r/ClassicBookClub

Discussion Prompts

1. How are your detective skills? Do you have any hunch as to who attacked Pip’s sister?
2. How do think you’d fare if Pip and Joe had to take care of you?
3. Any thoughts to share on Biddy, or Orlick, or anyone else?
4. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?

Links

Project Gutenberg

Standard eBooks

Librivox Audiobook

Last Lines:

After that day, a day rarely passed without her drawing the hammer on her slate, and without Orlick’s slouching in and standing doggedly before her, as if he knew no more than I did what to make of it.

I have entire libraries of songs in my head, and as I read the book, some of them just pop up randomly. A lyric adjustment here and there, and BOOM! Playlist!

(overall)

"Great Expectations" by Kiss

You've got great expectations /do you want to play the role?
You've got great expectations /you'd even sell me your soul
You've got great expectations /as long as you can play the role
You've got great expectations

(The song is not specifically about the book, but there are people who are "playing roles" and "selling their soul". Oh yeahhhhh.)

===========

"Part of Your World" ("The Little Mermaid" Soundtrack- Jodi Benson)

I’ve got hammers and bellows a-plenty, I’ve got anvils and horseshoes galore. You want 25 guineas? I’ve got twenty... But who cares? No big deal... I want MORE.

I want to be where the 'Gentle-folks' are, I want to see, want to see 'em dancin' Walking around on those—what do you call 'em? Oh—polished floors!

Up where they walk, up where they run, Up where they stay all day in the sun (no she doesn't) (or the dark of a rotting brewery) Wandering free, wish I could be... Part of That World!

(Pip standing at the gates of the Havisham estate, hoping to be let in. Bursts into song)

===========

"Poor Unfortunate Souls" ("The Little Mermaid" Soundtrack"- Pat Carroll)

Poor unfortunate soul
In pain, in need
This one longing to be "wiser"
And he wants to get the girl
And do I help him?

Yes, indeed! (and here's 25 guineas for the indenture)

(Miss H, sitting in her room, looking out the window at Pip standing at the gate. Picks up the gem on her dressing table, cackles as she peers through it. Estella stands nearby)

===========

"Too Much Time on My Hands" (Styx)

I got nothin' to do
With all day to do it
Well, I'd hang 'round, slouching, but I've no place to go
And all night to get there

Is it any wonder I'm not a criminal?
Is it any wonder I'm not in jail?

(Orlick, slouching around outside the "lee of a turnpike house". Says he spent his half-day off just "up and down town". Yep. nothing to see here. Just hanging out, waiting to rejoin Pip and Wopsle to go back to the village. Yep.)

Existen muchos libros muy difíciles de entender incluso para lectores intermedios. Algunos por estilo, redacción, falta de bagaje cultural suficiente o experiencia con el autor; se hacen derechamente tortuosos.

Novelas de Faulkner, la mayoría de los cuentos de Borges, ciertos libros de Virginia Wolff, autores rusos, etc. Siendo incluso a veces necesario complementarlo con resúmenes, análisis o videos de internet.

La pregunta que traigo es cómo llegar a tener una buena comprensión del texto que se lee? Supongo que la respuesta simple es “leyendo mucho” o “atreviéndose”. Pero lo que busco son ciertos tips para enfrentarse de mejor manera a aquellos autores que representan un mayor desafío para el lector común.

I’ll fix the formatting in a few hours when I’m at my computer. Reddit mobile now refuses markup for some reason!

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Pip and Joe head off, poor Joe is so anxious. What did you think of their meeting?

2. Twenty five guineas! That’s an absolute fortune (I say, not having done any calculations whatsoever)! 

3. Joe presented the situation smoothly to his wife, Pumplechook gets involved, and Pip is “bound over.” And Pip is miserable. Speculations as to why?

4. History buffs or those of the esoteric knowledges - what did it mean to be “bound” or to have indenture papers? It sounds a lot more serious than an apprenticeship or similar. 

5. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> I had liked it once, but once was not now.

I’m tired of the cultural desert I live in. I am trying to set up a classics book club meet up in Dallas, Texas, USA and just need enough interest. It is for anyone 18+ that is interested in classic literature. All adults are welcome without regard to race, class, lgbt status, etc etc etc

I am thinking once a month to meet up, and we can choose something well known for the first book, like I suggest the Odyssey since it comes out July 17th, so the first meeting end of June on Saturday or Sunday probably depending what works best for most people.

Message me or comment if you are interested. I am thinking email would be best for communication for now, perhaps a discord later but more likely email still seems the best communication tool.

I am thinking we meet up at the Community Room at the flagship Half Price Books on Northwest Highway June 27th or 28th.

Next book will be decided on at the end of the first meeting by the suggestions and consensus of who shows up to the first meeting. Book club will be democratically run.

Do you guys recommend any of these? I've heard great things about Bel-Ami.