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The Gioconda and Joseph King Library hosts book discussion groups throughout the season. Title selections are often determined by group members and are focused on thematic relationships between books. No reservations are necessary – just arrive with an understanding of the assigned reading and a willingness to engage in active debates and enlightening conversation. Book selections are inspired by the “Best of Britain” series hosted by Campus on the Lake this season. Learn more about the series on page 24. For more information, call the King Library at (561) 655-2766 or e-mail kinglibrary@fourarts.org.
“The Churchills: A Family Portrait” by Celia and John Lee
“Mountbatten: The Official Biography” by Phillip Ziegler Tuesday, November 13, 2012 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 14, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 9, 2013 11 a.m.
This biography offers a detailed look at the life of Lord Mountbatten, the soldier and statesman killed by the IRA in a 1979 bombing. Author Phillip Ziegler paints a rounded, sympathetic, and yet undeceived portrait of Mountbatten’s character. From his christening (attended by Queen Victoria) to his days as Supreme Commander in Southeast Asia during World War II, to India where he oversaw the move to independence to the Suez crisis, we meet a figure who was profoundly human.
Winston Churchill is arguably the most famous Briton, but a shroud of mystery still surrounds him and his family. Chock full of intrigue and scandal, authors Celia and John Lee use neverbefore-seen archives to cut through the rumors and lies and get to the truth about the life of the former prime minister and his relationship with his family. Facilitated by Dr. Richard D’Elia
“The Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes
Facilitated by Dr. Richard D’Elia
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 23, 2013 11 a.m.
“The Uncommon Reader” by Alan Bennett
This intense novel follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he has never much thought about – until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance; one of them from the grave, the other maddeningly present. Tony Webster thought he’d left all this behind as he built a life for himself, and by now his marriage, family and career have fallen into an amicable divorce and retirement. But he is now presented with a mysterious legacy that obliges him to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 5, 2012 11 a.m.
A deliciously funny novella that celebrates the pleasure of reading. While in pursuit of her wandering corgis, the Queen of England stumbles upon a mobile library she feels duty bound to borrow a book. “The Uncommon Reader” details the Queen’s transformation as she discovers the liberating pleasures of the written word. Facilitated by Mr. Ian Kean
Facilitated by Mr. Ian Kean
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