20th Century Voices: Masterpieces of Fiction

Hi there!

My name is Josh, and I'm a clinical psychologist, the organizer of this club, and a lover of reading. The focus of this club is going to be primarily on masterpieces of realistic fiction from the 20th century– the kinds of timeless books that stay with one long after one has finished them, because they have something profound to say about life, death, and the human condition. Here's what we're not about: any book that is "marvelously inventive," "kaleidoscopic," "lyrically incandescent," a "tour de force," or "dazzling." All who want to discuss the kinds of books that are treasured here, meet new people, and savor the beauty of quiet works of perfection are welcome! We'll aim to select books that possess that rare quality of being both engagingly readable and deeply substantive. Here is a sampling of some of the books that we might read:

Things Fall Apart– Chinua Achebe
Stoner– John Williams
Revolutionary Road– Richard Yates
Cry, the Beloved Country– Alan Paton
The Remains of the Day– Kazuo Ishiguro
Interpreter of Maladies– Jhumpa Lahiri
Samurai– Hisako Matsubara
A Lesson Before Dying– Ernest J. Gaines
The Good Earth– Pearl Buck

Warmly,

Josh