Book Club - Ready to Begin!

800 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by bright23, Jun 21, 2005

Discussion Starter · Jun 18, 2005

Awhile back I suggested we try to do a "book club" discussion of some interesting psycholgical fiction - books that really make you think or that mignt provoke intriguing debates/discussions, especially in areas that might be important for DP types like us.

There are TWO-count-em-TWO books I suggest we start with. Read both or either and I bet we can have a great discussion.

Enchanted Night - by Stephen Millhauser. originally recommended by our Martin (don't let that scare you away though) as one of the best novels he's read. I got it on his suggestion, and Terri* followed suit. It's a beautiful fantasy that will just sweep you away (in a good way, lol) We're ready to talk about it whenever anyone else wants to join in.

The second book I recommend highly is
The Defense by Nabokov (this one is very intense and deals with reality versus non-reality - focusing on a man's obsessions and fears of other people and his desperate need to construct meaning in fantasies only in his head.

It ties in well with Enchanted Night (to me) but is a very different kind of book.

The Defense is for the real intellectuals who like a good challenge
and want a better understanding of schizoid and narcissistic defenses (in a character study/work of fiction, this is not a psych book)
and
Enchanted Night is for ANYONE here who enjoys the power of human imagination and understands lonliness and wants to join us.

Hope to see you in the club!

Janine

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bright23

· #4 · Jun 21, 2005

ENIGMA ?

That's so interesting you say that. Nabokov's short story Terror was the first first-hand account that I have read of the DP'd state. My closest friend discovered it 8-9 years ago and after hearing my story hundreds of times passed it along to me for its similarity. I've probably read it 15 times, first time I read it I think I wept, and each time after I read it I feel even more recovered.

I think the most telling line is near the very end, where he says pretty much flat out "And I know that no-one has experienced this state of mind ever before." CLASSIC DP THINKING.

Janine ? Have you read this story? If not, YOU MUST. Besides some references to William James and his father's acute psychological experiences, its the only literary work that I'm aware of that describes a DP state.

PEACE

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