Now that we've agreed upon a first book, we need to have an idea of how we'll proceed with it. Let me set out some tentative ideas.

1. We start now with our reading, without waiting for these ideas to be finalized.
2. We allow a month for each book. Is that long enough to read the book, but short enough to give us a substantial number per year?
3. Everyone should feel free to post along the way, without waiting to finish the book.
4. Posts can be in multiple threads as appropriate, not all mixed into one thread. But include "FM" (for Flashman) in the title of each thread so that later, when we have multiple books, we'll be able to tell which thread in this forum pertains to which book.
5. Schedule book-discussion in our chat forum, for those who also wish to real-time discussion. I'd suggest two discussions in the month, as we read.
6. Assuming two discussions, read half the book by the first, and all by the second.
7. In my copy page 185 is a decent halfway point. For those with different pagination, page 185 is a chapter beginning "The fellow with the lantern-jaw was called Messervy".
8. Assuming two discussions, they could be on Saturdays March 18 and April 1, at 6:00 P.M. London Time. This is the same time we have our chats, but on different Saturdays.

Comments, suggestions, etc. etc. etc.?

(Typo corrected as noted by saranita. )

This message has been edited. Last edited by: shufitz,

The above all looks eminently sensible. I can't see anything I disagree with.

I think it might be an idea to set a slightly more defined schudule. Not to stop people reading ahead but to ensure that we don't inadvertantly post spoilers.
With that in mind I'd say we should say "Read to here, and discuss aspects to here", "Read on to here.." etc.

It's made more difficult with this book by the lack of chapter numbers but I think we need the principle.

OR as we now have a separate group whoever posts anything into a thread should START by saying where they have reached, so that others won't accidentally read threads about stuff they haven't got to yet.

It's a legitimate concern, but is it feasible to deal with inadvertant spoilers another way?

arnie, can the system be set up so that a post made will not appear until the a designated "moderator" (who'd be someone who's already read the whole book) approves it as spoiler-free? Bob, would that approach solve the spoiler problem, and if so are you willing to take on the moderator role? I'd feel a great deal of confidence in your judgement on both those aspects.

Sure. I'm just not convinced it would work. How would I know how far other people had got. For example - and I'm choosing one from a different book in the series here - there is a scene in the most recent book where Flashman not only abandons his guide but in order to save himself tries to kick her over a waterfall. Her onlycrime is to be hanging onto the bush that he wants to hang onto.

We couldn't really, for example discuss just how bad his conduct is without describing the scene. I'd have no way of knowing who has read it and who hasn't.

I think a much simpler solution is to make the first post of a topic a "You must have read to here post" with an approximate page number (editions vary) and the opening few words of the last chapter that you need to have read. Then people will at least be able to check whether or not they are there yet and can choose not to read the thread until later.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BobHale,

Bob, you know the book better than I, and I trust your judgement entirely.

*pointing out that March 18th is the Saturday, not the 15th*

Oh, Saranita, we do appreciate those editors.

I think this sounds reasonable, taking Bob's suggestion.

I think just saying "this is from chapter X" or "I have some comments about the middle of the book, after the chapter heading ___" or something like that will work best. I don't want to be prescripted in my reading schedule since, frankly, I will just lie about following the schedule anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by Caterwauller:
I think just saying "this is from chapter X" or "I have some comments about the middle of the book, after the chapter heading ___" or something like that will work best. I don't want to be prescripted in my reading schedule since, frankly, I will just lie about following the schedule anyway.

Trouble is the chapters aren't numbered. I'm not trying to be prescriptive I just don't want to spoil it for anyone by saying "Don't you think it's ridiculous the way that the aliens kidnap Flashman just as he's about to abseil down the statue of liberty." (I promise you that doesn't happen.)