Next book? (after War and Peace)

Some discussion has begun about what book to read next. Share your 2 cents here.

Perhaps after tackling such a weighty tome as War and Peace we might want to consider a lighter (read:shorter) piece of literature. Perhaps another classic like Moll Flanders, Phantom of the Opera, or something similar.

Although I have heard some wonderful things about Don Quixote. Then there is also Ivanhoe, Wives and Daughters, Main Street, Swann's Way....and the list is endless. lol

Then there are a bunch of modern day "classics" many of which avaland highlighted in her post in the March Message Board thread (and will probably be copying over here at some point too so I won't duplicate)

I have a few classics on my TBR, some shorter than others:

Wives and Daughters
Middlemarch
Age of Innocence
House of Mirth
Portrait of a Lady
Forsyte Saga
The Moonstone
The Diary of a Nobody
Villette

Otherwise, I'm happy to try and tag along where possible.... :)

I have Wives and Daughters and Middlemarch on my shelf. Either would be good. I'd also go for something a bit lighter, maybe contemporary. The Tenderness of Wolves intrigues me.

(Moved from another thread)

Is the group primarily going to do huge reads, or is there any interest in maybe doing one of the books that lots of us seem to share, if everyone hasn't already read them?

Right now its:

Half of a yellow sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (13), War and peace by Leo Tolstoy (21), Ex libris : confessions of a common reader by Anne Fadiman (13), The Yacoubian building : a novel by Alaa Al Aswany (8), The lizard cage by Karen Connelly (5), The tenderness of wolves by Stef Penney (9), Snow flower and the secret fan : a novel by Lisa See (14), The book thief by Markus Zusak (15), Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (13), The secret river by Kate Grenville (9)

Here's one vote very, very much against House of Mirth - I really don't like this book and have somehow managed to read it twice. However, now that I look at the reviews on LT, I guess I'm very much in the minority.

I am not a member here yet, just watching this group to see what the next book is going to be - too late for W&P :(

I vote for "older" literature since I have many of the classics listed by others above. I don't have any from message 5 other than W&P.

Hmmm..

Ivanhoe

Forsyte Saga (maybe not the whole thing at once. I think the first book is To Let)

Middlemarch ( I have that in 2vols published in 1910)

The Moonstone

>7 bumblesby: tames ~ Hi, I think the first in the Forsyte Saga is The Man of Property :)

I kind of think of the "Group Reads" thread as being like a support group for books that are a bit more challenging, so maybe we could go for something that has been on everyones TBR pile for a long time!

I think you're right Killeymoon, because for W&P, it's not been huge discussion, but I find it comforting knowing that others are working on the same book and are out there if I do want to say something!

For me, most of the list in Message #3 are on my TBR... I've already read many in #5.

Thanks digifish... :) I was looking at the picture of the 3 volume set from Easton Press. The first book shown in the picture was To Let. Naturally they didn't have them in order. Oh but if we read it, it will give me an excuse to order them. Yeah! Sorry folks, a little off topic...

Out of the lists above, my pick would be either Wives and Daughters (which I started, got halfway through and abandoned just for its sheer length) or The Moonstone (never tried Wilkie Collins but really really want to).

I've tried Middlemarch before and not liked it much, but would participate in the group read if that's what was chosen - I'd like to get the the point where I've actually read it.

I never found the translation of W&P that I wanted... :( So I never got to join the group read... :(

Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Bring on a new group read book, whatever it may be! :-)

I'd like to put up a hand for Wives and Daughters or Forsyte Saga both of which I want to read this year. I'd also prefer an 'older' classic as I seem to need the knowledge that others are reading them to get through. I've done The Moonstone already this year but I wouldn't mind sitting one out if that was chosen as I've got a few 'big ones' I've set myself for this year & I'd tackle one of them instead.

Another one that I've been having trouble getting through by myself though is The Divine Comedy - I'm going to give it another shot by myself though (competitive spirit coming out - one of my friends who is not a reader tells me he's read it - can't let him be able to hold THAT over me!!)

WOW, Damiella!!!!!
The Divine Comedy is certainly NOT a book you can sit down and read like you would read The Forsyte Saga, for example.
You deserve a lot of credit for trying to tackle such a complicated task!
:-))

I'm just finishing off Paradise Lost (getting in the mood) then I'll give it another shot (don't you just LOVE daily-lit)

I've had Middlemarch since I purchased it in London in 1994, and still have not completed it. Perhaps I'd be more likely too if it was a group read.

I'd vote for either Middlemarch or Wives and Daughters. I think reading a book by a woman after W&P would be good, for one thing. For another, I have them both on my TBR shelf! (that second part is pure selfishness - otherwise, I might be FORCED to buy another book!)

Well, it is just nice to know folks like you are out there reading what you are. I thought I was the only one to read this stuff.

I have read the entire Forsyte Saga(3 vols.) twice and loved it. It is a gem and nothing like it that I have ever found similar. If anyone does find something similar PLEASE do let me know!

Wives and Daughters is also great for the simple reasons that:
a: It is a wonder full read
b: Elizabeth Gaskell is a secret very few people know of. (I believe it is the last book she wrote.)

Portrait of a Lady I have read only twice -10 years apart-but found magnificent. It takes a hundred pages or so for many to switch gears and to get into the swing of things but is definitely a special pleasure. Trouble is that he is either your cup of tea or not. Some people can not abide him. I really like him. My wife (a librarian) is member of a library reading group and they refused to read him after Portrait of a Lady was agreed on to be read.

I don't think Villette is a good choice, unless you omit the first 250 pages of it. After that it picks up.

What is the usual time frame for the reading of a book: 1-3 months?

I am reading A. Trollope's The Way We Live Now. I read a couple of chapters a night and that is nice. At this rate it will take 2-3 months and that is nice too.

The sad part of reading is when you have read a book say 3 times over 40 years and ya can't really go back. Like Jane Eyre and David Copperfield-you can just go back to the well so many times.... and then it is all over.

Urquhart, there is also a Yahoo classics reading group that reads a new book each month. Not taking away from this group, so don't get me wrong. It could be an additional choice for you. We are currently reading Tess of the D'Urbervilles for March. April - Alice in Wonderland, May - Absalom, Absalom, June - poll is open. The group name is crgII (classic reading groups II). I will probably go back and forth between these two depending what is being read. A monthly book can be a little hurried in some cases.

What I like about LT Group Reads is the great format of the discussions. They are organized by chapter or section. You don't have a ton of new threads being created.

Books so far getting a lot of mention:

Wives and Daughters
Middlemarch
Forstye Saga
The Moonstone

The Connecticut Nutmeggers group did a (small) group read of Middlemarch over the summer. We didn't have a whole lot of conversation, and I suspect that one or two of us would be interested in reviving it.

I'm just a lurker here at this time. My plan is to join the group once the next book is settled. I'm a big fan of Henry James and would be interested in doing The Golden Bowl some time. I realize he is an acquired taste, but then so is a good single malt Scotch. Once one develops the taste, it's like being lifted to another level of communication. James is an author whose technique is so intertwined with the telling that as one goes on a complete portrait begins to emerge.

I often think of James as a pointillist with words. Each word, each sentence and paragraph puts a point on the canvas of the page. For many this is absolute poison, but when you understand what he is attempting the fun begins.

Any of those works listed in #21 would make me a full-fledged member here.

Ed. Oops, I meant #20.

I would be happy with any of the ones in #20, but I own Forsythe and Moonstone, so those would be preferable from my standpoint!

I own Wives, Forsythe and Middlemarch so would be happy with any of those. =)

Hi,

I am not yet a member of this group, but I would like to join when you move on to the next book. My vote would be for The Divine Comedy. I tried it many years ago, and then got lost in all the parts I didn't understand.

Does anyone know when you will start the next book?

Hello billmccool. We haven't really talked about when to start the next book. We've left the schedule pretty open and I think most people like it that way, as some of us are slowly working our way through War and Peace.

Suggestion: if you don't join this group, STAR this message and look for it in Your Starred messages in the Talk menu. Then when we decide what we're doing next you'll be on top of it.

Having just completed W and P just as you guys started I haven't been very active! Just to put in my thought - I would love to read Forsyte Saga within a group situation.

I also have the Levear and Volokhonsky version of Anna Karenina that I would really like to read this year, maybe nearer the end of the year ...

Another suggestion: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke

Tally time! Here is a list of all the books mentioned to date along with the number of people saying that they were interested in reading that particular book. Books with only one vote are simply listed alphabetically for ease of cataloging. As we go along I'll continue to update the list, this should help us narrow things down (or highlight the clear winner).

Middlemarch – 8
Forsyte Saga – 7
Wives and Daughters – 7
The Moonstone – 5
The Divine Comedy – 2
Ivanhoe – 2
The Tenderness of Wolves – 2

Age of Innocence – 1
Anna Karenina – 1
The Book Thief – 1
The Diary of a Nobody – 1
Don Quixote – 1
Ex Libris – 1
The Golden Bowl – 1
House of Mirth – 1
Half of a Yellow Sun – 1
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell – 1
The Lizard Cage – 1
Main Street– 1
Moll Flanders – 1
Phantom of the Opera – 1
Portrait of a Lady – 1
The Secret River – 1
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan -1
Swann’s Way -1
Villette – 1
Wide Sargasso Sea -1
The Yacoubian Building – 1

Hey Irish - If it makes it any easier, you can probably delete the ones from my post (message #5), since there seems to be very little interest in reading those or everyone has already read them (including me - since I posted, I've finished Ex Libris and Wide Sargasso Sea and have started The Book Thief and The Yacoubian Building!). It was just a jumping off point & the group seems to have no shortage of great suggestions.

I personally would love to do either the Forsyte Saga, Wives and Daughters, or The Moonstone, but since I'm just now getting to War and Peace, that is not really a formal vote. I hope to be better at participating in this group read.

The tallies listed above aren't very formal. I just added a tick every time a person mentioned that a particular book interested them....so there are some people who have several tally marks. If this was formal then each person would only get one bid. =)

Forsyte, Wives and Moonstone all seem to be on the short list so I'm guessing the next book will be one of those top 4. I'll probably keep your suggestions on the list since you never know when interests might spark....and it could be a good starting point for some future book selection. =)

I would like to read Middlemarch. Like several others, I have had it for a while but not tackled it. The group format is very tempting.

I'll go for any of them, as long as it's a "classic" rather than a newer novel. Ironically, if it's Middlemarch, I may have to fight my DH for the one copy in the house as he's mentioned he wants to read it soon.

Just a brief update on the more popular choices to date

Middlemarch – 10
Forsyte Saga – 7
Wives and Daughters – 7
The Moonstone – 5
The Divine Comedy – 2
Ivanhoe – 2
The Tenderness of Wolves – 2

Talbin - perhaps you convince your other half to join in on the discussion if he does decide to read it in the near future.

>35 Irisheyz77:: Good idea, but he's not an LT guy. :(

How about reading it aloud to each other? That always seems so romantic.

I'll join the next group read if I have the book--which ever it is--is in my TBR pile. Looks like it might be Middlemarch, in which case I'll see you all back here soon.

>37 teelgee: I think the operative word there is "seems." ;) We read at very, very different paces, and have different ways of thinking about books. Believe me, when you meet someone in graduate school (literature) and take a bunch of the same classes and therefore read a lot of the same books, you learn pretty early if your reading styles mesh. Ours most certainly don't. Luckily, though, other things in our lives mesh, hence the 17 year marriage and the flowers I got today just because I said I was feeling a little blue. What a guy. :)

Awww. Very sweet.

Yes, seems -- it's never worked for me either, the reading together bit.

I have four children and my youngest, who is now 16 just recently stopped having me read aloud to him, especially on vacations. I had the pleasure of reading the Tolkien Trilogy in its entirety and all 7 Harry Potter books to him. I would love to have someone read aloud to me! The closest I come is my husband reading interesting articles form the Sunday paper to me every week, which isn't half bad.

So, is it Middlemarch?

I had planned to be part of the War and Peace discussion, but work and family issues got in the way. So I'd be up for a faster read next time. Since I just finished and loved Mister Pip, I've been wanting to read Great Expectations, so I'll throw out that suggestion.

Of the books mentioned in #30, I'd put my two cents in for Wives and Daughters or The Forsyte Saga, both of which have been sitting in my TBR pile for several years. I've read Middlemarch three times for classes, so I might pass if that's the choice.

# 42 - I've read Middlemarch three times for classes, so I might pass if that's the choice.

-------------
Cariola . . . well if it turns out to be Middlemarch, please show up to the discussion with some of your brilliant insights. :-)

Great Expectations is high on my to-read list too.

There are quite a few people in the group who haven't weighed in yet. I will attempt to contact them on their profile pages.

I propose we narrow the list in the next couple of weeks and then put it to a vote. What say ye?

Who has finished W&P? I still have 500+ pages to go, but will make a big dent this week.

Just my 2 cents worth, but Great Expectations might be better as a group read in the 'What the Dickens' group (although things have been a bit quiet over there of late).

I think a formal vote on the top contenders sounds like an excellent plan. I've still got about 700 pages of W&P, but I also took a break the past week or so to get my Early Reviewer book read, so now I'm back to the task and will be ready for the next one sooner rather than later!

#44 Teelgee

Who has finished W&P?

I finished it in January - I read it before this group got going but am looking forward to joining in with the next read.
The formal vote suggestion is a good plan and thanks for trying to contact everyone. Oh no I am away from April 6th so I hope the vote is soon!! If not I will let you know my vote before I leave =)

Since we all seem pretty set on choosing one of the books there were listed in the most I created using the top four: Middlemarch, Forstye Saga, The Moonstone and Wives and Daughters.

The poll can be found here:
http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=84102

Vote when you can. I currently have it set up to last from now until 26 April...but that cand probably be changed if need be. I can also add books if people feel that more should be added.

>48 Irisheyz77:, Thanks Irish, for taking the initiative to get a formal vote tally! I still haven't started W&P, but if I like the next group read, I'm definitely going to get in on it!

You should still start W&P Fanny...and then can use the next book for when you need a break from Tolstoy. I'm still in the first volme and so far behind the crowds but that hasn't stopped me...because at least I know others have managed to forge a path and laid a trail for me to follow. =)

Very snazzy, Irish, thanks!!!

I'm lurking here. I meant to join in W&P but have avoided starting it yet. I have Middlemarch on the TBR pile too.

Lurkers are allowed to vote, merry. No voter's registration card required!

Phew! Thanks teelgee.

Thanks Irisheyz77 and Fanny - just to second Irish - yes do pick up War and Peace.

I sat out the War and Peace read because of school, but I am definitely interested in participating in the next read, whatever it might be!

I just voted for Wives and Daughters. I chose it because it is the only one of the four I have not read. Also, I recently watched the BBC version and loved it.

I am a lurker too, by the way. I still have not found the time to sit down and read W&P.....how sad.......:-(

Cool poll. I have been lurking as I have already read War and Peace and Middlemarch -- loved them both! So I voted for Wives and Daughters.

In general I think this idea is great -- I would like to see us focus on books that we know we SHOULD read but are afraid to tackle (like W&P!). For me two biggies are Moby Dick and The Brothers Karamazov.

Those are both on my TBR list as well Jhowell. In fact I recently mooched a copy of Moby Dick so that I can read it at some point. Its one of those that I've heard a lot about but haven't don't anything about what I've heard and so I'm wanting to correct that at some point. Perhaps that can be a future selection of the group. =)

Some years ago I read The Brothers Karamazov and I think it would be nice to read it once again. It is surely a great novel written by one of the world's greatest authors. I hope someone else agree with me.

kjellika, I will definitely agree with you that The Brothers Karamazov is indeed a great novel. And one that I'd like to re-read at some point, though probably after I've read some of his other work. I've not yet got round to either Crime and Punishment or The Idiot...

ok..I just voted..at present there appears to be a 3 way tie..please let someone vote soon to break it (visions of trying to read all 3 books at once confusion reigning)

Thanks teelgee for bringing me back to this site. I cast my vote in the poll from Message 48. There is a map on this site showing where voters come from, and one voter is listed as being from Mt. Orab, Ohio. Which is just so funny, because that is close to the area I'm moving to next year.

I finally read Middlemarch 2 years ago. It had been sitting on my shelf for ages, and when I went on vacation, I took that book, because it would 'force' me to read it without the temptation of all the other books on my shelf.

My vote was for Elizabeth Gaskell.

Irisheyz77 Just voted for my choice. Thank you for setting it all up =)

Re: the Brothers Karamazov - it's also on my TBR list, but I don't think I can do another Russian novel for awhile. I love love love the ones I've read, but definitely need something different for this next round.

>65 teelgee: I agree with teelgee - let's save more Russian novels for a bit later. ;)

What does it say about the Russkies that their novels are so powerful the reader has an intense encounter with genius that leaves him or her washed out and needing a break from such another intense work?

As to the next read, I have voted and will join depending on what the next read is.

I love looking at the map to see all the places that people are voting from. =)

As of noon-ish EST the results stand as follows
Forsyte Saga - 30.8%
Wives and Daughters & Middlemarch tied at 26.9%
The moonstone is at 15.4%

The poll has also been taken by 26 people.

Just thought that I'd repost the poll link so new people to the thread don't have to scroll up searching for it

The poll can be found here:
http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=84102

Also...random thing about the map that I just discovered...if you click on the little pins it will tell you what that person selected. I am so in love with that map.

*starts to wonder if there is a trend in voting & location of person...must close map to avoid temptation of spending hours trying analyize it*

Hmm, I wonder why there isn't a pin in Portland Oregon? I voted a few days ago. Maybe it didn't register my vote -- should I try again? I don't want to be accused of stuffing the ballot box!!! You don't have to register to vote do you? 'Cause I didn't register.

no you don't have to register to vote.

Well...at least not on that site. ;-)

There is a little note that says that the site tracks the last 500 votes...since we are only at 30-ish everyone who has voted should be there. Thereforee, I say if there is no pin in Oregon then I would vote again to make sure that your vote counts! =)

Last count there were 49 of us in the group - but I doubt everyone will vote. So I voted (again) but it still isn't showing Portland on the map. Jeez, it's sort of like voting in Florida! Never know if your vote gets counted! I think the numbers changed but I didn't look that carefully, doh.

teelgee, bear in mind that it works out where you are by looking at your ISP - so for example my blob is in London rather than Cambridge (although in this instance it's not a million miles, you get the picture). So if your ISP isn't based in Oregon, that might be why it hasn't showed up?

ETA: you voted for Middlemarch, right? In between me starting and finishing my message a new vote for it appeared!

It is, it should say Portland. Seattle is the closest on the map, and I'm pretty sure my ISP isn't there!

I say we deduct a deduct a vote from Middlemarch now! ;)

Hey, Irish, when does voting end? I am anxious to know what book I need to buy! :)

I currently have the date for it to end as 25 April I think. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get most of the people to vote. But I'm pretty sure that the date can be changed.

Oh wow. Ok, then I will just have to be patient. For some reason, I thought it was ending way sooner than that. Just gives me more opportunities to buy books, I guess! :)

Since teelgee pointed out that there are only 49 people in the group...and 30 have voted I looked at the site and saw that yes indeed I can change the end date.

The new end date is 04 April 08...that's next friday people. So vote while the voting is good. =)

>73 frithuswith: Huh. Some secret ballot! Yes, I voted for Middlemarch.

I voted too and love the map! Us Europeans are diverse, one vote for each of the four books ;-)

I've always suspected that there was no unity in Europe. ;-)

#81 And I haven't shared which I voted for!!! Isn't the map great - I admit I scrolled over to check Europe was existing!!

Edited for typo - sorry I make so many, brain races ahead of fingers and yes I don't check my work!

I have been lurking in here as well waiting for the next selection. I will read War and Peace this Summer when my travel schedule is lighter and I don't have to carry that massive book with me! I will join in on the next one.

Thanks for setting up the poll, Irishey. I voted a few days ago. Love the map!

Rarcar.....be sure to vote. lurkers are readers too and should have a say in the next read. =)

Re: my message #74 - now I'm really beginning to wonder about the Seattle thing with my ISP - when I look at my visitor map on my profile page, there are always a bunch of visits from Seattle - and from Portland -- I wonder if the ISP switches to Seattle sometimes? (I don't know how these things work!) It's about 150 miles away.

Is there anyone here from Seattle who voted for Middlemarch? If not, it may have been me!

Hello, Wonderful Group!

I just joined LibraryThing yesterday and it is exactly for groups like this one that it will be worthwhile for me. I will be adding my lists of thousands of books later but recently I have read Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina, Iliad and Odyssey, so I think my heart is definitely in the right place for this group.
There are many many things I don't know yet about the technicalities of LT and don't really even know who and how to ask :-). I will try to join this group as soon as I finish this post. Question: Can I talk to someone on LT directly, not as a part of a group setup, if I see for example that they have read the same books as I? Looking forward to discussing great books with you.

Polutropos, check out your profile, then check out mine to send a message.

Welcome, polutropos! Glad you found us. Just ask questions here or in any of the forums anytime. People are always willing to help! Have fun -- but be warned, it's addictive!!!

oo i like the map. I feel represented! haha

41 people have voted and it appears that one book has finally started to take the lead.

Last year I started to read Middlemarch (2 volumes in Norwegian), but I gave it up. I don't remember why. But if it is the next book to be read in this group, I will surely participate, and I hope it will be easier to get through it then. I thus vote for Middlemarch to be the next book.

kjellika - have you voted in the poll? It's here. It's where our final tally will come from.

Yes, now I have. Why do you think we'll begin reading the next book? I've some hundred pages left of W&P, but I often read two or more books at the same time. I'm not sure if I can do so with two 'big' novels with so many persons.

kjellika - I'm assuming you mean when we'll begin, rather than why?
I'm hoping it will be a couple more weeks. I know there are quite a few of us who aren't finished with War and Peace yet; maybe we should do another poll to determine a start date. (Irish???) April 15th?

Sorry, of course I mean when. Thanks for correcting me.
In a couple of weeks I hope I'll have read some hundred pages more of War and Peace. I think it a good idea to do another poll to vote for a start date for reading the next book.

Did someone ask for a poll? Here is the link to the Proposed Start Date Poll for the next book.

http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=85122

Here are the options that I arbitrarily selected:
15 April
22 April
01 May
15 May
Nothing Official I'll Start it when I Get to It

This poll will close on 08 April at 12 PM EST.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as a rememinder here is a link to the poll for the next book decision:

http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=84102

That poll closes this coming Friday, 04 April. 51 people have voted so far and we still have a clear outlier, although it is close. If nothing drastic happens between now and Friday then the next book will be Middlemarch. If people are happy with that I'll close the poll now or I can let it play out until Friday.

Ah Irish, you're wunnerful, thanks. I think we should let the book poll run till Friday since we have some new members.

And -- the map is definitely showing me being in Seattle. Huh. Wonder what's up with that.

Perhaps your ISP doesn't like Portland and decided to relocate to Seattle. lol

Our little group is growing by leaps and bounds. Everytime I log in there is at least 1 or 2 new members. =)

I'm also gonna have to figure out what I've done with my copy of Middlemarch. Forsyte Saga and Wives and Daughters I know exactly where they are...so it just figures that those didn't make the cut....well officially didn't make the cut. Anything can happen between now and Friday. =)

Hi, I'm new to this, just thought I'd say hallo from over here, so hallo!

Anyone who's not voted yet, I've read both Middlemarch & Wives & Daughters and loved both (particularly Wives & Daughters - although be prepared to be very irritated because Elizabeth Gaskell died about 1 chapter before she finished the book) - so I recommend both...

So... I've voted for The Forsyte Saga, but to be honest, I'm not that fussed, because my dad bought me a very nice edition of War and Peace for Christmas and I've still not got around to reading it, so I can spend the next book catching up on that!

ok teelgee

I voted

I stumbled across this group and love the idea. I voted for Middlemarch, its been on my "want to read" list for a long time and I've been nervous to tackle it.
How does the group read work? Do you discuss along the way? Do you set a number of pages to be read by a certain time? Are there different editions?

From the polls Middlemarch is probably the next book to be read. For me it is an advantageous choice since I have this book on my bookshelves (both a Norwegian and (soon) an English edition). I can also see that the start date most likely will be set to April 22 or May 1. That' s nice. Then I can get through a lot more pages of War and Peace before starting with a new long novel.

sydamy, welcome!!! -- we set up threads for sections of the book and discuss within that section - everyone reads at their own pace and participates as much or little as they want. It's pretty informal except for the thread setup, and that's just to keep it clear where you are and so you won't read any spoilers accidentally.

Take a look at the main page and you can see how War and Peace is set up. Each volume and section has a thread. There's a general message thread for each month and then other topics that come up too.

Thanks teelgee, I can't wait.

i bought middlemarch today, so im ready to tackle it whenever we start. woo

I dug out my copy as well. Its now sitting on an eaily accessable shelf next to Wives and Daughters and Forsyte Saga...all of who are waiting for the official word.

Reposting to keep visible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the link to the Proposed Start Date Poll for the next book.

http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=85122

Here are the options that I arbitrarily selected:
15 April
22 April
01 May
15 May
Nothing Official I'll Start it when I Get to It

This poll will close on 08 April at 12 PM EST.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as a rememinder here is a link to the poll for the next book decision:

http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=84102

This poll closes this coming Friday, 04 April.

I hope I'm not too late to vote. Are we talking about all three books in the forsyte saga or just the man of property? I'm still going on W & P. I have read and loved the moonstone and wives and daughters so I think I'll vote for one of them because I enjoy all the different views expressed on LT discussions

Polling is now closed for the selection of the next book. In total 76 people voted from around the globe. (Such a great turn out!)

The winner with 43.4% of the vote is Middlemarch.

The rest of the tally is as follows:
Wives and Daughters = 30.3%
Forsyte Sage = 15.8%
The Moonstone = 10.5%

If you haven't don't so already, please be sure to weigh in on the start date poll found here:
http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=85122

This poll will close around noonish EST on 08 Apr 08.

Great, bought my copy last weekend. Thanks for conducting the poll Irish.

haha yea i bought my copy of middlemarch too! i'm glad it won :)

Thanks Irish. I am now completely won over to reading a book I tried and didn't like much. I'm expecting you people to end up helping me like it!

I have a battered copy somewhere (I wasn't the batterer though), so will dig it out this week :)

I will now confess also that I voted for The Moonstone then wished I hadn't, because I figure I will probably read that happily on my own, without the support of a reading group.

why did you wish that you hadn't voted for The Moonstone? perhaps it will be a future book in the group. who knows where the winds will turn to next.

Only because I expect to enjoy it so much that I won't need a reading support group for it! I see reading groups like this one as help-to-get-through-it groups in a way - at least, to give encouragement and add insight to a book that wouldn't otherwise hold my attention for as long as it takes to get through it.

One LTer (forget who) posted (or reviewed?) that they picked up The Moonstone one night... and when dawn broke next day they were still reading, and they finished it that morning. If it's that addictive, I won't need a reading group for it.

Having said that, if it is what we read in the future, I'll join in most happily!

Now THERE is a great endorsement for a book!

Perhaps twenty years ago I had a cordial relationship with a fairly well-known poet. We often talked about life and books and one time we started discussing favorites. I mentioned Middlemarch and he shuddered, attacked it quite viciously and then avoided me for months. I have not looked at my Middlemarch since but have recently reread Daniel Deronda which I remembered fondly, and found it dreadfully tedious and didactic. I am very worried about this choice. I cannot take another disillusionment. :-)

polutropos - we're here to help. Disillusionment, ecstasy, or just minor disappointment, this is the go-to place!

ETA: fairly well known poets can be elitist and snobbish. And - have you read what Twain wrote about Jane Austen??? Scandalous. To each one's own.

Well, this makes my life easy, as I just read Middlemarch last Summer for the Nutmeggers group read. Hopefully my aging brain will have retained enough for me to still take part. :o)

I think there's some voting irregularities on the start date poll!!! I see more red pins than blue, but the blue is leading in points. Am I missing a continent? I see 2 each in North America, Australia and 4 in Europe for the blues and a total of 10 reds in NA and Europe. Is this a Diebold voting machine???

maybe there is some overlap somewhere?

Oh, you mean like two pins in one place? I hadn't thought of that. Are there stats somewhere else?

If you zoom in on the map you will see more of the pins. All the same it looks like there are more red pins than blue. Perhaps it doesn'n matter very much? There is just a week between the two start dates, and together they've got a huge majority of the votes. But I hope we can rely on this voting machine (now and in the future).

OK, I probably should not admit this, but.... On Sunday I bought my copy of Middlemarch, and I have started it already. Reading everyone's posts, seeing everyone's excitement, I couldn't hold back. I am sure that I am not the only one who has started it. I am a slow reader these days, so I imagine that most of the readers will pass me, even if they wait till the start date.

I think I am going to enjoy this a great deal. I am looking forward to everyone's comments and insights.

On another note, I am one of the few who voted for The Divine Comedy, so I hope we can keep that on our radar as a possible book in the future.

Oh I don't think there's anything wrong with starting early, bill, it's just a target date. We were all over the map with War and Peace in terms of starting and finishing (and some of us are still poking along).

I looked at the poll and we are all so varied in location! I forget that sometimes, I think its pretty awesome :) those who live in australia, i want to visit there so bad! you lucky ducks.

I, too, will likely jump the gun a bit. I leave on vacation tomorrow, and plan on settling into Middlemarch the moment I settle in by the sea.

Hey all, the start date poll is officially closed and by general concensous the official start date for Middlemarch is 22 Apr 08.

This date is not a rigid one so feel free to start when you can. I'll most likely start this on 9 may. Nothing like a 9 hour plane ride to really get yourself lost in a book. =)

I'm so pleased to see Middlemarch is the pick. I LOVE this book. I just finished rereading War and Peace - though have been less successful at finding my way around the discussion threads as yet. I hope to master that before the discussion gets too far ahead of me, and I can move out of lurking mode!

And if anyone is interested in an Eliot biography, I thought George Eliot: the Last Victorian by Kathryn Hughes was terrific.

Hi Meg - welocome to the group. Most people have already finished with W&P...though there are still a few like me who are still in its early stages (i've been neglecting Tolstoy, I feel so guilty).

Discussion threads are broken up in the various books/volume combinations in W&P as a way to focus the discussion and to avoid overly spoiling anyone who comes late to the party with.

Middlemarch is a little easier and the discussion will be based on all the books, which are all roughly 100 pages long. The first one is already up and the others will appear as people reach them.

Thanks for that clarity Irisheyz77. I bought my lovely new copy at the airport and have refrained from getting started - I will wait till Tuesday! BTW my flight was from London to Carcassonne, France - only about one and a half hour flight .... I am very curious to know where you will be flying???

I will be flying to Aruba in May. Altogether I think I'll be in the air for 6 hours or so. Lots of time to read. =)

Some people have also started reading Middlemarch so there is no need to wait.

The Globe and Mail newspaper (national paper in Canada) has been compiling a list of the 50 greatest books. They are revealing a book a week over the course of the year. Fiction and non fiction books included.
Week 12 - Middlemarch.

sydamy - do you have a link to the article?

This is the link to the Middlemarch week -

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080328.w50booksmiddlemarch/...

I hope this works, I really need to learn how to make this pretty.

I did not read the entire article because it goes into detail about the story line of the book and I don't want to know what is coming. I have no idea what the story is, and do not want to find out.

Well done, Sydamy. I tried to post a link to that article on the weekend, and I kept getting a message that you had to pay to read it. Thanks for figuring it out (or doing it right!)