My book club imploded over a comma in the discussion guide

Last Tuesday in Austin, our group spent 45 minutes arguing whether the author meant the dog died or just ran off, and Karen literally pulled up the editor's Twitter to prove her point. I just wanted to talk about the ending, but now nobody can even agree on what the text says. Does your club ever get stuck on tiny details like this, or am I the only one who reads for the story?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathana4824d ago

Three weeks ago our group spent a full hour on whether the lighthouse keeper's wife was actually dead or just sleeping, and someone printed out the book's map to prove the timeline. I get it, that sort of thing can eat a whole meeting, but honestly it sounds like Karen turned a fun chat into a courtroom. You're not crazy for just wanting the story, some people just need to win more than they need to enjoy the book.

rowan72523d ago

@nathana48, I get where you're coming from, but I actually enjoy that kind of deep dive sometimes. The map thing sounds like overkill, sure, but that hour on the lighthouse keeper's wife probably made everyone actually think about the text instead of just nodding along. The real problem isn't people wanting to dig in, it's when someone turns it into a win/lose thing. That Karen situation sounds rough, but I'd take a passionate debate over a group where everyone just says "it was fine" and moves on.