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,

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. And I love rich peoples’ problems—they’re so much more interesting than mine. 

But poor Scott—he led a sad life hanging out with all the 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 think. I’d like to see her hire a good designer, maybe do something about the hair. I should write her.

Hope this helps.

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 club meetings.  Any suggestions?

Sincerely,
No Chairs in Cherry Hill

 

—Reply—

Dear No Chairs,

I know. Seating is a constant problem.  Here’s how I solve it:

Get there early, before anyone else, and grab a chair. Be sure to do all your little “necessaries” beforehand—because once you get your seat, you can’t get up. For anything. That goes for food, too, so pack some trail mix and purified water.

Of course, if the others would bring their own chairs, it would help.

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, decide what kind of book club you want to be. Let’s say you
want to be a “serious” club and only read the classics.  Well, that’s fine.  But guess what, pal? . . .  you’ll be reading alone.

Instead, choose books that appeal to a wide range of literary tastes.  Start with Sophocles and work your way down to Chicken Soup. 

It’s true, not everyone’s going to be happy.  But that’s what the wine is for, right?

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 listening to books on CD or tape?

Truly,
Easy Listenin’ in East Lansing 

—Reply—

 

Dear Truly Easy,

Isn’t there something about audio books and brain cancer?  No, wait, it’s cell phones. Or maybe flouide toothpaste. 

Still, I wouldn’t listen to anything over 2 hours—which means you won’t be listening to “War and Peace” (yeah, right).  But you could probably get away with Deepak Chopra.

Truthfully?  I’m not the best person to ask—I don’t use a microwave.  And a hair blower?  That’s just asking for trouble.

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—take a look:

♦ 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. Is that wrong?  I’m not sure everyone appreciates me.

Truly,
Dominant in Dormont

—Reply—

Dear Truly Dominant,

What’s wrong with dominating book discussions?  I do it all the time.  In fact, I bet you’re just like me—you know more about the book than anyone else, even if you haven’t read it.  Am I right?

Oh, and don’t worry about cutting people off mid-sentence. It shows your passion for literature. Others will admire your knowledge and enthusiasm.

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,

It’s pretty easy, really.  If the book you’re reading has long, drawn-out, complex 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 guidelines I try to follow:

• It’s okay to snoop in closets (everyone does it); just don’t let the hostess catch you.
• 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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Dear Pru,

You’re always so good at recommending books.  Do you have any favorites?

Best regards,
Wondering in Wabash

—Reply—

Dear Wabash,

My favorites? Nancy Drew, the whole series.  They’re fast reads: heavy on plot and light on character—my kind of writing.

But don’t worry:  there’s plenty of meat to chew on when it comes to parsing the sexual tension between Nancy and her beau, Ned Nickerson—to say nothing of that whole “subtext”  thing going on between Nancy’s father and the housekeeper.  (Why these books are considered appropriate for young girls is beyond me.) 

Anyway, it was nice of you to ask.

Happy clubbing,
Pru Prudenza

Tags: My Cousin Pru by Molly Lundquist
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