About us
A social group for people who love books, cinema, debate, writing, expanding their mind and - most of all - having fun and making new friends. We welcome everybody, and we love nothing more than to have members propose a book that really means something to them, so that they can share their passion for that literature with others.
We aim to be a friendly social group where curious minded people are encouraged to share their opinions and ideas with the members. Our ambitious pursuit to create such a fully charged sphere of variable thoughts sparking around, comes with the risk of catching fire 🔥. Therefore, we have some principles which are geared at maintaining good debate and ensuring that everybody has the chance to contribute a diversity of opinions and beliefs:
Inclusiveness
While most of our discussions are quite civil and not particularly contentious, occasionally people will hear views they don't agree with. Note that inclusiveness means inclusion of viewpoints you may not like. The idea is that in the ensuing debate, everyone learns more, and hopefully comes to respect and understand the viewpoint of other members, even if not agreeing
Open-mindedness
We do occasionally discuss sensitive social issues, thus we expect members to tolerate open and fair discussion. [♾📃📕♣ ] doesn't promote any form of radicalism that denigrates groups of people by their gender, race, religion or orientation (in any direction).
Feel free to be fired up about a cause that means something to you, but also have the humility to accept fair critique in return, and not expect an echo chamber or a safe space. Our club is a place to make friends and to sharpen your intellect at the same time.
Consideration
Both the hosts and the attendees alike are putting effort in having a thoughtful gathering, so we kindly ask our members to be considerate about their commitments when reserving a slot in the attendance list by:
- Updating their RSVP to "Not going" when they are unavailable for the event anymore.
- Avoiding last minute cancellation, especially if there are members in the waiting list.
⚠ Please note that having more than 2 "no shows" (RSVP and neither attend nor cancel) in less than 6 months is a reason for us to consider blocking the member account.
FAQs
What kind of books are discussed usually?
We have hosted all kinds of books, from science fiction to classic literature, self-help to feminism, economics to history.
Can I still join the event without having finished/read the featured book?
Yes! you're still welcome to join to socialize and enjoy the discussion, as long as you don't mind the spoilers.
I want to host a book discussion, what do I need to do?
Any member in our group is free - and actively encouraged - to host a discussion after they have at least attended one event with us. For the organizers to create an event they should receive the following details from the requester:
- Book name
- Event description (optional)
- Date, time, & location
Are the discussions always in person?
Mostly yes, however online events could still happen.
Are all the events strictly on books?
Not really, we could have discussions about movies, articles, concepts, etc...
Upcoming events
4
Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street (short story)
Créa'pelle (The Church), 105 Rue d'Eich, 1461, Luxembourg, LUA companion discussion to our upcoming The Burnout Society event.
We’ll discuss Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener, a strange and sad story of work, refusal, and withdrawal. Byung-Chul Han later returns to Bartleby in The Burnout Society, dedicating a chapter to “The Case of Bartleby” which makes the story an interesting point of connection between the two discussions.Expect a similar kind of conversation and atmosphere, but this event stands fully on its own. You’re very welcome to join even if you can’t make the later Burnout Society discussion.
PS: there's a movie adaptation on YouTube if you prefer to watch it.
Book description
Academics hail it as the beginning of modernism, but to readers around the world—even those daunted by Moby-Dick—Bartleby the Scrivener is simply one of the most absorbing and moving novellas ever. Set in the mid-19th century on New York City's Wall Street, it was also, perhaps, Herman Melville's most prescient story: what if a young man caught up in the rat race of commerce finally just said, "I would prefer not to"?The tale is one of the final works of fiction published by Melville before, slipping into despair over the continuing critical dismissal of his work after Moby-Dick, he abandoned publishing fiction. The work is presented here exactly as it was originally published in Putnam's magazine—to, sadly, critical disdain.
source1 attendee
The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han
Créa'pelle (The Church), 105 Rue d'Eich, 1461, Luxembourg, LUOur competitive, service-oriented societies are taking a toll on the late-modern individual. Rather than improving life, multitasking, "user-friendly" technology, and the culture of convenience are producing disorders that range from depression to attention deficit disorder to borderline personality disorder. Byung-Chul Han interprets the spreading malaise as an inability to manage negative experiences in an age characterized by excessive positivity and the universal availability of people and goods. Stress and exhaustion are not just personal experiences, but social and historical phenomena as well. Denouncing a world in which every against-the-grain response can lead to further disempowerment, he draws on literature, philosophy, and the social and natural sciences to explore the stakes of sacrificing intermittent intellectual reflection for constant neural connection.
reference12 attendees
Past events
193
