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Do you like reading classic novels or poetry? Each month we will select a classic work and have an in-person discussion around it. Anything from Austen to Zola is fair game.
Naturally, the definition of "classic" is subjective. A good collection of free, public domain ebooks can be found here. Classic of course doesn't necessarily need to be public domain, or even "old", but it would be best to have some convenient way to read it without requiring a purchase. Luckily the Stockholm public library has a very good collection of novels in English.
The discussion will be in English; being classics however, most (if not all) of the works we'll read will have a Swedish translation, and they will typically be available at the public library.
The works will be chosen by committee, so if there's a particular book you'd like to read, that can probably be accommodated.
Upcoming events
2
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
Café Cronan, Stora Nygatan 37, Stockholm, SEAgatha Christie is one of the most celebrated crime writers of all time. Her fictional detective Hercule Poirot has appeared in over fifty of her stories as well as in numerous adaptations on TV, film, and radio.
From Goodreads:
"In Hercule Poirot's Christmas [1938, approx. 256 pages], the holidays are anything but merry when a family reunion is marred by murder — and the notoriously fastidious investigator is quickly on the case. The wealthy Simeon Lee has demanded that all four of his sons — one faithful, one prodigal, one impecunious, one sensitive — and their wives return home for Christmas. But a heartwarming family holiday is not exactly what he has in mind. He bedevils each of his sons with barbed insults and finally announces that he is cutting off their allowances and changing his will. Poirot is called in the aftermath of Simeon Lee's announcement."
There are a few copies available at the Stockholm Public Library.15 attendees
The Elephant's Journey by José Saramago
Café Cronan, Stora Nygatan 37, Stockholm, SEThe Elephant's Journey (2008 approx. 285 pages) is a novel by the Nobel Prize winning author José Saramago.
From Goodreads:
"In 1551, King João III of Portugal gave Archduke Maximilian an unusual wedding present: an elephant named Solomon. The elephant's journey from Lisbon to Vienna was witnessed and remarked upon by scholars, historians, and ordinary people. Out of this material, José Saramago has spun a novel already heralded as a triumph of language, imagination, and humor.
Solomon and his keeper, Subhro, begin in dismal conditions, forgotten in a corner of the palace grounds. When it occurs to the king and queen that an elephant would be an appropriate wedding gift, everyone rushes to get them ready: Subhro is given two new suits of clothes and Solomon a long overdue scrub. Accompanied by the Archduke, his new wife, and the royal guard, our unlikely heroes traverse a continent riven by the Reformation and civil wars. They make their way through the storied cities of northern Italy: Genoa, Piacenza, Mantua, Verona, Venice, and Trento, where the Council of Trent is in session. They brave the Alps and the terrifying Isarco and Brenner Passes; they sail across the Mediterranean Sea and up the Inn River (elephants, it turns out, are natural sailors). At last they make their grand entry into the imperial city. The Elephant's Journey is a delightful, witty tale of friendship and adventure."
There are multiple copies available at the Stockholm Public Library.12 attendees
Past events
49
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