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Book of the Month Discussion Suggestion

ions

ions

New Member
Would there be any problems in staggering the discussion of a book into sections? Best way I can explain it is by example. Today I will be starting Pillars of the Earth for the September discussion but I will probably not join the discussion until after I have finished so I can avoid spoilers. What if we split the discussion up into sections by week. To make the math easy let's say that Pillars is 1000 pages so why not discuss 1-250 week one, 1-500 week two, etcetera? This way people who are just starting can take part. This way you can explore parts of the novel you may well have forgotten 900 pages later. This will of course require a certain tact from those joining the conversation that have already read the book.

Thoughts?
 
This would make things quite complicated though, as I know I find it hard to remember what happened between certain pages. It makes it especially hard if you no longer have the book on you.

Also, not all the books that are up for discussion are 1000 pages or anywhere near that. I think we should just promote the use of spolier tags, as Stewart has already pointed out.
 
ions said:
Would there be any problems in staggering the discussion of a book into sections? Best way I can explain it is by example. Today I will be starting Pillars of the Earth for the September discussion but I will probably not join the discussion until after I have finished so I can avoid spoilers. What if we split the discussion up into sections by week. To make the math easy let's say that Pillars is 1000 pages so why not discuss 1-250 week one, 1-500 week two, etcetera? This way people who are just starting can take part. This way you can explore parts of the novel you may well have forgotten 900 pages later. This will of course require a certain tact from those joining the conversation that have already read the book.

Thoughts?
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Sounds like a great idea to me :) esp with long-ish books, posters would be able to do this while its still fresh in their mind..
Must add I don't join in discussions as a rule, but might be able to add the odd comment this way.
but I really do enjoy reading the discussion when going to and from work on the train :)
 
MonkeyCatcher said:
This would make things quite complicated though, as I know I find it hard to remember what happened between certain pages. It makes it especially hard if you no longer have the book on you.

Also, not all the books that are up for discussion are 1000 pages or anywhere near that. I think we should just promote the use of spolier tags, as Stewart has already pointed out.
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I agree. I've been a member of groups that tried this before and it just never works. A lot of people borrow books from the library and don't have the option of hanging on for more than a few weeks. Also, some people want to get their opinions out, discuss it for a bit of time and then be done with it. If you read a lot, it can be easy to forget important bits before the month is up. I think we need to be better about using the spoiler tags, but I don't know if we need to change the format of the book of the month.

I haven't participated in the last couple discussions either due to lack of interest in the book or simple lack of time. However, the discussions start on the first of the month, so if I'm going to read the book I try to be done with it by then (or at least close). I know it isn't always convenient, but if the book holds enough appeal for me I'll do it.
 
People won't get better at using spoiler tags. The same people that don't/won't search or are just incapable of developing nettiquette can come in and spoil something for someone with a single post. We know these people just don't learn. Or won't. I know it at least. Regardless of where this problem is based it's a reality and it's origin is irrelevent. Of course the same people that are netiquettely challenged could ignore that we are only discussing specific sections at one time and post spoilers anyway.

My example of splitting the book up can be used with other page numbers. Math is good like that. If a book is 500 pages why not two sections of 250 pages? Short book? Don't split it up. Some books are even broken up into books/sub-books/parts on their own. The Pillars of the Earth being one example.

I can see the issue of not having the book with you, having read the book previously and not remembering which parts occured where. Perhaps if people were in this position they could wait until the whole book was being discussed. I thought this sort of thing would also encourage more discussion that would be safer in not revealing plot lines. Bringing more of a book club meeting atmosphere to the thread. It would focus readers of different speeds on the same sections. But in retrospect it's too complicated for an online forum. The reason I brought it up is I prefer to discuss a book as I go. When I'm finished a book I'm thinking about the next one not discussing the last.
 
ions said:
The reason I brought it up is I prefer to discuss a book as I go. When I'm finished a book I'm thinking about the next one not discussing the last.
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I can sympathize with you there. If I didn't like a book, I don't feel like discussing it much after I'm done (which is what happened with the last BOTM I participated in). I'll write a quick review and then it is on to the next.
 
ions said:
People won't get better at using spoiler tags. The same people that don't/won't search or are just incapable of developing nettiquette can come in and spoil something for someone with a single post.
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I believe that you have a point here. We really need to place emphasis on the use of spolier tags. If people know about them I don't see any reason why they wouldn't use them.
 
Searching is emphasized on every forum I have been to, moderated or administrated and you know what the most common problem is? People not searching. You can beat people with the UTFS bat and some will still not use it. Spoiler tags, being more obscure than searching, will not be used consistently. Unfortunately this ignorance applies just as well to only posting about certain sections of a book.
 
I really don't see where the problem is. I havn't had bad experiences with spoilers and I'm pretty clueless about people who read book discussions about books they havn't read yet but plan on reading.

Books can hardly be discussed without giving away the contents and there is a spoiler warning at the entrance of the "Book of the Month Discussion" subforum.

If you split books up you, members who have read the book some time ago can't join the discussion 'cause the probably havn't a clue what happened in between pages 250 and 500.
 
Personally I don't think the book of the month discussion is for people who have already read the book. To me, it's to encourage people to read a book that they haven't read or maybe wouldn't normally consider reading. Sure those who have read the books can take part but there would be no harm in someone politely waiting until the discussion has moved to the last part of the book.
 
ions said:
Personally I don't think the book of the month discussion is for people who have already read the book.
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Really? I thought that was the whole reason for this exercise. You decide to read a book by votes and afterwards you discuss it.


ions said:
Sure those who have read the books can take part but there would be no harm in someone politely waiting until the discussion has moved to the last part of the book.
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Politeness isn't the problem, missing out on all the fun is.
 
ions said:
Personally I don't think the book of the month discussion is for people who have already read the book.
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I always thought this /was/ the purpose of the discussion :confused:

To me, it's to encourage people to read a book that they haven't read or maybe wouldn't normally consider reading.
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I sometimes do use the Book of the Month forum to assess what a book might be like, and if I would enjoy it. I don't find that much of a problem in the actual discussion with spoilers, especially in the first few posts, and the first few posts are all it takes for me to see weither I would enjoy that book or not.

Anyway, if people want to know about the book without spoilers then all they have to do is search for an existing thread or start a new one which stipulates /no/ spoilers. Simple.
 
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