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When you hear a man/woman is in a book club what do you think of them?

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I usually assume their shallow empty people that like to take part in inane conversations that would probably drive me nuts. Is that unfair? Cause I see the people on tv go Oh and my book club loves it, and it all just makes me so angry.
 

Prospero

Member
I assume that they meet weekly in someone's apartment, talk about the books they didn't read, and drink a whole lot of alcohol.
 

Doth Togo

Member
MrAngryFace said:
I usually assume their shallow empty people that like to take part in inane conversations that would probably drive me nuts. Is that unfair? Cause I see the people on tv go Oh and my book club loves it, and it all just makes me so angry.

I know several attractive women who are in book clubs and aren't full of themselves. However, I do think that it's more of a social club than a book club in the literal sense. They typically get together for lunch/tea/whatever and do girly things as opposed to discuss Thomas Friedman's new book on why Israel is fucked up.
 

SlickWilly223

Time ta STEP IT UP
First I think: NERD
Then I think: GEEK
Finally I think: If that club has glanced over the Contortionist Handbook we might be in business.
 
Yeah thats it, im joining a book club, now sit down and eat cookies while I discuss starving kids in third world countries.
 
I'll have a vanilla... one of those vanilla bullshit things. You know, whatever you want, some vanilla bullshit latte cappa thing. Whatever you got.
 

Tazznum1

Member
ed-fat-gay-trio.jpeg
 

shuri

Banned
I know a few people (20yo+) that are into book clubs, and it's pretty damn cool I think. Reading is important, so more power to them. I think it's way better than being obsessed with watching lame japanese cartoons, who are actually aimed at the 10 years old demographic in their home country, that are about people who make bread, play basketball or have silly adventures in a flying spaceboat.

-jinx- said:
If I found out that a cute girl I was pursuing was in a book club...that would be a plus.
Exactly. I guess we prefer women with actual culture and interest in good stuff; but then some people on this board seriously discuss in depth April Lavigne's cds, so what can you expect
 

Dilbert

Member
If I found out that a cute girl I was pursuing was in a book club...that would be a plus.

Then again, I read and write a lot, so obviously I am biased in that direction.
 
Well I read and watch tv, but I dont feel compelled to be obsessed with either.

I dunno when I hear someone start going off about something that happened at their book club, flashes of self important rants about the govt or so and so from 2 blocks away run through my mind and I just give up on the person.

They're like the people who go to the mall to be at the mall. I think this is more about my underlying problem with people in general, come to think of it.
 

Azala

Member
Wow I never assume they are shallow or empty, but that's because of my experience knowing book club members. It might have more to do with what the book club reads and what they do at their meetings. If we're talking an Oprah style book club, or mainly drinking and socializing, I'm inclined to chuckle a little bit. But I have a few acquaintances that are involved in some pretty heavy book club content and it makes them appear anything but shallow to me. It doesn't even necessarily mean nerdy. Some people just enjoy some mental stimulus.

And I should probably add that while I'm not a member of a book club (mainly because I read at my own pace, decide what I read on my own, am far too shy), I do love reading and am always dying to discuss the book I'm in if it's really good or makes you think. How many Dark Tower junkies wouldn't say the same? To be able to discuss a book like that with someone who understands is incredible!
 

shuri

Banned
Other people may think that posting on A VIDEOGAME MESSAGE BOARD ON THE INTERNET is fruity as fuck too. How many times I had real life friends going OMGWTF when they saw that I had over 1000+ posts here while I was browsing the forum from college.

They couldnt believe that I had made over 1000 posts discussing videogames on A VIDEOGAME MESSAGE BOARD ON THE INTERNET. For them, it sounded lame.
 

White Man

Member
I'm a bibliophile, and you wouldn't find me in a book club. I worked at a bookstore in DC that hosted a weekly literary bookclub, and MAF's description is pretty dead on. It's just a bunch of lamewads (men and women) living out their bad literary crit fantasies in front of other egoists.

And seriously, half the people obviously don't even read the books.
 
I dunno, the whole nerdy self analysis is almost as bad as the shallow people. I just cant find much merit in excess, and when it comes to clubs or organizations thats all I see.

That being said I find little merit in my playing of World of Warcraft. might as well be up front about that. but im not in some WoW club! Honest!

Id totally agree the Videogame message board thing if I actually talked about videogames. 98% of the time im trolling you people or posting one word responses that emulate the sound of a fart in some way.
 

Sriram

Member
Why do people feel the need to make negative comments about something else (anime) when trying to defend something entirely different.

Insecure much?

And, btw, not all animes are aimed at 10 year olds, Im not sure if you were being sarcy or not though.

I hope I never get to a stage in my life where I have to go to a book club as an excuse to socialise.
 

Azih

Member
MrAngryFace said:
Id totally agree the Videogame message board thing if I actually talked about videogames. 98% of the time im trolling you people or posting one word responses that emulate the sound of a fart in some way.
That's not actually y'know better in any way.
 

calder

Member
A GAF book club would be kinda fun. Well, the first meeting would be awkward and quiet until White Man got into the schnapps. All subsequent club get togethers would most certainly be raucous and usually end with drunken pushing and shoving over arguments about whether Faile is more annoying than Sansa. If there wasn't pushing I'd goad a drunken iapetus by insisting his alleged Piers Anthony hate was really just masking for other, deeper feelings.
 
White Man said:
I'm a bibliophile, and you wouldn't find me in a book club. I worked at a bookstore in DC that hosted a weekly literary bookclub, and MAF's description is pretty dead on. It's just a bunch of lamewads (men and women) living out their bad literary crit fantasies in front of other egoists.

And seriously, half the people obviously don't even read the books.


Depends on the club. The one I was with was the opposite it was like talking about a tv show or something like that real laid back and casual. Lots of drinking and women that were nice to look at and were literate.
 

bishoptl

Banstick Emeritus
Reading is fundamental!

Seriously - if I had the time it might be fun, but frankly I'd rather spend that time hitting a book instead. Hard enough to make time for that as it is, other than when I'm on public transit.

Unless, as jinx mentioned, there are cute babes there.
 

yoshifumi

Banned
i think they are the scum of the universe, that's what i think. then i think that i'm being irrational, and have a sandwich.
 

nitewulf

Member
i'd probably join a bookclub to meet women. after a certain phase of life, its hard to meet new ppl, and book clubs sound like as good a place as any.
 

belgurdo

Banned
Like a couple of other people have said, it's no more or less lame and nerdy than going to your local college anime club and watching the lameshits argue subs over dubs while ignoring the rest of the cartoons, or being at a gaming forum. I work at a library where my boss holds clubs once a month, and everyone who attends seems to actually talk about the books. (I don't join in because I don't read novels that often.) And just like cons and forums they also serve a dual purpose of being social centers so natually people are going to shoot the shit after they're done talking about the books, unless they're complete and utter sociopaths
 

dem

Member
How the hell do you have time to read a book and join a book club?
I dont even have a life and I dont think I would have the time.
 

Blackie

Member
nitewulf said:
i'd probably join a bookclub to meet women. after a certain phase of life, its hard to meet new ppl, and book clubs sound like as good a place as any.

Yep.

Plus I like to discuss books with people and none of my circle o' friends reads much.
 

Iceman

Member
I usually think that the persons involved already know each other, generally lead busy lives and just need an excuse to interact with each other on a regular basis. And that they happen to enjoy reading.

That or they are stay at home moms.

One or the other.
 

calder

Member
MrAngryFace said:
Id rather people dont talk at all to be honest. most people I meet need a clubbing.
If you do ever decide to pursue that career in clubbing fools into comas, can I get you to start with the break room in my office? There's about 7-10 regulars there and their conversations just fill me with a murderous rage pretty much every day. I'm sure if any of them was forced to sit with a group of younger males day after day they'd feel the same way, but god every day I make it through listening to 45 hellish minutes of middle-aged woman-style political "discussion" and half-forgotten pop culture references (that they fuck up anyway) without jabbing pens into my ears to puncture my eardrums is a miracle to me.
 

snaildog

Member
I don't know what a normal book club does, but my mum's sounds pretty cool. They put in money each month, and each have their own month where they get to spend all the money on books ($120). Those books can be borrowed by anyone from the club for a year, and then you get to keep all your own books. So it's more of a way of reading and owning a hell of a lot of good recommended books and having little parties at each others' houses than actual book discussion beyond "this book was great".

And yeah, I'd be all for a girl in a book club. Way too many girls don't have any hobbies and just live to be like their friends. Slight nerdiness means they're more secure about themselves as well.
 

aoi tsuki

Member
There might be some similarities in book clubs, especially if you break them down by different criteria, but i wouldn't say there's one defining type of bookclub. The one that frequents the coffeeshop where i work is comprised of middle-aged women (a couple look pretty good :)), and their bookclub is really an excuse to gossip about everyone in town (myself included). They've been reading "The Purpose Driven Life" for six months now. i've seen other groups that are more structured and actually discuss the book, with references to other works, seldom delving into other discussions. i think what sets the clubs apart are the ones that have a moderator or leader that controls what goes on in the group. Without that person, the conversations break away from the book(s) at hand, or even literature in general.

i'd join a bookclub, but the fact is that most of them read fiction works, and i'm pretty much strictly a non-fiction guy. i could see myself joining a special interest group (non-anime or gaming) though. Depending on the group, it would be a great person to meet someone, because you obviously have a common interest.
 
Depending on what the person reads and why they're a member of a book club, I think there's more to respect about a person who's a member of a book club than one who isn't. To me, it means they get out there, they have an active interest in something, they're more culturally and socially aware, they're pro-active enough to explore their interests... true about the member of any club, really.
 
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