1. The hopeless past. Bloom's infant son has died long ago, but the
vision remains in his blood and brain.
   2. The ridiculous and tragic present. Bloom still loves his wife Molly,
but he lets Fate have its way. He knows that in the afternoon at 4:30 of
this mid-June day Boylan, her dashing impresario, concert agent, will visit
Molly--and Bloom does nothing to prevent it. He tries fastidiously to keep
out of Fate's way, but actually throughout the day is continuously on the
point of running into Boylan.
   3. The pathetic future. Bloom also keeps running into another young
man--Stephen Dedalus. Bloom gradually realizes that this may be another
little attention on the part of Fate.  If his wife must have lovers then
sensitive, artistic Stephen would be a better one than vulgar Boylan. In
fact, Stephen could give Molly lessons, could help her with her Italian
pronunciations in her profession as a singer, could be in short a refining
influence, as Bloom pathetically thinks.
   This is the main theme: Bloom and Fate.

I would add to your summary that just because it is incoherent
 and incomprehensible doesn't make it Number One either.

Nabokov's insight as provided in "Lectures on Literature" regarding 
but five brief phrases from Stephen's mind: 
Ulysses, Chapter 1, [p.13-14: L. 478-482 in the Gabler edition]: 

   "Haines from the corner where he was knotting 
easily a scarf about the loose collar of his tennis 
shirt spoke:
   I intend to make a collection of your sayings 
if you will let me.
   Speaking to me. They wash and tub and scrub.  
Agenbite of inwit. Conscience. Yet here's a spot."

   Stephen's thought runs as follows:  he is speaking to me -- the
Englishman. Englishmen tub and scrub because of their bad conscience
in regard to the countries they oppress, and he remembers Lady Macbeth
and her bad conscience -- yet here's a spot of blood which she cannot wash
off.  Agenbite of inwit is Middle English for the French 'remords de
conscience', the bite of conscience, remorse. (It is the title of a
religious tract of the fourteenth century.)
   The technique of this stream of thought has, of course, the advantage
of brevity. It is a series of brief messages jotted down by the brain. But
it does demand from the reader more attention and sympathy than an ordinary
description such as: Stephen realized Haines was speaking to him. Yes, he
thought, the English wash a good deal, trying perhaps to scrub away the
spot on their conscience which old Northgate called agenbite of inwit, etc.

Mike,

Thanks for the invite; I pass it along to all members here at the LSSD
(with, I hope, your tacit blessings) in order to raise our own bar a bit.
As I said when first you mentioned this project (i.e., actually reading
"Ulysses") you're a braver man than I.  The LSSD just this past month
tackled the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John from the New Testament
and while certainly not on a literary scale of "Ulysses" it definitely
challenged us a book group in some very interesting ways.

All that being said, the LSSD wishes to convey warmest congratulations to
the LTBC on it's 10 Anniversary and thank you for the support (moral only,
alas, not financial) which the LTBC has shown the LSSD over the last couple
of years.

Here's to future meetings!

Alex

Minneapolis
Fairview-University Hospital

Sorry i won't make the meeting, but I'm here with my
grandson Jaden who received a kidney transplant last
wednesday. the transplant went very well, but not with out
some major anxieties, and Jaden and the donor are doing
well. the donor will be going back to abq on wednesday.
We'll be here for another week or two.

The hospital here is great and the natives are very
friendly. We are staying at the Ronald McDonald House which
is super! The rooms are nice and spacious. Volunteer groups
serve meals most nights, and there is internet access. A
first class operation. Only 5min walk to the hosp. front
door.

I did read the first chapter and would like to read more,
but I thought it would have been too much to tackle under
the circumstances. Have been reading mysteries here for
escape. U of M campus is very impressive. The medical
center is HUGE.

Looking forward to seeing the minutes...
Your comrade in exile,Ron

Here's that quote from Reader's Encyclopedia:

"It has been said that in order to fully understand 'Ulysses'
one must, at the very least, be familiar with the theology of
the Roman Catholic Church, the history of heresy, Irish legend,
European history, mythology, astronomy, Hebrew, Latin, Gaelic,
and Gypsy slang."

At the very least!!

Many years ago I bought Stuart Gilbert's "James Joyce's Ulysses", the first 
commentary, but gave it up as being as difficult to read as "Ulysses" 
itself. This effort I bought Daniel R Schwartz's "Reading Joyce's Ulysses", 
much more readable but still pretty heavy and a real nuisance to go back and 
forth between it and the original. Your email prompted a web search which 
mainly turned up offers to sell a copy, complete texts and arguments about 
the "corrections" and revisions, but the site below on a cursory glance 
looks like a pretty good summary of the chapters of the book and Homeric 
references. I might just read it.

Ben

http://ccub.wlv.ac.uk/~fa1871/joynote.html

• Blamires, Harry.  "The New Bloomsday Book - a Guide Through Ulysses."  Third Edition, New York. 1996.
• Ellmann, Richard.  "Ulysses on the Liffey."  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1972.
• Gifford, Don, with Robert J. Seidman.  "Ulysses Annotated - Notes for James Joyce's Ulysses."  Revised and Expanded Edition.  New York:  E.P. Dutton, 1974.
• Joyce, James.  "The Dubliners."
• Nabokov, Vladimir.  "Lectures on Literature."
• Vanderham, Paul.  "James Joyce and censorship - the Trials of Ulysses."  1998, New York University Press, New York.

Dave has a streak of white hair, a "whitlock" which is part of what is 
medically called "partial albinism". Bootsie has lupus erythematosus, an 
auto immune disease characterized by flares following sun exposure. Despite 
knowing that the sun is bad for her she insists on working out in the sun in 
her garden, thus, like some patients with juvenile diabetes, she tends to 
challenge her disease, instead of adopting habits which would prevent 
flare-ups of the disease. Burke's descriptions of these conditions and his 
insight add to the realism of his writing.

 Best known for his poems and short fiction, Edgar
 Allan Poe deserves more credit than any other writer
 for the transformation of the short story from
 anecdote to art. He virtually created the detective
 story and perfected the psychological thriller. He
 also produced some of the most influential literary
 criticism of his time--important theoretical
 statements on poetry and the short story--and has had
 a worldwide influence on literature. 
 
 Edgar Allan Poe, son of Actress Eliza Poe and Actor
 David Poe Jr. was born in Boston on the 19th of
 January 1809.  Poe's parents were touring actors; who
 both died before he was 3 years old leaving  Edgar and
 his brother and sister, orphaned.  Edgar was taken in
 to the home of John Allan, a prosperous tobacco
 merchant in Richmond, Va.  His childhood was
 relatively uneventful, although he studied (1815-20)
 for 5 years in England. 
 
 In 1826 he entered the University of Virginia.
 Although a good student, he began to gamble and run up
 large debts since John Allan did not provide adequate
 funds.  Allan refused to pay the debts and Edgar was
 forced to leave the University after only one year. 
 Allan prevented his return to the university and broke
 off Poe's engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster, his
 Richmond sweetheart. 
 
 With no means of support, Poe enlisted in the army. He
 had, however, already written and printed (at his own
 expense) his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems
 (1827).  The book was published anonymously under the
 signature "A Bostonian."  This is such a rare book now
 that a single copy has sold for $200,000.
  
 Later in 1827  Edgar enlisted in the Army under the
 name Edgar A Perry where his quarrels with John Allan
 continued. Edgar did well in the army and reconciled
 with John Allan, and published his second book of
 poetry. Allan secured Poe's release from the army and
 his appointment to West Point but refused to provide
 financial support. After 6 months Poe apparently
 contrived to be dismissed from West Point for
 disobedience of orders. His fellow cadets, however,
 contributed the funds for the publication of Poems by
 Edgar A. Poe...Second Edition.
 
 Poe moved to Baltimore to live with his aunt, Maria
 Clemm, and his first cousin Virginia. In 1832 he won a
 $50 prize for his story "MS. Found in a Bottle" in the
 Baltimore Saturday Visiter. In 1835 Poe brought his
 aunt and cousin to Richmond where he worked as an
 editor at the Southern Literary Messenger. In May of
 1836, Edgar married his cousin Virginia, only thirteen
 years old.
 
 Poe's slashing reviews and sensational tales made him
 widely known as an author.  Poe published fiction in
 the Messenger, but most of his contributions were
 serious, analytical, and critical reviews that earned
 him respect as a critic. His contributions undoubtedly
 increased the magazine's circulation, but they
 offended its owner, who also took exception to Poe's
 drinking. The January 1837 issue of the Messenger
 announced Poe's withdrawal as editor but also included
 the first installment of his long prose tale, "The
 Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym," five of his reviews,
 and two of his poems. This was to be the pattern for
 Poe's career: success as an artist and editor but
 failure to satisfy his employers and to secure a
 livelihood. 
 
 Edgar moved around New York and Phildelphia from
 1837-1849, trying to establish himself as a force in
 literary journalism, but with only moderate success.
 He did succeed, however, in formulating influential
 literary theories and in demonstrating mastery of the
 forms he favored--highly musical poems and short prose
 narratives. Both forms, he argued, should aim at "a
 certain unique or single effect."  Poe published some
 of his most famous tales during this time:  

• Ligeia (1838), the tale Poe considered his finest
• The Fall of the House of Usher (1839)
• The Gold Bug (1843).
• The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841)
• The Mystery of Marie Rogêêt (1842-1843),
• The Purloined Letter

 These are regarded as predecessors of the modern
 mystery, or detective, story. Among Poe's poetic
 works, poems such as The Raven, The Bells, and Annabel
 Lee are remarkable for their flawless construction and
 for their haunting themes.
 
 The year 1846 was tragic for Poe. The Broadway Journal
 failed, and Virginia became very ill and died on
 January 30, 1847. After his wife's death, Poe gave in 
 more often to a weakness for drink, which had troubled
 him at intervals since early manhood.  Even a little
 alcohol brought about  a change of personality. During
 the last years of his life, he continued to write and
 lecture.  In the summer of 1849, Poe was reunited with
 the fiancee he had lost in 1826.
 
 The circumstances of Poe's death remain a mystery.
 After a visit to Norfolk and Richmond for lectures, he
 was found unconscious on a Baltimore street in a
 pitiful condition. He was taken unconscious to a
 hospital where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849. No
 aspect of his life has so fascinated Poe's fans and
 detractors as his death. Details of Poe's final days
 leave us with more questions than answers. We have
 tantalizing facts but no conclusions.  Poe's death
 will probably remain a mystery  - but it continues to
 tease and excite .. We review the stories again and
 again... was it alcohol, disease, medical problems, a
 vengeful beating, or as some conclude ...that Poe was
 shanghaied by a political gang (Cooped) shortly after
 his arrival in Baltimore, given liquor and opium, as
 was done as part of the corrupt politics of the day.
 
  In a brief obituary the Baltimore Clipper reported
 that Poe had died of "congestion of the brain." 		

Hello Mr. Secretary -

By now you've heard the media reports that the longest consecutive
attendance streak in modern book club history is about to come to
an end.  Sadly, I must confirm that the reports are true. I only hope
my achievements can serve as inspiration to some rookie book club
member out there who also aspires to greatness.

My best to JT and the other book club members. Tell Henry we had
lunch at the Tadich Grill and it was great. Tonight while you meet
I will be watching the Giants and Dodgers at the finest ballpark in the
major leagues. Godd luck dealing with the crowd of reporters and
adoring fans who are certain to gather in front of John Taylor's to pay
tribute to me, 

Tom Genoni

Sad! The end of an age!

Ben  (United Kingdom)

Well, if the streak had to be broken, it's fitting that it's because Tom
will be in Dodger Stadium.

Rob  (Auckland, New Zealand)

Congrats to JT...I myself have swum in the healing waters
of the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables and can highly
recommend it!

Also, Gary and Susan are moving to Sacramento?? They are
abandoning their Manor House in 4H??

All these changes are enough to give one congestion of the
brain, but we shall miss our comrades and keep a stiff
upper lip, wish them the best, etc.

--Ron

PS...The ode to Streaking Genoni reminds me of the letter
to the ed in the abq journal concerning the 2 Air Force streakers
at the Isotopes game. The writer who observed the event
commented that he was shocked but not awed.

My friends,

My curiosity was aroused by my esteemed colleagues'
description of "Time Passes" section in "To the
Lighthouse", so I went back and read it. I thought it was
very good, this section, yes it was very good. I would say
this section deserves an "A" . One could almost feel the
old house yielding to time's arrow as the elements wore it
down. Alas, the last section was more difficult, despite
two very charming poetic sections, and had little else to
recommend it; a book well written, but on the whole not
such a good read.

The End.

=====
Ron B.
=========

Jack: (in absentia, as departed for the East Coast early Thursday morning)
"I can't say I enjoyed the book.  Perhaps Stegner's portrayal of Joe
Allston as a grumpy old man (if not downright bitter) hit too close to home.
I found it difficult not to conclude that life is a hopeless struggle,
particularly when Marian, the epitome of the love of life, as well as her
unborn child die.  On the other hand, the way Stegner developed the
circular ironies of the story was fascinating to me -- withdrawing to the
country to withdraw from life; evil as a groping toward good;
pregnancy/cancer; death/life; love/pain, etc.  I would give it a B+."

Nine well-burnished browns, blacks, and russets converged upon the pallette of the former Harpsicord Factory 
of SE Albuquerque and were immediately brightened into yellows and whites by the respectful hospitality of Lisa, 
and the Art History aplomb of Susan, two attributes that this group never expects and rarely deserves.  
  Charlie reminded the members of why he is particularly entranced with the Netherlands of the 17th Century - 
here was a time when humanity seemed to get it all together.  The Netherlands had a middle class, and art
was aimed at this middle class.  Several members brought their Vermeer books.  Considerable discussion
focused on art history and why it took so much time for Vermeer to be "discovered" -  

Ben:  Enjoyed the details on mixing the materials to create the paints.  For the book overall, I liked it pretty well 
for a chick-book.  I caught the picture well in the description of Griet.  But overall, not enough sex and violence:  B
Rob:  B book.  A clever idea, nicely executed.  I liked the meat market scenes, the farmers.  A solid effort.
Jack:  I enjoyed it - an easy read that provided insight into life at that time.  Certainly from her view point.  B -
Mike:  When I started reading the book, I truly felt it was a "Books for Young Adults" - as Keith pointed
out with one of our other selections, there was no call to visit a dictionary with this book.  I felt Chevalier went too
far with imparting artistic qualities in Griet  - like it was her idea to place the garment on the table along the same lines 
as the arm of the model, one of the key points that Vermeer is noted for.  Also, her arranging the vegetables so
that "the colors don't fight" -  such people like are not artistic so much as anal retentive!  It is interesting to speculate 
results if you gave 10 writers this problem - create a novel that explains "Girl with a Pearl Eaarring" - what books would
result?  Not great writing, but Chevalier worked the problem well, with good research:  Vermeer is A+, book is B.
Keith:  (see Rare Rhyming Review)  A.
Bill:  Liked the book.  The first 1/3 was at a high school level.  I'm really glad to learn more about Vermeer, who 
has two inches of bio in the World Book, and one picture, under the "P's."  Good love story at the end.  B
Gary:  This book gave insight into the culture of the time - Griet was involved with (or entranced by?) three men.  
She was easily the most beautiful of Vermeer's models.  The author gave her artistic ability.  Interesting that it
was developed empirically - through practice.  Tracy wove a nice story:  B+
Tom:  Having the Vermeer picture changed my grade on thi book from a C- to a B+ book.  I'd like to spend a day
looking at Vermeer, so you, Charlie, have done a service for the Club members, these dregs of humanity.
Don:  The picture of Delft was fascinating - so different - and the view of Holland.  As I read the book, I gave
Chevalier more and more credit for researching the times and what the artist of that time had to go through.
The timing of "going to the alley" surprised me - was Griet already compromised by Vermeer, and was 
covering?  {Tom:  a Conspiracy Theory!}  In the story, Tanneke looked at the child, but Tracy (in interview)
claimed she didn't mean it in that way.  The book grew into a B+ for me.  I looked up information on the
Netherlands, and felt the book was representative of society in that time.
Charlie:  There are two ways to look at this book:  1] as a piece of fiction, NY Times best seller - then it is about
a B level book.  Or 2] a careful look at this period of history, as a window into a remarkable period of time.  Then
this is an A- book.  {Jack:  So the book is a camera obscura ! }

Piet and Griet strolled up the street
Looking for a quiet dark alley
Johannes got a lick
But Piet used his stick
And planted little Jan in her belly

Dear BWOCOE, Charlie, et.al,

Sorry I'll not be at meeting. I'll be visiting my newest
grandson and family in Portland, OR.

I read the book about a year ago and will give it an
unadorned B.

Since one of my interests is optics, I found interesting
the description of the optical device used in painting.
The artist David Hockney has advanced the controversial
thesis that optical devices were used by the "old masters"
to dealing with perspective. I have a book by him (Secret
Knowledge - rediscovering the lost techniques of the old
masters) which has many interesting examples.

Hope to see y'all in February,
Ron 

The nine apostles of the Passion of the Book met in the foothills of Albuquerque, and were immediately self-
impressed with finding The Last Thursday Book Club's profile in the proof copy of "The Book Club Cook Book"
by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.  
There was some discussion over whether the voice of the narrator was the author or the character Winot.  In 
general, the group agreed that the voice was arrogant, intellectural, an eline snob, pompous.  Another point of 
agreement was that the vocabulary was impressive:  we learned that lucubrations means that which is composed
by night, and that solecism (a faux pas by the young couple who didn't realize how extensive their appetizer would 
be) is a violation of etiquette or an improprietary.
A reader's guide indicated that Winot committed ten murders, but initially the apostles could only name nine:
Mary-Theresa (nanny driven to suicide); poor Mitthaug (Norweigian cook pushed in front of train); Etienne (French
exchange student whose bee sting antidote was removed); Mrs Willoughby (uninvited pool neighbor who was sent 
across the field and felled with a shotgun blast by the brothers); Father and Mother (gas explosion in summer 
house); Bartholomew, Hywl, and Laura (brother, Welsh husband and interviewer, all felled by death cap mushroom).
The apostles finally agreed that the 10th must be the first:  Bartholomew's hamster felled by rat poison.

This initial uinamity ended quickly once discussion of the month's selection began.

Don:  hmmmmm....   I couldn't get into it -  Lancaster knows how to handle words - but one sentence was 239 
words long.  I give it a C+
Rob:  I almost reached that point, then I recovered.  I read all the recipes, even one analogy - but I thought it was 
too much with the Arab, Indian words - impressed with how much he researched.  I felt it was a New Yorker 
article gone wild.  Then I came across his sinister side, and I began to read more carefully.  I resonated with 
how the author handled this.  B+
Ron:  well, I never recovered.  It went over my head.  The writing was too erudite and pretentious.  If I had known about
the murderer to begin with, I would have paid more attention throughout.  But it never really caught on with me - 
so I read the last chapter - like eating poi, I never really caught on.  C
John:  well, I'll give an eclectic review.  Bob Knight and the magic mushrooms provide delusions.  From my 
perspective (reading 5 pages) I give it an A+.  But I found that at 3 am in the morning, I laughed out loud.  It 
reminded me of the Confederacy of Dunces, and Court TV:  sociopathics like Ted Bundy, serial killers.
Charlie:  the book was too clever, too literary - there was no other character in the book that was developed. 
The characters were all in the service of a Bad Character.  The book changed significantly at page 165.  C
Ben:  I liked it!  Clever, got worse as it went along, good portrayal, funny!  An A.
Tom:  It was an A- because of the ending - but give it an A.  The Mother was hilarious - playing another role.  
Never really motivated to kill.  I caught on fairly early on.  I fount it largely hilarious, fun from beginning to end.
I liked that he used a cook book as his cover story.
Keith:  I had a slightly different take.  I think it was autobiographical.  The theme was dissing his brother, and de-
elevating his brother.  Strip away that, and it was an unstable, fantasies in 20 different languagtes.  There were
little islands of brillance, and oceans of trash.  C-
Mike:  This was great writing, very clever.  Reminded me a lot of Nabokov, and there was an homage to Pale
Fire here (note that narrator complained about his writing environment in the Foreward, just like Winot. 

What a wonderfully sick book. Good choice, Sicko!

Ben

Dear Mike,

I had hoped to obtain "The Debt to Pleasure" sooner from our library system,
so I have not finished it.

Based on the first 60 pages, I have the following remarks.

The first ten pages seemed very fresh and a nice approach to writing. I
recommended the book to my son at that point. However in the next 50 pages,
the book seems to have become entirely anecdotal without any direction
except to describe various menus. I cannot yet tell why this is a novel and
not a novelty. The anecdotes are very interesting, but the development seems
very tangential. So based on his fresh approach to writing I will give the
book an A-.

I hope to finish the book and give you a more complete assessment, but this
won't be tonight or in the next few days.

The first meeting of the Springfield Men's Book Club will occur on Monday
March 15 <2004> at 2 PM. I hope that I am not the only person there. Another reader
has promised to attend. The announcement goes out March 1 in our association
monthly newsletter.

Best regards,
Gary
916-625-152

Mike:
As the "Jeep" in the outfit, I was not around when you read the book which
inspired Don to make his dessert, but I would be happy to help in whatever
way I can in May.  
As I mentioned to you last month, we are leaving town next week for Europe
and will not return until March 24th.  So unfortunately, I will not be able
to attend the LTBC meeting at your place on the 26th of February; however,
I did read Lanchester's Debt to Pleasure.  
	Wow!  "Syntactic flair?"  Perhaps I'm syntactically challenged.  I enjoy
being challenged by ideas rather than syntax.  Maybe the form was the
message. He certainly kept me alert--single paragraphs with multiple
topics.  Which sentence is the topic sentence?  From lavender to ghosts;
from lemon sole to clouds.  The nonexistent transitions did keep me on my
toes and his vocabulary kept me near my dictionary.  And what was with
those parentheses--approximately 1.48 pairs per page.  (One pair
encompassed 28 lines.)  I think he enjoyed teasing the reader and I had
some fun in the process.  B+
Jack

Nine wisened yet lovable meerkats snacked incessantly on sugary algae, snuggled within the warmth of Solano 
Place, and discussed the meaning of Life, Death, God, and Cherry Pi.  Is Pi rational or irrational?  Is life at sea 
not a repeating pattern?  Is there a Richard Parker within us all?
We all appreciated the humor throughout the book.  The inventory of items found aboard the lifeboat, ending with
 "1 Bengal tiger.  1 hyena.  1 boy. 1 ocean.  1 god." Pi's list of what to do if you have a Bengal tiger aboard your
lifeboat.   The interfaith dissing between the three religious leaders was priceless.  Pi's description of himself:
"...puny vegetarian life form."  And Pi yelling to himself on handling Richard Parker:  "Plan 6!  Plan 6!  Even though
at that time I had no idea what Plan 6 was ! " 
Two great discoveries:  1] the Japanese may have drawn the truth out of young Pi - and 2] some overly protective
typesetter removed a crucial phrase out of Jack Farrell's paperback copy - in the last portion of the pentultimate 
chapter (pg. 317), Pi has told the second story - "In both stories the ship sinks, my entire family dies, and I suffer" 
- and then asks the Japanese, "which story do you prefer?  Which is the better story, the story with animals or the 
story without animals?"
Mr. Okamoto:  "That's an interesting question ... "
Mr. Chiba:  "The story with animals."
Mr. Okamoto:  "Yes, The story with animals is the better story."
Pi Patel:  "Thank you.  And so it goes with God."
[Silence]
 
The amazing discovery was that the phrase about God was entirely missing from Jack's book!  How could this 
happen - with the same paperback publisher as most of us had?  What does this mean?  Is it rational?  
The meerkats provided their reviews, then assuaged their hunger with Pi.  Apple (rational) and cherry 
(less rational) a la mode (French).  "I fear the Tigers of Detroit."  And so it goes with Hemingway.

Charlie:  I have no criticism of the book.  A
Keith:  Here is a character named after a swimming pool in Paris who ends up in the biggest pool in the world - the 
Pacific.  Pi is an irrational number, and Pi Patel is an irrational character.  Good adventure story or a parody - could
be either one, that was it's strength.  The story was deeper the more you had to drink - I've got to give it an A-
Ron:  I got bored with the middle, in the middle of the ocean.  I give it a B+ and I still don't know why the story would \
make you believe in God.
Jack:  I'm still suffering from jet lag - but I'm glad I came tonight.  I thought I had it figured out.  I was intrigued with 
Pi's interest in the three major religions.  But I too not believe that the real story is the better story.  A-
Tom:  I liked it a lot.  A little long but a fun story.  A
Don B:  Even with the discussion tonight, I don't get it.  It was a fascinating story, zoological-wise.  But when I read 
the last part of the book, I said:  Good read, but this was fantasy covering reality.  I give it a B.
Mike:  This book had some great humor.  One of the funniest lines ever is when the young tri-religion student gets
his first glimpse of Richard Parker aboard his lifeboat:  "Jesus, Mary, Muhammad, and Vishnu!"  He had it all 
covered.   Great fun!  And I felt like I learned a lot.  My club members discussion on the truth, and the better
story, raised this book for me from an A- to an A.
Bill N: When my wife read this book, I asked her how she liked it, and she ended up putting it aside.  So I was a little
apprehensive when we had the book for our choice this month.  I really enjoyed the zoological Part 1 - and I have 
spent quite a bit of time at sea, so I liked the part at sea.  When he described the big storms, I could really envision
them in the lifeboat.  However, the Meerkats on the island seemed like science-fiction to me, completely out of
place and turned be off.  At the end, I agreed with the Japanese:  the story with animals was best.  I give it a B+
Ben:  This was really a horror story disguised as an adventure story.  I compare it to Poe.  The true story was too
horrible.  We are fortunate that man has an adaptable mind.  A. 

The first meeting of the Men's Book Club was held yesterday. Five men showed
up. We expect more when we begin book discussions. Our April book will be
"The Old Man and the Sea." The May book will be "Ship of Gold in the Deep
Blue Sea." I hope we don't get waterlogged.

I completed reading "Life of Pi" in training for the above sea stories. Yann
Martel has written a delightful book, full of unexpected twists. I enjoyed
Pi's use of Exodus 3.14 (I AM who I AM) on page 20, for a good joke with
religious numerology. Martel taught us all about the secrets of lion tamers
and animal territories in a fascinating way that made the whole book
credible. Pi's ecumenical approach to religion is not unusual for a young
person. We all have a Richard Parker in our lives. How Pi triumphs over
Richard is a reflection of his character. The fresh water pools and meerkats
may be analogous to God feeding the Israelites in the wilderness. The second
story was a surprise and I agree with the Japanese story preference. Great
book. Grade A.

"He went like that," Spade said, "like a fist when you open your hand."

.... Sam shivered a little.  "Well, send her in."

My fellow readers,

I am sorry to report I will be missing the meeting next
week due to a visit to the NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FESTIVAL!
Grace and I will spend all next week in the big easy eating
muffalettos, crawfish and other assundry n'awlins
concoctions.
We'll be meeting my son and his family from Boston there
for a week of fun, we hope.
I have read the book and did enjoy it. I will give it a
high B+... no... make that an A-. I would love to see a
picture of Sam Spade based upon the description of him in
the book.

Til May,
Ron

Dear Readers:

I had some difficulty getting a copy of the "Maltese Falcon" from the Placer
County Library system, but I was able to see Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor,
Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet in the famous film version. The
portrayal seemed a little corny after all these years. Acting styles have
changed, but the exchange of lies and explanations was lots of fun. It is
considered one of the top 25 greatest films by the American Film Institute.
You would probably enjoy seeing this cast and comparing it to the book. I
give the film an A and will reserve judgment on the book.

I am impressed that you now will have Journal coverage. Web page, logo,
magazine article, cook book and now the society page of the Journal.  I left
ABQ too soon.

Best wishes,
Gary

Sorry I'm going to miss this Thursday's meeting, but want to give you my
impressions of Winchester's book.
Having long had an interest in geology (started out as a geology major in
college), I enjoyed learning about William Smith's life.  I am always fascinated
by how a person's passion can drive them even when their efforts are not
recognized and their financial and other personal aspects of their lives
deteriorate.  I thought Winchester's story was well organized (Chapter headings
again--yeah!) and flowed fairly well, even though he tended to be a bit redundant
at times.  I'd give it an A-.
Can't wait to hear how the session at Page One went.
Jack

Nice article in the Journal. Thanks for sharing it.

Winchester's "The Map That Changed the World" was a good read. The beginning
was fascinating. I really enjoyed the explanations of the English industrial
revolution: mining, canal building and drainage. William Smith's life
combined tragedy and triumph. He seemed to be a spendthrift, but we cannot
assess the cost of being accepted into British inner circles from our own
common-man society. Science has not changed to the degree that Winchester
implies. There are still cliques of charlatans supporting each other, citing
each other's papers, researching nonsense and opposing evolution and change.
But Winchester is a good historian and story-teller. Grade A-.

Wish I could be with you. Hope that the Page 1 experiment is successful.

Best wishes,
Gary

In addition to fornication and such, there were spectator sports 
such as horse racing, boxing, tennis and bowls. Also there were playhouses 
(remember Shakespeare). Gambling was quite popular. There were some 
diversions even for geniuses. Franklin was rumored to be a member of the 
Hellfire club. Might have been better than late night TV.

Ken:  I enjoyed the book and learned quite a bit. I particularly liked the 17 page "Conclusions" section that showed how views of Franklin’s accomplishments shifted back and forth with time over the past 200 years. Franklin clearly enjoyed his press clippings and celebrity, ironic considering one of his famous quotes that said "People who are wrapped up in themselves make small packages."  I found it interesting that Isaacson seemed to belittle John Adam’s diplomatic contributions in France compared to Franklin’s. However, according to David McCullough in his recent book on John Adams (p. 267), Adam’s advised the French that "nothing would so guarantee a "speedy conclusion" to the war as a powerful French fleet in American waters."  The sensational American victory at Yorktown occurred when the French eventually followed Adam’s advice. Overall, I enjoyed McCullough’s book on Adams somewhat better than Isaacson’s book on Franklin (By the way, tourism went way up in the John Adams area of Mass. after McCullough's book became a best seller). A-  

<from our inactive reserve, 23 Oct 2004>:
Dear Readers,

The Red Sox still need to win four games this week to end the curse.

I enjoyed "Invitation to a Beheading." It is an allegory, a dream-like
portrayal of life in a totalitarian state. The consideration shown to
Cincinnatus by his keepers is bizarre and not typical of real treatment to
prisoners or citizens. Perhaps Nabokov is ridiculing the power of the state.
The weakness of Cincinnatus is symbolic of passive citizenry, whom
Cincinnatus, the ideal citizen-farmer-soldier of ancient Rome overcame.
Nabokov must be saying that oppressed people just need to decide to be free.

This is not my favorite Nabokov book. "Lolita" and "Glory" were better.
Grade B+

Wish I could be with you.

Gary

Dear Mike,

Sorry I missed the meeting.  Was looking forward to the discussion and sharing
in Ben's jubilation over the Red Sox win.  Next time I'll use MapQuest or
carpool.

Enjoyed the book and came to appreciate it even more after trying to deal with
Presbyterian Healthcare and Tricare over a billing issue earlier in the day. 
That was then followed by my attempt to navigate in complete darkness through
the polyhedron to Keith's house.

In any event, I agree with those who compare the world Nabokov describes in
Invitation to a Beheading to the one Kafka's protagonist encounters in The
Trial, in which the struggle for justice pits an individual against a baffling
bureaucracy.  Additionally, I saw parallels between Invitation to a Beheading
and the last two books we read, where the liberating aspects of imagination
played important roles.
A-

Hoping in November to make my way in that direction where, to judge by the
voices, stand beings akin to me.

Jack

Dear Readers,

"Seven Pillars of Wisdom" is an amazing book. T.E. Shaw's description of the
manuscripts in the Preface makes you wonder how such a long book could be
written with so much detail. As I reread the Introductory Chapter, I noticed
that Lawrence said that he changed the names to protect identities. An
Amazon reviewer wrote "It has been proven by historians (e.g. Lawrence
James) that Lawrence not only embellished, but fabricated in toto his so
called exploits, depravations and exploitations in the Middle East." I do
not endorse that review, but Lawrence's descriptions of so many incidents
and so many locations were filled with enormous detail. I attributed these
embellished descriptions to the similarity of places or perhaps repeated
visits to places or repeated activities in camp. 
I introduce the Amazon review to show other people thought that Lawrence could not remember so
much detail. We had trouble today remembering what we did each day this week
in Pasadena. Of course Lawrence was younger when he wrote the book than I am
today. Maybe he had a photographic memory. He also went through a couple
drafts. Each draft may have reinforced his recollection of facts, or
reinforced his images of places and events. Sometimes people decide what
must have occurred rather than remembering events. They reject their
memories in favor of the logic of what should have occurred. Then their
memories adopt the logical sequence of events. This is like the mind
completing an image from eyes with blind spots from a nuclear detonation,
laser injury, etc. Anyhow I liked the book and the beautiful writing and do
not dispute the events or the history.The book gives an insight
into the Arab mind, behavior and culture. The Arab people living in the
desert surely have not changed. I wonder how educated Arabs have changed, if
at all. We all carry our cultural baggage with us through life. As far as
the book goes, it is written almost poetically, with beautiful descriptions
of places and events. If the book is not accurate, it is at least charming.
Unfortunately, it is long and difficult to read since the names and places
are unfamiliar and numerous. I cannot read the maps, so I am confused with
the locations. Overall I give the book a B+ for the beautiful and different
writing.

Gary

As a citizen of the twentieth century, Lawrence valued history little and entertainment a great deal. Fiction is stranger than truth, and T. E. found it more fun: due to him, there are those who believe that Damascus was liberated in 1918 by a band of Arabs led by someone who looked like Peter O’Toole.

Here endeth the reviews of April 2003 - December 2004. 

Proceed on to Reviews of 2005.