Because two, or three, heads are better than one

It is that time again. We need to set up the reading schedule for the summer. I would like to choose some books that embody the summer spirit. Light and carefree. If you have any ideas, post them. I would like to set out June, July and August but that will all depend on if anyone else actually puts out some ideas... (that is a hint to you cyber stalkers out there to join in to the fun...pick a book, read it and then come back to discuss!)

Come on now, leave a comment. I know you want to.

May 2009: The Count of Monte Cristo

May 2009's book will be The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

I am giving you a heads up on this one because it is a bit of a long. My copy is 591 pages. So it will technically be May's book, but we'll start it now, which means you'll have to read about 100 pages a week.

The summary from the back of my book reads:

Dashing young Edmund Dantes has everything. He is engaged to a beautiful woman, is about to become the captain of a ship, and is well liked by almost everyone. But his perfect life is shattered when he is frames by a jealous rival and thrown into a dark prison cell for fourteen years.

Written in Dumas' oft-imitates style of adventure and suspense and filled with vivid details of post-Napoleonic France, The Count of Monte Cristo continues to dazzle readers with its thrilling and memorable scenes, including Dantes' miraculous escape from the deadful chateau d'If, his amazing discovery of a vast hidden treasure, and his transformation into a man whose astonishing thirst for vengence is as cruel as it is just.

I read this once in Junior High as I think everyone did, although I think it was an abridged version. I loved the movie that came out a few years back and I have wanted to re-read the book for a while. I found my copy at Barnes & Noble. They have a Barnes & Noble Classics collection in which they have copies of great classics at incredible prices. You can get a paperback copy here for under $6! (In store they often have deals on the classics, like buy 2 get 1 free)

We'll meet back here at the end of May to discuss the book. Also, we'll be deciding on reading selections for the summer. Watch for the voting post.

Atonement Discussion

Sorry this is a bit late...a cross country trip will do that to ya!

I borrowed the following questions from this website.

1. Robbie is treated like a member of the Tallis household. He has had a Cambridge education and is considering going to Medical College, however, he is still the housekeeper’s son. What bearing does this have on his and Cecilia’s relationship and the reaction he receives after the allegations?
   
   
2. Robbie writes Cecilia a sexually explicit love letter that she never should have read. How do the events that result from this letter compare with the romantic ideals of love as harbored by young Briony in her play?
   
   
3. Leon and Cecilia are adults in an adult world whilst Briony is thirteen and still a child trying to impress her siblings. How does being the youngest sibling affect Briony’s actions throughout the novel?
   
   
4. Briony is precocious and harbors delusions of adulthood. These delusions are challenged both by the homecoming of her newly graduated sister and the arrival of her glamorous cousin, Lola. To what extent do her feelings of inferiority brought on by these events drive Briony to make the rape allegations? Why does she substitute Cecilia and Robbie as the victim and the assailant?
   
   
5. Robbie witnesses many horrific sights in France. How does his experience of the war compare with those of the sisters? How realistic do you think McEwan’s descriptions of the horrors of war are?
   
   
6. As an old lady Briony reveals that much of what she has told the reader is not true. Is this atonement of the title for her benefit or for ours? Is it too late for her to be asking for forgiveness?

As always, if you want to discuss anything else...please do.