Yesterday, I went to a book club. You know, a real book club, where people discussed real literature and not some Mitch Albom, Dan Brown, or other current top 10 book. It was at 826Chi and the 15 or so of us read Monkey, apparently one of the most famous novels in China. The book is basically a group of four creatures (a priest, monkey, pigsy, sandy) who are on a quest from China to India to receive the Buddhist scriptures and hopefully gain enlightenment. Along the way, they have to overcome obstacles that challenge them emotionally, physically, and spiritually - so basically your standard epic. But instead of all the fractured stories that we tell our kids in America that pass on ethics (Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyon, etc.) this book would open up a world of possibilities to discuss with your child.At first Monkey is this party crashing oaf that is pretty annoying but with amazing magical powers that he learned from a zen master so there is enough fighting to keep the interest up but then there are these profound (and somethings pithy) statements that would shape the zeitgeist of the country: "Such blank scrolls are the true scriptures." I really liked this statement which focuses on the interplay of silence and spirit. The repetition of water as a force both as an obstacle and an element from rebirth is a nice touch also.
Overall, the other members seemed like great fun; the discussion never got too deep but I'm not sure it really needs to: as Monkey-Squirrel has said, "It's the common experience that counts" - to top it off, people brought Chinese food to eat, peaches to snack on, and Tsing-Tao to drink. I can't wait for next month.
On the train ride back home, I read Lethem's 55-page short story, This Shape We're In. I'm not sure that it's a great or even good book and it doesn't really have the great description that I've come to love from Lethem - it has an interesting comment on the post-downfall of America and the interplay of sex and violence but ultimately lacks focus which is almost absolutely critical for a short story.
