The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John LeCarre (Louis)

Despite high noise levels at Louis, we had a good conversation about issues like the morality of leaking state secrets.  We all liked the book and found it an easy read, while acknowledging that it was in a special niche of literature and could not compete in overall quality with the best novels of all time.  But it would definitely qualify as one of the best spy thrillers ever.  Dinner entrees were above average in quality and so large that lots of left overs were carted home.

Max suggested three books for next time: Jared Diamond, Collapse, Peter Beagle, Time and Private Place, and Freya Stark, Valleys of the Assassins.  We chose the last, and we'll meet on Tuesday, July 23. Don will suggest the next book.

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Grand Cafe)

There were divergent opinions about this classic book, Fitzgerald's breakthrough novel written after his eye-opening years at Princeton and published a week before his marriage to Zelda Sayre.  We agreed that it was a tour de force for a 23-year-old and offered a vivid picture of upper class life at an elite school, but we differed on how well it has aged. There was also little consensus on whether the author was reveling in the fun and foibles of the rich set, or mocking it.  The poetry and erudition of Fitzgerald's writing, however, was evident to all.

We all enjoyed the Grand Cafe, especially the Caesar salad and the Halibut.  It was a quiet night and the service was good. Our discussion touched on bad travel experiences, golf, and many other topics.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 25; the book is John LeCarre's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.  Other titles suggested by Bill were Updike's Rabbit Run, and The Emigrants by Sebald.  Max suggests the next book.

Losing It by William Ian Miller (Gray House)

Our book, Losing It, by William Ian Miller, was a mixed success.  Some of us expected late-life comfort and advice, and some of that was delivered.  But most of us declared the book a hodge-podge of erudite but  hard-to-follow literary references, from Icelandic sagas to biblical texts.  As in Wayne's World, maybe "we are not worthy." Anyway, there were lots of witty asides and zingers that hit home.

Next book is This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Other books suggested were Istanbul Passage by Kanon,  Their Eyes Are Watching God by Hurston, and House of Earth by Guthrie.  We're meeting at 6:30 pm, on Tuesday, May 7.

We had dinner at The Gray House, a pleasantly modest place, self-described as a gastropub (whatever that means), which we enjoyed.  We all had either a lamb cutlet, or a ravioli special which is not recognizable from looking at the menu.

Our conversation mostly focused on the plight of the University, especially money spent on sports figures, administrative functions, and other diversionary stuff that none of us could identify as worthy of a "great university."

PS: Most of us have either graduated from the U or taught there.

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild (Wilde Roast Cafe)

We met at a pleasant restaurant at Riverplace in Minneapolis, Wilde Roast Cafe.  It was quiet and roomy, had good service, and served mostly good food at a reasonable price.  Our book was To End All Wars, an account of WWI--especially the home front in Britain--by Adam Hochschild.  It was a popular choice that recounted much of the horror of the war at the front as well as the actions of the war's opponents at home.  We debated whether the war was notable for the idiocy of the responsible political and military leaders and how important the war resisters were.  Other topics of discussion included the indignities of contemporary air travel, movies, and the Superbowl, but surprisingly not politics.

For next time, March 26, we'll read Losing It: In Which an Aging Professor Laments His Shrinking Brain by William Ian Miller.  Other titles considered were The Photographer by Guibert, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Bayard, How to Live, or a Life of Montaigne by Blackwell.  Phil will suggest the following book.

Killer Angels by Michael Schaara (Eat Street Social)

Everyone thought the restaurant was above average, although noisy.  Our conversation touched on the fallout from the election and recent travel adventures to Turkey and India, but focused mainly on the book.  The consensus was basically positive about the author's account of Gettysburg, which was enlightening and breezy.  But some of us found technical flaws and dialogue that was sometimes stilted and preachy and sometimes anachronistic.

Paul couldn't make the dinner, but by cellphone did suggest a few titles for next time, including The Photographer: Into Wartorn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders by Guibert, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Bayard, and Losing It by Miller.  The group, however, decided to go back to a book suggested earlier, To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild.  Paul will have another chance to please the group with his scintillating titles next time.  We'll meet on Wednesday, January 30 [the date has been changed to Tuesday, February 5].  Phil is on deck for the following month.

My Antonia by Willa Cather (Icehouse)

Willa Cather's 1918 novel, My Antonia, appealed to everyone.  We loved the elegant writing, the artful evocation of a place as it evolved over time, and the true-to-life characters whose fates by turns intertwined and diverged.  Plus, it was fun to read!  We compared it to the best works of Edith Wharton and Stephen Crane.  In our judgement, this is an American classic that deserves its central place in the nation's literary canon, and we gave it our highest ratings.

We dined at the Icehouse restaurant which also received accolades--for its salads, NY strip, arctic char, duck gumbo, and ribs.  Unsurprisingly, we devoted our conversation to a few other topics, particularly the upcoming election.  We continued to be divided on the voter ID amendment proposal, and by a 5-2 vote, we predicted a close Romney victory in the nation as a whole.

We'll meet next time on Tuesday, December 11, at 6:30 at a place TBA.  We'll read Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara, which won out over two other suggestions: The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt and I, Claudius by Robert Graves.  Paul is eligible to suggest the next book.

In the Garden of the Beasts by Eric Larson (Krungthep Thai)

We did not like this Larson book as much as the last one. For one thing, it was a light treatment of a period of history--the rise of Hitler--that has been hashed over many times.  In addition, the story of a marginally competent US ambassador (professor of southern history William Dodd) and his daughter, Martha, who seemed to have slept with every Nazi, Russian spy, and American writer she encountered, seemed over-developed.  Ian Kershaw's giant bio of Hitler mentions neither of them. Finally, the book petered out without tying up the various threads of the story.  Nevertheless, the book was a brisk, entertaining read and opened up a human side of the diplomacy of the period.

Krungthep Thai restaurant on Nicollet pleased all of us who enjoy Thai cuisine.  The place is a sister restaurant to Bangkok Thai Deli in St. Paul, and both of them offer Thai food that is authentic and delicious.  Our discussion ranged from observations and arguments about the latest political developments to reports about recent travels to exotic places in six weeks "around-the-world" as well as more domestic duties in Denmark (and Iceland).

Our next book is Willa Cather's My Antonia.  Other titles considered were Ambrose, Band of Brothers, Russo, Empire Falls, Diaz, Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and Hochschild, To End All Wars (a pretty enticing list). We'll meet at 6:30 pm on Monday, October 22.  Roger will suggest the next book.

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (Joan's on the Park)

Only five of seven were able to attend, but it was a very successful gathering. Everyone liked the book and the restaurant got one of the highest ratings. The conversation focused initially  mainly on golf, its technicalities, rules, and, management.

The book was mostly praised for its masterful story telling about the massive 20th century migration of African Americans from Jim Crow southern states to the north and west. It seems that many migrants were happy to get away from southern oppression but discovered that major discrimination existed in the rest of the country, too. Some of us thought that the book could have benefited from closer editing because it was overly long and repetitive.

Turning the conversation back to politics, the group divided sharply on the Minnesota constitutional amendment this fall that would require a voter ID. Some argued it was needed to prevent voter fraud, while others said there was little evidence of fraud and it would simply disenfranchise many of the same poor and black citizens who had migrated from the south.

We agreed to meet next time on Tuesday, September 18 at 6:30 pm. The next book is Eric Larson's Garden of the Beasts. Other books considered were: Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science (Holmes); Destiny of the Republic: Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President (Millard); and American Prometheus: Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Bird & Sherwin). Don suggests the next book.

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (Mill Valley Kitchen)

Meeting at Mill Valley Kitchen, a fairly new healthy foods kind of place, we had a lively discussion about the book and many other timely topics (e.g., health care audits, the Wisconsin election, public employee compensation, and the role of public sector unions).  Hochschild's 1998 book describes Belgian King Leopold's systematic exploitation and subjugation of the Congo in the late 19th century, mostly for personal gain.  For the natives, the result was degrading and horrific, involving physical maiming and widespread death.  Apparently, the book caused a stir in Belgium where the facts have long been known, but generally swept under the rug.  Although it made for unpleasant reading at times, the book got one of our highest ratings.

Our next book is The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, and we plan to meet on July 10.  Another book considered was Redbird by Jo Nesbo.  Don is due to suggest the following book.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (The Lowry)

We all enjoyed the Lowry restaurant, a modestly priced but innovative place in Minneapolis.  Our discussion ranged widely across multiple topics: the Senser trial, golfing in soggy England, the Modern Toilet restaurant chain in Taiwan, etc.  The book was mostly praised for its wise and innovative analysis of human decision making, relying on a psychological perspective in contrast to the classical rational (economic) theory about how people make decisions.  People think intuitively as well as slowly and deeply, and they are profoundly influenced by previous experience, psychological cues, and numerous other factors that run counter to the rational model.  We talked about where "character" comes from, effects of optimism/pessimism, effects of the "nudge" factor, and the assumptions of libertarianism.  The biggest criticism was the presentation, which some thought plodding, repetitive, and overly long.

The next meeting will be on June 6.  The book will be Adam Hochschild's King Leopold's Ghost.  Other books considered: Sebald's Vertigo, Caro's Passage of Power, Johnson's Train Dreams, and Steiner's Le Crime.  Max will suggest the next title.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Everest on Grand)

We enjoyed an excellent meal featuring lamb, chicken, and yak at Everest on Grand, a Nepali place that pleased everyone.  As usual, the discussion ranged widely, tilting toward recent and future travel experiences.  The book got a mixed reception.  Some appreciated reading a famous and enduring story on the centennial of its first appearance serialized in Argosy magazine, while others decried its puerile plot and lack of finesse.  The next book is Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.  Also considered were Pearl Buck in China and Moonwalking with Einstein.  We'll meet on May 2.  Bill suggests the next book.

A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage (Lindy's)

Because of calendar conflicts only four of us could make it Thursday night at Lindy's Steakhouse.  We had an enjoyable dinner and discussed many topics before getting to the book, which we agreed was a pretty light confection.  Paul suggested three possibilities for the next book: King Solomon's Mines, the Lost World, and Tarzan of the Apes.  We chose the Tarzan book (by Edgar Rice Burroughs).  Phil suggests the following book.