone who was willing to take a big fat novel
I’ve copied @DuckDuckHook discussion questions below
And some more I found
Discussion Questions
When we are first introduced to Sammy Klayman, we are told: “Houdini was a hero to little men, city boys, and Jews; Samuel Louis Klayman was all three. He was seventeen when the adventures began: bigmouthed, perhaps not quite as quick on his feet as he liked to imagine, and tending to be, like many optimists, a little excitable… He slouched, and wore clothes badly: he always looked as though he had just been jumped for his lunch money.” Discuss this description. What does this portrayal suggest about growing up in urban America in the late 1930’s?
What is the appeal of Houdini to Sammy and Joe? How is that appeal common to boys growing up during the depression? To boys of any era?
The theme of escape runs throughout the novel. What are Sammy and Joe escaping from? What are they escaping to?
Discuss how the following passage draws an analogy between the creation of the Golem and the writing of superhero comics: “Every universe, our own included, begins in conversation. Every golem in the history of the world, from Rabbi Hanina’s delectable goat to the river-clay Frankenstein of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, was summoned into existence through language, through murmuring, recital, and kabbalistic chitchat—was literally talked into life. Kavalier and Clay—whose Golem was to be formed of black lines and four-color dots of the lithographer—lay down, lit the first of five dozen cigarettes they were to consume that afternoon, and started to talk.”
What role does the Golem have in the story? What does the Golem signify? Why did Chabon include this legend in his novel?
What is a superhero? Are superhero stories mythological in nature? What is it about the experience of young men that inspires superhero stories?
In what ways are the experiences of Joe Kavalier parallel to the events in the Superman myth?
After the tragedies at the end of “Part IV: The Golden Age,” Rosa is left, quite literally, holding the baby. When we see her next, ten years have passed. What decisions was Rosa forced to make? How does she represent stability and security in the novel? Is she in control of her own destiny, or is she subject to the needs and whims of the men in her life? Is there anything that she is escaping from or to?
What is the significance of names and name-changes in the novel? How are names significant in the legend of the Golem?
How are Joe Kavalier’s life and longings reflected in his fictional hero the Escapist?
Sammy has a relationship with an actor named Tracy Bacon. What is the attraction between the two men? How does Tracy-in name and person-represent a forbidden fruit to Sammy?
In Part I, Joe was able to escape the encroaching Nazi threat by hiding in a coffin. Having avoided the horrors of the war, why did he enlist in the Navy (Part V)? How was his escape from Czechoslovakia mirrored in his survival at the Antarctic Naval station? In what ways were these two escapes similar? What did Bernard Kornblum represent in each case?
(Questions issued by publisher.)
And from another website (some overlap/repetition but some different interesting ones too:
Bump - reminder for tomorrow! figured 6pst is our usual go to
Also does anyone have a zoom account we can use?
