Reading Groups

by Jenny Hartley, Sarah Turvey (Primary Contributor)

Reading groups are one of the success stories of the age. But is the Reading Group really such a new phenomenon? How do they choose and use books? What kinds of social protocols and rituals do they observe and what do they mean? Why are men less likely to be members? Why do some groups work
while others fail? Jenny Hartley surveyed over 330 Reading Groups to find the truth behind this modern phenomenon. Answers are provided in this lively book, full of anecdotes and comments from members. It is both an important contribution to the sociology of group discussion and an excellent "how
to" manual, incorporating lots of useful extra information about resources and lists of the top books chosen.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books

210 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Jenny D. Hartley

Reviews

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Reading Groups', which was passed on to me, is based on a large survey of book clubs. Despite it being around 25 years old, I still found it quite interesting and , at times, amusing.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good little book about bookclubs. Some interesting ideas.