June 25, War and Peace

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: War and Peace by Tolstoy
When: June 25, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 64112
On June 25, a Friday, we plan to have our first of three meetings to discuss Tolstoy's WAR AND PEACE. That's our big book book for the year. We're spreading our discussion over three meetings during the summer so you have all summer to finish it.

May 28, The Tempest (also Forbidden Planet)

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: The Tempest by Shakespeare
When: May 28, 2010, 6:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 64112
On May 28 we plan to meet and discuss Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST and then watch the movie FORBIDDEN PLANET which is based on it. Watching the movie will take more time than our usual meeting so we plan to meet at 6:00 p.m., discuss Shakespeare's play first, then watch the movie, and be finished by around 8:30 p.m.

April 30, Book of Revelation

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: Book of Revelation from the Bible
When: April 30, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112
We're reading the Book of Revelation from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. We will meet to discuss it on Friday April 30 at the Plaza Branch Library, 7 p.m. We will be discussing it as a historic literary work, and not necessarily as divinely inspired material.

March 26 -- 1984 by George Orwell

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: 1984 by George Orwell
When: March 26, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112

Following-up on last year's discussion of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, this year we explore the darker dystopia of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

From the Amazon.com editorial review:

"Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life--the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language--and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written."

February 26, Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich
When: February 26, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112
It is believed that this is the first book written by a woman in the English language. Julian of Norwich (c. November 8, 1342 – c. 1416) is thought of as one of the greatest English mystics. Little is known of her life aside from her writings. Even her name is uncertain, the name "Julian" coming from the Church of St Julian in Norwich, where she was an anchoress (a type of hermit living in a cell attached to the church, engaged in contemplative prayer). At the age of 30, suffering from a severe illness and believing she was on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions of Jesus Christ. (They ended by the time she overcame her illness on May 13, 1373.) She recorded these visions soon after having them, and then again twenty years later in far more theological depth. They are the source of her major work, called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (circa 1393).
Link to FREE COPY OF TEXT

January 29 Meeting - History of the Peloponnesian War

The next Great Books KC meeting:
What: The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
When: January 29, 2010, 7:00 PM
Where: Plaza Branch Library
4801 Main Street, KC, MO 65112
Come join us in January, as we kick off the new year with a discussion of this classic work about an empire, over-extended in foreign engagements, locked in a war it is destined to lose against an implacable enemy.
Extra points if you can deliver the Funeral Oration by memory. ;)
Link to FREE COPIES OF TEXT
Link to FREE AUDIO FILE OF BOOK
Link to LIST OF BOOKS WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST
Link to WHAT MAKES A BOOK GREAT
Link to HOW WE MAKE OUR SELECTIONS
Link to ESSENTIAL PARTS TO READ OF PELOPONNESIAN WAR
Link to CLIF'S REVIEW OF PELOPONNESIAN WAR

SCHEDULE FOR 2010

January 29: The History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides
February 26: Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich
March 26: 1984, by George Orwell
April 30: Revelation, from the Bible
May 28: Shakespeare and a Movie--The Tempest and "Forbidden Planet"
June 25, July 30, August 27: War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy
September 24: The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
October 29: Great Poetic Works (details to be announced)
December 3: Beowulf (Select books to read in 2011)

Please make note of any works you especially want to read, tell your friends, and join us for great conversation.
See you at the library!

December 4 Meeting, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

What better way for a book group to get into the Christmas spirit than rereading this classic. Have you read the original Dickens' version, or just seen the movies or plays? Well, maybe it's time the read the original.
What: A Christmas Carol
When: December 4, 2009 7:00 PM
Where:
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-701-3481
LINK TO FREE COPIES OF TEXT
LINK TO FREE AUDIO FILES OF BOOK

October 30 Meeting, Changed Time of Meeting

What: Shakespeare and a Movie: "King Lear" and "A Thousand Acres"
When: October 30, 2009 6:00 PM
Where:
Kansas City Public Library/Plaza Branch
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-701-3481

Our gathering this month is to discuss William Shakespeare's "King Lear" and watch the movie "A Thousand Acres," which is based upon the play.

We will be meeting at 6:00pm--one hour earlier than our usual time--to accommodate the movie. Discussion of the play will take place from 6:00pm-7:00pm, and the movie will run from 7:30pm until about 8:45pm.

Please join us for either the play or the movie. We look forward to an enjoyable evening of Shakespeare!

LINK TO "MEETUP.COM"

October 2009, King Lear by William Shakespeare

Our next meeting will be October 30, 2009 at 07:00 P.M. We will meet at the Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, MO.

We will be discussing King Lear, by William Shakespeare. This classic work of English literature is available on line from numerous websites. Below are two links with the play.
LINK TO KING LEAR TEXT

ALTERNATIVE LINK TO KING LEAR TEXT

LINK TO "MEETUP.COM" MESSAGE BOARD