Bucks County Community College's Final 2016 Book Discussion Set For Thursday

Bucks County Community College’s Book Discussion Group invites the public to the final free monthly meeting of 2016 to discuss The Fur Hat by Vladimir Voinovich at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8.

Publisher’s Weekly says in this sly parody of Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat, Voinovich targets the arbitrary, oppressive practices of the Soviet Writers’ Union.

The Fur Hat's protagonist, Yefim Rakhlin, is an adventure story writer whose work, although popular, is not well-received. When the Writers’ Union distributes fur hats to all its authors according to rank, Rakhlin discovers that he merits the lowest category: one made of cat fur. Rakhlin, who suspects that his Jewish origins may be part of the problem, is so incensed that he petitions various high-ranking officials to get his hat upgraded. Voinovich’s deadpan humor and impeccable timing make his satirical look at the Soviet Union particularly engaging.

At the Dec. 8 meeting, attendees will discuss and choose the titles for the January to June meetings.

Suggestions are always welcome, according to Michael Hennessey, the literature professor who convenes the meetings.

“There’s not much conflict over the titles we choose,” said Hennessey, who has led the group discussions for more than a decade. “We certainly often disagree about the value or worth of some titles and some characters, but it’s always a civil discussion.”

The Bucks County Community College Book Discussion Group meets from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month from September to June in room 114 of the Rollins Center, located near the Student Life office.

The campus is located at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown.

For weather-related closing information, call (215) 968‑8000 or visit the college's website.

For more information, contact Professor Michael Hennessey at (215) 968-8164 or Michael.Hennessey@bucks.edu.

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