11 September 2007

I Have No Response To That

I realized a while ago that I couldn't just sit and mope about being exiled to the farthest reaches of nowhere, otherwise known as rural Eastern Washington. So I joined a neighborhood book club. Most meetings have been fine, even though I've had to sit through the preliminary half-hour of marriage, home, & family chatter before discussing the actual book, but still okay. Tonight was a low point. We read a book I suggested, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I looked forward to discussing it, since I knew at least a couple people would hate it and one or two might like it. Well, only one other person actually read it. One woman got halfway through it and her only comment was how she was disappointed in the profanity. Someone else said they stopped reading because they felt stupid because they didn't know if Martin Chuzzlewit was a real book by Dickens. Thankfully the other person who read it really enjoyed it. After 10-15 minutes of discussing the book, the conversation took a gigantic turn when someone asked what everyone thought about circumcision, since her new grandson was circumcised today. She actually started talking about how she had looked up the Church's stand on circumcision in Mormon Doctrine and amazingly enough, there is no stand. At which point I suggested you could find that out from the writings of Paul. And she gave me a mini-lecture about how it was because of Christ fulfilling the Mosaic law. Which I already knew, having READ THE WRITINGS OF PAUL! Then came the discussion about modern research. Which led to people discussing it regarding their sons and then regarding their husbands. And then I left, realizing I had absolutely nothing in common with any of these women.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable! Does no one there understand that circumcision is an inappropriate - no, wait, a HIGHLY inappropriate - book club topic???

robin marie said...

wait... so does that mean "circumcision grandma" doesn't like circumcision?? and she was announcing it to everyone? how bizarre!!!

Anonymous said...

Hideouser and hideouser!! Seriously. Decorum, tact, etiquette--look into it, people. Argh.

Parker

Anonymous said...

I've talked about that subject amongst family members but not to anyone else, say strangers, or even friends at work. It's a bit personal. Poor kid, now everyone knows about it. And I'd say that was a very inconsiderate of them not to think of you, that possibly you might not want to hear about it!! So, you're never going back there? I wouldn't.

Katie said...

EWWWWW!!!!Gross!

Unknown said...

The Jasper Fforde series is amazing, everyone who LOVES books, loves that book! Just chalk it up to their lack of taste! I'm dying to know about the profanity objectifying woman....who was it...and the circumscision conversation....ewe...not at ward book club!

ZB said...

Nice! What a topic. This bit of information will be interesting to some: About 80-90% of newborn boys in UTAH are still___________ (that word). When I asked the Dr. why...he said, "tradition"...so there you have it!

Panini said...

UGH!!! No way! And they didn't even read your book!! And they censured it because of language! I'm disgusted for you!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, they censured your book because of language and look what topic they brought up.