I suspect Fay's suggestion about a threaded book conversation by chapter is probably what works best online. Which may account for why our unthreaded board is less suitable for a book club. It's all or nothing. You can't read the first chapter and discuss it. You can't get drawn in by seeing what other people are discussing in the first chapter.

I can see advantages to threaded discussions, but we've been able to have lengthy discussions on every other sort of medium from music to movies to television, and on numerous topics that lend themselves to divergence like politics, religion, and what lunch was. And Literary (and Jossverse) already sustain unthreaded literary discussions. I think you were more on the money with the choice of our selections than the forum where we discuss them.

I think Gutenberg would be a fine experiment, but I personally wouldn't want to read a book online. I have to stare at a computer all day. Readnig a book is a different kind of eyestrain.

I think you've confused the delivery system with the product. Gutenberg is a way for people who may not have the book or the time or patience to procure the book to get it in a convenient manner. Whatever classic(s) we end up selecting may already be on your bookshelf.

I think you've confused the delivery system with the product.

I'm easily confused.

I'm easily confused.

Then my work here is done.

He IS a lawyer after all.

t idle

Having recently read V for Vendetta and Watchmen for the first time, I'd rather enjoy the chance to discuss them at length in the same way that I did HBP. But, that said, I think your Guttenberg suggestion seems fair, if I'm right in undersanding it to be one of the online archives of classics?

...sorry, I shouldn't be interjecting at all, really, as I'm fairly unlikely to participate. Nothing to see here.

Having recently read V for Vendetta and Watchmen for the first time, I'd rather enjoy the chance to discuss them at length in the same way that I did HBP.

Well, it would be a great excuse for me to read them again, though I really should get a TPB of V since I read it as it was coming out in the US, and never bothered to get a compiled copy.

...sorry, I shouldn't be interjecting at all, really, as I'm fairly unlikely to participate. Nothing to see here.

Oh well, good idea though.

I could participate if it happens in the next month, though.

...I really enjoyed the read-and-discuss thing about HBP, and I'd like to do that again. But on the other hand I don't really feel very book clubby. Er. Which makes no sense, does it?

ponders

I think I don't really want to make a commitment to being part of a group who will definitely be reading X thing at X time, is probably it. Er.

I can't be sure but I think Fay's flirting with us.

Actually that makes a lot of sense, and, on reflection, is probably my own attitude as well. I suppose a discussion in Literary isn't out of the question, but it would be in and around a bunch of other convos. That, and comics discussions have ended up in Other Media by default. It could happen there instead but, as with Literary, there will be discussions in and around it as well.

Which isn't really helpful, is it? You're probably right - nothing to see here.

If we were to do Watchmen or V for Vendetta as a selection, I think we should have at least one discussion guide/leader. Can we get someone with the requisite expertise to make that kind of commitment?

Also, between the two, I think Watchmen would be a better text for discussion, particularly for people who are new to the genre. V is an excellent and arguably superior work, but I don't think the characters and story would work as well for our group.