Orange County Book Club

WHAT WE’RE READING: The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares.

WHAT ITS ABOUT: Jorge Luis Borges declared The Invention of Morel a masterpiece of plotting, comparable to The Turn of The Screw and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Set on a mysterious island, Bioy’s novella is a story of suspense and exploration, as well as a wonderfully unlikely romance, in which every detail is at once crystal clear and deeply mysterious.

Inspired by Bioy Casares’s fascination with the movie star Louise Brooks, The Invention of Morel has gone on to live a secret life of its own. Greatly admired by Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, and Octavio Paz, the novella helped to usher in Latin American fiction’s now famous postwar boom. As the model for Alain Resnais and Alain Robbe-Grillet’s Last Year at Marienbad, it also changed the history of film.

Welcome to Orange County Book Club!

WHAT WE DO: We meet the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 pm to discuss an awesome book over drinks (alcoholic or otherwise). We read modern or vintage classics or award winning books generally under 400 pages. December will always be a short and easy one though.

WHO SHOULD JOIN: People who love to read and talk about what they’ve read.
ALL age groups and genders are welcome, provided you are 21+ (because our meetups take place at a bar).

WHO’S HOSTING: I'm Meaghan, the group founder.

HOW IT WORKS: We’ll choose books about two months in advance so you have time to get them from the library. The day after each Meetup, I’ll post a comment on the group page and you’ll write a reply for each of your book suggestions. Everyone will have until that Sunday night to vote by liking the replies That Monday, I’ll officially announce the selection.

WHAT WE’RE READING: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

WHAT ITS ABOUT:

Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty.

In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.

Welcome to Orange County Book Club!

WHAT WE DO: We meet the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 pm to discuss an awesome book over drinks (alcoholic or otherwise). We read modern or vintage classics or award winning books generally under 400 pages. December will always be a short and easy one though.

WHO SHOULD JOIN: People who love to read and talk about what they’ve read.
ALL age groups and genders are welcome, provided you are 21+ (because our meetups take place at a bar).

WHO’S HOSTING: I'm Meaghan, the group founder.

HOW IT WORKS: We’ll choose books about two months in advance so you have time to get them from the library. The day after each Meetup, I’ll post a comment on the group page and you’ll write a reply for each of your book suggestions. Everyone will have until that Sunday night to vote by liking the replies That Monday, I’ll officially announce the selection.