All Books Are Not For All People

My Book Club is meeting today. The other evening I ran into one of our members, and she told me that she really hated the book we were reading this month. It kind of left me bristling a bit as I had selected the Hotel du Lac for this month. I'd told the members last month that it was not a book full of action or suspense. Instead, it's a study of people and of the meaning of love and loneliness. Anita Brookner, the author, won the prestigious Booker Prize in England for this, her fourth novel published in 1984. There was criticism over the selection from many in the literary world of the British population. Some said it was too safe a choice, too ordinary, that the prize should go to something innovative. But the general public apparently approved, as the book became a bestseller.

When my friend declared her vehement dislike for  the book, I felt bad, but as I thought about it, I no longer harbored any guilt for having selected the book. All books are not for all people. We've read other books that I disliked, too. One in particular bored me to tears, and I could hardly get through it. Scanned a great deal and finally slammed the cover shut and called it quits. Yet, others in the group liked it very much.

And that's one of the interesting things about book clubs. Liking or disliking a book can create some good discussions, and I have a feeling that today will be a lively discussion between those who liked this book and those who did not.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow I'll let you know how it went.