Comparative Reading Circle...

[Kell]

I have been playing around with the idea of hosting a comparative reading circle, perhaps every other month, comparing two or three separate works, perhaps by the same author or on the same subject or the same genre, and wondered of anyone else would be interested in it?

Examples might be something like these:

Classic Vampires
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Carmilla by J. Sheridan LeFanu

Flower and Willow World
Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda
Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Comedians getting serious
The First Casualty by Ben Elton
The Secret Purposes by David Baddiel

Dystopian Future
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The topic/author would be voted on by members each time (in the same way the regular reading circle is).

So, what do you say? Anyone up for it?

[Purple Poppy]

I love the idea Kell and think it would be a very worthwhile and satisfying exercise, but I have trouble reading one book a month. So count me out, sorry! (unless it's something I really really can't resist!);)
Pp

[Icecream]

Sounds like a wonderful idea, if I have the time, or have alredy read some of the books it would help a lot. Sounds great.

[Gyre]

Sounds great, I'm sold, count me in x

[KW]

Ooh, this sounds interesting --

[Kylie]

This is a great idea! I would like to participate, depending on how my current reading was going and whether I had already read one or two of the books on the list (I don't read that fast :smile2:)

[wrathofkublakhan]

I'm a "maybe."
It'd depend on the topic or through-line of the two books. It's a really fun idea, let me think of some combinations that might work:

M*A*S*H vs Catch 22
The Secret Garden vs Anne of Green Gables
Riders of the Purple Sage vs Hondo
Tarzan of the Apes vs The Jungle Books


This does sound like fun, doesn't it?

I used the "vs" in the sense that the mash up guys use it.

[Michelle]

Personally, I feel it may work best with no time scale, as people read at very different rates. It might be better to choose one, then see how it flows. As it comes to an end, and new one could be decided on.

[FishAndChips]

Does sound a good idea and I would be interested but like others I have concerns over how to fit all the reading in.

But...

Personally, I feel it may work best with no time scale, as people read at very different rates. It might be better to choose one, then see how it flows. As it comes to an end, and new one could be decided on.

I agree with that. Maybe comparisons where at least one of the books is fairly short would work well too.

[Polka Dot Rock]

It's a great idea, Kell. But as I'll be actually studying Comparative Literature in the near future, I don't think I'll have the energy for it! ;)