Rochester’s Café Parlez has Fun and Food

Café Parlez, the fiction book club, which meets at the Joseph H. Plumb Library in Rochester the last Thursday of every month at 6:30 pm, is appropriately named – they talk (parlez) and they eat (café).

“I’d say once a year we’ll get a call from someone who wants to know if we are reading and discussing French books,” joked Jen Frasier, Library Assistant and coordinator of Café Parlez.

Fourteen people came last Thursday evening, with goodies, to discuss The Princess Bride, by William Goldman.

“How many of you didn’t read the book or didn’t finish it,” asked Ms. Frasier. Five people raised their hands and everyone burst into laughter. “I have a tough time with fantasy,” said Bunny Mogilnicki, “unicorns and talking animals… I can’t take that.”
Ms. Frasier asked how many had seen the popular movie and many raised their hands. The group sat around a table, where they placed their books and someone noted that all the covers of the book were different, both hardbacks and paperbacks.

Many in the group gushed about the book and used words like “classic” and “cult” to describe the story, which included wild beasts, a giant, a pirate, a six fingered villain and, of course, a princess and her true love. The group talked about their favorite characters, their names and how the story plays with our cultural perception of romantic love.

Ms. Frasier handed out a two-page guide of information on the book with discussion questions. At one point, the group discussed the library placement of the book under Young Adult. “Is this category appropriate… should it be under satire, adventure, romance or fantasy,” asked Ms. Frasier. Someone brought the October 2011 issue of Entertainment Weekly, which had a photo display of the actors who appeared in the 1987 movie, with then and now photos.

Deb Smith, who moved to Rochester from Northampton, last May, enjoyed the book club meeting. “This is my fourth time here and it’s a fun evening and a great way to meet new people,” said Ms. Smith.

The schedule for 2012 is available at the library and includes: Bel Canto, Room, Three Junes, A Visit from the Goon Squad, The Last Child, The Tiger’s Wife, Mrs. Kimble and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

The Plumb Library also has a non-fiction book group, run by Library Director, Gail Roberts, whose nickname is “the grand fromage’. They meet on the third Thursday of the month, at the library, at 6:30 pm. Several attendees belong to both clubs. Barbara Brown, from Marion, belongs to several area books clubs, including one organized by the First Congregational Church of Marion.

“The club gets people reading something they might not ordinarily read,” said Ms. Roberts, “It stretches their interests and it’s important to try different things.”
On January 19, the non fiction book club will discuss Two Guys Named Wes Moore, a nature vs. nurture book about two men, born in the same year who grew up only a few blocks apart and how their lives unfolded.

Ms. Roberts and Ms. Frasier decided to switch roles in March and Roberts will pick the fiction book and coordinate the meeting while Frasier will pick and run the non-fiction book club meeting. “We just wanted to mix it up a little,’ said Ms. Roberts.

Ms. Frasier has books available for anyone wishing to join in and distributes copies of Book Page, which lists book reviews of recently published books. Café Parlez is sponsored by the Friends of Plumb Library.

After a lively discussion about the book and the refreshments, the group was told about a yarn and pattern swop to be held at the library on January 21 between 2:00 and 4:00 pm. “Bring needles… there will be goodies too,” said Ms. Roberts.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

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