OutReaders:2020-12

12/19/20 2-4 pm
Zoom meeting
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

Robert Allen was the coordinator. 5 people attended: Ed, Wendy, Bil, Robert, DeVon

We went over these items:

Next meeting is on January 16. January’s book is A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. Brad is the discussion leader.

Book discussion recap:

What we liked: We liked the character development and the dialogue. There was more of both in this book than the last. We also liked that all the main characters were intelligent and didn’t do silly things. Most of us liked the episodic, short story format of the book. The author pulls them all together at the end. Also, Lovecraft wrote mostly in short story format. We enjoyed the Lovecraftian element of the book -- the magic, the monsters, the horror, traveling to other worlds. Fit well with that genre. Racist America was difficult to read about. We noted that the characters persevered because they had to. This gave them strength.

What we didn’t like: Some of us disliked that all of the characters were exceptionally brave in the face of horror. But we acknowledged that their everyday lives were full of peril, so it made sense that they did not automatically flee from danger. Also, the bravery fits the genre. Some of us thought that Ruby’s story -- turning into a white woman -- wasn’t explored deeply enough and that there could have been a better critique of society to gain from her story.

Verdict: Thumbs up!

February Book Nominations (winner in boldface):

A Luminous Republic by Andres Barba - Robert
Geek Love by Catherine Dunn - Wendy
The Vines by Christopher Rice - Bil