It's been hanging over me for years, I should read War and Peace, I should read War and Peace, I want to read War and Peace, I want to read War and Peace. But time and time again I would let another year pass without doing so. So many other books with shiny titles with 400 page limits would lure me in..."read me...read me!". The art of distraction, foiled again. Or maybe it was the fact that you need the strength of both arms and a good lower back to pick this book up? I don't know but 2 years ago inspired by my mother-in-law or better known as the little gypsy in California (who reads the book annually as a gift to herself) I pushed forward and started reading the greatest book ever written. And started falling in love with this book getting halfway through but something happened that happens every year around March 21st. spring. My love for all things in bloom, planting and being outside pushed my lover away again. parting is such sweet sorrow.
So here we are 2 years later and it's time to finish. Instead of picking up where I left off I've decided to start over. Clean slate and I've invited my group of girlfriends to join me. 10 of the greatest girls you could know.
The objective: Read about a 100 pages a month, meet, eat, drink and discuss the greatest book ever written. Did I say that already? Actually we are starting slow with about 50 pages for the first few meetings and then we are going to speed it up a bit.
I sent out an email one day with my pitch trying to sell the idea to my girlfriends. My husband, who reads everything under the sun and would rather read one of his 1100 page Stephen King novels for the 5th time than read this book, guffawed and said no way will I ever be able to convince these girls to do this with me. Ye of little faith. Truthfully I thought I'd be lucky if I convinced at least 4 girls.
HOLY TOLSTOY! 10 girls are on board!
Even my girls with Calendars jammed with dinners, dates, and parties have decided to play my game.
Thank you ladies.
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?
Me, Jennifer Dobson, Diane Heipel, Dixie McMahan, Karen Ivie, Eileen Lamb, Susan Coggsdale, Birgitte Tingley, Lisa Rogerson, Vonda Strader, and Wendy Coggsdale and of course Count Leo Tolstoy.
Not your typical book club. We will have our dinners at the end of every month. The idea is to take it slow and enjoy the written words that this man has gifted to the world...too much? That was borrowed from part of my sales pitch to the ladies. And this allows us to pick up other books and enjoy our other book clubs that we may be in. Which I'm going to plug. I'm in another club right now that I adore. I'd like to give a quick hi! to the Hanover Ave book club! I think I just used the word "club" 5 times in one paragraph. Oy.
My soap box: and I promise this will be the last.
Why do I want to read this book? I equate War and Peace to another piece of art. Well known but few have experienced in modern times. There are things in life that we know we want to do, we don't know why but believe deep down it will be good for our souls.
This blog will chroncicle our dinners and discussions.
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"It was a long time before she would get to sleep. She kept thinking that no one could understand all the things that she understood and all that was in her..." — Natasha (War and Peace, Tolstoy")
ReplyDeleteMren, Thank you for being our first post. And I love the quote.
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting! i have already begun -- trying to catch up!
ReplyDeleteI'm so lucky to be experiencing the talents of a historical revolutionary genius with a menagerie of modern-day brilliance. A master of individual exploration and global relations, T's work is a gift, and that's at only 100 or so pages...Here's to our translation and application of the timeless beauty and passion in this work that has my head reeling--in a good way. What a choice way to start/spend 2010!!!
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