Dickens Book Discussion Series

The library will celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Dickens in 2012 with a book discussion series featuring his works. Discussions will be free and open to the public, and copies of the books will be available to borrow from the library in advance. We will discuss:

The Pickwick Papers on Monday, January 16;
David Copperfield on Monday, February 20;
Bleak House on Monday, March 19; and
Great Expectations on Monday, April 16.

Born February 7, 1812, Charles Dickens was one of the most famous and popular writers of the Victorian era. His first novel, The Pickwick Papers, became a popular phenomenon while still being published as a monthly serial, firmly establishing his career as an author. He would go on to write some of the best-known novels in English literature, including those mentioned above as well as such works as Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and A Christmas Carol. His books are characterized by colorful characters, elegant prose, complex plots, and engagement with social issues.

The bicentennial of his birth is an opportunity to reflect on Dickens's lasting contribution to English literature and his continued popularity with readers after two hundred years. It will be marked by events, exhibits, and readings around the country, including the release of a new movie version of Great Expectations with Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham and Ralph Fiennes as Abel Magwiitch.

HOLIDAY HOURS

Haverhill Library will be closed Dec 24th (Christmas Eve Day), and Dec 31st, (New Year's Eve Day)
Happy Holiday!

Books & Music Holiday Dessert Tea

Join us on Saturday, December 10 for a refreshing break from the holiday bustle. The library will sponsor a Books & Music Holiday Dessert Tea, generously hosted by Mary and Bill Emig at the General John Montgomery Homestead.

Stop by between 3:00 and 5:00 PM to relax and recharge with tea, coffee, and holiday desserts in the calming atmosphere of this beautifully restored 18th-century home. In addition, you'll be able to pick up gift ideas for the book lovers on your list by browsing displays of titles that have been recommended by library staff, trustees, and friends.

Admission is by donation to benefit the Haverhill Corner Library, with a suggested donation of $8.00.

The Montgomery Homestead is located at the intersection of Routes 10 and 25 in Haverhill Corner.

We hope you'll join us to enjoy refreshments, seasonal music, and some discussion of books and authors.

Virginia Woolf Book Discussion

The library will host a discussion of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf on Monday, December 12 at 7:00 PM. The event will be free and open to the public, and copies of the book are available to borrow in advance. This is the third and final event in our fall book discussion series, which has featured novels by British women.

Published in 1925, Mrs. Dalloway is one of Woolf's best-known novels. It explores British culture and society in the post-World War I era as it follows Clarissa Dalloway's travels about London on a day in June as she prepares for a party that she will give that evening. (The novel itself, and its effect on three women in different eras, play a central role in Michael Cunningham's contemporary novel The Hours.)

One of the most important writers of the Modernist movement, Woolf was a well-known literary figure during Britain's interwar period and one of the central members of a circle of writers, artists, and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. She is remembered for her novels, such as Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Orlando, and for her book-length essay A Room of One's Own, a landmark of feminist writing. With her husband Leonard, she also established the Hogarth Press.

Like her fellow Modernist James Joyce, Woolf wrote a masterpiece set in a single city on a single day in June that nevertheless incorporates the history and social dynamics of its time and place. Her ability to refract an entire society through the consciousness of a single character is a remarkable achievement of empathy and creative imagination.

Jane Eyre Book Discussion

Join us Monday, November 14 at 7:00 PM for a discussion of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This is the second in our fall book discussion series featuring novels by British women.

Published in 1847, Jane Eyre was an immediate success, and it continues to resonate for contemporary readers with its vivid portrait of a strong, complex female character and its story of her passionate love for Edward Rochester. Bronte offers a psychologically astute portrayal of a plain and poor young woman's growth from girlhood to adult, while commenting on the social conventions of the Victorian era and the limits placed on her character as a result of her sex and class.

The fall series will conclude on Monday, December 12 with a discussion of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.

Book discussions are free and open to the public, and copies of the book are available to borrow from the library in advance.