The book club president who told me to stop picking modern novels

Back in 2008, our book club president said I should stick to classics because modern novels just don't hold up under group discussion. I argued with her for months, but after 15 years of debating everything from Franzen to Ferrante, I have to admit she was right about most of it. Has anyone else found that older books spark better debates than new releases, or am I just getting old and cranky?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kevin7d ago

Modern novels just don't hold up under group discussion" - wow, that's a pretty bold claim from your book club president. I mean, I get that classics have that timeless depth, but to completely dismiss everything from the last 30 years seems harsh. In my experience, a book's quality for debate depends more on the author's skill than the publication date, though I'll admit the "Franzen vs. Ferrante" era did produce some flat discussions in my group too.

noahward7d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, your book club president actually said modern novels flat out don't work for group discussions? That's wild. I can't believe someone would draw such a hard line like that.

juliam406d ago

I love how "the Franzen vs. Ferrante era" is now officially a thing, I guess my book club was ahead of its time by having some real duds during that period too. But honestly, I'd be a total hypocrite if I trashed that president too hard since I once insisted we discuss a 900-page fantasy series that literally put three people to sleep. So maybe modern novels are hit or miss for groups, but I've definitely had my own moments of picking books that made everyone want to walk into the ocean. At least the president is consistent, I just wing it and hope someone doesn't fall asleep before the second chapter.