Do Book Clubs Ruin Reading?

Do book clubs ruin that mysterious quality inherent in the act of reading—being transported to another world?

A New York Times writer says she envies her 11-year-old daughter’s ability to melt into whatever story she’s reading. The author, an analytical reader, says she longs for her girlhood when she could completely lose herself in the magic of a book.

I am not sure when or exactly how I started merely reading books instead of living in them….  But I suppose…the byproduct of growing up is that I formed too many opinions of my own to be able to give in wholeheartedly to the prospect of living inside someone else’s universe.

—”I Wish I Could Read Like a Girl,” Michelle Slatalla, New York Times, 1/1/09

By “merely reading,” I think Slatalla means reading with critical awareness rather than pure enchantment. But for me reading and thinking are synonomous. Opinions, life experiences, and achieved wisdom end up enriching the reading experience. 

That may not be true for everyone. And then again, there are plenty of times I like to “just read” without doing the heavy lifting.

Questions for Book Clubs

1. Does belonging to a book club require you to read with a more analytical, perhaps even skeptical, eye?  If so, does that detract from your reading pleasure?
2. Have you ever come away from a book club meeting thinking differently about a book because of the discussion? 
3. Do you end up reading on your own . . . just for fun?