Smial book discussion

[mellymell]

Last night I ventured out to the Borders in Cool Springs to meet up with the Nashville Smial for a discussion on Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham. I've really appreciated the group and specifically these discussions because they're forcing me to read some fiction for a change and especially some of Tolkien's works that I hadn't explored before (since I never really ventured outside of the big four).

I was the last to show up, after walking around the store for about 5 minutes looking for which corner they might be hiding in and getting a much needed cup of coffee at the cafe. Of course, my fellow geeks would be in the Reference section. Why I didn't think of that first I'm not sure, heh. In fact, during discussions, I found myself listening intently, but scanning the bookshelf directly across from me for books I want to read. I came in when they were discussing to the dragon in Farmer Giles of Ham. I made some comment about him seeming like a used car salesman in his bargaining methods. Later when thinking about that comment, I couldn't help but think of Crazy Vaclav, the car salesman in the Mr. Plow episode of the Simpsons: "She'll go three hundred hectares on a single tank of kerosene!" Also, arymetore used the term Schadenfreude when describing the blacksmith in Farmer Giles, which gave me the opportunity to interject with "No, I do not know what Schadenfreude is. Please tell me because I'm dying to know! [sarcastically]".

There was lots of stimulating intellectual talk, and even more stimulating non-intellectual talk (nethers, need I say more?). There were brief, though heated discussions while we aired our grievances over some of the drama that's gone on between some of the mutual members of the Smial and the Tennessee Fellowship. But we were always able to break an uncomfortable seriousness with "So, back to my nethers." sailingwest and I even got a chance to exercise our "Yes" at some point. We of course had to fill Barry in on what all this nethers business was about. Then I realized we've inadvertently developed a new game. It's similar to "horrify the Twilight n00b" but it's Nethers n00bs.

We closed the store down at 10pm and then stood out in the chilly night air for a few minutes longer discussing possibilities for future gatherings. With the holidays coming up we're not doing a book discussion in December, but Marie mentioned starting the Lord of the Rings next and taking it a book at a time (as in one of the 6, not one of the three as it was published).

Unfortunately, I had trouble finding an open grocery on the way home last night and didn't get in until well after 11pm. So, I'm pretty groggy today, and the fog outside isn't helping. Need to get Jonah up and ready for school. But most importantly, I need to get out and run today, since Marie issued a challenge to sailingwest and I to do some sort of exercise today, since she and witchcat07 were going to the YMCA today to workout. Despite my conviction earlier in the week, I've not set aside any time nor any motivation to get out an run yet. I still have a chance to run three days this week if I get out and do it. Ugh, why did I ever stop. Getting started again is so hard, especially when it's cold outside.

Comments

[baka-san.livejournal.com]

yeah, when i first sat down there, i thought it was all reference. then Barry pointed out the astronomy books, and i eventually figured out that i was facing the science section (my internal dialogue going something like, "Origin of Species? How is that reference? .... oooooooh.")

[mellymell.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah, it was pretty much the science section that had me mentally adding things to my Amazon wishlist for most of the evening (or recognizing things that are already on there).

[sailingwest.livejournal.com]

I was so doing that too!! There was a Richard Dawkins book that I want to read because I've had dicussions about him with someone whose opinions I respect. And some others that looked good about space.

And can't help but to think the What colour is your parachute book might help choose a new career.

Oh and of course Napoleon's Privates just called to me. ;-)

[mellymell.livejournal.com]

LOL, here we are, back at nethers. ;)

[cleopatramwi.livejournal.com]

Very cool! I always wonder whether I should sit in with the Tolkien society at the UW now and then. It could be good...but I don't speak Sindarin or anything so I don't want to be the stupid one :D

Too many hobbies, so little time!

[mellymell.livejournal.com]

Heh, I kind of feel like the stupid one, too. I haven't read any of the lesser known stories until now and I certainly haven't studied Tolkien's works or know how they fit into his life and such and definitely don't speak any of his fictional languages. Marie and some of the others are regular scholars on the subject of Tolkien and his works. But no one talks down to anyone for not knowing something and everyone seems willing to share their own knowledge and perspective on the stories and not be condescending to those of us who perhaps are not as well read.

[arymetore.livejournal.com]

And if necessary, you can fake it very well :P I mean that stuff on blunderbusses... 10 minutes in Wikipedia on an idle curiosity :P If you were there for the discussion on Children of Hurin... I managed to at best read the dust cover. The thing is to participate in the discussion. It doesn't matter if you don't have deep scholarly knowledge. The fun is in giving your perspective and thoughts on the whole matter... even if you have to relate it to something totally different. And its ok to be totally opposite the group. Consider that Witchcat told her other book club that she pretty much flat out didn't like Twilight and most of them liked it at least ok.