Discussion date: May 3, 2004

What we thought:
This book holds the distinction of inspiring the widest range of opinion and one of the most vociferous evenings we've ever had -- proving once again that the best-loved books don't always make for the best discussions. No other book has ever received both a 1-star and a 5-star rating, with most of the rest evenly divided between 2's and 4's.

The high scorers found the book moving, thought-provoking, and inspiring, while those on the other side thought it simplistic and contrived, with little literary merit. But even those who rated the book low would have to admit we all thoroughly enjoyed the evening's discussion, which was still going strong after almost three hours!

Links of interest:
Reading group guide