Early in the new year, the shame of not following through with my initial commitment compelled me to revisit the conversation with these same colleagues and we asked 'why don't we do this together', embark on this literary right of passage as a team? We can support each other, pretend, even, that we understand the thing and delight in having scaled the narrative summit of all narrative summits (at least that's what one pundit suggests). And we are, after all, a group of avid library users (and workers), but of course, we would need some rules. So in short order we came up with some and yes, here they are . . .
- Membership is open to anyone at any time during the year (2010), but you have to catch up and commit to complete the thing in time for seasonally-appropriate libations expected at the end of December
- We will read the Richard Pevear, Larissa Volokhonsky translation (available fairly inexpensively at the local bookstore).
- We will attempt to cover 150 pages a month (that should take the year) and allow those of us with developmental reading difficulties enough time to get through, while also allowing for other leisure, work, or academic reading requirements to be met while attending to the general pacing of our lives.
- No snobbish approaches or reproaches to the read, just honest reactions by way of posts and moderated comments (cranky or oppressive 'bookies' need not apply)
- And, if we feel compelled, we will call on one another for support to get through, one transliterated sentence at a time.
- Any thoughts of turning the experience of this blog into another 'year-of' movie, gets permission from all the authorized members of the blog first, who will share joyously and equally in any profits realized.
So, there we have it, and we embark on a year of War and Peace. Now, for the experience . . .
Chris
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