Carol Stevens joined them at the table, having overheard the conversation from the living room."Sandra's being diplomatic.What she means is that some of the newer members don't quite meet her exacting standards."
"I'm not being unreasonable," Sandra replied, a defensive note creeping into her voice."I simply believe that if you're going to join a book club, you should actually read the books thoroughly and come prepared to discuss them intelligently."
Kate took a bite of the excellent apple pie while considering how to probe deeper without seeming too interested."That sounds like it might create some tension when new people join."She gave a chuckle that felt a bit too fake and said, "Like me."
"Exactly," Sandra said, warming to her subject."Take Patricia Dunham, for example.She joined two years ago and admitted during her third meeting that she'd been getting plot summaries from the internet instead of actually reading the assigned books.Margaret and I were appalled."
"Now, Sandra," Carol said with a gentle laugh, "Patricia was overwhelmed by her first few selections.She's gotten much better since then."
"Has she, though?"Sandra's voice carried clear skepticism."Just last month during our discussion ofGreat Expectations, Patricia made comments that clearly showed she'd only skimmed the final chapters.
Kate found Sandra's passion for literary standards intriguing, especially given her obvious frustration with group dynamics."It sounds like Margaret shared your concerns about maintaining quality discussions."
"Margaret understood the importance of serious engagement with literature," Sandra said emphatically."She had the same standards I do, which is why we often found ourselves aligned on selection disputes."
"Selection disputes?"Kate asked.
Carol Stevens shifted in her chair, looking slightly uncomfortable."Sandra, I don't think Kate needs to hear about our internal disagreements.Wewanther to join the group, remember?"
"Oh, it’s fine," Sandra replied."If she's considering joining us, she should understand how we operate.”She redirected her attention to Kate and said, “We vote on book selections, and sometimes there are strong differences of opinion about what constitutes appropriate material for our group."
Eleanor appeared in the kitchen doorway, carrying a tray of empty coffee cups."Are you telling Kate about your campaign for more Conan Doyle?"
Sandra's expression immediately became defensive."Arthur Conan Doyle is a foundational figure in detective fiction.The fact that this group has never done a proper study of the Sherlock Holmes stories is frankly embarrassing."
"Sandra proposed a three-month Doyle series last spring," Eleanor explained to Kate as she began loading cups into the dishwasher."She wanted us to readA Study in Scarlet,The Sign of Four, and a selection of short stories."
"Which would have been intellectually enriching for everyone," Sandra said firmly."Instead, the group voted for that ridiculous Louise Penny series that Jennifer had been pushing."
Kate noted the clear irritation in Sandra's voice when she mentioned Jennifer's influence on the selection process."Someone mentionedGreatExpectations…that’s not a mystery at all.So I take it you read more than just mysteries?”
“On occasion,” Eleanor said.“We’ll get into some literary fiction, maybe a clean romance here and there.But we always come back to classic mysteries.”
“Have the newer members been trying to change the types of books you read?"
"Sometimes, yes," Sandra said."We've gone from classic mysteries and literary fiction to whatever happens to be popular at the moment.Jennifer's suggestions are particularly frustrating because she seems to choose books based on what's trending on social media rather than literary merit."
Eleanor's laugh had a slightly sharp edge to it."Sandra, you're being unfair.Jennifer's suggestions have led to some excellent discussions."
"Have they?"Sandra challenged."When we readStill Lifeat Jennifer's suggestion, half the group spent the entire meeting talking about the television adaptation instead of discussing the actual writing.That's not literary analysis, that's book club social hour."
Carol Stevens attempted to mediate."Now ladies, every member brings different perspectives to our selections.That's part of what makes our discussions interesting."
"There's a difference between different perspectives and lowered standards," Sandra replied curtly."Margaret understood that distinction, which is why she and I often found ourselves voting together on book selections."
Kate seized on this information.She also realized that at some point, someone had put a piece of pie in front of her, which she began to eat slowly.It was quite delicious."So Margaret supported your preference for more classical selections?"
"Margaret appreciated intellectual rigor," Sandra said, using the phrase with a bit of pretension in her tone."She wasn't swayed by popularity or trends.When I proposed the Doyle series, Margaret was one of the few members who saw the educational value."
Eleanor's expression had grown more tense during this exchange."Sandra, Margaret also voted for the Louise Penny series.She wasn't as inflexible as you're making her sound."
"Margaret voted for Louise Penny because she was trying to be diplomatic with the newer members," Sandra shot back."But she told me privately that she thought we were dumbing down our selections to accommodate people who couldn't handle more challenging material."
"Margaret said that?"Eleanor asked, her voice sharp with surprise.
Sandra seemed to realize she might have revealed more than she intended."Margaret was honest about her concerns regarding the group's direction.We had several conversations about maintaining literary standards."
Kate watched this exchange with growing interest.The tension between Sandra and Eleanor was clearly more significant than either had initially let on, and Margaret appeared to have been caught in the middle of competing visions for the book club's future.
