April 9, 2016: An Intriguing Night of Discourse and Decadence

It was a dark and stormy night when six brave members of the East Bay Book Club gathered at the always enchanting home of hostess Hilarie. What followed was an evening of fabulous food and conversation that was as spirited as the libations being consumed.

The feasting began with Maggie’s creamy smoked rambol cheese paired with olives, crackers, salami and bread and more than one bottle of delicious red wine. Adjourning to the dining room, the group fed both their appetites and their minds.

The sumptuous meal featured Hilarie’s spaghetti and meatballs (made with three kinds of meat), Lu’s spinach and garlic bread, and Lonnie’s Caesar salad. A fitting and decadent end to the Italian-themed dinner was Carol’s milk chocolate panna cotta topped with whipped cream and served with chocolate chip and almond biscotti.

Not to be outdone by the food, the conversation was as tasty and satisfying as the dinner. Elena Ferrante’s second book, Story of a New Name, rated a 4 out of five stars. The group tried to deduce why a book with adequate, but not superior, writing had made us want to keep reading. Some felt it was the realism and how the characters were brought to life. Others related to the era in which it was set.

Only two attendees read/finished the second book, Brooklyn. Several had seen the movie. A couple had done both. We all agreed that the movie was superior to the book, including Lyn whose email was read in her absence. It rated three stars. This tale of immigrants also led to discussion of today’s immigrants and politics and morphed into a lively exchange about our favorite TV shows, including Vinyl, Shameless, a Nora Ephron documentary, etc.

While the topic of the next book selections wasn’t exactly the tumult that was seen in Ferrante’s Naples neighborhood, it was debated with enthusiasm. The result was the decision to read the number one selection of Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth and due to its length, not pick a second book. The one caveat was that those who wanted to read Ferrante’s third book, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, could do so and we would discuss it at the next gathering.