\u201cFriendships of over six years were broken overnight,\u201d Rosa* says of the sudden, dramatic dissolution of her book club in Victoria, Australia some months ago. What started as a chance to share notes on the finer points of dramatic literature had become a real-life drama.<\/p>\n
The book club had been an important fixture of Rosa\u2019s calendar for several years and, like many others, was hosted on rotation in the homes of different members each month. Although its primary purpose was discussing books, Rosa felt it was equally about socialising, and members were encouraged to dress up in outfits relating to the month\u2019s book, with prizes for the best dressed.<\/p>\n
Cracks started appearing after a survey of the club\u2019s 12 members, all women in their early 30s, was shared to gather views on how it was working. When the anonymous feedback was presented at the next meeting, the moderator reported that most attenders felt there needed to be more \u201ccommitment\u201d to finishing the book, a comment which didn\u2019t go down well with some members.<\/p>\n
A few people felt singled out by the survey. \u201cIt came to be interpreted as \u2018You need to finish the book or maybe don\u2019t come,\u2019\u201d says Rosa. Although the group was ostensibly used to sharing different points of view, this gap couldn\u2019t be bridged: before the night was over, some members had walked out and left the group chat the next day. The book club hasn\u2019t met since.<\/p>\n
Book clubs are a staple in the diaries of literature lovers the world over and are reportedly increasing in popularity in Australia<\/a> and the UK<\/a>. Sometimes formed of friends, but just as often frequented by strangers connected only by locality, book clubs occupy a peculiar position somewhere between casual socialising and a semi-structured membership club.<\/p>\n Perhaps unsurprisingly, bringing people together, often with alcohol, then encouraging them to voice their opinions, can sometimes lead to bust-ups. Erin Johnson, 42, has been running her London-based book club for nearly 10 years. With an open invitation policy and 3,400 members online, the club usually attracts 10 to 20 people per in-person meeting.<\/p>\n Humans are complicated<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Becky<\/p>\n Inevitably some book club discussions \u201cveer off topic\u201d into wider social issues, Johnson says. She sees this as par for the course. But when characters don\u2019t mesh well, discussions can sometimes get heated and disagreements have moved online after some meetings. This is a step too far for Johnson. \u201cPlease don\u2019t air your dirty laundry on the public group for thousands of people to see \u2013 it\u2019s just meant to be a nice fun book club!\u201d<\/p>\n