Jamm54: I love this idea. Just one suggestion. Atlas Shrugged is about 1300 pages long and many passages require more than one reading to understand, so some might require more than a week to get through it. There is one man's speech alone in that book that is 60 pages long. I recommend 14-21 days for this one.

Is it that long? Oh, gawd - think we should switch to "The Fountainhead"? But, of the few books listed, "Atlas Shrugged" that will probably inspire the most discussion.

I figure the discussions will probably go on an long as people are still in the mood for discussing the books. I just put in the week timeframe to let people know that if they're just coming on to the discussion, it will at least be going on for that week if someone's doing a first time post. You're probably right, Laurie B., and when Nov 16 comes up, I'll repost Atlas Shrugged for a 2-week timeframe.

Personally, I've only read two of the books on the list, so this will be interesting. "The Best of Everything" is a nice, easy frothy soapy book, great for December before the holidays, since a lot of people will probably be busy.

In this list, we have Don, Betty, Joan, Bert and Joy's reads.

I've tried reading Atlas Shrugged and struggled with it. Maybe if I start again now . . . ?

Maybe we better vote again on Atlas Shrugged versus The Fountainhead which is shorter and an easier read.

Atlas Shrugged? I was afraid of this. More than 1,000 pages, including sixty straight pages of John Galt explaining Ayn Rand's theory of Objectivism in all its manifestations.

If I start now, I think I can finish it by June 7, 2009! Whether or not I will understand (or agree with) all the facets of Rand's Objectivism is questionable. However, I'll give it a go and read thoughtfully. I hope to have better luck with it than I did at my first attempt in the 70s.

On the other hand, it is a great book, and a classic piece of literature. It has rich, colorful characters, exciting plot developments, just like other juicy novels.

I think we should tackle it. I read it when I was around 40 and it took me less than a week. But every spare moment I had, my nose was in that book. I think a couple times, I read throughout the night. I loved it!

Think I missed this whole thread re a book club. Whaddya have to do to participate? Fill me in, please.

Yayyyy I'm in, I'm in, I'm in!!!

I'm in as well.

Agreed on The Fountainhead. That's on my list anyhow..

I love how we're all so into this show that we still need to be connected to it in some way.

Jamm54, Thanks for doing this. I'm looking forward to the book club.

I'm in as well.

Agreed on The Fountainhead. That's on my list anyhow..

I love how we're all so into MM that we still need to be connected to it in some way until Season 3 starts.

Is there going to be a format to these discussions or just random thoughts?

I'm in as well.

Agreed on The Fountainhead. That's on my list anyhow..

I love how we're all so into MM that we still need to be connected to it in some way until Season 3 starts.

Is there going to be a format to these discussions or just random thoughts?

@sfcarmia: Just read the book before the week listed and show up on the forum to talk about it!

As we near "Atlas Shrugged" date, we may take another vote on that one. LOL

I'd like to know the details as well. Will you be holding the discussions here?

@TrudyIsAnnoying: I think just like the forum, we'll go for free-form association.

Obviously, we can cover character, plotline, motivation, symbolism, conflict, cultural influences, the era it is reflecting, social mores, and ideologies.

Though, at least one, "The Best of Everything" is kind of fluffy (but for the holidays it seemed an appropriate one for not being so in-depth because I think everyone is pretty busy around then).

Thirteen: We're going to try to hold them here. There was talk that they would be shutting the forum down for MadMen in the off-season, so I should probably send off a note to Clayton Neuman and ask if we can do this. I have no idea how to set up a website, if we can't use the forum.

ALSO: There is a MadMen Movie Madness club that is starting in November by greytone. First movie up is "The Apartment", with a discussion the last week of November.

Why don't you just put "Atlas Shrugged" at the end?

How about John Updikes short story collections:

A&P (1961)
Pigeon Feathers (1962)

P

I just noticed that I posted 3 times. Very sorry about that...

For the last two books, I'll readjust the schedule on our first discussion, and give "Atlas Shrugged" two weeks in June (7-20) and move "Revolutionary Road" to July 12-18. That will put us about 1-2 weeks off from the Season 3 opener (probably July 26), unless they move the start of Season 3 to fall 2009 (which they might, who knows?).

Also, to be sure on "Atlas Shrugged", at the time of our first discussion on November 16, we'll take another vote on "Atlas Shrugged" versus "The Fountainhead" or maybe "Exodus" (a book in the series we left out - no one voted for it).

I think Atlas Shrugged is topical again in the year 2008-2009. Our country is moving toward a more socialist rather than capitalist government, and it would be an interesting read and discussion connecting Ayn Rand's objectivism to the United States and its future.

The reason I didn't put "Atlas Shrugged" as the very last book is because I thought "Revolutionary Road" seems to (haven't read it yet) be about the same kind of home/life conflicts of MadMen, and felt it would be a great lead in to the start of Season 3. Give us a warm up to the upcoming lives of Don, Betty, Peggy, Joan, Pete, and Roger starting again in 2009.

Hey, my old bud, jamm...good going. Looking forward to it!

HI SCfan! Long time no see or talk! Did you see greytone's "Maddicts Movie Madness"? First film up is "The Apartment", and voting on the films will close on Sunday. Think greytone will be publishing the results on Monday, November 3rd. Discussion will be last week of November.

I start jury duty next Monday. A nice 65-mile roundtrip? Isn't that fun?

Just thought I'd share this - a copy of A Diamond as Big as the Ritz is online - link below.

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/diamond/diamond.html

Hi jamm, I've been right here all the time! lol. Guess you just missed my posts somehow...there's only hundreds and hundreds of us Maddicts nowadays to read through! ha

Jury duty...been called up for it twice before but never chosen never got past the "lawyers questioning" phase"...it would be interesting in a way, I think, but that long drive won't be any fun...hope you get chosen if it's what you want. I live 80 miles from my county courthouse, so I've always wondered it the mileage is a factor in getting chosen.

Yep, ready for the movie madness to begin!

I don't want to be chosen. I need to get a job, but financial hardship (like no income, no unemployment benefits, no bus route at 5am to get there) were not considered good enough reasons.

Chopin47: thanks for that, one less book to buy! I have too many anyway and want to sell them.

Jamm54 - I appreciate you list of angles to discuss for each book and think it should be published as a study guide:

CHARCTER
PLOTLINE
MOTIVATION
SYMBOLISM
CONFLICT
CULTURAL INFLUENCE
ERA IT IS REFLECTING
SOCIAL MORES
IDEOLOGIES

For the first book "Meditations in an Emergency" may I suggest John Donne's "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions" as a companion set of poems? For those who want to dig deeper. Perhaps O'Hara used this work as a base for his poems??

I hope the Book Club stays here.