LitLovers Blog

Nobody knows book clubs like my Cousin Pru—she’s joined dozens and dozens over the years and is always on the lookout for a new one to take her in.

Pru begged me to let her use this blog as a way to share some of the many requests she receives for book club advice.  (How could I say no?)  Here’s one of her recent exchanges:

—Letter—

Dear Pru,

We always have food left over from our book club meetings. Do you think it would be okay to take some home?

Sincerely,
Leftovers in Lexington

 

—Reply—

Dear Leftover,

Sure! It’s like asking for a doggy bag at a restaurant.

But why not carry your own containers with you? (It’s what I do.)  That way you don’t have to bother the hostess—and you can scoop the food up, quietly, when no one’s around.

Hope this helps.

Happy clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of my favorite authors.  What about you?

Regards,
Fan of F. Scott 

—Reply—

Dear Fan,

Me too, I love Fitzgerald. 

But poor Scott—he led a sad life hanging out with all those rich
people he wrote about. It can ruin you. Just ask Paris Hilton.

I follow Paris pretty closely. She fascinates me, though the way she dresses makes her look a bit cheap. I’d like to see her hire a good designer, maybe do something about the hair.

I should write her.

Happy clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

We always seem to be short on chairs at our book club meetings.  Any suggestions?

Sincerely,
Chairless in Cherry Hill

 

—Reply—

Dear Chairless,

You’re right, seating is always a problem. Here’s one solution:

Get to the house early, before anyone else, and grab a chair. Make sure it’s comfortable.  But do take care of your little “necessaries” beforehand—because once you’re down you can’t get up. For anything. That goes for food, too, so pack some trail mix and purified water.

Hope this helps.

Happy clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

What do you think about the recent Jane Austen craze?  Do you have a favorite Austen?

Sincerely,
Austen Fan in Oswego

—Reply—

Dear Austen Fan,

I love Jane.  I really do.  But does she need to use all those words? 

Then again, if you’re stuck in a country parsonage, what else is there to do but pile on the verbiage. Take that opening line in Pride and Prejudice: 

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a single man
in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. 

How much better to say, ”Rich, single men want to get married.”  Hemingway would have put it that way—and he won the Nobel Prize.  Jane, of course, did not. 

Hope this answers your question.

Happy clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

I’d like to start a book club, but I don’t know where to begin.  Any ideas?

Sincerely,
Start-up in Seattle

—Reply—

Dear Start-up,

First things first—decide what kind of book club you want to be. Let’s say you want to be a “serious” club and just read the classics. That’s fine. But guess what, pal? You’ll be reading alone.

You’ll attract a lot more members if you appeal to a range of literary tastes. Anything from Sophocles down to Chicken Soup.

You won’t make anyone very happy, but that’s why you’ve got wine.

Hope this helps.

Happy Clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

What about listening to books on CD or tape? A good way to “read”…or not?

Truly,
Easy Listenin’ in East Lansing 

—Reply—

 

Dear Truly Easy,

Audio books? Wasn’t there something about brain cancer? Wait, maybe it was cell phones. Or fluoride toothpaste?

Still, I wouldn’t listen to anything over 2 hours—which means you won’t be listening to “War and Peace” (yeah, right). You could probably get away with something like Deepak Chopra or the Joys of Coin Collecting.

Hope this helps.

Happy Clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

What do you think about selecting books based on a theme.  Is that a good idea for book clubs?

Yours,
All Themed-Up in Thermopolis

—Reply—

Dear All Themed-Up,

It’s a terrific idea!  Many clubs do exactly that—they come up with a specific theme and then choose their books accordingly.

These are my favorite literary themes—

♦ Stories about the human condition
♦ Stories about animals
♦ Stories about humans and animals
♦ Stories about children and animals
♦ Stories about animals and animals

Hope this helps.

Happy clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

I tend to dominate our book discussions. I’m not sure everyone appreciates me.

Truly,
Dominant in Dormont

—Reply—

Dear Truly Dominant,

Well, they should appreciate you!

I bet you’re like me—you know more about the book than anyone sitting there. Even if you haven’t read it, right?

And don’t worry about cutting people off mid-sentence. It shows your passion and enthusiasm for literature.

Hope this helps.

Happy clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

How can you tell great writing from . . . not so great?

Sincerely,
Looking for Greatness in Great Neck

—Reply—

Dear Greatness,

Easy.  If the book you’re reading has long, drawn-out, sentences—and if It’s hard to understand—then its great writing.

• Take William Faulkner:  his sentences run on for paragraphs, even pages, and mostly you just don’t get him—brilliant!!!
• Then there’s Hemingway, a minimalist:  he uses short sentences, sometimes just phrases, but you always understand him—he’s just not that good. 

Faulkner, of course, won the Nobel Prize.  As for Hemingway, it took him another five long years to win it—which proves my point, exactly.

Hope this helps.

Happy Clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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Dear Pru,

Any smart etiquette tips for attending a book club meeting in someone’s home?

Yours truly,
Awkward in Akron

—Reply—

Dear Awkward,

Here are the rules I follow:

• Try not to snoop in closets. If you must, don’t let the others know what you saw.
• Do check out the china stamp on the bottom of the plates.  It’s a compliment that you care enough to look.
• Don’t ever use those pretty paper napkins in the powder room. The hostess counts them after everyone leaves—and she’ll know it was you.

Hope this helps.

Happy Clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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