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To end our journey together with James, we will read his last novel, which is also (so far as I’m concerned) the greatest novel anyone has ever written. The Golden Bowl is often thought of as an intimidating novel, one of those Big Difficult Books we sometimes feel a little scared of. It does have its difficulties—necessary ones, morally and philosophically profound; but also it’s as delicious, as outrageous, as fun, as any telenovela. It’s a book about adultery and neglected spouses and queasily close fathers and daughters. It’s also the profoundest book about marriage I know—and about what happens if, after a grievous wrong has been done in a marriage, you stay in it, and fight to preserve the dignity of everyone involved. It’s impossibly beautiful, a miraculous book about ruthlessness, forgiveness, and love. Note: I will be using the Penguin edition (ISBN: 9780141441276), which is backordered on Bookshop but available on Amazon and other sites. But any edition should be fine.
Schedule: Saturdays, 1:00 – 2:30pm ET
7/10: Book 1 – Book 2, Chapter 4
7/17: Book 2, Chapter 5 – Book 3
7/24: Book 4
7/31: Book 5 – Book 6 (end)
Scholarship applications will be open Monday, 5/31 to Monday, June 14.
To end our journey together with James, we will read his last novel, which is also (so far as I’m concerned) the greatest novel anyone has ever written. The Golden Bowl is often thought of as an intimidating novel, one of those Big Difficult Books we sometimes feel a little scared of. It does have its difficulties—necessary ones, morally and philosophically profound; but also it’s as delicious, as outrageous, as fun, as any telenovela. It’s a book about adultery and neglected spouses and queasily close fathers and daughters. It’s also the profoundest book about marriage I know—and about what happens if, after a grievous wrong has been done in a marriage, you stay in it, and fight to preserve the dignity of everyone involved. It’s impossibly beautiful, a miraculous book about ruthlessness, forgiveness, and love. Note: I will be using the Penguin edition (ISBN: 9780141441276), which is backordered on Bookshop but available on Amazon and other sites. But any edition should be fine.
Schedule: Saturdays, 1:00 – 2:30pm ET
7/10: Book 1 – Book 2, Chapter 4
7/17: Book 2, Chapter 5 – Book 3
7/24: Book 4
7/31: Book 5 – Book 6 (end)
Scholarship applications will be open Monday, 5/31 to Monday, June 14.