That's a way to look at it. That could make an interesting discussion! Thanks!

The GOP these days is basically built on anti-intellectualism. Kurt Vonnegut said it best

Edit: Lol, someone pointed out it was actually Asimov who said the quote. I confused my writers, haha

I think it's interesting to talk about how weird Jane Eyre is as a person. She's got strange ideas and rage and very intense love in her. Most people find her off-putting. Rochester calls her a "changeling" or a fairy a lot and he's not just being strange himself.

Rochester seems to like that brand of odd while St. John tries to crush it out of her.

Missourian here. My grandma has used the library as long as I can remember. She loves to read. She reads a lot. I myself am trying to figure out what I can do. I got the internet so a lot of stuff I can find online or simply not read. And factual stuff I'll just go to YouTube but for my Grandmother it hurts. This is what my state is. They stopped abortion. They are fighting against Trans youth rights and now they are taking away the library from us. Take note because your state maybe next

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For me, Gatsby's longing is more universally human and the American setting just the background.

Yes, exactly! I agree with you — the film glamourised and cleaned up the story to make it more palatable for wider audiences. The book was an honest insight into the grim reality of the occupation.

For an interesting take look into Jasper Fiord’s The Eyre Affair. It looks at the book from many views. Funny too.

I loved them both, and I agree that they should just be considered two separate stories.

I heard that he made it shit or crazy on purpose so it wouldn't become a movie.

Ah! Stupid autocorrect ⌨️ I'm leaving it as evidence of my shame 😆

Forrest Gump. Two "r"s. Named for the Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Wikipedia contains some links to reviews of some critics who had positive things to say about it. Assuming you're actually open to hearing from people who have read it, you could start there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducks,_Newburyport#Reception

Additionally, you can find other reviews here: https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/ducks-newburyport/

Douglas E Richards is one author I can think of.

I really enjoy his books (I'm reading one right now), but the covers all kinda look like Dianetics LOL.

Also Canadian, also thought it was great at depicting American ideals.

I love the book though.

The "What am I missing about this book?" question always gets me. When it's a celebrated or popular book - as is the case with Ducks, Newburyport - there is usually plenty of writing out there explaining what people found enjoyable or impressive about the book. The answers are already out there, and I am skeptical that anyone on this subreddit is really going to provide some unique insight in this regard. As you have said, it's just a veiled way to complain about disliking the book. And it's fine to dislike books, but it is much nicer to see someone wright thoughtfully about why they dislike the book rather than just use trite, nonspecific hyperbole to disparage it.

I'm not trying to be mean here or anything, but why does it matter?

Nobody's keeping track except you.

If you read half of the short stories and the other half don't interest you, why force yourself to read them? Life's too short. Move on to something you like better.

I was today days old when I learned the movie Forest Gump was based on a book 😳

I disagree. Jane started out being a little pagan and became deeply Christian.

And Rochester also ended up following a Christian path.

>“Jane! you think me, I daresay, an irreligious dog: but my heart swells with gratitude to the beneficent God of this earth just now. He sees not as man sees, but far clearer: judges not as man judges, but far more wisely. I did wrong: I would have sullied my innocent flower—breathed guilt on its purity: the Omnipotent snatched it from me. I, in my stiff-necked rebellion, almost cursed the dispensation: instead of bending to the decree, I defied it. Divine justice pursued its course; disasters came thick on me: I was forced to pass through the valley of the shadow of death. His chastisements are mighty; and one smote me which has humbled me for ever. You know I was proud of my strength: but what is it now, when I must give it over to foreign guidance, as a child does its weakness? Of late, Jane—only—only of late—I began to see and acknowledge the hand of God in my doom. I began to experience remorse, repentance; the wish for reconcilement to my Maker. I began sometimes to pray: very brief prayers they were, but very sincere.

...

> He put me off his knee, rose, and reverently lifting his hat from his brow, and bending his sightless eyes to the earth, he stood in mute devotion. Only the last words of the worship were audible.

>“I thank my Maker, that, in the midst of judgment, he has remembered mercy. I humbly entreat my Redeemer to give me strength to lead henceforth a purer life than I have done hitherto!”

The audio was told in a very old man from Alabama tone. I honestly don’t know if I could have read the full book because of the writing style

I’m not American, have never been to the USA, and have lived most of my life in Europe. I liked the book and can appreciate the characters - there are people like the Buchanans every where, as are elements of Gatsby’s personality. For me it is a tragic story about a man who ruins his life and corrupts himself trying to impress awful people. He wasted his time and talents and eventually his happiness and his life on a completely worthless goal. Daisy is vile and what she seems to represent to Gatsby, the acceptance of her class, was never worth anyone’s spit let alone soul. Delusion and disillusionment too late is a story that can be understood universally.

I do get the impression that the book means something more or different to Americans though. I don’t see the romance or the misled heroism the narrator and apparently many US readers see, nor do I feel any of the glamour that’s supposed to be there. Gatsby throwing his money around gave me second hand embarrassment for him, it was quite uncomfortable to read.

Sort of. Every month I have two book club books to read, so they automatically go on, and then I tend to choose a list of potential books based on what's available at my library (audio, digital, and in print) and other reading challenges I'm working on. My "possible tbr" for April is:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Sangu Mandanna (book club)

The Paper Palace, Miranda Cowley Heller (book club)

The Color Purple, Alice Walker (library, reading challenge)

The Rosewater Redemption, Tade Thompson (library, reading challenge, also I just want to finish the series)

Come As You Are (digital library, also for work, also a reading challenge)

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child, Elena Ferrante (audiobooks from the library, I like to always have one on the go, these two are pretty long so will probably take up most of April)

To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf (library, reading challenge)

Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer (library, reading challenge)

Men Who Hate Women (library, reading challenge, Buzzwordathon for April (emotion words))

I'm not strict on finishing them each month so some may stray into May, some might get put off and others not on the list might find their way into my April reading, but this is the gist of the plan. I generally ready 9-12 books a month.

I have a long spreadsheet that is my tbr list. I put about ten books at the top, read them, when I’m done, I go through the list and move ten more books up.

I learned that from 1984's Airwolf TV show where the brother of the main character was named St. John. (The main character was named Stringfellow.)

I think it goes well with life. What will we all feel when it’s over? What will we feel when we watch a loved ones book close on them? Probably feel empty