And to be fair, I suspect this book is outside the comfort zone of most people on this board. It is part of another pattern, another genre. One of the reasons I thought this book might be a good idea is that it is an easy read despite having been labelled a classic. I feel fairly certain that if we had read The Years or Madame Bovary or another book that calls for thorough interpretation and deep discussion (which is what Tom and Greg seem to think the book club will magically turn into if we read a book like that), most of those here would never pick up another non-genre book ever again. Part of leaving comfort zones is to get used to it so that you can do it again.

Well, I knew what was coming. I had forgotten some of the melodrama and most of the action. And I was fine with it. Which, I suppose, means that most of the brunt of not having objected to this suggestion as a crime against decency falls on me.