How to Be Book Club - "The Invisibility Cloak" by Ge Fei

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. No preparation needed; just bring your book and your curious mind!

This November, we'll explore ideas of consumerism, urbanization, and alienation through our reading of Ge Fei's The Invisibility Cloak. This short work of social satire by one of China's greatest living writers takes place in modern day Beijing and follows a broke divorcee who builds bespoke, hi-fi audio equipment for the elites.

To expand on these ideas, we'll pair it with Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle. Originally published in 1967, this work of Marxist critical theory is composed of 221 short theses divided across nine chapters, and introduces the idea of "the spectacle" as a social phenomenon in which relations between people are mediated by images or representations of genuine human experience, rather than the experiences themselves.

Both books combined are under 250 pages :)

This month's picks: by Ge Fei

& by Guy Debord

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.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Book Club Bar