Afternoon Book Discussion touches universal themes
By Michaela Kennedy

Last Tuesday, the Afternoon Book Discussion group at the library met and dissected John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." Library Director Judith Bell led the discussion, as she does for one hour every third Tuesday of the month.

The participants of the Oct. 10 discussion found the Pulitzer prize-winning novel about the Joad family's migration from Dust-Bowl Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression serious reading, but they all agreed that the shared talk about the book was lively and focused.

The group agreed that they would give opinions of the meeting if they could remain anonymous, using first names only. Their hope is to share their ardor for the book discussion without scaring away new members who may be intimidated by the press spotlight this week.

Those in the gathering soon became engrossed in themes relevant to the classic novel, universal themes of philosophy, politics, and overcoming adversity.

"I think it's tough going," Bell admitted about Steinbeck's acclaimed work. Nevertheless, she stressed that the story was set during an important part of American history, and Steinbeck was "brilliant at capturing the time."

She said,"These guys were called Reds. Every time they try to unionize, they get branded as Communists."

Bell projected some Web sites on a large screen for the group to see. She showed sites which offer explanations and synopses of the chapters for better understanding.

A few of those present said they had read the book years ago, and "remembered it was depressing." But they also said that in revisiting the book, they looked for hope present in the story.

"It's in our culture to go where opportunity is, but you need to go with hope." said Jill, noting that ours is "a country of immigrants."

Margaret, a longtime member of the group, found that sharing thoughts was stimulating, especially for such a thought-provoking read as Steinbeck. "I chose parts of the book to read, and enjoyed his style," she said.

Peggy, who has been going to the discussion group for "eight or 10 years," agreed with Margaret. She said that sometimes she likes the assigned book, but not always. Coming to the group gives her a chance to hear other perspectives "and maybe learn why I don't like it," she added.

Jill said she enjoyed the discussion because "it makes you read something you might not read otherwise." She added that the group was looking for more people, and more participants meant more input into the discussions.

"I came back because I like our leader," said Kristine, praising Bell for her contribution. Kristine noted that in her travels she had joined many book discussion groups in other parts of the country. She confided, however, that other groups would "talk about the book for five minutes, then go off-topic."

All are invited to join in next month's discussion on Nov. 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the library. The featured book will be "A Covenant with Death" by Stephen Becker.