Fourth Friday Book Club in May
Fri, May 23, 2025, 2pm
I, Claudius by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934, will be up for discussion when UMRA's Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom on May 23.
Newcomers are welcome.
This novel, published in 1938, is among the most celebrated of historical fiction. The time and place, the first half of the century of Imperial Rome.
All in one package, there is intrigue (all the time), depravity, bloody purges, good history and a back story of the deified Caligula. Much that is known of Caligula is as relentlessly cruel and by some accounts, insane. Upon his death by assassination, in an apparent instant Claudius becomes Emperor and manages the extraordinary: he survives and manages to rule for thirteen years.
In the form of a diary, good history, also rich with gossip and scandal, also of military triumphs, and never without the endless intrigue for power and influence among the members of the imperial family.
I Claudius, the recipient of numerous literary awards, is a very satisfying book selection.
COMING UP THIS SUMMER:
Friday, June27, 2025: H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
Friday, July 25, 2025: Still Life by Louise Penny
Friday, August 22, 2025: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Email Dorothy Marden if you have questions or to let us know of your interest.
Upcoming Events
Meeting to plan books for next year.
There has been a lot in the news recently about the University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Physicians, and Fairview Health Services. Please join us at breakfast on January 8 for a respectful and engaging discussion of their relationship.
The theme for January is great MN views.
52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander will be the selection for discussion when the UMRA Book Club gathers via Zoom for its first monthly meeting of 2026.
Developing a sense of identity is a central psychological task of the lifespan. Memories and stories from our personal past, as well as cultural memories and stories in society play key roles in how we develop our identities. This presentation will discuss psychological theory and research on how memories and stories make us who we are.
When you are of Icelandic descent you can trace your ancestors back to around 1200 and sometimes further.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
Here’s another great opportunity to buy discounted tickets and join your UMRA friends to cheer for the Gophers when the Women’s Basketball team hosts the Purdue Boilermakers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on February 1.
Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate Groundhog Day on Monday, February 2.
UMRA’s special event for this winter will again be a celebration of brighter days and the approaching end of winter. We’ll have food, fellowship, and music provided by Urban Sound, one of the University’s premier student a cappella ensembles.
Family history with Jim Kurle. A tale of Swedish emigration to Dunn County, North Dakota, including my grandfather whose unusual relationship to several churches and religion in general was one of the reasons for his emigrating.
UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity tour on Thursday, February 12, will offer an inside look into the rich resources of the University Libraries Borchert Map Library. Map Librarian Ryan Mattke will showcase the treasures and innovations of one of the largest map libraries in the U.S.
Growing Up by Russell Baker.