Book club met last night to discuss The Naked and the Dead. It was agreed that we would meet next on Tues., 5/13. Jeanie will host and should be presented with proposed titles soon. The field is wide open, except that the book must be short. Kathryn recommends some book about Chinese waterfowl, but it may be too long. Perhaps we could substitute Make Way for Ducklings.
Chris's apartment is way cool. The background music modulated from Mozart to the Talking Heads and there were many fine decorative objects to look at. Chris's book collection includes Herodotus!
Scott, however, was officially the host. He got into the martial spirit by serving up heroic portions of shrimp, chicken, and roast swine. Scott's only mistake was to include a vegetable.
The Naked and the Dead received the highest ratings I think I have seen, averaging around 8 on a scale of 1-10, with nobody giving it below 6. (Nancy would have given it a 2 or 3 if it were not so old, but bumped up its score in recognition that times, and tastes, change.) Nancy also delivered the bon mot of the evening when she characerized the book as "dysfunctional band of brothers."
Hilary gave the book a 9, partly because she was pleased by the episode in which a librarian wields authority over the young Martinez.
There was general agreement that Mailer evokes well the discomfort, tedium, tension and futility of combat, notably in the long climactic mission and the thorough rendering of Wilson's agony on the stretcher.
Kathryn did not read the book, as she could not locate a copy. Nate had a copy but did not read it. It would seem that a timely transaction between Nate and Kathryn could have increased the utility level of the entire group. Those members with legal training will think of the Coase theorem.
The group is starting to worry about Drew.
Finally, while fictional war is an engrossing topic, real war was hard to avoid, and the discussion splintered into debates about this, with Chris, perhaps, voicing the most impassioned opposition. The group as a whole seems reluctantly hawkish but not starry-eyed about the wisdom of our policy or the candor of our leaders.
After a 700-page book on war, you might want some more concise war writing for dessert. Let me recommend Lincoln's Second Inaugural and Twain's War Prayer. Between them they are four pages long, soaking wet. They can be obtained on the Internet by performing the obvious searches.
Peace to all.