Kylie Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Several of us have decided to read The Group by Mary McCarthy for the Rory reading group. If anyone wants to join us, please jump in! You don't need to have watched Gilmore Girls to participate. We just use the list of books mentioned or seen on the show to guide us towards some (hopefully) great reads. Synopsis from Wikipedia (minus a spoiler): In 1933, eight young female friends graduate from Vassar College. The book describes these women’s lives post-graduation, beginning with the marriage of one of the friends... Each character struggles with different issues, including sexism in the work place, child-raising, financial difficulties, family crises, and sexual relationships. Nearly all the women's issues involve the men in their lives: fathers, employers, lovers, or husbands. As highly educated women from affluent backgrounds, they must strive for autonomy and independence in a time when a woman’s role is still largely restricted to marriage and childbirth. The plot is influenced by the political and economic atmosphere of the time. Over the course of the book, the reader learns about the women’s views on contraception, love, sex, socialism, and psychoanalysis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 I found an excellent article on the Guardian's website that talks about various reactions to The Group when it was published and how Mary McCarthy felt about it. I hadn't realised it caused so much controversy; it was even banned in Australia. Mary McCarthy led an interesting life by all accounts. There's a biography cited in the above article that I think I'll add to my wish list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 'The Group' sounds a great read. I would love to join in, thanks Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Excellent! Great to have you on board, Weave. It crossed my mind as I was reading the summary that it would be an excellent choice for a monthly reading circle. Ah well, we can still have the discussion, but in a more informal way I guess (I don't want us stepping on the toes of the proper reading circle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I can imagine that this book was banned. It's written in the 60s and it deals with sex and all aspects relating to it, and is very graphic for a book that was written almost 50 years ago. Thanks for providing the article, Kylie, I will definitely have a look at it when I'm finished with the novel, and McCarthy's biography is definitely going on my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I read 'The Group' about 15-20 years ago. My ex Mother-Out-Law gave me a batch of books that included this one. It's an interesting read, and I'm looking forward to seeing what y'all make of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirleyz Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 (edited) Hi Kylie, I have this book on my wish list so I'd love to join. Will order the book asap (as good an excuse as any to buy another book ) And it's great to join in a "Rory read" - I LOVE the Gilmore Girls Edited May 13, 2011 by shirleyz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Like frankie, I'm going to wait until I've finished the book before I read the article. I'm about halfway through chapter four at the moment, and I'm finding it an utterly fascinating read, although more for the progressive nature of the book written in the 1960s than for the plot or characters so far, but those are still good too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm still waiting for this to arrive! am getting very impatient now! I want to read this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm about 150 pages into The Group so far, and loving it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I want to read it, but I haven't got it .. unless it's at the bookfair tomorrow then I doubt I can join in but I look forward to hearing what you all make of it and bumping it up or down my list Oosh likes it already, that's a good sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Sounds good, but won't join...to many books to read not enough time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 its arrived am just going to finish my current read today and will probably start it tonight or tomorrow morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Well, I've just finished it. I've put my comments in my reading blog for now, as I want to wait until some of the other readers have finished it so I don't spoil anything here for the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I finished it yesterday, and enjoyed it all the way to the end. I was interested in all the characters and their stories, and didn't find it quite as hair-raising as I thought it might be from the comments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I ordered my copy today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I ordered my copy today Hey everyone, how are you all doing? (Me again), my copy of 'The Group' arrived today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 Good news, Weave! My reading of The Group is going sooo slowly. I haven't been motivated to read at all recently, and when I do, I'm struggling to want to read The Group. It's going OK and is reasonably interesting, but it's not exactly gripping reading. I just read a brief bit in the novel about a waiters' strike at a hotel that mentioned the real-life Dorothy Parker. I was interested to see if there really was such a strike that Dorothy attended so I did a little research and found that it's true. There's an account of the event in this article. Interestingly, there was a real magazine called Common Sense, and two men from the magazine really did start up a speech encouraging the diners to walk out. It doesn't give their names, but I assume that's where the fictional element comes in and that they were not named Harald and Put. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) Good news, Weave! My reading of The Group is going sooo slowly. I haven't been motivated to read at all recently, and when I do, I'm struggling to want to read The Group. It's going OK and is reasonably interesting, but it's not exactly gripping reading. I just read a brief bit in the novel about a waiters' strike at a hotel that mentioned the real-life Dorothy Parker. I was interested to see if there really was such a strike that Dorothy attended so I did a little research and found that it's true. There's an account of the event in this article. Interestingly, there was a real magazine called Common Sense, and two men from the magazine really did start up a speech encouraging the diners to walk out. It doesn't give their names, but I assume that's where the fictional element comes in and that they were not named Harald and Put. Thanks for the link Kylie, I hope your reading mojo improves, I'm looking forward to joining in on the discussion. Edited May 24, 2011 by Weave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) My thoughts about the novel are pretty much the same as chesilbeach's, and my comment on the book can be found on her reading blog as well as her own thoughts on it Mrs Pankhurst was also mentioned in the novel, wasn't she? It's a bit of a coinkydink because I just found a copy of her biography in the free book trolley at the library a few months ago. Should look into it. Edited May 24, 2011 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I've finished this now and my thoughts, if anyone hasnt already seen them, are over in my reading thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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