Classics Revisited
Dates, Location
- Meetings held on the third Thursday of each month September - May
- 7 pm at the Central Library
- Phone 269-553-7839 for more information
Join three book-besotted local librarians for a lively discussion about favorite classics! Classics Revisted is a book discussion group that meets the third Thursday of every month, September through May. The group enjoys reading modern classics as well as old standards. The Great Gatsby, Wuthering Heights, The Scarlet Letter, and Light in August have all been selections - but so have The Essays of E.B. White, Jayber Crow, and All the King's Men.
David Isaacson, retired WMU Reference Librarian, along with Ruth Wilson and Caitlin Hoag, KPL staff members, lead the discussions.
2008 - 2009 Schedule:
War and Peace - September 2008- Tolstoy, Leo
- "War and Peace centers broadly on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the best-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count, who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves behind his family to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman, who intrigues both men. As Napoleon's army invades, Tolstoy vividly follows characters from diverse backgrounds - peasants and nobility, civilians and soldiers - as they struggle with the problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming some of the most moving - and human - figures in world literature."--BOOK JACKET. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.
The Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor - October 2008- O'Connor, Flannery
- Winner of the National Book Award The publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O'Connor's monumental contribution to American fiction. There are thirty-one stories here in all, including twelve that do not appear in the only two story collections O'Connor put together in her short lifetime--"Everything That Rises Must Converge "and "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," O'Connor published her first story, "The Geranium," in 1946, while she was working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, "Judgement Day"--sent to her publisher shortly before her death #8212; is a brilliantly rewritten and transfigured version of "The Geranium." Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century. Also included is an introduction by O'Connor's longtime editor and friend, Robert Giroux. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.
Persuasion - November 2008- Austen, Jane
- In her final novel, as in her earlier ones, Jane Austen uses a love story to explore and gently satirize social pretensions and emotional confusion. Persuasion follows the romance of Anne Elliot and naval officer Frederick Wentworth. They were happily engaged until Anne's friend, Lady Russell, persuaded her that Frederick was "unworthy." Now, eight years later, Frederick returns, a wealthy captain in the navy, while Anne's family teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. They still love each other, but their past mistakes threaten to keep them apart. Austen may seem to paint on a small canvas, but her characters contain the full range of human passion and moral complexity, and the author's generous spirit renders them all with understanding, compassion, and humor. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.
Rabbit Run - December 2008- Updike, John
- Harry Angstrom was a star basketball player in high school and that was the best time of his life. Now in his mid-20s, his work is unfulfilling, his marriage is moribund, and he tries to find happiness with another woman. But happiness is more elusive than a medal, and Harry must continue to run--from his wife, his life, and from himself, until he reaches the end of the road and has to turn back.... Copyright Libri GmbH. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.
Robinson Crusoe - January 2009- Defoe, Daniel
- The sole survivor on a doomed ship spends twenty-four years on an uninhabited tropical island. Copyright #169; Libri GmbH. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.
The Assistant - February 2009- Malamud, Bernard
April 2009: To be determined- May 2009: To be determined