About us
A social group for people who love books, cinema, debate, writing, expanding their mind and - most of all - having fun and making new friends. We welcome everybody, and we love nothing more than to have members propose a book that really means something to them, so that they can share their passion for that literature with others.
We aim to be a friendly social group where curious minded people are encouraged to share their opinions and ideas with the members. Our ambitious pursuit to create such a fully charged sphere of variable thoughts sparking around, comes with the risk of catching fire 🔥. Therefore, we have some principles which are geared at maintaining good debate and ensuring that everybody has the chance to contribute a diversity of opinions and beliefs:
Inclusiveness
While most of our discussions are quite civil and not particularly contentious, occasionally people will hear views they don't agree with. Note that inclusiveness means inclusion of viewpoints you may not like. The idea is that in the ensuing debate, everyone learns more, and hopefully comes to respect and understand the viewpoint of other members, even if not agreeing
Open-mindedness
We do occasionally discuss sensitive social issues, thus we expect members to tolerate open and fair discussion. [♾📃📕♣ ] doesn't promote any form of radicalism that denigrates groups of people by their gender, race, religion or orientation (in any direction).
Feel free to be fired up about a cause that means something to you, but also have the humility to accept fair critique in return, and not expect an echo chamber or a safe space. Our club is a place to make friends and to sharpen your intellect at the same time.
Consideration
Both the hosts and the attendees alike are putting effort in having a thoughtful gathering, so we kindly ask our members to be considerate about their commitments when reserving a slot in the attendance list by:
- Updating their RSVP to "Not going" when they are unavailable for the event anymore.
- Avoiding last minute cancellation, especially if there are members in the waiting list.
⚠ Please note that having more than 2 "no shows" (RSVP and neither attend nor cancel) in less than 6 months is a reason for us to consider blocking the member account.
FAQs
What kind of books are discussed usually?
We have hosted all kinds of books, from science fiction to classic literature, self-help to feminism, economics to history.
Can I still join the event without having finished/read the featured book?
Yes! you're still welcome to join to socialize and enjoy the discussion, as long as you don't mind the spoilers.
I want to host a book discussion, what do I need to do?
Any member in our group is free - and actively encouraged - to host a discussion after they have at least attended one event with us. For the organizers to create an event they should receive the following details from the requester:
- Book name
- Event description (optional)
- Date, time, & location
Are the discussions always in person?
Mostly yes, however online events could still happen.
Are all the events strictly on books?
Not really, we could have discussions about movies, articles, concepts, etc...
Upcoming events
1
The Talented Mr. Ripley: Book vs. Film
Créa'pelle (The Church), 105 Rue d'Eich, 1461, Luxembourg, LU“The name Patricia Highsmith designates for me a sacred territory,” writes Slavoj Žižek, “a figure whose position among writers is comparable to the place Spinoza holds for Deleuze—the Christ among philosophers. When one speaks of Highsmith, one should tread carefully, for one is walking through my dreams.”
— “Immoral, and Yet Ethical!”
For our book club meeting, I propose The Talented Mr. Ripley, the novel in which Tom Ripley first appears and in which Patricia Highsmith discovers what would become her most unsettling double. For her, Ripley is not just a character but a kind of externalized ego: Highsmith later signed her mail as “Tom (Pat)” and even appended his name to her own.
Ripley is a man without qualities, yet with a perfect ear for the intonations of others. He can be anyone, because being himself is unbearable.
To make our discussion even more interesting, I suggest reading the novel alongside its 1999 film adaptation by Anthony Minghella, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. It is not the only cinematic version of Highsmith’s work, but it remains the most celebrated—and perhaps the most seductive.
We’ll discuss what changes when Ripley moves from page to screen: morality versus beauty, inner emptiness versus outward glamour, and the question of why we want what Tom Ripley has.Links for inspiration:
- Slavoj Žižek, Immoral, and Yet Ethical!
- The New Yorker podcast, Critics at Large: Why We Want What Tom Ripley Has
7 attendees
Past events
180
