Shriver - The book club bible : the definitive guide that every book club member needs

First published in Great Britain in 2007 by

Michael OMara Books Limited

9 Lion Yard

Tremadoc Road

London SW4 7NQ

This electronic edition published in 2011

ISBN: 978-1-84317-761-6 in EPub format

ISBN: 978-1-84317-762-3 in Mobipocket format

ISBN: 978-1-84317-269-7 in paperback print format

Copyright Michael OMara Books Limited 2007

Foreword copyright Lionel Shriver 2007

Every reasonable effort has been made to acknowledge all copyright holders. Any errors or omissions that may have occurred are inadvertent, and anyone with any copyright queries is invited to write to the publishers, so that a full acknowledgement may be included in subsequent editions of this work.

All rights reserved. You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Designed and typeset by Martin Bristow

www.mombooks.com

I own a threadbare T-shirt that says, Lifes too short to drink bad wine. An even savvier T-shirt would say, Lifes too short to read bad books. There really should be a word for that particular resentment you feel after ploughing through hundreds of pages that didnt pay off. A single reliable book recommendation can spare you hours of annoyance, impatience and disgust.

The Book Club Bible is like that one trustworthy friend upon whose taste you can pretty much rely. Dozens of my lifetime favourite reads appear in this guide, too many to itemize although as a test I did check that one of my very, very favourite novels is indeed included (The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton see ). Usefully, this reference covers a wide range of both classics and popular fiction; you dont want to read only one or the other, any more than youd want to dine day after day on steak alone, or on nothing but summer pudding. While about a third of these entries I havent read myself, given the high quality of the selections that I have, Im now putting the unread third on my private to do list.

Though this guide is handy for individuals, its obviously aimed at book clubs about which, among the cultural elite, I sometimes detect a tinge of condescension. Maybe they just feel left out and, in comparison to regular book club denizens, poorly read. Surely its more stimulating to get together and talk about Kazuo Ishiguros exquisite paean to servitude and emotional repression, The Remains of the Day, than to discuss kitchen remodelling, football scores or the state of the FTSE 100.

Book clubs often bring disparate people together, of different ages, ethnicities and outlooks. They help members get to know each other and themselves with a depth that chit-chat about property prices cant match. Was Anna Karenina really in love with Vronsky, or merely entranced by a romantic idea? You learn a lot about your own values when you try to reconcile sympathy for Yossarians flight from the insanity of air force life with a moral discomfort over any Allied soldier going AWOL in the Second World War. (Catch-22 hilarious, and if you havent devoured it already, a must-read.)

I consider the burgeoning popularity of book clubs one of the most encouraging social developments of recent times. Nothing delights me more in signing queues than when a boisterous cluster of readers declares that they had one of the best book club meetings ever when discussing one of my novels. The claim consistently decodes: We got into a huge fight. So the most fruitful selections for clubs arent necessarily books that everyone loves, but especially the ones about which members violently disagree.

True, I spotted three or four selections included here (I wont say which) that I couldnt bear. But that just means that, at a book club meeting, Id go bug-eyed with denunciation, and meanwhile three other folks would rail that it was one of the finest books theyd ever read. Someone tell Tony Bennett thats entertainment.

L IONEL S HRIVER , New York, 2007

Theres no wrong or right way to use The Book Club Bible: you can skip straight to the books youve heard of, work your way through alphabetically, or concentrate on your favourite genre or author.

In compiling the title selection, we made a rule that an author could be featured only once, and limited the choice to full-length books, so there are no plays, poetry or short stories.

Each entry has been penned by a different writer, which accounts for the variations in style and approach.

Weve tried to include critical comments that go beyond gushing praise to something a little more thought-provoking.

The book length provided relates to the edition the reviewer possessed; the number of pages may vary in other editions.

I belong to a book group that meets monthly, and over the last three years Ive discovered some astonishing writing, made some good friends and quaffed plenty of wine. Ive also enjoyed some furious debates weve discussed gender politics, parental responsibility, deviant sexuality and the future of society. I have read and loved books I would never have chosen myself and heard fresh perspectives on some of my favourite novels.

Yet there is always a moment of agony at every meeting. What shall we read next? There is always a sinking feeling when you realize that the moment of choice has come round again and you cant name a single book, let alone suggest one that you would be happy to inflict on your book club and then discuss in detail. Add in the caprices of your group and its a minefield.

This, then, is why you need this book. No longer will you flounder when asked to recommend a title. No longer will you propose a book only to find that theres not much to say about it, or that it simply wasnt the rapturous read it promised. The 100 entries in this book and the themed top tens will provide inspiration.

Each featured title is described by a non-spoiler synopsis, so you can consider whether or not to read it without having the ending ruined. Furthermore, there are suggested discussion points to stimulate debate and abolish that dreadful pause at the beginning of every meeting. For those of you dedicated enough to read two books a time, or for those who wish to continue a debate at the next session that draws on a different writers perspective, complementary titles are recommended.

This guide was well received by my book group. I wish you the same enjoyment in discovering stories that may change your world.

A NA S AMPSON , L ONDON , 2007

C HINUA A CHEBE

Published 1958 / Length 148 pages

Things Fall Apart follows the ambitions and struggles of Okonkwo, a prominent member of a pre-colonial Igbo village in what is now Nigeria, as he strives to maintain his high standing within his community in the mid- to late-nineteenth century. Okonkwo has overcome a disadvantaged childhood to become a successful man, but he seems fated to lose the status he cherishes. His blind commitment to traditional values undermines his relationship with his family, particularly his son Nwoye. He is prepared to make great sacrifices in order to preserve his position in the village, yet Okonkwos world is changing, as British colonial rule begins to encroach upon the Igbo way of life. Achebe portrays the colonial experience from an African perspective: the European culture promoted by the invading authorities represents a challenge to Okonkwos identity, one he must overcome in order to survive. Written in the late 1950s against the backdrop of Nigerias journey towards independence, the book raises questions about collective identity, morality and self-alienation, and constitutes the foundation of modern African literature in English.