Eoin Purcell's Blog

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I like this though it makes me sad!

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Eoin Purcell

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Eoin Purcell

book/daddy (A new find for me) has a great but unsettling post about exactly how rare it is to find stimulating book chat in your daily life. I have taken a large chunk from the piece but it is much better in the whole:

Actually, books have rarely been a topic of conversation in offices or parties — unless it’s among a select group of people who just happen to be avid readers and who happen to have read the book under discussion or at least read reviews of it or perhaps an interview with the author or perhaps even just an earlier work by her. If you think about that, you realize how small or rare such a happenstance would be. If you’re already hammering away at your keyboard to tell me how wrong I am, how you enjoy such casual bookchat everyday at work, you must realize how fortunate/educated/isolated you are. It’s a chief reason people join bookclubs or attend literary series in the first place: They don’t have enough ordinary literary discussion in their lives, so they have to organize some.

January seems to be moving along nicely (thank god!)
Eoin

6 responses to “I like this though it makes me sad!”

  1. David H Schleicher Avatar
    David H Schleicher

    This is so true…the only place I can chat about books and literature is online in forums and blogs specifically designed for that. It’s ashame.

    Reply
  2. eoinpurcell Avatar
    eoinpurcell

    It sure is!
    I find myself with few people to discuss many thinsg with though in fairness.
    At least the web has made finding like minds much easier!
    Eoin

    Reply
  3. Dmitri Nesteruk Avatar
    Dmitri Nesteruk

    It’s insanely hard to find people who have read what you have read, and who have understood it on the same level as you. I personally have given up a long time ago, even though I read management books, where common ground is easier to find… or so one would think.

    Reply
  4. eoinpurcell Avatar
    eoinpurcell

    Dmitri,
    Thanks for the comment.
    Have you tried Librarything.com??
    Its very cool and while I can see your point its discussion forums might be of use!
    Eoin

    Reply
  5. litlove Avatar
    litlove

    If ever the post is available for organiser of book chat in the world, I’d like to go up for it. Can’t think of a more philanthropic or satisfying job, myself!

    Reply
  6. eoinpurcell Avatar
    eoinpurcell

    Litlove,
    I think you are already well on your way to creating the position for yourself!

    Eoin

    Reply

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Hello,

I’m Eoin,

Co-founder and publisher @fullsetbooks 📚. Expect books and 🍰.

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