How to Be Book Club - "Pedro Páramo" by Juan Rulfo

Existential crises are like a persistent rash. There's no cure, but if you're suffering from the Big Questions, maybe the How To Be Book Club can be a salve. Come hang out in Book Club Bar's back garden one Saturday each month, and join us in discussing works of philosophical fiction from across different eras and parts of the globe. We'll read the book beforehand (and do us a solid, if you can—get your book from our store), and then gather for casual conversation over drinks. Our usual fanfare will be available—coffee, beer, wine, and cocktails, plus some special brunch offerings! No preparation needed; just bring your book and your curious mind!

This April we'll be discussing a cluster of philosophical ideas—history, memory, and haunting—through our reading of Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo, with an optional companion text of Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological Imagination by Avery F. Gordon. Referred to by Gabriel García Márquez as "the most beautiful novel ever written in Spanish," Pedro Páramo tells the story of a young man who promises his dying mother that he will journey to the town of Comala to meet his father for the first time, only to arrive and discover a literal ghost town. Through the archetypal story of the quest for one's father, Rulfo explores many aspects of Mexico's history, namely colonial displacement, political instability, and the Revolution. Ghostly Matters explores how historical traumas such as these can and do powerfully manifest in the present day.

This month's pick: by Juan Rulfo
Optional companion text: by Avery F. Gordon

What your ticket includes:

• $8 off any drink at the bar

Grab a brunch cocktail at the bar and tell us what you thought of the book! Our informal discussion will be led by BCB bookseller Keri Kelly.

Registration is capped, so please register early if you are planning on attending. Please note: gratuity for the bartenders is not included. Please use your tickets at the beginning of the event.

Host or Publisher Book Club Bar