I’ve read (and loved) Middlemarch but I would absolutely agree it rewards slow reading and collaborative discussion. I read it as part of a slow reading group at university and I doubt I’d have finished it - or got as much from it - if I’d tackled it solo.
Adding to the call for this! Bleak House has been on my TBR far too long and I think the complexities of it would really benefit from the extra context a slow read provides!
I’d love to do a slow read of Ulysses. I bought a copy in my teens as I thought I ought to read it. I never did as I was put off by everyone saying how difficult it was and possibly reading the first few pages. A community of slow readers guided by you Simon seems a perfect way to tackle it!
Try reading along with Frank Delaney's podcast, Re:Joyce. It helped me "break the code" of Ulysses. Each week, he would unpack a piece of text, sometimes just a sentence. Slow going but fascinating. Unfortunately, he died way before the end, but by then I could read it on my own.
All the more reason for this group to take it up in a like manner! Sorry Simon. I understand your desire to be talked out of it, equal to being magnetically drawn to the undertaking. T'would be an amazing achievement, to lead us all through its warrens.
Far be it from me! Interesting that no one has suggested FINNEGAN'S WAKE. That would be a step too far for me, even with you leading the charge. Though if that's the step too far, no one has suggested the step back, DUBLINERS, and that too could be deliciously rewarding.
Well another plan I am considering is doing the triumvirate: Dubliners, Portrait and Ulysses. But I need to go and read those first two first to see if it will work. Alternatively, Odyssey and Ulysses.
No- not finnegan’s wake. Do Ulysses. That is a really interesting and occasionally quite humorous. Finnegan’s is supposed to be even harder to read than Ulysses
I would love to do a slow read of Ulysses with you! It’s a book I would hesitate to read on my own, but so very keen to read it as part of this group. I’ll just have to keep a lid on my excitement until you decide (no pressure!!😀)
I read Ulysses as a slow read and breaking it down definitely helped. I’m still not sure I understand it but reading alongside others and tackling it gradually definitely helped me appreciate the artistry of it.
I started JS&MrN about a week before Christmas many years ago and Christmas almost didn’t happen. I was utterly transfixed and actually wrote a piece on how to survive the book…I think I possibly suggested wearing compression socks as if on a long haul flight and making sure people brought you regular food and drinks.
Friends I know who didn’t like the book had skipped the footnotes but it’s the footnotes that matter. They take up you into the book’s dream-laden hinterland, and when you emerge at the end of each one it’s as if you’ve been asleep too and need to nudge yourself back into reality.
I just finished East of Eden this morning for a small book club. (We actually have a monthly meeting to eat pastries and visit new bakeries but this month we also added EofE. Bakery clubs are right up there with book clubs.) I would heartily vote for this. So much to discuss.
MRS DALLOWAY by Virginia Woolf. Another book I was led to believe was a must read, but I found it very hard going. Not sure why and I feel I’ve missed out on something.
I read Mrs. Dalloway a few months ago and was just floored by the timeless of it and some of the ways Virginia describes womanhood left me speechless. It was not easy to get through, but well worth the effort.
I’d love a month-long slow read of Mrs Dalloway. I’ve tried to get into it several times and, like you, I find it really hard going. I remember enjoying To The Lighthouse when I read it at university so I think maybe I need to have that community to discuss the book with and help me dig into it?
I voted maybe but I’m actually now thinking it would be a great choice! I’d also be interested in MIDDLEMARCH or a BLEAK HOUSE or HOMER like suggested here. I also have THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and DON QUIXOTE lingering on my shelves.
I came here to say Don Quixote! I read a bit and loved it but somehow after a while I thought it would just be more of the same. Would be fascinating to read more and get some background!
I would love to read ULYSSES with you all at footnotes & tangents next year! I am absolutely convinced that this book fits your process Simon. No doubt about that.
I knew you’d be on board! I have to look at timings though. I want to stick to term time dates because of my parenting responsibilities in the holidays! And it might make sense to do it Sept-July, unless it can be done in 24 weeks Jan-Jul. Personally, I think it needs longer. But yes, need to think about how slow I would do it.
Yes for sure it would benefit from the slowest read possible. I am still trying to figure out the timings on Substack myself but September always felt like a start of the year to me not January. There is more energy to do things after the summer break I think. The ‘back to school’ Pavlovian reflex is always there.
Whatever you work out in the end it will be great. I think this book was made for footnotes & tangents.
Also, I am looking forward to reading Ulysses with you for an amusing reason: Back in the early 1990s, a grad school friend and I made a pact. One of his favorite books was Ulysses, and one of my favorite books was Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa (which weighs in at 1500 pages of small print). If he ever reads Clarissa, I have to read Ulysses, and if I read Ulysses with you next year, he will have to read Clarissa. Ha HA!
Another Richardson fan! Yes! I loved both books! I have only read Pamela once, but I have read Clarissa three times—once for a slow-read back in the 90s. Because the letters begin with the date, we were able to read the book in “real time”—every day we read the letter that corresponded to that day’s date. Every day we discussed that day’s letter on an email listserv called Clary-L. It was such a cool experience!
Middlemarch by George Elliot!
A strong second (and third and more for Middlemarch!
Agree! I have read many say it is their favorite, and yet I have not been able to get through it. Help! I would love this option.
I’ve read (and loved) Middlemarch but I would absolutely agree it rewards slow reading and collaborative discussion. I read it as part of a slow reading group at university and I doubt I’d have finished it - or got as much from it - if I’d tackled it solo.
I could not get through it either. You’re not alone. I found it so dull - obviously not the popular opinion, but there it is.
I appreciate that it might have been the first novel in English, but I also found it a bit dull. I wouldn't know what to discuss.
Same! I have heard and seen many people consider Middlemarch as their favorite classic read but I haven’t been able to get through it on my own!
I would love to read Middlemarch, and would enjoy it as a slow read.
I also would love to read this with thus community
Another vote for Middlemarch
I've read and loved MIDDLEMARCH twice, and would love to love it again with Simon's thoughtful leadership.
I think this is a great suggestion. I am packing it for my holiday next week, wish me luck!
Adding my support as an 88th person in favor of this idea 😊
Yes please this!!
Adding to the Middlemarch chorus! I read and enjoyed this in university -- many years ago now -- and I would love to revisit it with this group!
I have read Middlemarch but would love to read it again as a slow read.
Yes! This has been on my TBR for far too long.
Anna Karenina! Or the Brothers Karamazov
I would love to read Anna Karenina together with Simon.
Agree! ANNA KARENINA. I wouldn't be able to resist.
This is my choice! No contest.
Same!
yes for Anna Karenina!
Anna karenina yes
Came her for ANNA KARENINA comment!
I would love to reread one of my all-time favorite books, BLEAK HOUSE, with you all!
A second for Bleak House!
I tried it, and found that the title encapsulated the experience for me. But I would go back for a group read!
I’d definitely like a Dickens.
Adding to the call for this! Bleak House has been on my TBR far too long and I think the complexities of it would really benefit from the extra context a slow read provides!
Bleak House is one of those novels I was assigned to read in university but, ummm, never got past the first chapter. 😬😂 Better late than never??
Bleak house yes
THE MASTER & MARGARITA
Another vote for The Master and Margarita!
And another vote.
I have never heard of this book, which means I am intrigued and am giving it an upvote!
Always yes for Master & Margarita!
Another vote for The Master and Margarita
I would like to read this. I think it's short, so maybe paired with a couple of others.
Yes please!
I’d love to do a slow read of Ulysses. I bought a copy in my teens as I thought I ought to read it. I never did as I was put off by everyone saying how difficult it was and possibly reading the first few pages. A community of slow readers guided by you Simon seems a perfect way to tackle it!
I had so much fun reading it. And like Tolstoy’s War and Peace, it is an incredibly wise book - and well worth the commitment.
Can’t wait now! Thank you Simon.
Try reading along with Frank Delaney's podcast, Re:Joyce. It helped me "break the code" of Ulysses. Each week, he would unpack a piece of text, sometimes just a sentence. Slow going but fascinating. Unfortunately, he died way before the end, but by then I could read it on my own.
All the more reason for this group to take it up in a like manner! Sorry Simon. I understand your desire to be talked out of it, equal to being magnetically drawn to the undertaking. T'would be an amazing achievement, to lead us all through its warrens.
Haha yes no one has taken it on themselves to dissuade me yet, which is very disappointing!
Far be it from me! Interesting that no one has suggested FINNEGAN'S WAKE. That would be a step too far for me, even with you leading the charge. Though if that's the step too far, no one has suggested the step back, DUBLINERS, and that too could be deliciously rewarding.
Well another plan I am considering is doing the triumvirate: Dubliners, Portrait and Ulysses. But I need to go and read those first two first to see if it will work. Alternatively, Odyssey and Ulysses.
Could work! Dubliners, Portrait and Ulysses. That would be great.
Also... don't know if you could fit it, but Hamlet needs to be in there with Odysseus and Stephen. Oy! So many rabbit holes!
Yes to the triumverate
No- not finnegan’s wake. Do Ulysses. That is a really interesting and occasionally quite humorous. Finnegan’s is supposed to be even harder to read than Ulysses
I would love to do a slow read of Ulysses with you! It’s a book I would hesitate to read on my own, but so very keen to read it as part of this group. I’ll just have to keep a lid on my excitement until you decide (no pressure!!😀)
Thanks for the recommendation Scott. Sad about him not finishing it, but I'm glad you learned to read it on your own by the end.
I'm so in on Ulysses!
I second this one. I understand it’s a difficult read without context and Simon would be able to provide the context for it.
I read Ulysses as a slow read and breaking it down definitely helped. I’m still not sure I understand it but reading alongside others and tackling it gradually definitely helped me appreciate the artistry of it.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I started JS&MrN about a week before Christmas many years ago and Christmas almost didn’t happen. I was utterly transfixed and actually wrote a piece on how to survive the book…I think I possibly suggested wearing compression socks as if on a long haul flight and making sure people brought you regular food and drinks.
Friends I know who didn’t like the book had skipped the footnotes but it’s the footnotes that matter. They take up you into the book’s dream-laden hinterland, and when you emerge at the end of each one it’s as if you’ve been asleep too and need to nudge yourself back into reality.
Brilliant book.
I read this and didn’t quite “get” it so I’d love guides!
I love this book, I can only read it in the winter though.
Well, that’s interesting…and makes me more inclined to read it!
Would love to read this as a group!
This is one of my favourite books ever. I re-read it all the time and think it’s exceptional 🖤
I bought it a while ago but have been holding off thinking it would be great as a group read.
YES! I loved Piranesi but bounced off Jonathan Strange so I’d love to give it another go with this community.
BROTHERS K or CRIME AND PUNISHMENT or EAST OF EDEN
East of Eden is one of my top 10 all time favorite books! ❤️
Oh, East of Eden would be great. (Maybe mainly because I haven't read it yet but want to.)
Another vote for East of Eden
Sooooooo good. Evil Kate!
I just finished East of Eden this morning for a small book club. (We actually have a monthly meeting to eat pastries and visit new bakeries but this month we also added EofE. Bakery clubs are right up there with book clubs.) I would heartily vote for this. So much to discuss.
Yes to East of Eden
I second C&P or EoE
East of Eden is on my TBR so I’d definitely be up for that!
I second BROTHERS K & EAST OF EDEN!
The Brothers K is such an underrated masterpiece
MRS DALLOWAY by Virginia Woolf. Another book I was led to believe was a must read, but I found it very hard going. Not sure why and I feel I’ve missed out on something.
I read Mrs. Dalloway a few months ago and was just floored by the timeless of it and some of the ways Virginia describes womanhood left me speechless. It was not easy to get through, but well worth the effort.
One of my absolute favorites (though I think that I love To the Lighthouse even more).
I’d love a month-long slow read of Mrs Dalloway. I’ve tried to get into it several times and, like you, I find it really hard going. I remember enjoying To The Lighthouse when I read it at university so I think maybe I need to have that community to discuss the book with and help me dig into it?
I’m glad I’m not the only one! I really enjoyed Orlando for example so it’s not that I don’t like Virginia Woolf per se.
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas - not sure I could do it on my own!
I have faith in you! It is a lot of fun … something of a thriller really!
The Count of Monte CRISTO is on my TBR so would love a slow read.
Yes to The Count of Monte Cristo
I read it this year, and I am one of the denser people in this group when it comes to picking up themes, so I think you could easily do it!
Les Miserables or Anna Karenina - I love the year long format! Middlemarch would be great as well!
LES MISERABLES would be one of my suggestions too. It’s been on my TBR for far too long.
I read Les Mis over a year and it was perfect to be read that way!
Love all three of these suggestions. My first response was going to be Les Miserables.
I was about to say Les Miserables!
Yes to Les Mis
Or others by Victor Hugo. He wrote a bunch.
agree on the year long format! And these are all good options.
I voted maybe but I’m actually now thinking it would be a great choice! I’d also be interested in MIDDLEMARCH or a BLEAK HOUSE or HOMER like suggested here. I also have THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and DON QUIXOTE lingering on my shelves.
Yes! Don Quixote!
I came here to say Don Quixote! I read a bit and loved it but somehow after a while I thought it would just be more of the same. Would be fascinating to read more and get some background!
DON QUIXOTE or COUNT OF MC would be great!
I would love to read ULYSSES with you all at footnotes & tangents next year! I am absolutely convinced that this book fits your process Simon. No doubt about that.
I knew you’d be on board! I have to look at timings though. I want to stick to term time dates because of my parenting responsibilities in the holidays! And it might make sense to do it Sept-July, unless it can be done in 24 weeks Jan-Jul. Personally, I think it needs longer. But yes, need to think about how slow I would do it.
Yes for sure it would benefit from the slowest read possible. I am still trying to figure out the timings on Substack myself but September always felt like a start of the year to me not January. There is more energy to do things after the summer break I think. The ‘back to school’ Pavlovian reflex is always there.
Whatever you work out in the end it will be great. I think this book was made for footnotes & tangents.
Yes I agree about September, and I'm looking to reset my Footnotes and Tangents year to start then rather than Jan.
I’d love an autumn start too.
Oh yes, 1st September is always my pencil sharpening day!
I know there have been other slow reads of MIDDLEMARCH but I've been waiting, fingers crossed, that F and T would do it one day.
Greatly looking forward to The Children's Book in September and would love POSSESSION one day.
THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN, I started but abandoned.
Yes to MRS DALLOWAY or to O THE LIGHTHOUSE
Another vote for THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN!
THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN - yes please!
Another for MAGIC MOUNTAIN
Thanks Claire!
Yes - I found Mrs Dalloway fine to read alone but I am a bit intimidated by To the lighthouse
Sorry forgot more Byatt, THE FREDERICA QUARTET!
Proust. Swanns Way please
Another vote for Proust
Also, I am looking forward to reading Ulysses with you for an amusing reason: Back in the early 1990s, a grad school friend and I made a pact. One of his favorite books was Ulysses, and one of my favorite books was Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa (which weighs in at 1500 pages of small print). If he ever reads Clarissa, I have to read Ulysses, and if I read Ulysses with you next year, he will have to read Clarissa. Ha HA!
Oh sweet justice!
I read both Clarissa and Pamela by Richardson and loved them.
Another Richardson fan! Yes! I loved both books! I have only read Pamela once, but I have read Clarissa three times—once for a slow-read back in the 90s. Because the letters begin with the date, we were able to read the book in “real time”—every day we read the letter that corresponded to that day’s date. Every day we discussed that day’s letter on an email listserv called Clary-L. It was such a cool experience!
That must have been a lot of fun.
The Odyssey
Simon's methods are different from my own but I have some reading guides for both The Iliad and Odyssey on my publication.
Matthew I read the Iliad last year alongside your guides and they greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the poem.
Thank you! That means a lot to me.
would love for you to do THE GORMENGHAST TRIOLOGY!
One of these days I'll do Gormenghast. I love those books!
That's funny, was just thinking of Gormenghast today for the first time in ages