In the Stored Stories section of this newspaper last week, an item from 100 years ago caught my eye. It was reported that a “Reader’s Club” had been formed in Broderick and all those who were interested in good literature and anxious to secure a book at any time were invited to attend a meeting.
I am curious to know what books they might have read. The bestsellers of 1920 according to Publishers Weekly were The Man of the Forest by Zane Grey, Kindred of the Dust by Peter B. Kyne and The Re-Creation of Brian Kent by Harold Bell Wright. I wonder if their club read any of those.
There’s no way of knowing how many book clubs exist across the country at any given time, but individuals willing to respond to surveys can give us insight into the workings of some of these reading groups.
The rise of celebrity book clubs (and the quest to see who might become the new Oprah) isn’t quite as influential as some may guess, but nonetheless there is an increase in the number of people who have joined or are looking to join a club. Two-thirds say they simply want to talk about books, 56 % are hoping to be introduced to new authors and genres, and one half see it as a way to make new friends. And while sitcoms love to use it in storylines, this study busted the myth that readers show up, not for the books, but for the wine.
There have been some rather noteworthy book clubs throughout history. Imagine gathering to discuss books with Benjamin Franklin and his literature-loving friends as part of the Junto Club that met on Friday evenings for 40 years. They did more than talk about books—they set up the first lending libraries in Pennsylvania.
If you were a woman living in Connecticut in the 1860’s you may have received an invitation to join the Friends in Council. Sarah Atwater Denman formed this historic book club by inviting 11 women to her home to create a reading plan. It is the oldest continuous women’s literary club in the United States.
In 1926 a man who loved literature founded a mail-order Book of the Month Club. A frustrated writer himself, Harry Sherman focussed his attention on getting the works of other authors into the public’s hands. For $2.98 the Little Leather Library would mail 30 books and a selection of chocolate treats to a customer base that grew to 60,000. Today, the books are delivered digitally--five per month--to a million subscribers.
There are clubs devoted to classics, historical works, dystopian societies, military books or political tomes, but for me the best book club would be one that reads all kinds of titles from all kinds of authors. Which is exactly what I had with the one and only book club I was part of for a few years. Thanks to the influence of my fellow readers I discovered new authors, developed appreciation for unfamiliar genres and stretched my desire to examine the written word. Most of all, it made me love books even more than I already did.
I wish I knew how long that Broderick Reader’s Club was active, and I can’t help but wonder if anyone kept a list of the titles they read. I still have the list from my book club. Occasionally I reference it because I convince myself I want to go back and re-read some favorites. Then I realize there are so many other books I want to get to, not to mention new ones being conceived, written and published all the time. That is great news for all of us, perhaps now more than ever.
At a time when we can’t travel in person, we can go anywhere in a book.
At a time when we can’t gather with friends, we can meet fascinating characters that capture our hearts and spark our imaginations.
At this time, possibilities are endless as we explore new locations, ride along on great adventures, or peek into the lives of people that fill the pages of classic and contemporary literature. There is no limit to where we can go or who we can visit with when we sit down with good books. That’s my outlook.
