Yarra and Botanics Walk discussing 'I'd Rather Not' by Robert SkinnerWe'll meet at the spot where Fed Square meets the Princes Bridge over the Yarra (near the pedestrian crossing closest to the river from Flinders St, on the Fed Square side).
We'll walk for about 6km along the Yarra River, through the Botanic Gardens and back along the river to Federation Square for a coffee after the walk.
This month, we're reading and talking about 'I'd Rather Not' by Robert Skinner.
The blurb:
'From one of Australia’s most wryly funny writers comes an original and utterly hilarious memoir of reaching for the stars while lying in a ditch
*I was sleeping in what might reasonably be described as a ditch, though I tried not to think of it in those terms for morale reasons . . .*
Robert Skinner arrives in the city, searching for a richer life. Things begin badly and then, surprisingly, get slightly worse. Pretty soon he's sleeping rough and trying to run a literary magazine out of a dog park. His quest for meaning keeps being thwarted, by endless jobs, beagles, house parties, ill-advised love affairs, camel trips and bureaucratic entanglements.
Sometimes a book catches the spirit of the times. *I'd Rather Not* is about work, escape and that something more we all need.
'I was told this man came from the Adelaide Plains and so commenced to read his work. By the time I realised I'd been viciously misled and he actually grew up in Magill, it was too late. I was already completely in love with the book. It's an absolute bag of lollies.' —Annabel Crabb
'Robert Skinner writes with humour, intelligence and heart. Pick up this book and you may never put it down.' —Tony Birch
'This book is like a big, properly made gin and tonic drunk outside in a garden on a perfect Saturday afternoon.' —Cate Kennedy
'…no other book brought me as much joy as this hilarious and deceptively artful collection, and in these uncertain times that is worth plenty.' —Michael Winkler
'No one writes better when the stakes are lower.' —Sam Vincent
'My heart leaps whenever I see Robert Skinner's by-line; I know I am in for a hilarious literary treat complete with wry pearlers, gallows truths and wicked timing. People will say he is Australia's Sedaris, but he's not. He's Robert Skinner and he's a bloody marvel.' —Anna Krien
'Brevity may be the soul of wit, but the nimble economy of this slim volume will make readers pine for more. A decidedly skewed, hilarious collection of life reflections and colorful storytelling.' —*Kirkus*
'Seriously the funniest book I've read all year. I can't stop thinking about Robert Skinner's forays into the most mundane and frustrating aspects of life - Centrelink, being a tour guide, applying for arts funding - and the shameless truths he not only reveals about himself but about us as a society. Read this book with a bottle of wine, and be alarmed and enlightened!' —Alice Pung
'If only all books were as funny, human and true as *I'd Rather Not*. I raced through it, marvelling and envious all the way.' —Michelle de Kretser
'Skinner has been compared to Oscar Wilde, but his book is as self-effacing as it is quip-witted.' —Beejay Silcox, *The Guardian* 'The best Australian books of 2023'
'Skinner has been called the Australian David Sedaris and it's easy to see why. Both have the same droll, self-deprecating humour and both mine their own lives for maximum mirth-making potential. [...] a book with a several-laughs-a-page quotient.' –Thuy On, *Arts Hub*
'The funniest book I have read for a long time' —Andy Griffiths, author of *The Treehouse* series"
Goodreads rating: 3.71
How does a walking bookclub work?
Like a normal bookclub, we talk about the book, what else we're reading, have read, or want to read (as well as a few tangents into life outside literature!) but we do it while walking around Melbourne and then over a coffee. We often split into smaller groups as we walk, but we also regroup through the walk.
Should I read the book beforehand?
The conversation will be more interesting if you do, but you can still come along if you haven't finished it yet!
Do I need to bring anything?
**Comfy** walking shoes, drinking water, some money for coffee or a bite to eat after if you wish. No need to bring the book unless you want to.
No shows
No shows (RSVPing yes and not attending) mean the group waits unnecessarily for those who are not coming, thinking you are running a little late. It’s absolutely fine to change your rsvp for any reason up until the walk begins, and you don’t need to leave a comment, send a message or give a reason, but if you don't click that 'change rsvp' button, you may be removed from the group.
Membership Fee
Did you know that while it is free to attend most events, Meetup charges organisers about $600 a year to organise a group? Members of the Walking Book Club are asked to pay a membership fee of $10 per year (not per event) to help cover this cost. When you join the group, you'll be automatically given a three month trial so you can see what the group is like, without needing to make any payment. If you would like to continue attending events after this, please follow Meetup's instructions to pay the $6.50US/approx $10AUD fee once per year (or contact group organisers if you would prefer to make payment using paypal, payID, cash or bank transfer).