We’ll gather at Problem Library’s beautiful Inner Sunset District space to discuss "Vandover and the Brute" by Frank Norris, WNP Book Club’s featured title for January-February 2025 that can be purchased at a 10% discount in-person at Green Apple Books on Clement Street or Books on the Park on 9th Avenue.

Published posthumously in 1914, "Vandover and the Brute" has been described as an “unflinching” portrait of 19th-century San Francisco and its publication initially scandalized polite society, although it will read as somewhat demure to modern audiences. It follows a privileged spendthrift named Vandover, the son of a wealthy owner of slum properties in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. He dreams of being an artist but, lacking self-discipline, succumbs to the many…ahem…distractions the city had to offer in the 1890s. Although it’s often overshadowed by Frank Norris’s more notable (more controversial) works like "McTeague: A Story of San Francisco," the descriptions of life in the city presented in Vandover will be of interest to any aficionado of San Francisco history. And the main character’s trip to the Cliff House, which was still trying to shake off its less-than-savory reputation, is what caught our attention as west side historians.

Together, we’ll enjoy complimentary light refreshments and chat about the San Francisco we discovered in the novel. The discussion will be led by Sean Connelly, Humanities lecturer emeritus at San Francisco State University, and WNP’s Executive Director Nicole Meldahl, supported by photographs from the OpenSFHistory archive, related activities and listening experiences, and more. Even if you didn’t read the book (although we strongly encourage that you do), we bet you’ll enjoy an evening communing with neighborhood bibliophiles.

This event is free but donations are always helpful and RSVPs are appreciated so we know how many people to expect.

WNP Book Club is the perfect excuse to read books and commune around a shared sense of place. Launched in January 2025, this club is a partnership between Western Neighborhoods Project, your friend community history nonprofit; Sean Connelly, Humanities lecturer emeritus at San Francisco State University; Problem Library, an arts and education space for people of all-ages; Bazaar Cafe and Green Apple Books. All of our featured books can be purchased at a 10% discount from Green Apple on Clement Street and Books on the Park on 9th Avenue. We read one book that has a (sometimes abstract) connection to local history every two months. And, on the second Saturday of the month, WNP hosts either a Silent Reading Party or a salon-style Book Discussion in connection with every book. And yes, there is a limited-edition bookmark for everyone who participates!