Every once in a while, it's time to forego the best seller list and reach into the past for a good book. So if you're looking for a reason to read (or re-read) a literary classic, the Big City Book Club has chosen Henry James's "Washington Square" as its next selection. The choice is in conjunction with "The Heiress," a 1947 play currently on Broadway.
"James's short, potent novel about a wealthy doctor, his plain daughter and the young man of highly dubious ambitions who comes between them is a classic tale of New York social climbing," says the New York Times, which sponsors the Big City Book Club.
The date and time of the BCBC discussion will be announced soon. To become a member and receive updates about future chats, send an e-mail with "Join" in the subject line to bigcity@nytimes.com.
The current cast of "The Heiress" includes Jessica Chastain, David Straithairn, and Dan Stevens. Oldtimers will recall Olivia DeHavilland, Ralph Richardson and the incomparable Montgomery Clift in the roles.
Yes, I was thinking of re-reading this, spurred on by the play's revival. My book club did it a few years ago. We had an actress in the group and so we read a lot of plays also, including Dukke Hus (Doll House) which I read in Norwegian and other Ibsen works. Looking forward to the book and the play. I understand Chastain didn't get such a good review.
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