Category Archives: Book Club

Reading Group Starting C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters”

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csl

After a thoroughly enjoyable discussion of last month’s The Year of Living Biblically – which I think we as a group would heartily recommend to those who have not read it – we turn our attention to one of the foremost Christian authors of the 20th Century, C.S. Lewis.

On Saturday, February 5, we will be discussing The Screwtape Letters, a relatively short work consisting of letters from senior Demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, explaining how to best take advantage of human weaknesses in order to lure souls into sin and damnation. One of his most readable works, The Screwtape Letters should give us plenty to talk about.

As usual we will meet at Panera’s at 9:30 on February 5. Bring your appetites, ideas, and any interested friends.
— Steve Gruenwald

Candide: Adult Discussion Group

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Candide book cover

Candide will occupy the members of our Contemporary Issues “Adult Ed.” reading group when they meet Saturday, December 4 at the Elk Grove Panera on Biesterfield Road at 9:30 a.m.

Everyone is welcome, whether you have participated previously or even if you have not yet read the book.

Some members may find Voltaire’s writing a bit challenging, especially his references to places, people, and issues that are now largely forgotten.

I have two hints:

1. Don’t worry about following all the details, and if you feel that the story is getting bogged down and repetitious here and there, you’re probably not alone. It is important that you try to get to the last two or three chapters, even if it means skipping afew in the middle.

2. Think about the problem of evil: Why, if God is good, is there so much evil in the world? Can you explain it? Can anyone in the story?

I have created a “cheatsheet” of textual notes and references; see my Adult Education Program page at http://www.swhi.net/
~steveg/StNick/

and scroll down to the link for “Notes for reading Candide.” It may help.

Where we’ve been, where we’re going

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The book club has been going for ten months now, and I thought it might be of interest to recap where we’ve been. Here’s the history so far:

  • January: Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell)
  • February: My Stroke of Insight (Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D)
  • March: Mark Twain trio:
    Letters From the Earth
    Extracts from Adam’s Diary
    Eve’s Diary

  • April: Ninety-Five Theses (Martin Luther)
  • May: The Plague (Albert Camus)
  • June: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot)
  • July: Good Omens (Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett)
  • August: Man’s Search for Meaning (Viktor Frankl) and
    Existentialism and Human Emotions (Jean-Paul Sartre)

  • September: The Shack (William P. Young)
  • October: Only a Theory (Kenneth Miller, Ph.D.)

And next:

  • November: Candide (Voltaire)

I’m pretty pleased with the variety and richness of the material we’ve covered. My only regret is that we have not found more people who are both interested and willing to come out on a Saturday morning.

As regular members know, I maintain a page of reference material at http://www.swhi.net/~steveg/StNick/, including a “Suggested Reading List.” I hope it is understood that this is not simply a list of books we have read or may all read together as a group in coming months; some of them, at least, will appeal to a few members but not others, and some (I hope) to members of the St. Nicholas community who are not joining our Saturday morning group at all. All of them are (I believe) potentially of interest anyway. Additions to the list are always welcome.

Also on the main page, I have posted some extra reference materials as to some of the topics we’ve covered. Check back now and then for items related to books we have read or are going to read.

– Steve G