curiouskitkatt Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Has anyone read "Hillbilly Elegy" yet? and would anyone be interested in having a "virtual" discussion about it? I don't read nearly enough as I should, and will be frequenting the local library more often. I could certainly use less of TV and media time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 I'm actually reading this now for my bookclub's next meeting. It's a very easy read -- the author comes across as someone just sitting across the kitchen table from you, telling his story. I have some of those same Appalachian Scots-Irish roots and can see some of my heritage in the things he talked about, and also where my family diverged from his path. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 On 9/27/2018 at 11:30 AM, curiouskitkatt said: Has anyone read "Hillbilly Elegy" yet? and would anyone be interested in having a "virtual" discussion about it? I don't read nearly enough as I should, and will be frequenting the local library more often. I could certainly use less of TV and media time. I'd be up for a virtual discussion, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to begin reading. (In theory, all of these threads are virtual discussions. ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiouskitkatt Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 7 minutes ago, DonRocks said: I'd be up for a virtual discussion, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to begin reading. (In theory, all of these threads are virtual discussions. ) Im halfway through the book. I would be interested in someone's take on the book. And yes, good point, all of these threads are "virtual" discussions. I just need to occupy my thoughts with anything other than what madness is currently going on. Also interested in what suggestions you/ and or the forum have for reading ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 18 minutes ago, curiouskitkatt said: Im halfway through the book. I would be interested in someone's take on the book. And yes, good point, all of these threads are "virtual" discussions. I just need to occupy my thoughts with anything other than what madness is currently going on. Also interested in what suggestions you/ and or the forum have for reading ? I found him remarkably unsympathetic to those he purports to describe and explain. The book fits neatly into the "intellectual" underpinnings of the madness you so hope to escape. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiouskitkatt Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 8 minutes ago, dcs said: I found him remarkably unsympathetic to those he purports to describe and explain. The book fits neatly into the "intellectual" underpinnings of the madness you so hope to escape. Thank you. This is what I am gathering so far... Is the only way to escape is to bury myself in complete fiction so prosperous that the subject matter be far from the peril that is currently happening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 9 minutes ago, curiouskitkatt said: Is the only way to escape is to bury myself in complete fiction so prosperous that the subject matter be far from the peril that is currently happening? Either that, or wallow in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiouskitkatt Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 8 minutes ago, DonRocks said: Either that, or wallow in it. I'll add this to my library queue. AT this point, I think it might be safer to go back to reading cookbooks and watching my waistline exponentially increase to where spandex is my only option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgast Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 30 minutes ago, dcs said: I found him remarkably unsympathetic to those he purports to describe and explain. The book fits neatly into the "intellectual" underpinnings of the madness you so hope to escape. Despite political views that really aren't aligned with Vance's, I didn't react as strongly as I think most of you did. I didn't grow up in Appalachia, but I did grow up in what most people would describe as an inner-city school (40% graduation rate, multiple murders). You see so many people make so many bad choices and while you can empathize, you don't have to not judge those choices as simply being bad ones. I think where people differ is on the empathy side of why those choices were made. Where he'd simply push people to work a bit harder and make better choices, even in the face of more difficult circumstances, I'd lean more to creating a safety net that builds equality of opportunity. I see where he's coming from, just don't necessarily agree with the value system that drives it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgast Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 10 minutes ago, curiouskitkatt said: I'll add this to my library queue. AT this point, I think it might be safer to go back to reading cookbooks and watching my waistline exponentially increase to where spandex is my only option. Strategically placed elastic works well in my experience. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reedm Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I've recommended it to family and work colleagues. I didn't read it, but did listen to it via Audible. Narrated by the author, I didn't get the sense he was unsympathetic. He did address the need to address the underlying drug problem plaguing our country, one that hits the extremely poor the hardest. For my tastes, it's one of the best books I've enjoyed all year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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