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How Did You Live The Great Books This Year? (Reflection Questions) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-11-13 17:55:08
Imported:
2026-06
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  • Book Club Reflection Questions.mp3

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Content

‘In every work of genius we recognise our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.’ 

As winter approaches, I find it rewarding to mark where we came from and feel positive about where we're heading.

So let's reflect on our reading this year and celebrate our successes.

It would be so wonderful to hear from you, and learn what your year looked like.

I ask myself the five questions below, which I've expanded upon in the audio above, to bring some light to the darker seasons. You might find them useful prompts for your own self-reflection.

Questions to Reflect Upon

1) What book resonated with you the most this year? Was this a reread of an old favourite, or a meeting with a new author? And what book would you give your younger self to read?

2) Who was your favourite character? Were they sent to teach you anything about yourself? Did they remind you of anybody? How did it feel spending time with them?

3) What insights did you uncover this year? These need not be grand insights. The subtle is frequently profound, wisdom can sound obvious, and we find our own thoughts in these great books. 

4) Have you adopted any new approaches to reading that you will be taking into the next year with you? And has your reading had any bearing on your relationships?

5) What quote from your reading has resonated with you the most? Is there a quote or sentiment that you couldn’t help but possess?

Happy reading and reflecting, everybody!

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Comments

Ellen M

1. The books that resonated with me must be a tie between Hamlet and Macbeth. This year marks the beginning of my journey with the Bard. I missed some of the others but am tackling them slowly. These two in particular will always have a special place in my heart. The genius, the beauty, the immense accomplishment that is Shakespeare just stunned me. I feel proud and amazed that I have finally come to know these works. And because Shakespeare must be in a class by himself, the other book that has left a mark with me is Blood Meridian. I’ve never read anything like it, and much like I feel when reading Joyce, I kept saying to myself ‘where did he come up with this?’ The depths of an authors imagination are deep indeed. 2. Favorite character is Hamlet. I have been thinking about him all year. I do not find him whiny, he is tortured and sensitive, conflicted. His lines are some of the most famous in literature and since he was only my 2nd ever play from Shakespeare, he is a dear friend. 3. A big insight I uncovered is when Ben’s phrase about writing proved itself to be true over and over. Ben always says you don’t know what you think until you start writing. I never think about my posts before commenting in our book discussions. I start typing & out of nowhere some theory, theme or opinion unravels itself -something that was brewing underneath but barely a cohesive thought. It’s amazing how a full fledged idea just seems to type itself when I had t realized that was my thinking about a particular chapter or book. It’s been a wonderful discovery. 4. New approaches: reading multiple books at once and still struggling with this. I’ve always devoured one book at a time, living with that family until the journey ended. I will keep up with many books at once and try to find more time for journaling to help with this method. 5. Quotes that I can’t stop thinking about, because I can’t pick one are certainly from Hamlet and Macbeth. ‘Filled with scorpions is my mind’ has been on repeat all year. ‘Shuffle off this mortal coil..’ ‘the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns’ must be the most beautiful description of death I have ever read. I’m thrilled to have these works as part of my being now. What a year of rich discovery and spiritual nourishment this has been.

Tanya

I have read many, many books this year. For pleasure, challenge, or responsibility (as a book reviewer), it's a LOT to condense into one-off answers, but I'll do my level best with first instinct, with the acknowledgement that these answers are prone to, and certainly will, change. -Book That Resonated: 'The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley' I would happily travel back in time to tell my younger self not to fear poetry. -Favourite Character: Christopher Wolfe, 'Ink & Bone' (The Great Library Series). -Insights Uncovered: My knee-jerk reaction & firm opinion of a character is allowed to change as I purposefully strive to understand them more, and I will not blame my INFJ nature on a failure to provide such a chance. (I'm looking at you, Stepan Oblonsky) -New Approaches: After reading over 200 books this year, my goal is now to read more by reading less. Benjamin has also inspired some new love for deep reading methods... I will not fear to write in my books. -Quote: "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge." -Edgar Allen Poe, 'The Cask of Amontillado'. Because my own child, who I used to read aloud to since even before she was borne, is now reciting lines from her own favourites so often, I absorb them too. Parenting win.