Can we talk about how forced themes ruin book club chats?

I recently was in a book club where we had to stick to these pre-made questions. It felt so fake, like we were in school again. For example, when we read The Great Gatsby, everyone just said the same things about the American Dream. But when we started talking about the party scenes and what the characters really wanted, that's when it got good. I think clubs should just let people say what they liked or hated, no rules. It makes the talk more real and fun. What do you guys think?

4 comments

4 Comments

jade_hunt488d ago

Isn't it funny how @janah38 thinks pre-made questions don't feel like Tuesday detention?

julia_hayes2mo agoTop Commenter

Last month, my club read '1984' and the guide only asked about government control... it felt like a lecture. We all just nodded along until someone mentioned the weird relationship between Winston and Julia. Suddenly, we were talking about loneliness and why people connect in bad times... way more interesting. Those pre-set questions kill the real talk before it starts. I wish more clubs would just let the chat go where it wants.

janah382mo ago

See @julia_hayes, I like some structure. For '1984', those government questions make sure we all get the base story. Then we can jump to Winston and Julia. But if we start with their relationship, new readers might not see the bigger picture. A mix works best. Guided talk then free chat.

abby_kim558d ago

Our club did "To Kill a Mockingbird" last spring and we split it into two nights. First night we stuck pretty close to the book club questions about the trial and racism stuff. It was good, everyone got the main points. Second night we just let it go wherever, and someone brought up how Scout and Jem didn't really have a mom. That opened up a whole conversation about how kids deal with missing parents and what it does to them. The best part of that second night was when we started comparing it to our own childhoods, like how we felt when we lost someone close. So I think having that first night for the facts and then a looser second night for the personal stuff really worked for us. It got everyone talking way more than just sticking to the guide all the time.