Les Liseuses

So Delicous

2010-04-05T11:48:00.004-06:00

I have to say that I LURVES me the Hunger Game and its sequel, and I should just say that I am looking forward to the third and final book in the trilogy with a bit of crazy anticipation. For my recent birthday, my husband even got the books on CD for me so that I could have him "read" it so we could discuss it. And guess what? It's great even on CD.

The basic premise of the Hunger Games is that it's a story about 16 year-old Katniss Everdeen, who takes the place of her 12 year-old sister, Prim, to participate in the annual Hunger Games, in which two tributes (one male and one female, ages 12-18) from each of twelve "Districts" are selected every year to battle to the death. I like how on the book flap, it says, "Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love." Indeed!

This book is so well written, it's not even funny. It's harsh and gruesome in many places (mutations, tracker jacker "visions"), and yet lovely and so thought provoking in others (Rue's flowers, the song, the boy with the bread). But I was right there the whole time, seeing it and feeling it...it was if I came to a point where I was like, "Well, yes, it's just the way life was in the District, in The Games."

I was so happy that Katniss is a strong heroine. Jason (my husband) and I were talking about the difference between her and Bella (aka: Twilight's heroine). Oh my goodness! I think Collins does an amazing job at creating a love triangle. (I should say here that we also listen to Twilight on audio book just before The Hunger Games, and I think this is where I came to the conclusions that one of the books is so amazingly well written, while the other...is not as amazingly written. Both are very enjoyable, in very different ways, but one is definitely more complex in description and plotting).

I have so not done this review justice, but I'm so curious to hear what everyone else thought I wanted to get this posted to get the ball rolling. When I asked Jason if he was ready to listen to Catching Fire, he said, "I can't just yet." I asked why not? And he said, "I just got too involved in it and need a break." Yes, that is how I feel. But I kinda don't need a break.

Ahem. ANYWAY!

As I've been re-skimming the book, here are some questions I thought of as I was re-reading...

1. Do you think Katniss fell in love with Peeta during the course of The Games, or was she just using him for survival? (I'll respond to these questions in the comment section) How about her relationship with Gale? (this might best be answered if you've already read Catching Fire)

2. Do you think Suzanne Collins is/was making a statement about reality shows and the ever numbing emotions of their audiences? How/why?

3. Who do you think represents The Capitol if we were to look at the world today? Why?

4. Who was your favorite supporting character and why?

5. Do you think you could have been a contender in The Games? Why/why not?

Thanks, Ladies, for answering these questions! And thanks for reading the book. :)

Where Angels Fear to Tread...

2010-02-23T14:29:00.002-07:00

Oh, Katie! I wish it would count for me to say, "Ditto!" to your review.

So, yeah, this book was a wee bit tedious to go through, even though the whole time I read it I thought, Man, this is an AWESOME translation! As has been pointed out, it is gorgeous in description and he's very eloquent and that clearly comes across in English, but I think I use the words "wee bit" charitably because it took me forever to get through this book, as my interest often waned.

In fact, I finished the book and was like, Okay, I should really post while it's fresh in my mind, but alas! I didn't and I returned it to the library. Then, today, as everyone else's reviews popped up in my inbox, I was like, "I don't even remember how to spell the author's name!" So, I went to Amazon and lo and behold, here was this very interesting bit from the author himself (sorry for the cut & paste):

"Years ago, when I began working on my fifth novel, The Shadow of the Wind, I started toying around with the idea of creating a fictional universe that would be articulated through four interconnected stories in which we would meet some of the same characters at different times in their lives, and see them from different perspectives where many plots and subplots would tie around in knots for the reader to untie. It sounds somewhat pretentious, but my idea was to add a twist to the story and provide the reader with what I hoped would be a stimulating and playful reading experience. Since these books were, in part, about the world of literature, books, reading and language, I thought it would be interesting to use the different novels to explore those themes through different angles and to add new layers to the meaning of the stories.

"At first I thought this could be done in one book, but soon I realized it would make Shadow of the Wind a monster novel, and in many ways, destroy the structure I was trying to design for it. I realized I would have to write four different novels. They would be stand-alone stories that could be read in any order. I saw them as a Chinese box of stories with four doors of entry, a labyrinth of fictions that could be explored in many directions, entirely or in parts, and that could provide the reader with an additional layer of enjoyment and play. These novels would have a central axis, the idea of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, set against the backdrop of a highly stylized, gothic and mysterious Barcelona. Since each novel was going to be complex and difficult to write, I decided to take one at a time and see how the experiment evolved on its own in an organic way.

"It all sounds very complicated, but it is not. At the end of the day, these are just stories that share a universe, a tone and some central themes and characters. You don’t need to care or know about any of this stuff to enjoy them. One of the fun things about this process was it allowed me to give each book a different personality. Thus, if Shadow of the Wind is the nice, good girl in the family, The Angel’s Game would be the wicked gothic stepsister. Some readers often ask me if The Angel’s Game is a prequel or a sequel. The answer is: none of these things, and all of the above. Essentially The Angel’s Game is a new book, a stand-alone story that you can fully enjoy and understand on its own. But if you have already read The Shadow of the Wind, or you decide to read it afterwards, you’ll find new meanings and connections that I hope will enhance your experience with these characters and their adventures.

"The Angel’s Game has many games inside, one of them with the reader. It is a book designed to make you step into the storytelling process and become a part of it. In other words, the wicked, gothic chick wants your blood. Beware. Maybe, without realizing, I ended up writing a monster book after all... Don’t say I didn’t warn you, courageous reader. I’ll see you on the other side". --Carlos Ruiz Zafón

...and I thought, "Wow! That is fascinating." My very favorite part of the book were the visits to the Cemetary of Forgotten Books, because truly books affect our lives in different ways at different times when we read them, and how fascinating is it to think of a place where ALL books dwell.

Anyway! While not my FAVORITE book, I kinda like it better after reading about how it fits together as part of a plan by the author.

Katie, thanks for giving us an opportunity to read a very different type of book. :)

angel's game

2010-02-23T11:26:00.002-07:00

I have to say that I wasn't so engrosed in this story that I felt like I had to have this book done yesterday. I actually had this book at work and a coworker saw that I left it on a chair over night and she thought that I had left it for her...I wasn't finished, however, and so I let her finish and then I picked it up when I got it back. I wasn't that stressed about it.

Now, saying that, I have to say that I really did like the book. I thought the idea of crossing over into the dark side and not even realizing it until there was no going back is interesting. Sort of makes you want to try harder to stay on that narrow path. I really don't think David was aware of where he was going..to the dark side. He was "healed" by the "boss", but did he know at that time that he would never age or possibly never die? I think he was brought into the bowels of hell by the promise of money and doing something "important" and by feeling obligated to someone who really wanted him to be the minion he became. It was sad his demise. He really lost everything instead of gaining all that he was promised. All those around him seemed to be dying and he just got to watch.

I loved Isabella's character. I liked her strength and the combination with her vulnerability. She seemed as real Spaniard. The women are tough but can be gentle. Christina's character was sad to me. I don't think that she was in any better situation the way her life was going. She made all the wrong decisions and if she would have been true to herself, she wouldn't have ended up under the ice in the middle of a river. Sad but true.

I loved the intrigue and the historical information about Barcelona. I love that place. I didn't know many of the places he was talking about, but some registered. It was fun to be taken back to such a long time ago. Wouldn't it be fun to go to where we just read.

I also did think it was a bit of a cruel trick bring Christina back to him at the end and as a small child. I think David did his best in thought process of saying how she would never want and that she would grow up so different, but David was really in love with Christina and this relationship that was going to be formed wouldn't be the same as the one he wanted. Paternal instead of the love of his life...one he always thought about.

One other thing...as I was reading, I kept thinking, I need to remember this passage or the next but I never has a pencil handy. I loved the was the author described things. You could really see what he was wanting you to. Barcelona had many factories that belched black smoke and the night it was raining and the rain was dropping in sheets of ink or something like that. Great descriptions. I think the translator really did a fascinating job.

Thanks Katie.

I just got The Hunger Games...only the first one, although everyone asked me if I was sure I wanted only this one...I'm excited to start!!! Michelle

Shadow versus Angel

2010-02-23T08:31:00.002-07:00

Yes, I know I'm late (thanks, Danielle, for posting). Even though I'm the one who recommended The Angel's Game, I didn't really enjoy it. You know how they say that you should never meet your heroes because they'll only disappoint? When I read Shadow of the Wind several years ago, I could not put it down. I loved the characters, the story, everything. It was just one of those books that grabbed me right from the beginning and didn't let go, even after I was finished with the book. I even discussed it with one of my German friends who was listening to the book on tape (OK, it was book on iPod, but...). I couldn't stop myself from recommending it to my friends. I have waited anxiously for another one of Senor Zafon's books to be translated into English, and literally jumped for joy when I heard about The Angel's Game.

Sadly, I didn't have the same reaction to The Angel's Game as I did to Shadow of the Wind. Mr. Zafon's writing style is still very descriptive and evocative, but the story didn't draw me in. I didn't like any of the characters at all - I was mostly frustrated with the main character and just wanted him to "snap out of it!" (Imagine, if you will, the scene in Moonstruck where Cher slaps Nicolas Cage across the face and tells him to snap out of it - that's what I wanted to do).

Reading this book felt like a chore. Yes, I finished it, but only because I felt like I had to since this book was my choice. But I would read a chapter and then leave the book for days (and days) before picking it up again.

Just a side note, I recently read a book about the life of Harper Lee. There was much conjecture as to why she never wrote another book. (Not that Zafon is in the same league as Harper Lee nor is Shadow of the Wind in the same league as To Kill a Mockingbird) In a way, I'm almost glad she didn't write another book. If she had written another book as amazing as To Kill a Mockingbird, that would have been great and I would have loved to read it - but with the great expectations she would have had to live up to, could that even have been possible? An almost impossible feat. And, if she had written several books not quite as good as To Kill a Mockingbird, would that have diminished its own importance? I don't know - now I'm just rambling, but this was just a thought that went through my mind as I read Angel's Game.

For those of you who didn't like this book, please don't let it stop you from reading Shadow of the Wind. That one will be worth your time. Can't wait for The Hunger Games (yes, I've already read it, but I LOVE IT!).

Caught in the Angel's web

2010-01-19T12:27:00.001-07:00

THE ANGEL'S GAME
** out of ***** (lol)

I am unenthusiastic about writing a review for Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Angel’s Game. After 531 pages, I am over it. It’s not like it was unpleasant, boring, depressing or poorly written. It was merely long and a bit confusing, and the characters didn’t draw me in. The thing that kept me reading it (besides having to do so because of the book club) was the mystery behind it all. Who was this man with the angel pin? What was hiding in the damp tower house? Would David find happiness? It’s not that I really cared for David all that much. It’s just that Zafon wrapped me into the story. And maybe that’s reason enough to read a book.

Here’s what I liked and disliked:

Likes: string of supernatural running throughout; use of ‘web’ imagery; setting of early 20th century Barcelona; the mystery.

Dislikes: flat characters who don’t seem to have any internal struggle, that we know of. David Martin is a man who seems to ride along life based on an easy computation of his knowledge of what he wants to do and accepting the opportunities that come his way. It’s all external struggle. Since I am an ‘Internal Struggle’ kind of girl, I am often disappointed in characters who don’t seem to face this struggle. Or maybe, in reality, I have a hard time being empathetic to such characters. Had Martin had to have faced such a struggle, though, author Zafon would have had a lot of work on his hands, for the book itself is a web of events, plentiful characters and a convoluted mystery. I got especially confused when the author went back in time to explain past events. I kept forgetting who the main players were.

A side note: Throughout the read, I kept wondering why the book seemed so familiar. Then I realized that I had read Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind for a previous book club. I didn’t write a review for that one. Our M.O. was to go to a restaurant or prepare a meal that related to the culture of the book, then discuss the book over the meal. We went out for tapas for Shadow, and all I remember is drinking sangria and flirting with the waiter, Robert!

The Dark Divine

2009-11-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

One of my roomates from BYU is getting published on Dec. 22nd! I can't wait for her book to come out! It is called The Dark Divine by Bree Despain and it is YA fiction, a paranormal Prodigal Son story. The publisher bought her first book and a sequel which she is currently writing(she's also already sold the rights in a couple other languages so it is obviously hitting the right notes with those who have read it). The Romantic Times is publishing the first 6 chapters(the first two chapters are already there in two separate posts on their blog) of the book online so you can go and check it out there and see if you want it for Christmas (I know I do! I keep trying to get my hands on an ARC but it hasn't happened yet!). Bree has an awesome giveaway on her blog right now too so you can try to get a hold of a copy of her book that way too. Thanks for checking it out!

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

2009-11-05T17:13:00.001-07:00

So now it's been awhile since I read the book but I loved it! I went to the library and got all of the Shannon Hale books I could get my hands on. They were all very fun reads. My sister had been recommending her books to me for awhile and I am glad I took her up on it.

Princess Academy is not sappy or sweet. It's about a tough, smart,and small girl, Miri, who grows up in the unappreciated mining town of Mt Eskel. They are the only ones who mine Linder, the best stone for building I imagine a granite or Marble like stone). Physical strength( for girls or boys) is highly valued in their community and everyone goes to work in the mines after they reach a certain age. Except Miri. Her father will not let her work in the mines. She struggles with self-esteem issues and shame because she feels worthless to her family and community since she is not working in the mines. Then one day a messenger comes from the capital city saying that the next princess will be chosen from the girls at Mt Eskel and all girls between the ages of 12 and 18 are taken from their families to attend the Princess Academy to learn how to be a Princess. This has serious consequences for each of the families as they struggle to mine enough Linder to trade fr food for their families and need each family member to work. The palace sends guards who threaten the town into letting their girls go. The experience at Princess Academy is not what they expected as they are put in fierce competition with each other and shut off from their families. Miri discovers her worth and the worth of her whole community through the Princess Academy. This is not your typical Princess story and it is wonderful! I highly recommend it for ages 8 and up up up! (though an 8 year old may need it read to them)

Little Bee and a bit about P&P&Z

2009-10-22T10:58:00.002-06:00

Little Bee - Synopsis from the front flap... by Chris Cleave

"We don't want to tell you WHAT HAPPENS in this book. It is a truly SPECIAL STORY and we don't want to spoil it. NEVERTHELSS, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say: "THIS IS THE STORY OF TWO WOMEN. Their lives collide on fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there...

"Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds."

Little Bee - My take on the story... My sister gave me this book and told me that I had to read it. As it is well written, the story grabs you and not having all the information, sort of pulls you along. You are anxious to know why the characters are where they are and why they made the decisions they made. As the information is revealed you begin to ask yourself...What would I have done? How would I have handled the situation?

There is a statement that Sarah, one of the two women, makes. She says, "Little Bee had changed me, Lawrence. I can't look at her without thinking how shallow my life is." Interestingly they both took life changing steps and Little Bee felt just as insignificant. Upon self reflection, I have often thought that my struggles seemed so insignificant in my little life compared to some. I know that in reality, we all matter, but do you wonder sometimes if someone matters more than you? That your prayers aren't as important as others and that could be why you never seem to have those answers? Just a passing thought!!! Probably not one to dwell on, but rather, one to build from. We can then think, what can I do to make this world a better place? How can one little person help? I think, just day by day, doing one more thing better than we did yesterday, choosing differently, less selfishly and with real intent. Hopefully we won't have to make the decisions these people had to make.

I really liked this book but I don't want to give anything away. If you have a chance to read it, I would love to discuss more. Until then, a recommended read!

Now for those of you that are interested...I also read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and some other bloke. The book was P&P but made even more intense by the introduction of zombies. Apparently, this is the way the book was to originally have been published, but the original editors felt that there was too much violence and "reality." In fact, there was more risque verbage and high use of double entendre throughout. A funny and fascinating twist. Up next...Sense and Sensiblitiy and Seamonsters. I can hardly wait!!!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-10-19T17:14:00.001-06:00

I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I’ll admit it; I bought the book almost for the title alone – the Potato Peel Pie Society? Sounded fascinating. And it didn’t disappoint.

The entire book is written as a collection of letters between the main character, author Juliet Ashton, and several other characters including: her publisher, her best friend and several different citizens of Guernsey. Guernsey is an island in the English Channel that was occupied by the Germans during World War II. I never knew that the Germans occupied territory so close to England.

I wasn’t quite sure how I would enjoy reading a book that was written solely as a series of letters, but as it turned out I really enjoyed it. It was a great way to write the book in first person for several different characters. At first it was difficult keeping the characters straight with the different letters going back and forth, but that can happen in any book, right? I felt like I got to know several characters on a quite close basis – and I really liked the characters – I became invested in their lives. I was sad to leave them at the end. There was also a lot of history embedded in these letters, and I found that fascinating.

I can’t remember how the people in Guernsey first made contact with Julia – I think a member of the Potato Peel Pie Society found her address in a used book and contacted her asking for more information about… a book, I think? But after that initial contact, it was amazing to watch the friendships blossom through simple letters.

Although the book was set in immediate post-war England, and several of the characters had their own “damaged” stories to share, I found the book to be warm and comforting (and educational), like sitting by a fire wrapped in a blanket… cozy. I read the book rather quickly, but loved every minute of it. I highly recommend it to all.

Take two: 'The Shack' and 'Columbine'

2009-10-15T19:09:00.002-06:00

I read two very different books in the past weeks, and both are excellent in their own way. I'll start with The Shack since it's freshest in my mind.
Author Wm. Paul Young tells the story of a man hurting from the loss of his youngest daughter from a violent murder. One day, God writes the man — Mack — a note inviting him to a shack in the Oregon wilderness. There, Mack enters in conversations with "human" representations of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
That being said, this is not a book I would have chosen to read. My friend Patti recommended it to me (rather, she matter-of-factly placed it in my hands) one day this week after I spent part of the afternoon crying in her living room. I was grieving the loss of a relationship and the love it offered; this loss swiftly opened the floodgates to reveal the pain I'd hidden from the lack of love in my childhood, the lack of self love, the fear I have of sharing my true self with others. I've cried a lot in these last two weeks.
What makes The Shack excellent has nothing to do with what I normally admire in books. Is the story well-written? It's so-so. Are the characters real to me? They're pretty cookie-cutter. Is the dialogue peppy? Not really. Is it laced with evangelical themes? You betcha. Nevertheless, I've got about a dozen blue Post-It notes to mark the places that address what I've been facing on a deep, emotional level recently: feeling lost, unloved, confused.
First off, author Young portrays the Trinity in an accessible, lovable way. In this book, God is "played" by a large black woman named Papa. Jesus wears jeans and work boots, and he jokes about his looks being influenced by his Jewish heritage. Apart from their looks, it's what they have to say that makes this book worthwhile to me. The conversations touch on self worth, relationships (a lot about relationships), forgiveness, guilt and shame, religion and emotion.
Early on, Mack admits to Jesus that he feels "so lost."
Jesus replied: "I know, Mack. But it's not true. I am with you and I'm not lost. I'm sorry it feels that way, but hear me clearly; you are not lost." For me, reading those words gave me relief.
At another point, Mack expresses his fear about what might happen: "Well, I am afraid of looking like an idiot. I am afraid that you are making fun of me ... I imagine that ..."
"Exactly," Jesus interrupted. "You imagine. Such a powerful ability, the imagination! That power alone makes you to like us. But without wisdom, imagination is a cruel taskmaster." Jesus goes on to talk about living in the present, and how God does not accompany us into our fears about the future. How often have I worried about what might happen? All too often.
"Papa" on guilt: "...it's not about feeling guilty. Guilt'll never help you find freedom in me. The best it can do is make you try harder to conform to some ethic on the outside. I'm about the inside." This speaks to me about choosing actions based on what you believe to be right for you, not on what others think.
Finally, a conversation about emotions provides this: "[Emotions] are neither bad nor good; they just exist. Here is something that will help you sort this out in your mind, Mackenzie. Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions. Most emotions are responses to perceptions — what you think is true about a given situation. If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false too. So check your paradigms, and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms — what you believe.... The more you live in the truth, the more your emotions will help you see clearly."
This last one was especially important to me. I've recently come to realize one of my beliefs — one of my paradigms — is "I am not good enough." This distorts my perception of reality, and hence my emotional response. It probably has been playing a part in why my recent breakup has been so painful. The good news is I have been working to change that paradigm to "I am priceless, and I am loved." This book — along with some close friends — gives me faith that this is the case. I trust that I, too, will begin to see more clearly when this new belief becomes more of a reality than the old one.
So, should you run out and read The Shack? Not without a box of Kleenex.

I didn't mean to go on so much about The Shack but I do want to mention Dave Cullen's Columbine. A reporter who covered the story of the high school massacre, Cullen has spent years collecting information, police and FBI reports, interviews, and — most fascinating of all — the killers' own journals and recordings of their plans. I had a hard time putting this book down. Cullen clearly and concisely explains the massive amounts of information, so you don't get bogged down. The first part of the book walks the reader through that April afternoon in Colorado. The remaining pages attempt to answer Why. To learn more about Columbine, click here.

The Gospel According to Larry

2009-06-21T19:20:00.002-06:00

I was disappointed reading this book for the second time. My memory of it was much better. This time it seemed cliched and "Larry" was just soooo full of himself. He was a typical teenager though so I cut him some slack. I did think the book brought up lots of interesting things to discuss still- the power of the media, consumerism, materialism (I definitely need to cut down on some possessions). Then there's the whole anti-popularity kind of thing... My brother-in-law (he's 16) likes to dress differently from other kids at school and be his own trend; the problem is that he makes it look cool so other kids start copying him. Can you be original and successful and not lose your originality? I also thought it was funny how excited Larry was about all the vendors who sold goods at cost at Larryfest. Talk about awesome free advertising! LOL!
I also loved the way Beth called him out on all of "his" brilliant ideas after she found out he was Larry. All of his work was really hers!

Accordingly

2009-05-16T08:26:00.002-06:00

I’d read Janet Tashjian's Gospel According to Larry
weeks ago and needed a reminder about Larry, so I went to his blog .

The reminder came. I didn’t love Larry/Josh (I will later refer to him as just “Larry”). He didn’t feel real to me. His preachings sounded good on the surface, but I didn’t see any truths revealed further down. It seemed as if the author were piecing together a young adult novel out of Chinese fortune cookies or other snippets of wisdom, hoping that the audience was not discerning enough to see through her ploy.

Other “ploys” the author used that I actually liked were some of the hints Larry gave his readers, specifically the personal items he photographed and placed on the blog for identification. I also liked the idea in general, Larry’s having a secret persona in order to disseminate his ideas. It’s a little Shakespearean (Rosalind in As You Like It, for example). There was also the teen-age drama playing in the background, Larry hoping to get the girl. But I think the author would have had more success had she focused on her characters and their relationship more than the gimmicks.

The Gospel According to Larry

2009-05-11T21:00:00.002-06:00

I LOVED this book! I loved the story, the author's style, and the message (or at least, what I got out of it)! First, the story. I am trying to teach my students that they can change the world! I think some of them are getting it. [It was one of my Korean students that introduced me to, "Pay It Forward" after one of my "you are the future" speeches.] I loved how the "Larry" site took on a life of its own and the change effect snowballed. Second, the author's style. I found out right away that I needed to READ the footnotes. (I rarely do.) I also loved the way the beginning "Note to the Reader" and "Epilogue" make the story seem real. Third, the message. Simplifying life . . . getting away from materialism and self-centeredness is a message for our time.
But, another reason I loved the book is that it raises a lot of questions and made me think. At the end of my copy of the book is a "Reader's Guide" with 12 discussion questions. The first asked what my 75 items would be. That is a question I want to answer (I just don't have time tonight). Question 8 was about "media frenzy" and reminded me of our discussion a while back of "Welcome to the World Baby Girl." Question 12 asked what I (and my friends) would want to change. My answer has to include the reality check, "one star fish at a time." And then there were questions about Josh. Why does he do it? Why doesn't he close the site down? What if he had told Beth how he felt early on? Would he have created the site?
I am looking forward to reading your reviews! I know I have barely scratched the surface on this one. :)

A Beyond Late Comment About Wednesday Wars.

2009-04-18T09:42:00.002-06:00

I finally found a copy of Wednesday Wars. I loved it! I loved it for all of the same reasons that you all did. I too laughed out loud. My husband read, it for that very reason. He wanted to know what was so funny. It was fun to read your reviews, and remember all of the great moments once more.
Thanks for choosing such a great story!

Really Late Post for "The Alchemist"

2009-04-18T09:14:00.002-06:00

I really liked this book. I was interested in some of the comments that you all made in your reviews. My thought is, that having grown up in the church, many of the author's insights, seemed like common knowledge, or common sense to me. I've been spending a lot of time with my nonmember neighbor, and I'm realizing how much I take my upbringing for granted. I can see why this book would be life altering for people.

I was inspired by the authors introduction. In following our dreams, or finding our own legend, he says that we have 4 obstacles;
1. We're told that it's impossible.
2. Love.
3. Fear of defeat.
4. Fear of realizing our dream.

I can see how those obstacles have played out in my own life, and kept me from pursuing activities and interests that could have been very fulfilling for me.

It was a good pick. Thanks!

The Alchemist, a little late

2009-04-09T22:29:00.003-06:00

I am and have always been a detail-oriented person. I see grammatical errors and misspellings, misplaced books on library shelves, fallen strands of hair on sweaters. So when I first read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, a few things bothered me.
First, the fact that it is a fable with an old-school, biblical feel. I don’t mean that the language was biblical; there were no thees, thous, or yeas. Some of the events, however seemed far-fetched, impossible, coincidental, and other-wordly, not the work of man at all. Things seemed to just drop out of the sky to further our hero Santiago’s goal, he seemed to be along for the ride. The explanation? The Universe was pushing Santiago toward his Personal Legend. For example, when Santiago began working for the owner of the faltering glass shop, business began to boom. The boy magically earned enough money to cross the desert. When Santiago looked into the eyes of the girl at the oasis, he fell in love immediately, without doubt or even conversation. When Santiago dreamed of an attack in the desert, his premonition turned out to be real. And, to top them all, when Santiago was challenged to turn himself into the wind, he did so.
What does this have to do with details? The fact that there were so few of them. The explanation for these events was the same: Santiago was fulfilling his Personal Legend, and the Universe was working with him to achieve this goal. It was his faith (like the bibical Jonah, David, and Noah) that allowed him to succeed.
What bothered me about this was that there was no step-by-step recipe telling me how exactly he did all these things. When I turn to the book for these answers, I read that Santiago had to learn to listen to his heart, that he had to come to a deeper understanding of his place in the Universe. But I still don’t l know how he did it.
I know this problem is mine. I have always wanted to know how things operate. I constantly ask “Why?” and “How?” But then I remember what a wise, wrinkled woman once told me: “When I enter a room and flip the light switch, the light turns on. I don’t need to know how it works. I just know that it does work.” She was illustrating her faith in the Universe. For me, detail-oriented person that I am, I struggle with not knowing the answers and have always had a hard time with faith. Santiago did not. He dove into his tasks with determination after being reminded of the treasure he was pursuing. While I admired his determination, I did not relate to it and craved something more. This frustrated me as I read.
Something important happened after I read this book that caused me to rethink the importance of those details: I lost my job. I, like Santiago, did not cause this to happen. I guess you could say the Universe stepped in to help me achieve my Personal Legend. You might also say it could have happened to anyone, and there was no Universe at work at all. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how I respond to this change. My father once told me, it doesn’t matter what college you go to; it’s what you do when you get there. And there is truth in that. What will I do next? Will I coddle my fear or will I see how I can use this change in my favor? What did the boy Santiago do? He, at each turn of his road, dove in and embraced change. He remembered his Personal Legend, and he continued his quest for treasure. The Universe may have just handed me a gift. Maybe this time, I can learn to lay aside my need for the details and trust that the switch will keep sending the light my way.

“...You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world...”
~The Desiderata

The Alchemist

2009-04-05T09:35:00.003-06:00

There were several things that I liked about The Alchemist, but overall, I just couldn't give myself over to it and in the end, I just...well...it fell flat for me.

The Things I Liked:

1. I am constantly amazed at how authors come up with their stories. Seriously, the creativity is amazing and this book had me at times thinking, Wow. I didn't expect that turn, etc.

2. I love a happy ending, so I'm glad Santiago was able to find his Personal Legend

3. While there were many things that annoyed me about the book, I found myself sometimes teary-eyed thinking, *sniff* "That is so true!" There was a lot of wisdom and quotable things in the book.

The Things I Disliked:

1. My biggest bugaboo about the book was that it did indeed have a lot of truth in it...only to be mingled with the philosophies of men. And considering how popular this book is (my book touted that it was the most translated book on the planet!!), it only then continues to confuse people about the REAL reason we are here on this earth. So, my faith in what I feel to be true took umbrage with the book.

For example, after a certain point, this just sounded like one long promotion for "The Secret," about how "the universe" is working to do everything "it" can to help you succeed in getting your "Personal Legend." Whereas "the universe" is never defined as the Lord, He never gets the real credit for what takes place. See, I wanted Santiago to go back to the church and discover that the "real" treasure that he was unable to initially see WAS the Divinity of God, who is capable of giving prophetic dreams, or placing opposition in our path (ie: the soilder at the pyramids) or windstorms, etc. etc. But that didn't happen.

In fact, one of the quotes that I rolled my eyes at is this:

"...there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth."

Again, another example where it took elements of truth and then distorts the fact that "the soul of the universe" was something MORE. To me, that MORE is the knowledge that we lived premortally and first heard the plan of salvation. We KNEW then what our mission was on earth, but then we come to earth and the veil makes it so we have to "find our personal legend" again...but that legend isn't finding buried treasure in the literal sand, or fame or even wisdom or what we "really want" materially. It is learning the simple things like faith and repentance so that we can go back and live with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ, which is what all of our souls truly cry for...a return to home, because that is where true happiness, where our true "Personal Legend" wants to lead us.

So, I guess the book for me was like having all the ingredients for a great and elegant dessert, but after a few bites, you realize that it wasn't as good as you wanted it to be. It probably also made me realize I need to do more member missionary work if I feel this strongly about it.

UPDATE: I just got done listening to the first session on Sunday of General Conference and all I can say is that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf talk basically said everything I wish I could have said without being so clumsy about it.

The Alchemist - loved it

2009-04-01T00:08:00.002-06:00

I kept on pronouncing this book (in my mind) the achelmist before I found out what an Alchemist actually is. Now I'll never say it wrong in my head or out loud again. This was such a great read. You gotta love how short it was in length too. ;)

My friend recommended this book to me more than a year ago. I finally had a chance to read it, along with you all, and found that my dear friend could have written this book herself. All the advice she gives me and all the positive perspective she has on life, is portrayed in this simple story.

Some people know themselves early on. Some of us are still figuring out who we are and what we are striving for in life. Finding your purpose in life isn't the only key. One has to love them self enough to make good choices and feel content in any given situation. There have been many a time I have said, "It's just not supposed to be" or "I'm not good enough." This friend has said in those times, "Gina, you are acting like the world is against you and that isn't the case!" The universe isn't fighting us. The universe is actually cheering for us! If we want something badly enough, a higher power can help us achieve our goal.

This lesson is a great reminder no matter what your religion!

"When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there's no need at all to understand what's happening, because everything happens within you, and even men can turn themselves into the wind. As long as the wind helps, of course." pg. 147

And here are a couple quotes that hit me very deeply as an LDS woman:

"The wise men understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of his wisdom. That's what I mean by action." pg 127

"Remember what I told you: the world is only the visible aspect of God. And that what alchemy does is to bring spiritual perfection into contact with the material plane." pg 142

The Alchemist

2009-03-30T20:43:00.002-06:00

Ladies,

My initial reaction to The Alchemist was this is "psycho-babel," (not a particularly positive response). I felt like Coelho was "ever searching, but never coming to the truth." There were passages that sounded Christian/Mormon/Biblical (Urim & Thumim; Melchizedek; paying 1/10; where your treasure is, there will your heart be also, etc.) mixed in with ideas from ancient philosophers and cultures (the "ideal is created before the real," the pyramids of Egypt/Giza are miraculous, "beginner's luck and the victor's test," magic, true love conquers all, living in the "now," etc.). It was a fun plot line, but I didn't feel like reading it would lead me to truth, change my life, or give me deeply valuable or personally applicable insights.

Then I read the author's biography at the end of the book. I was stunned by the passion he had for writing and the great lengths he was willing to go to achieve his dream. I did additional research on Wikipedia just to see if his parents really put him in a mental institution where he underwent shock therapy for years because they couldn't accept that he wanted to be a writer. Rod suggested that perhaps he was gay and that's why his parents' reaction was so severe. However, that is not the case. He has been married to the same woman for over 20 years.

I have been trying to make some sense out of his parents' reaction. The understanding came through family. My husband, Rod, has a brother who is an artist. His life has been incredibly difficult. Rod's father once told us, "If any of your kids want to be an artist, hold their head under water until they change their minds." He was only half joking; he blamed being an artist for causing so much pain to his son. I can't believe how compassionate Coelho's response was to his parents. He said they weren't trying to hurt him; they were trying to SAVE him.

Coehlo was also kidnapped and tortured because of his political beliefs! With this background knowledge, "The Alchemist" becomes in many ways an autobiography. When I look at it this way, it becomes a much different experience. Survival/perserverance becomes the theme and the most significant part of the the story for me . . . continuing on against all odds; learning and growing from each experience. I'm glad I read it. :)

3 Bags

2009-02-09T09:07:00.002-07:00

I was disappointed as well by the conclusion of the book. She set up that great discovery of the other man's body by Ham and George, and didn't tie up the loose ends. We heard about the video tape, but that was the end of that. She was also so vague about George, his relationship with the pious lady, his wife, the other woman, and his daughter. I suppose that since the sheep didn't understand the complexity of human relationships, that the author didn't feel the need to explain in more depth. I was also depressed by the lack of human happiness in the book. The book was full of unhappy marriage, drug abuse, unfulfilled dreams, etc. Where's "la joie de vivre"?
On the flip side, I did appreciate a lot of the humor. There were times that I laughed out loud over what one of the sheep said, or the conclusions that they came to. I was planning to quote a few examples, but I already passed the book along. It was a fun book to read, but not a real page turner for me.

I did have the little jumping sheep at the bottom of my page. Very cute.

Three Bags Full

2009-02-07T10:22:00.001-07:00

It’s been awhile since I read the book as well, so I’ve forgotten many of the details. Three Bags Full had so much potential. I mean, a detective story where sheep are your detectives? How unique is that? However, I think it fell short. I’ll explain why later.

The names the author gave all the characters (both sheep and humans) were very interesting:
Miss Maple for the older, female sheep – quite the nod to Miss Marple…Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
Ham was an interesting name for a butcher.
Othello as the black ram. Interesting choices, just to list a few.

The author, by necessity, gave the sheep human attributes – like the need to be counted: “All the sheep were afraid of being missed out of the count, because then they might disappear,” pg. 67. I think it’s a human need to “count,” to matter, to be important to someone.

I think the book lost some steam somewhere in the middle – it was just too long. The novelty of the sheep detectives wore off with some of the minutiae in the book.

SPOILER ALERT
But here’s where I really think the book fell short. What started off as a murder mystery ended as a suicide. I think that was a cop out – rather than have the sheep actually uncover a murderer (which I think would have been very interesting. How would you feel as a murderer to be found out by a bunch of sheep), the victim killed himself. I just think it was too easy.

Anyway, did anyone else have the sheep drawings at the bottom corner of the right-hand page? When you thumb quickly through the book you get a jumping sheep? That was kind of fun.

Three Bags full

2009-02-03T16:19:00.003-07:00

Spoiler alert: don't read if you haven't finished the book.

I read it about a month ago sooo... I don't remember it well enough to do too indepth of a review. I enjoyed it. I liked the perspective of the sheep and their understanding of people. I thought the names were a nice twist - They lived in Glennkill and George Glenn was killed (not sure if those are the exact names but it was something similar). I wished for a little more background on the humans. Because we only heard things mostly through the sheep whole stories were missing. George and Ham fought over Kate- George won but stayed good friends with Ham and yet their seemed to be some tension there still... It didn't quite add up. Ham still pined over Kate. Kate was clueless about everything. George had a child with a married woman somewhere else? And Beth and George were really in love with each other but George couldn't take pining and stressing over the "Evil" in the village. Things didn't quite add up for me and the way he died took all of the mystery out of the novel for me. I would have liked it better if he had been murdered. (is that kind of sick and twisted? oh well...)

That being said it was a fun and interesting read. It went quickly and had some nice twists. I liked when Mopple was lost in the fog- that was an interesting part of the book. I liked the wolf in sheeps clothing (the sheep for food shepard). I liked the twin sheep that reappeared and the adopted sheep from the circus. Their were some cool analogies in the book. There was a good amount of suspense and the author had an interesting way of feeding us info.

Sorry I can't be more in depth. Maybe I will remember more as I read your reviews? Thanks for the fun read!

WW - Loved it

2008-12-10T20:58:00.002-07:00

This was a great pick. I was leary at first. I don't usually read young adult books. I wouldn't have read Twilight if you gals didn't suggest it. That said, if Wednesday Wars had a sequal I'd read it.

All of you have done well with your reviews. Once again I feel at a loss to say anything new. I'll just post my favorite quotes throughout the book.

Holling said it so perfectly about this time of year... I always wish for snow and this is how I will express it from now on:

"It's the kind of month where you're grateful for every single glimpse of the sun, or ay sign of blue sky above the clouds, because you're not sure that they're there anymore. And if you can't have sun or blue sky, then you wish it would snow and cover all the gray world with a sparkling white so bright that your eye can't take it in."

I liked this next quote because it shows how wise Holling is at an early age... not always trusting a surge of happiness, but describing it's bliss so perfectly:

"Life got brighter, and somehow, the world suddenly got brighter, too. You know how this is? Your walking along, and then the sun comes out from behind a cloud, and the birds start to sing, and the air is suddenly warm, and it's like the whole world is happy because you are happy. It's a great feeling. But never trust it..."

And then he remembered the death threats for cream puffs. DANG!

And this bit here describes perfectly of why I don't get up in the morning to exercise or even shower.

"It was cold and a little foggy - the kind of foggy that goes all through you, so that everything feels wet, and the cold starts to seep under your skin, and all you can think about is the warm bed that you left to do this to yourself, and you're wishing you had on your thermal underwear, and you're wondering why anyone would want to do this to themselves..."

This was just deep for a 7th grader. Something to remember.

"For it so falls out, that what we have we prize not to the worth whiles we enjoy it; but being lacked and lost, why, then we rack the value, then we find the virtue that possession would not show us while it was ours."

That's all Ladies... looking forward to this next read.

Wednesday Wars

2008-11-17T10:27:00.004-07:00

This book had an old-school feel to it. Meaning, it reminded me more of Judy Blume's young adult novels (set in the '40s to '70s) than the modern Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Twilight series. This had to do in part with the setting (1968 Long Island) but also with the character of Holling himself, the role of Shakespeare's works, names, and the role of women.

Holling Hoodhood as a character was not tormented by ADHD, addicted parents, low self-esteem, a dark crippling secret or overwhelming brilliance. He was just a self aware kid in the 7th grade. Those challenges he did face (lack of money for cream puffs, embarrassment over wearing tights, being faster than the 8th-graders) were explained away (as Holling notes) by the situation of his age and grade: "Mr. Goldman, it's been a long time since you were in seventh grade" (78).

Holling had a positive, humorous outlook on the "trials" he did encounter: "So I did it. I got through the whole dress rehearsal playing Ariel the Fairy while wearing bright yellow tights with white feathers on the ... well, I might as well say it — butt. There. On my butt! White feathers waving on my butt!" (78).
He did not cower when embarrassed by the photo of flying Ariel the Fairy dotted the school walls. Instead, he channeled MacBeth: "... there was a flash of inspiration and ambition" (102).

So, while Holling had his weaknesses, he was not fragile. He knew himself, he had friends, and in the end, he stood up to his father. At age 13. Some men never do this.

Something else that gave this book an old-school feel to me was all the Shakespeare. The author dug into the classics for this one. Not only was Holling reading the plays and quoting from them, but touches of Shakespeare's lines ran through the narrative: "Still, it was a June day to be blithe and bonny in" (243) when referring to the camping.

The author also played around with language. Holling is marked down on papers for using run-on sentences. Then we, the reader, see run-on sentences galore when Holling has hold of the narrative.

Another old-school moment comes with the names. This might be old-school in the sense that it reminded me of how I used to refer to people. Holling always referred to Doug Swieteck's brother as exactly that. No first name. Teachers and coaches had only last names. His friends had first names only. Holling's father always wanted to know Holling's friends' first and last names.His father was his father, his mother his mother, and his sister his sister; the change came at the very end of the book, when we learn his sister is named Heather. This shows his growing closer to her, using her name.

Finally, it's important to discuss the role of women in this novel. Holling's mother was a shadow. She acted as a sounding board in Chapter 1 when Holling complained about Mrs. Baker. That's it. She was not unique, she hid from us, like she hid her smoking from her husband. On the other end of the scale is Mrs. Baker. Independent. Brave. Giving. Challenging. Confident. She did not hide. She was a strong female role model in an age when women's roles were changing. Look at Holling's sister. She was angry and frustrated that Holling was being considered to inherit the family business. She challenged her father about her clothes, hair, education. Thank God for women like Mrs. Baker and for those like Heather, struggling for the cause of women's changing roles. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

To end, I just want to point out to Katie that Pete Seeger rocks; I'm not the only one who thinks so (108).

Oops!

2008-11-12T21:50:00.001-07:00

Sorry for that post. It was meant to go to www.zoopeters.blogspot.com, my personal blog. Mea culpa.

Note to self: pay attention!!!

I loved Wednesday Wars too

2008-11-12T10:07:00.002-07:00

I loved the self centered 12 year old perspective. I loved his sense of self and what was right and wrong. I loved the description of the saddest sound in the world coming from Mrs. Brigio and how he incorporated that into himself and who he was.

This book had a perfect balance of funny ironic and sad tragic stories. I hated his parents and loved Hupfer's parents. His dad was self-centered beyond acceptable behavior. I hope Holling grows up and works for Kowalski and assocciates instead. I was glad that Holling had good adult examples in his life.

I loved the way that the historical time period and shakespeare stories were intermixed with his life. What an amazingly crazy year in history! and I loved his Romeo and Juliet romance with Meryl Lee. I love that through all the pain and turmoil his faith in miracles was restored and despite his father's poor example he learned how to be a man from Shakespeare and other examples.

fun book! Thanks for the suggestion.

Wednesday Wars

2008-11-11T18:31:00.003-07:00

This book spoke to me on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin, but I think I'll start on a personal level. The setting is 1967-68 . . . my senior year in high school. I LIVED these events. I couldn't believe how quickly this book took me back. I was reading it on a plane to Utah and came to the part about the 5,000 Marines in Vietnam and suddenly realized they were talking about Khesanh!!! Rod's brother was there! I started to cry uncontrollably. I couldn't believe that Rod could be SLEEPING right next to me! I almost slugged him! Khesanh has had such an impact on our family. We have all felt some small part of the pain Rod's brother has experienced for the past 40 years as a result of the seige: PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)!

Second, it spoke to me on a professional level. I teach 7th grade. Every day I live with student/teacher, student/student, and student/family relationships. I had the great privilege of teaching my students during the 2008 presidential election and seeing their passion for the issues and their desire to have an impact on their world. I also had the challenge of keeping the little piranhas from eating each other for lunch!! 7th graders can be heroically kind and devastatingly cruel! I usually spend half an hour or more venting to Rod at the end of a day. Some of my students' lives are a train wreck. Others seem to have a glorious future ahead of them (no Perfect Houses, I hope). I pray that I will have an impact on some of them such as Mrs. Baker had on Holling.

Third, it spoke to me as a parent. I was ready to choke Holling's parents. I was appalled at the emotional distance between the parents and children in this family. I was so grateful that, at least, Holling had Danny's parents on his side. Rod and I have had several discussions as a result of this book. I know his parents didn't go to many of his basketball games and my parents weren't driven or focused on engineering our success through extra-curricular activities, etc. On some level, I think they sent us (at least the older kids in my family) to school and figured the experts would teach us what we needed to know. However, I know my parents would have done ANYTHING in their power (and did) to rescue a wayward child. I thought the implication that Holling's father was somehow trapped by his upbringing and that Holling, by understanding his father, wouldn't have to follow the same path was very compassionate and helped heal the hurts he experienced. (It also made me feel more forgiving.)

Fourth, it spoke to me as an English major. The use of Shakespeare's plays to develop Holling's self-awareness was masterful. I loved the literature, the allusions, the way the selections fit so perfectly with what was going on in Holling's life. It was such a well-written story. No wonder it received a Newberry Award!

Fifth, it was fun! The humor of the rats, the cream puffs, the Ariel costume . . . I couldn't help laughing out loud :) (Who knows what the other passengers thought!)

Laurenda, Thanks for a great pick. I told Rod he HAS to read it.

The Wednesday Wars

2008-11-11T14:30:00.002-07:00

I wish I'd written my review right after I read the book, because I LOVED IT SO MUCH! But now, weeks have passed and, what do I remember? "I LOVED IT SO MUCH!" I want to buy it for my personal collection, I loved it so much.

The basic story is about 7th grader Holling Hoodhood (what a riot that last name is) coming of age during the Vietnam War. He is the only Presbyterian in his class, and all his Catholic and Jewish friends leave on Wednesday afternoons for religion classes, so he's stuck with his teacher who assigns him to read Shakespeare. The result is a tale so gentle, so moving and so hilarious. We get to learn all about relationships, interwoven with bits of wisdom from Shakespeare. My favorite is the development of Holling's relationship with his sister (so poignant!); his relationship with his teacher Mrs. Baker (a main theme in the book) is so true to life. I remember as a young student being seriously surprised to see one of my teachers at the grocery store. Holling's relationship is like this with Mrs. Baker. Initially, he views her stereotypically as a "mean" teacher who hates his guts. By the end of the book, we see her as a person--someone who has history and emotional angst all of her own, and compassion and tenderness and bravery. And we see first love bloom. How great IS Meryl Lee? So great. I wish I had a Coke right now. :)

Some of my favorite parts? The "swearing". LOVED that. Wish I could remember some of them....OH well. And The Rats. Ohhhhhh, the rats. And how appropriately triumphant was it that the one teacher who left with a nervous breakdown came back as the principal and took care of the rats and was the hero of the 7th Grade Camp Overnighter? It kinda sums up how life can be.

Also, I loved it when Holling was pounding the chalkboard erasers and that huge cloud of dust covered the delicious puff pastries--how funny was the whole puff pastry thing? I mean, his fellow students hounding him for them, which lead him to become a thespian! And the consequences of that? And I loved that he embraced the role because he FELT it, even if it meant he had yellow feathers on his rear? And the rats (did I mention the rats?). And the tender scene where his friend gives Mickey Mantle back the signed ball??? And the strawberries? And, my favorite, where Holling cashes in his prize to pick up his sister (his second "saving" of her), after learning how to run, really run, from Mrs. Baker? These things touched my heart and tickled my funny bone. I was sad when this book ended because it was sooooo good. But I also closed the covers of it very contented.

So, if you haven't read it, it's so worth it. It truly is a feel good book.

The Wednesday Wars - Katie's view of the world

2008-11-10T16:57:00.004-07:00

I don’t have my book with me – but I’m sure I had awesome things underlined as well as amazing insights written in the margins. Alas, we’ll all just have to survive without my insights. ☺

I LOVED this book. I thought the perspective of the young boy (12-year-old?) was spot on, maybe a little too insightful, but nevertheless correct. Human nature makes us very self-centered – not always selfish, but self-centered. When faced with a friend/co-worker/family member who is in a bad mood, who hasn’t thought, “what did I do to make them this way?” The person’s mood may have nothing to do with us (and it probably doesn’t) but that doesn’t stop us from thinking that we did something. And Holling Hoodhood is no different.

This was a book about relationships – relationships between Holling and his teacher, between Holling and his sister, between Holling and the world around him. But the book also developed relationships between people in the world surrounding Holling. For example, the relationship between the lunch lady (?) and the Vietnamese girl was very touching. I cried when the lunch lady “overlooked” the girl when passing out treats (or something). I also cried when they came to terms with each other later in the book. I can’t even imagine how hard it would have been to be a young Vietnamese child in the United States during the Vietnam War.

This really sucks not to have the book in front of me. Anyway, I was quite impressed with Holling’s friend who returned the autographed baseball to – Mickey Mantle? – after the “hero” refused to sign Holling’s ball. Is that an accurate portrayal of the baseball player? Was he really that much of a jerk?

Thanks, Laurenda, for choosing this book.

Dear Abbey

2008-09-25T21:35:00.002-06:00

Northanger Abbey shares a lot with other Jane Austen novels: It is partly set in Bath. Women are chasing men; men are chasing women. There is a scoundrel in the character of John Thorpe. The story ends in a wedding. What this early novels lacks, though, is a mature and perceptive heroine, one along the lines of an Anne Elliot, Eleanor Dashwood, or Elizabeth Bennett. These young women were grown up. They knew their own minds, knew the right path (and took it), and could discern dishonesty and lack of scruples in others.

Catherine Morland stands out because she is so unlike Austen's other heroines. She looks to others for what's right or wrong. She fancies a respectable man to be a murderer. Obviously, Austen was younger when she wrote Catherine. This was one of her early attempts, so some tolerance can be granted. At least Catherine is still likable. She's fun, honest, open-minded. But reading her story is like reading a young woman's romance novel or a teenager's journal. That's not the worst thing in the world. But Jane Austen has fed us readers on filet mignon with her other novels. This one is like eating cotton candy. It's sweet as it goes down, but it soon disappears and is forgotten.

Of course, Austen may have been playing a joke on her readers. The whole novel may have been one big tongue-in-cheek joke on the Gothic romance genre: dark secrets, old houses (abbeys), dashing men. She just wrapped the joke up in a saccharin love story to make it more interesting. No doubt Austen herself was a perceptive woman with her own sense of humor. She makes fun of social classes in all her novels. Why not make fun of an entire genre in this one? In any case, readers are lucky Austen herself matured enough to write more solid female leads. Without them, Catherine would stand as Austen's lone heroine, and frankly, she couldn't take the heat.

Northanger Abbey

2008-09-23T20:30:00.002-06:00

Sorry I haven't written about this. I actually finished the book a day or two before the reviews were "due," and I wrote about it on my personal blog and then promptly forgot to put anything on the actual book club blook (I have no idea where that word came from, and I thought it too funny to change it. It totally should be "blog". This is, without a doubt, a sign of sleep deprivation...this actually might explain why I haven't blogged about Northanger Abbey yet! lol).

ANYWAY!!!! Finished the book while rocking my new baby and I have to say, you can tell this was written early in Austen's career. It was very very wordy. She sooooo needed a good editor! And I should know, because that's how I write and think. Many college term papers came back with pretty much that same complaint.

That being said, what a fun book. I love that Catherine and Henry seemed to like each other from the start and, yes, had some bumps in their relationship, but for the most part, remained on good terms through the entire book. I have to say, though, that the ending reminded me of a Louis L'Amour book...you have drama, story, romance and conflict, only to be resolved in the last few pages of the last chapter. I mean, seriously, Catherine and Henry were able to find happiness and get permission to marry even though Henry's father was a complete JERK (how scandalous that he turned Catherine out of his house like that, really!)! Thankfully, Henry's sister was able to marry well (!) to some guy we had never even heard about until the paragraph where it was revealed they had married (again, !!!!). But I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so I was actually fine with it. I'm just saying.

I did learn some interesting things. One, that gratuitous swearing/gossip by a suitor is a turnoff, regardless of the century. I'm glad Catherine agreed. Secondly, when the people went to Bath, England, known for it's restorative waters, they literally went to the Pump Rooms to DRINK THE WATER. Ohhhhhhh. I was wondering what the heck they were doing walking around in circles in the recent BBC/PBS version of Northanger Abbey, while periodically stopping to take a beverage break. Now I know.

I love Jane Austen, but I had yet to read this particular novel. Now I have and I'm glad for it. Wonderful choice. :)

Northanger Abbey

2008-09-01T10:42:00.002-06:00

Satire: A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.

My oldest nephew hates Jane Austen novels, reasoning that all Jane Austen writes about is the frivolous behaviors of pre-Victorian England. What I can’t make him understand (I don’t know where he gets his stubbornness from – probably his mom☺) is that Jane Austen uses her novels to attack such behaviors. Jane Austen’s heroines are usually stronger than such behaviors, Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, Elinor Dashwood, to name a few.

Northanger Abbey is not one of my favorite Jane Austen’s books, but I think it is her most satirical work – and one of her earliest. Northanger Abbey was written by Austen in 1798, revised for the press in 1803, and sold in the same year for £10 to a London bookseller, Crosby & Co., who after allowing it to remain for many years on his shelves, was content to sell it back to the novelist's brother, Henry Austen, for the exact sum that he had paid for it at the beginning, not knowing that the writer was already the author of four popular novels. The novel was further revised before being brought out posthumously in late December 1817 (1818 given on the title-page). I find it an interesting satire. (from Wikipedia)

Jane Austen herself was only in her early 20’s, and Catherine Morland is 17 (Austen’s youngest heroine). Although Catherine is the heroine, I think the character that best “attacks” feminine foibles is Isabella Thorpe – she really annoyed me to no end. Isabella always spoke in hyperbole (pun intended), and would then do the opposite of what she had previously said:
“…she was so far from seeking to attract [two young gentlemen’s] notice, that she looked back at them only three times.”
Speaking to James Morland: “I would not stand up without your dear sister for all the world,” and then not “three minutes longer” she said to Catherine: “My dear creature, I am afraid I must leave you, your brother is so amazingly impatient…”
To James: “Mr. Morland… I shall not speak another word to you the rest of the evening.” Then, “Isabella smiled incredulously and talked the rest of the evening to James.”

I really like the Masterpiece Theater production of Northanger Abbey. Less of Isabella and more of a Love story between Henry Tilney and Catherine Moreland, as opposed to the less romantic reasoning in the book: “I must confess that his affection originated in nothing better than gratitude, or, in other words, that a persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her a serious thought.” How romantic.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

WTWBG!

2008-08-18T22:02:00.004-06:00

I've fallen into a bad habit. I read the book and then blog on it weeks later. Fortunately, Welcome to the World, Baby Girl is one of my favorite all-time books, so I'll have better recollections of this one.

First of all, I really have enjoyed reading what you all think of this book. I read it sometimes when I am feeling lonely and want to be wrapped in the warm, comfy blanket Katie spoke of. I, too, love that little town of Elmwood Springs.

Flagg's storytelling is impeccable. It's funny. It's clever. It's fast. Her characters are well-drawn, likable, real (though slightly caricatured, the "villains" especially). Her humor runs through the book in unexpected places: the Valentines pull-over scene, for one. Aunt Elner had me in stitches all the time. Flagg also has a knack for tugging at heartstrings: the description of everyone praying for Dena when she was in the hospital built up and up until there was Aunt Elner, telling God that she didn't have anything to do and He could take her instead of Dena. Another tearful scene came when little Macky Warren had to knock on the door to tell Mrs. Nordstrom that she had a telegram, informing her of her son's death. Finally, there is Dena's own mother in the bathtub, looking for that one drop of blood. How lonely, how sad.

I guess that brings me to Dena's secret history. I sometimes skip over the chapter that describes her grandfather telling the employment agent that he has some Negro blood. I just can't stand it. I want him to take it back, to try again, to come back and give a false name. To "Apple Z" that day. It's such a petty, man-made thing. Hate. Prejudice. But, as I said, man-made. We are (wo)men. We are imperfect. Along with our prejudice and injustice there is compassion and hope. We can be the worst and we can be the best, but mostly I guess we're all just in between. Flagg just proves again without the one end of the spectrum there can not be the other.

This book is a book of contrasts. Flagg portrays her characters as almost opposites: Howard Kingsley vs. Sidney Capello, Dena and Neighbor Dorothy, to an extent. Even the setting. Neighbor Dorothy's house with its expansive back yard, her wraparound front porch, all the visitors stands in opposition to the sterility of the apartment buildings Dena grows up in.

The healing powers of this town play an enormous role in the story. When Dena is sick, she comes "home" to Missouri to become well. It's not only the slow and gentle pace of the town that cares for her. It's those warm, silly, friendly, lovable, capable people in the town, too. "Poor Tot" brings over food. Aunt Elner has stories of Dena's father, Gene. Macky offers hardware, Norma fluttering attention. These people surround Dena with all the love they had for her father, and she just soaks it all in. Her soul soaks it in. This town saves her life. Perhaps that's why I love this book so much - it feeds my soul as well as Dena's.

I'm glad you all could share this book with me.

Congrats to Laurenda and family

2008-08-09T23:11:00.003-06:00

On Wednesday, August 6th, Laurenda gave birth to her fourth daughter, Quinlyn Taylor. Mother and daughter are doing well. Best wishes from Les Liseuses - we still expect a Northanger Abbey post, though. :-)

Laurenda's oldest and youngest daughters

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl

2008-07-30T10:55:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I had hard time believing Dena's character. Her thoughts and attitudes about life were so different/so in conflict with the way that other people saw her. She didn't hide those attitudes and was terrible to waiters and others. I thought her behavior was pretty scandalous and I was surprised that it wasn't an issue for her because she was a media darling. I guess that just shows how the gossip shows have taken off that I expect that behavior to damage her career. I was surprised that they had to dig for dirt on her, I thought she was providing enough dirt with her alcoholism and her attitude toward others. She was lucky to have people who loved her so unconditionally 'cause she was pretty much a stinker. I just found it hard to believe that people couldn't see her detachment and hatred for others more clearly. But I guess that's where the detachment comes in- she didn't let anyone get close enough to see who she was and she was very skilled at being polite.

I liked that in this book we got to see her change gradually. I think Crow Lake was a little harder to relate to because Kate didn't get her wake up moment until the end of the book. We didn't get to see Kate change. The book at least ended with the hope that she would but most of the book was her narrating her detached self and she was harder to like. Dena was more vulnerable from the beginning and her conversations with Sookie highlighted her changing.

When I first started reading about neighbor Dorothy I thought of blogging. It's the whole new form of radio. It connects people in all the little corners of the world. It was interesting how the book didn't feel dated to me even though it was set in the seventies and the technology is so different now.

I was glad to see things come full circle and how Dena embraced her family at the end. I felt bad for her Grandparents that they missed out on it. I bawled when I read about her mom accidentally committing suicide half way around the world away from her baby girl. I love that Aunt Elner found that picture of Dena's mom holding her with love in her eyes. I'm glad that she could remember her new mom with that piece added.

I think I have more to say but I want to post this and my two year old wants to play a game. :) so... I will post and just have to comment later...

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

2008-07-29T20:43:00.004-06:00

Ladies,

I have loved reading your comments. I agree with all y'all about Dena's lack of self-awareness ("she is so shut down" just like Kate in Crow Lake) and the importance of turning-points in our lives (again like Crow Lake). I loved the prayers and faith and small town goodness that filled the book. I also loved the characters. I laughed so hard in various scenes that Rod would look at me to see what was so funny :) Fannie Flagg definitely has a gift! I had to call my son, Eric, the policeman to read the scene (pages 190-195) when Gerry was pulled over by the Highway Patrolman. I could hardly get through it :) And I loved how it came back it to play at the end of the book when Gerry sends a memo to Officer Childress with the "rest of the story." (pages 389-390)

On a more serious note, I realized that one of the overarching themes of the book was "truth" -- what is it? who has it? what are its ramifications? what happens to liars? what are the ramifications of their lies? Dena is such a liar at the beginning of the book. I don't think she ever thought about the fact that she was lying. The Paparazzi were supposedly reporting the "truth," but they were liars, too. I also was sickened by the realization that our society IS in a feeding frenzy for the WORST in people and people's lives are destroyed by lies and innuendo. An untrue accusation is damaging and so is the truth, particularly when it is misrepresented.

Flagg also demonstrates that people like Dena's boss, Ira Wallace, and the scum bag he worked with, Sidney Capello, (I thought his death was soooo poetic) and Julian Amsley, president of the network, can't stand anyone being better than they are so they have to drag them down somehow. It is so sad! I guess it's an extreme example of the "natural man." The irony of Dena trying so hard to become an "investigative reporter" when that was exactly what had destroyed her mother and her mother's family was huge!

One other thing I wanted to comment on is the plot. I actually thought that somehow Dena's mother was going to end up being part of the Rosemond family that Sidney Capello destroyed. At first, I was underwhelmed when I found out that her mother was living in hiding because she was African-American because I thought that wasn't awful enough. Hopefully, that shows that we have come a long way as a result of the Civil Rights movement. I have African and African American friends, as well as students, that are wonderful. However, when I put myself back in that era, I could see how devastating the "N" was. I felt such a great sadness for Theo and "Marion."

One question . . . Did I miss this? How did Dena live as a 15-year-old with no mother? Who paid for school? Why didn't someone report her mother as missing? Who paid the rent on the apartment? Dena didn't pose for the magazine until she was 17, right? How did she register for school, travel, etc.? Just wondering . . .

Loved the book!!

Welcome to the World!

2008-07-28T07:53:00.002-06:00

Firstly, let me just say that I'm loving the look of our reading group blog! So cute! Thanks Katie. :)

Secondly, I actually read the book! Wahoo. For me, getting into the story was kinda like getting into a swimming pool. I stuck my toe in, found it was kinda chilly, but eventually ended up just jumping in the deep end and ended up feeling refreshed and glad I did. Translated: I started the book and liked it but thought, goodness, this is slow going. So I read the end and I was like, Wait, Why is Dena hooking up with the psychiatrist? Which let me to the middle of the book (with Tennessee Williams) and that got me to go back and pick up where I had left off and then I read the rest of it, completely engrossed.

Conclusion: I really really enjoyed this book!!!! It took a while to unveil the mystery, but I thought it was fascinating. I had NO CLUE that was where everything was headed, did you? The conclusion with Marion and Theo was incredibly sad--I can't even imagine what that life must have been like, but I was so happy that Dena's character was finally able to find peace...literally and figuratively...in her life by "returning home," where she was LOVED LOVED LOVED unconditionally. The very best type of "rescue."

There were two parts of the book that really had an impact on me. Clearly the chapter where she goes to "interview" Tennessee Williams...I found this so profound, considering that "Welcome" was published in 1998/99 (I can't remember exactly), set in the 70's (-ish), but being read in 2008 and it made me totally think about the feeding frenzy we are experiencing now with all the "Brittany" "Brangelina" "Whomever is current" gossip and hounding. Even the political scene is all about digging and finding the most horrid and terrible things about people and "exposing" them, all in the name of "news". I thought the discussion was very candid and rang true for so many things concerning that "whore fame" where you are at one moment running towards it and then frantically trying to run from it.

The other part that had a huge impact on me was when Dena is in the hospital, trying to recover from her bleeding ulcer that nigh unto killed her, and the story tells of how she had this very diverse but incredibly large group of people praying for her all around the world. That totally had me in tears. And I love Aunt Elner's prayer of "I'm not busy and I'd love to finally see you, so take me instead." Ugh! I'm getting teary-eyed thinking of it again.

I love that no one was perfect in this book, but all these characters seemed very human and quite possibly, someone you'd meet (or have met!). I really liked it. Thanks for suggesting it!!!!

:) Laurenda

Welcome to the World

2008-07-27T17:20:00.002-06:00

Reading this book was like being wrapped in a comfy blanket in front of a roaring fire (in the winter, or course – this would be terribly uncomfortable in the summer). I had no idea where the story was going to take me. It was like I bought a train ticket for an unknown destination – but thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

Sometimes I really think I should live in a small town. But would I miss Barnes and Noble or DSW too much?

Although Danielle P. chose Welcome to the World as a “light” choice (after Crow Lake and The Kite Runner), it made me more introspectional (yes, that’s actually a word, according to dictionary.com, anyway) than even Crow Lake. And the parts of the book that caused this self-examination weren’t necessarily main parts of the plot:

During a conversation between Neighbor Dorothy and her daughter, Anna Lee, Anna Lee asks “Mother,” Anna Lee asked, “if you could stop time, when would you stop it?” Although I thought of a time or two where I would have liked to stop time, Mother Smith’s response to the question was amazingly wise: “…I don’t think I would…I’d hate to take a chance on missing something good that might be coming up, just around the corner, wouldn’t you?” (pg. xxvi)

Aunt Elner (loved her) asks Macky “What would you do if you knew for sure the end of the world was coming next Tuesday?” (pg. 61) What would I do? Would I be closed off to family and friends knowing that the end was near? Or would I try to be as happy, friendly and loving as possible. And, really, since I don’t know when my “end” will be, shouldn’t I live that way all the time?

During one of Dena’s sessions with Gerry O’Malley (what a patient guy), he asks her, “Who are you other than what you do…I’m not saying that other people may not be able to separate you from what you do, I’m wondering if you can.” (pg. 130) Dena’s put in a similar situation when Dr. Diggers asks her to describe herself in three words. Who am I? How would I describe myself? And closely would that match how other people describe me?
And then, later in the book, Dena finds herself: “Slowly [Dena] was beginning to feel like the girl she used to be, the one that had gotten lost along the way.” (pg. 376) Dena then quits the network – the only thing that had previously defined her was no longer needed as she discovered who she really was.

During a visit with Sookie (I think Sookie is Dena’s touchstone), Dena asks her what she would be willing to fight for (pg. 189).

Believe it or not, there was a theme in Welcome to the World that we previously touched on in Crow Lake – OK, in reading the previous posts for Crow Lake, it looks like it’s a theme that I touched on. What does that say about me? Anyway, it’s “how a single choice can change the direction of not only an individual’s life, but the lives surrounding that individual as well.” The choice in Welcome to the World was made by Dr. James Le Guarde. It wasn’t a wrong choice, it was just a choice with long-reaching consequences. When he was applying for a work permit and got the “N” stamped on it for Negro. Had it not been for that, how different would his life have been? His children’s? His grandchild (Dena)? This is not to say that Dena’s mother, could not have made different choices in her life – Dena did – but “that one second, that one letter, changed the course of [Dr. Le Guarde’s] life, and of his children’s lives.” (pg. 412)

What a wonderful adventure.

Crow Lake ... finally

2008-07-14T17:20:00.002-06:00

I finally have a chance to post on Crow Lake. In short, I liked the story although I don't think I'd ever go in for seconds. I finished the book about a month ago, so this review will be a little sketchy. I will try to do my best.

Crow Lake did not leave a lasting impression. As I think back on it, there is nothing that stands out. I felt no great loss or sadness, nor happiness or joy. The storyline was interesting enough for me, but it did not resonate with me. This is due, in part, to my lack of connection to the main character, Kate. Because her adult self was hard to reach in the story -- even for her boyfriend -- I was not pulled in to her emotions.

When I first started reading the book, I anticipated being pulled in deep emotionally. The narrator kept referring to a tragedy that was to occur later. It sounded so ominous. There was a lot of buildup. Even when a tragedy -- her parents' death -- occurred, I kept waiting for something more to happen. Although Kate may have also been referring to the tragedy of her brother, Matt, not being able to attend school, this still did not seem to tragic to me. After meeting him, he seemed happy with his life.

I guess this brings another couple of points: 1) We are all responsible for our own happiness and 2) What is tragic to one is not tragic to another. Kate in the book was very wrapped up in her brother Matt's happiness. I think her teacher, Miss Carrington, fueled this concern: The teacher would come by the house to tell the family that it "wasn't too late" for Matt to attend college. For a 6-year-old, a teacher can be very influential. As for the tragedy of Matt not going to college, in the end, Matt made his own choices. He seemed to have decided that not attending college was not a tragedy. He and his other brother also sacrificed for Kate herself.

Kate's perspective of the events during her childhood were very different from her brothers' perspective. It's that shade of childhood that comes down over what's really happening. Kids can't know what's going on in the adult world. Kate seemed to be stuck with this shade down for most of her early adulthood, too. I am glad it began to lift as she visited her family in the last scenes.

Crow Lake - Gina's Perspective

2008-07-01T22:01:00.003-06:00

I feel like the odd ball a lot of times because I don't like a book and the rest of you do. Maybe I took too long to read it, but I had to put the book down whenever Kate would move to the present day and her issues with Daniel - it bored me. I'd rather get lost in Crow Lake with the Morrison family and the small town idiosyncrasies.

I didn't relate to Kate at all in this story. I think I had the same disconnect with The Book Thief because Death was the narrator... not a happy soul. Same story in The Stranger. The narrator is so important to me. If I don't see eye to eye with the story teller, I have a hard time enjoying a book.

However I did relate to Aunt Annie, Matt, Luke and poor Marie. I was so proud of Marie for giving it to Kate at the end of the book. It was about time someone COMMUNICATED! I actually enjoyed Kate's shock and horror. It's really sad it took her so many years to re-think her attitude and open her heart.

Before I push "publish post" I need to mention a few quotes that I liked in the book:

"I remember it because both it (the juvenile wave) and her smile contrasted oddly with the fact that there were tears running down her cheeks. Take no notice of the tears, her smile and her fingers said. So we took no notice of them, as if they were nothing to do with Aunt Annie, and waved gravely back" (I saw myself as Annie in this scene... I'd be worried to death for those kids to be left on their own. I was releived that Kate actually wrote to Annie every week. I am sure it put her heart at ease.)

"Daniel is naive in some ways. He hasn't had to struggle for anything in life and that has made him easygoing. Undemanding. Not so much of himself as of other people. He is generous and fair and tolerant, all of which are qualities I admire, but sometimes I think he carries them too far. Sometimes he makes excuses for people in a way which almost denies them responsibility for themselves. ... The idea that we are carried along by fate, unable to resist or change direction, sound suspiciouly like an excues to me." (I loved this quote because Kate is my husband and I am Daniel in this situation. Just struck me interesting.)

"Because in an ideal world, effort, like virtue, is rewarded, and it simply makes no sense not to act as if it's an ideal world." (Beautifully written.)

Crow Lake

2008-06-30T15:20:00.002-06:00

I too loved this book. My mom's book club read it and she recommended it to me. Thanks for your comments Katie, connecting it with The Kite Runner. I had realized how similar in structure the books were until you tied them together- both hinge on one life altering decision made in childhood, both end with hope but not a complete resolution, both are fictional biographies. Their settings and characters were so different that I hadn't connected them but really in the humanity of their tales they are very connected.

I think Marie gets a bad rap from Kate. Kate sees her as purely horrible but that's because she is the one who takes away her brother and hero from her. She is so jealous of Marie that she can't see Matt's true feelings for her. I'm not sure that Matt didn't love Marie(though I'm not sure that he did either- he was definitely in a vulnerable position). He certainly acted like it- He burnt down the barn and filled in the quarry that held such terrible memories for her. He couldn't take her away from it completely but he gave her as much of a clean slate as he could. I imagine that he adjusted to the situation pretty fast. He was a smart enough guy to make the best of it too. He may not have gotten to study biology like Kate but he got to live immersed in it everyday. It seems that he was a man to surround himself with learning whether in school or not. He didn't teach Kate from books- he taught her from life. His only failing was in Kate's eyes not in real life. I was sad that they didn't seem to have anymore kids.

I loved Luke too and I had hoped that he would marry once his siblings were grown. I was happy that he became very successful. I loved the way that the author brought you up to date on everyone's lives at the end with out it being a summary epilogue. The way she did it was necessary for the plot and perfect for the ending of the book. I just like that we got to see all of our favorite characters one last time- in the present and it made sense in the context of the book to do that. Hope I make sense- I've got mommy brain. :)

I wish that I could find out what happened to the other Pyes that walked off of the farm. I wonder if they stopped the cycle of abuse. Maybe the cycle only continued with the one that stayed behind because the one that stayed was the one who wasn't brave enough or was too greedy to leave. They also endured the most abuse because they stayed. The story of the one Pye who ran away after falling into the pond terrrified me. I kept expecting her to say that they found his body somewhere when the snow thawed in the spring. When she didn't I had hope that maybe he made it to somewhere... So sad to think of an 11 year old boy journeying off in the snow soaking wet. I hope he had somewhere to go to warm up first...

I loved their community and the way that they banded to keep their little family together and safe. I loved the lady who came over to cook/clean/and babysit. I can't remember her name at the moment. She was amazing. I love that all charity to them had to be given in a certain way in order for the boys to be willing to accept it. They still had to have some control and while they needed help and accepted help it was on their own terms. I wished that the Pyes had had more of that community interference. I think that because they were a successful and seemingly whole family, people respected their privacy and kept their distance. They were the real tragedy.

It is interesting the assumptions we make about ourselves and the way that they lock us into place. Kate assumed that she could never love anyone. She assumed that she needed to go away to school to be a success for the family. She assumed that she had to lock herself away from people so that she wouldn't hurt again. Daniel made her see that she could love. She was a success and she loved what she studied but she also let it remove her from her family. She let that prize divide her from her love. Finally she realized in the end that her hurting was caused by locking herself away. I am thankful for the surprises in life that knock us out of our assumptions and help us to open up.

Crow Lake

2008-06-30T08:41:00.003-06:00

I'm finally getting around to posting on a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I believe that everyone else does such a fantastic job of sharing their views and thoughts about the books that we read, that I usually only want to comment on what others have written. I'm such a lazy bum.

I too must admit that Luke was my favorite character. I related to and admired his optimism that everything would turn out all right. He never seemed to doubt, or get overly anxious about the future. My mother is a true optimist, and having married into a somewhat pessimistic family, I'm so grateful that that quality that my mother possessed became and integral part of my personality. It make the trials easier to bear. I wonder, though, about his decision to sacrifice his opportunity to go to teachers college in order to keep the family together. Was it a purely selfless act, or was it really not much of a sacrifice? How much did he really want to become a teacher? The fact that he was so young makes me wonder if he really understood what was involved in providing physical and emotional support to children. I in no way want to insinuate that his sacrifice was insignificant in any way considering that I'm not sure that I would have been selfless enough to choose to take charge of my 2 year old sister at the age of 18. I just wonder if his choice was a bit naive or perhaps an attempt to make up for the distress that he had caused his parents through his moments of rebellion. I was saddened that he had not married and had his own children, but happy that he had found a skill that he was good at (furniture making) that provided him with a sense of accomplishment, and self satisfaction.

I spent most of the book wondering why Kate should have such a big chip on her shoulder. It did cause me to do some self evaluating and soul searching to find the personal demons that keep me from the more meaningful relationships that I could be enjoying with my friends and family members.

With Matt I was reminded of how life altering one pivotal moment can be. In a split second he made a decision that forever changed the path his life would take. I wondered if he would somehow find a way to take Marie with him and still attend school. I'm sure that in that day and age (What era was it anyway? I wondered that the whole book. Did it ever say?), and under the circumstances, that was nearly impossible.

I really thought that Laurie would eventually kill his father, they'd destroy all evidence, and the Pyes would somehow work things out. I wasn't worried about jail time for Laurie mostly because it just wouldn't be fair to be punished for ridding the world of such rubbish. My guess is though, that Laurie may have eventually grown and continued the cycle with his own son. The author really did know the best way to resolve the Pye dilemma.

Thanks for such a good book choice!

Crow Lake

2008-06-24T19:20:00.003-06:00

What a great book! I really enjoyed reading something set in Canada (part of my curriculum). I am very glad it was our June selection! I think Katie did a great job of discussing the turning points in the book, so I have decided to focus on the growth of the main character, Kate, and the beauty of the ending to the story.

I think the most telling line for me was on page 149 when Daniel asks her, "Does the word empathy mean anything to you, Kate?" I think there is a great deal of justification for her lack of empathy: her age when her parents are killed; the lack of discussion of feelings in her family / community; the fact that she is raised by brothers who really don't have a handle on their own emotions, let alone hers; and the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps and move on" era / society in which she was raised.

She reminds me of a PTSD (post-traumatic-stress-disorder) Vietnam veteran. It's as if her emotional development is stopped at the time of the accident and she is frozen until her conversation with Marie finally gets her to break loose and see things from a different perspective. That is the beauty of the ending of the book. The healing process has been going on for years for the others, and finally the healing process begins for Kate.

I, like Katie, thought that Laurie was going to kill his father and go to prison for it. I could only see doom and gloom in the Pye family future. I thought Lawson's ending was so much better than that! It was almost poetic. Calvin Pye had been destroying everyone around him for years. I know he was also a victim, but his final self-destructive act ended the cycle of abuse and allowed Matt and Marie a chance to have a decent life together. Because they inherited the farm without anyone there to drag them back into the pain of the past, their son, Simon, has a life full of love and future full of promise.

Thanks again for the opportunity to read a thought provoking book!

Crow Lake

2008-06-21T10:47:00.002-06:00

Crow Lake deftly illustrates how a single choice can change the direction of not only an individual’s life, but the lives surrounding that individual as well.

The Pye men choose to hate their children (but keep having them?). Weird. I understand there is a cycle of abuse, and that a person tends to adopt the behaviors of those around them, but wouldn’t an abused child – knowing how it feels to be abused – want to stop the abuse rather than perpetuate it? SPOILER ALERT I was sure that Laurie Pye was going to kill his father, not the other way around. That took me by surprise. I think it was all the references to the fact that Laurie wouldn’t take crap from his father, that he stood up to him, etc. that led me to believe that Laurie would be the one to do harm - "As a child, Laure too had burned bright with swallowed rage, but when he was older, he did answer back. Oh, definitely, he did answer back," (page 117). "Calvin had never stood up to his own father, according to Miss Vernon. Laurie did. Laurie would not be cowed," (page 203). The choices of the Pye men led Marie to be in the vulnerable situation she was in (I think), which then led to Matt’s choice. What a tragic family.

Luke chooses not to go to university in order to keep his siblings together. Regardless of his motivations, this was an honorable, mature choice. I mean, he was what, 17? 18? Maybe he really didn’t want to become a teacher and that motivated him to stay home, but he still took on a lot of responsibility for such a young man. The people of Crow Lake were amazing - rallying around those kids the way they did. And I was impressed by Luke’s faith that everything would work out al right. Luke is also faced with another choice, witnessed by Kate. Sally McLean, that tramp, offered herself to Luke, but he chose to turn her down (compare with Matt’s behavior). And I don’t think it’s because Luke is gay –there were foreshadowings of a relationship between him and Miss Carrington. Amanda and I were talking about the book, and we both decided that, even though the book focused on the relationship between Matt and Kate, Luke was our favorite brother.

Matt chooses not to go to university and accept the consequences of his actions with Marie. That is an honorable choice – and he’s made his peace with it and is happy. Matt loves his son and I think he grew to truly love his wife. I think Matt’s only regret is the effect that his choice had on his relationship with Kate. His choice is the crux of the book – it instigates Kate’s choice.

Kate chooses to see Matt as a failure. She chooses to allow Matt’s choices warp her relationship with her favorite brother. And this choice causes her to shut herself off from any other meaningful relationships (kudos to Daniel for sticking with her). I will admit, when Kate had her epiphany of self-awareness, it prompted a much needed one for me as well. It’s never easy to analyze oneself, to really understand why you behave in a certain way – but it’s even harder to do something to change it, so kudos to Kate, too. Crow Lake ended much like The Kite Runner – not with a perfectly happy-ever-after ending, but with a hopeful ending.

On a lighter note, I love the two extra commandments - Thou Shalt Not Emote and Thou Shalt Not Admit to Being Upset.

Sorry!!!

2008-06-15T17:13:00.002-06:00

Ugh! My apologies about the weird post. I have a different personal blog on blogger, and I inadvertently posted the comic entry on the wrong blog! Sorry!

Is this our book club?

2008-06-13T20:58:00.003-06:00

I quite like the British sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. It's hilarious - even when I can't quite understand the accent. Anyway, Laurenda recently watched my two favorite episodes, The Handsome Stranger and The Vicar in White, and suggested I post this scene. The premise of the story is that a female vicar arrives at a small English village. Anyway, in The Handsome Stranger, Geraldine (the vicar) starts a village book club. Hilarity ensues.

Kite Runner

2008-05-21T19:56:00.002-06:00

It was a painful and yet beautiful book. I too loved the perfect ending- life was not perfect but it was hopeful.

I actually thought Amir was a little hard on himself. He was a kid and he was reacting to influences out of his control in typical kid fashion. He was jealous of Hassan for reasons that he sensed but didn't understand or have enough knowledge to understand. His culture told him that Hassan was not a person but a slave. His father showed him different but also made him jealous because Hassan was everything his Father could have wanted in a son. There would have been sibling rivalry between them if they had both been legitimate- they might not have been friends at all then because of Amir's inferiority complex. They were able to have their strange friendship because of their situation. I got annoyed with Amir being cruel but his methods of cruelty were pretty mild- brotherly even- usually. He made up stories instead of reading the real words- stories that Hassan enjoyed. He flaunted his power a little but Hassan was good at standing up for himself subtly. He kept Amir from abusing his power too much(usually) by not reacting to his tauntings or simply offering his faithfulness and loyalty. My Mom used to tell my sister that my brother would stop taunting her if she didn't give him such a big reaction. Her reaction created all the fun. Hassan did this very wisely. Amir was a better person because Hassan showed Amir his faults simply by being Hassan.

It was hard to read about Hassan's abuse by Assef. It was hard to have Amir share in the shame without ever talking with Hassan about it. That was the worst- the months of non-communication and miscommunication. Later I think I was more mad at Rahim for not helping both of the boys through it. A child is not equipped to know how to deal with that kind of situation. Amir tried to avoid it and couldn't which is totally understandable. It was painful for him to set Hassan up and kick him out but based on later events I wonder if this was not better for him. Hassan escaped further abuse from Assef as a child. Based on the friend of Assef's who escaped at the same time as Amir and based on Hassan's murder- I think Hassan would have been terrorized continually by Assef if he had stayed there. Rahim said as much to Amir when he told him the story of his banished lover. Hassan was facing worse than Rahim's lover if he stayed and he had no one to protect him. I'm not sure that Amir could have done anything to protect Hassan in the streets from Assef. I'm not sure that even getting an adult would have done any good because he was too far from his father and most of the city did not consider Hassan person.
I thought it interesting that Assef was shown as the core of the Taliban- He being a man so impure and evil. It seems that was the nature of the movement- It professed to be one thing while in actuality it was another. It was a cover for hate and sin. It reminded me a lot of the Nazi reign of terror. Similar motivations and tactics.
I was proud of Amir for assimilating so fast the fact that Hassan was his half brother. That cannot have been easy. He spent so much of his life feeling inadequate and imperfect in his father's shadow. To suddenly discover his father was so imperfect(especially by his father's own standards) must have been very painful. He also showed bravery in taking the wife that he chose imperfect as she was. Amir was a better man than he gave himself credit for.

Kite Runner - A fabulous title

2008-05-18T20:56:00.003-06:00

I really enjoyed Danielle P's review of the book. She about covered everything that I would have mentioned. This was a tragic and haunting story. I still don't know if I am going to watch the movie because I am not ready to go back to that place [of heart wrenching sadness].

I didn't think I could ever forgive Amir for what he did to Hassan. I kept reading, hoping that something would make me feel better about that horrible scene... and the further betrayal (when Ali finally moved Hassan and himself out of Baba's home).

My heart just broke more when Baba got sick and Amir got called back to Afghanistan by Rahim Khan. The story of Hassan's mother coming back, the massacre that left Sohrab an orphan. Etc, etc. I just wanted to put the book down. I didn't though. I went to the near end and found the redeeming part of the book that helped me forgive Amir. Rahim Khan's letter to Amir... admitting he knew everything and encouraging him to forgive himself and make it right. The main thing he mentioned was that Amir was a child when he did those things to Hassan. A child. It made me rethink everything and what I would do at the age of 10 or 11 if something similar happened.

As for the title of the book and the ending... it was beautifully matched! Hassan a kite running hero at the beginning and Amir a hero at the end, teaching Hassan's boy the talent he surely had within him. The perfect tie.

Kite Runner

2008-05-18T15:26:00.002-06:00

It's been a long time since I posted (crazyness/lazyness are my excuses), and it's been a long time since I read "Kite Runner" (which I was in no hurry to reread). I really enjoyed the book for the good the bad and the ugly. I like a book that can take me out of the revolution of my daily existence, and help me to understand that the whole world does not live like middle class Americans. It helps me to be more appreciative of the life that I lead.

I could identify with personality traits of each of the main characters. It reminded me of selfish angry Scarlet and the loving, guiless, loyal Melanie (a bit of a stretch, I know) in "Gone with the Wind". I want to be the unselfish forgiving Hassan, but wonder if I'd be more likely to run when faced with a situation requiring great courage like Amir. We all make mistakes, and I hope that I have learned from mine.

The Kite Runner: Not something you want to have every night...

2008-05-18T10:47:00.005-06:00

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is a bit like Schindler’s List. It’s intense, difficult to digest, and satisfying, yet not something you want to repeat often. Its themes are common enough: guilt/redemption, father/son relationship, power/control, prejudice, human nature (good acts vs. cruelty). The storytelling was good enough, at times beautiful and breezy. The characters were well-drawn if a bit stereotypical. The conflicts were real. The glimpse into another culture interesting. The ending was satisfying. But the story was filled with such pain and tragedy, it was hard to get through at times. The ending was a relief, not only in that Amir earns redemption but also because I could finally put the book down.

While the story has enough themes to keep it interesting, I would classify The Kite Runner as a character study more than anything. We have Amir’s father, a strong and moral man. He is charitable (gives food to poor, builds an orphanage), a critical thinker (don’t believe all the holy men tell you), and a bit cynical. There is the bully Assef, who never grows out of his emotional smallness and parochial view of the world. His rants make him sound like Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter’s enemy: “We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here” (40). There is Hassan, the pure-hearted and loyal servant friend (much like Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (a character who, in my opinion, is the true hero of the novel). Hassan knows who he is, remains steadfast to Amir, and is eternally optimistic. He is the perfect lamb, and Amir is the slaughterer.

The narrator Amir, is, as his father fears, weak. As a boy, he lacks courage. He is given opportunities to grow stronger but turns his back on them again and again. As a result, he abuses his “power” over his servant Hassan by teasing him and using him as his own personal ego-stroker while at the same time struggling over his feelings of admiration for Hassan. Amir afflicts small emotional abuses upon Hassan when he teases him with vocabulary words and does not acknowledge Hassan as his friend. Amir happily receives the attention Hassan pays him when the servant boy praises his master’s writing. And Amir struggles with himself, he wavers between embarrassment over Hassan and pride.

On page 54, Amir cruelly asks Hassan if the latter would “eat dirt if I told you to” and admits to being fascinated by teasing Hassan – his friend, his servant – as if Amir were torturing an insect.

On the very next page, the author gracefully describes a scene that shows the admiration Amir has for Hassan:

“Here it comes,” Hassan said, pointing to the sky. He rose to his feet and walked a few paces to his left. I looked up, saw the kite plummeting toward us. I heard footfalls, shouts, an approaching melee of kite runners. But they were wasting their time. Because Hassan stood with his arms wide open, smiling, waiting for the kite. And may God – If He exists, that is – strike me blind if the kite didn’t just drop into his outstretched arms.

As time passes, we learn that fear rules Amir’s life. He is afraid not only of being physically hurt but also from being emotionally vulnerable. His father recognizes this fear in his son – as we see when he expresses his concern to his friend – and his concerns are justified.

Amir’s greatest act of fear comes when he fails to fight for Hassan as the boy is being raped (just one of the difficult scenes to read). Amir allows Hassan to suffer this indignity and then – to add insult to injury – turns his back on Hassan’s friendship. This event crippled both Hassan and Amir. Hassan “stopped smiling,” and Amir became haunted by guilt.

Ultimately, it was Amir’s lifetime of guilt coupled with his deep but often suppressed admiration that led him to redeem himself as an adult. He left his cushy life in America to return to war-ravaged Afghanistan. He suffered Assef’s beating and took in Hassan’s newly orphaned son as part of his own family. He was given a chance to make up for his lack of courage as a boy, took that chance with reluctance, and with it, took a step closer to purifying his soul.

The Kite Runner

2008-05-06T20:44:00.003-06:00

First of all, a hearty congratulations to Danielle Wheeler on her new baby (born April 14th).

OK - The Kite Runner. How different pre-Russian-invasion Afghanistan is from the Afghanistan we see on the news today? Even though toward the end of the book it was pointed out that the Afghanistan of the rich (Amir's family) was different from the Afghanistan of the normal person, it was actually heart-breaking to picture a happier, normal Afghanistan where kids can watch John Wayne movies and drink Coke.

I had a hard time sympathizing with Amir as a child. I was amazed at how much angst a little child could have, but also at how perceptive they are - Amir was so jealous of Hassan when they were little, and it was probably because he could sense his father's inner struggle. I did find the quote on page 51 very poignant - where Baba buys kits for both Amir and Hassan, and Amir wishes his dad would let him be the favorite. Doesn't every human have the need to be somebody's favorite - at least one person's favorite? Doesn't everybody want someone to prefer their company?

In the discussion questions, there's a question that references the pomegranate tree - "One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it: 'Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul.' Those words made it formal: the tree was ours." Then later in a letter to Amir, Hassan says that "the tree hasn't borne fruit in years." The tree represents the "friendship" between the two boys (although Amir earlier says he didn't think of the two of the as friends... in the conventional sense). How ironic that the tree that emblazoned their moment of true friendship would be barren for years - barren like the years wasted because of Amir's reluctance to stand up for Hassan.

I like that Amir had the opportunity for redemption - that he was able to finally defend his true friend. I like that Amir could finally make up for what he did - the he finally was able to become whole.

SPOILER ALERT: I really had no idea that the vicious Taliban member with the John Lennon glasses was going to be Assef. However, didn't it really have to be? I mean, for Amir to be able to really atone for the hurt he caused Hassan, the final "showdown" had to be between the original triangle - Amir, Hassan (Sohrab) and Assef. Why didn't I see this coming? Why was I shocked?

There is so much I could say about this book. I turned down so many pages when I read something I found intriguing, touching, or powerful. I like the ending as well - it wasn't a forced, contrived ending - it didn't end with everything being better. It ended with a little progress made by Sohrab. Amir's downfall began with a kite - and his new, redeemed journey begins with another kite. A kite - flying around with easy motion...

Eat, Pray, Love

2008-03-25T15:18:00.003-06:00

I am posting close the the deadline, albeit one day late :) We are in Seattle with our oldest son and his 4 little boys, the newest having arrived 10 days ago. While Cannon is at school, Henry is napping, Luke is playing with blocks upstairs and baby Matthew is with his mother, I am going to post my review.

I am posting before I read anyone else's because I wanted to review rather than just respond. Then I am looking forward to participating in the discussion because I think we will have a lot of different opinions. I do have to raise one general objection to Gilbert's view of the world. I found it interesting that she could be so tolerant of the non-traditional religious beliefs of others, loving mystics and all varieties of Eastern philosophies from Hinduism to Buddhism and associating with Christians-who-don't-speak-very-strictly (see pages 13 & 14), but, she draws the line at accepting (ick) Republicans! (see pages 48 & 88)

I found her to be typically broad minded and accepting of people who consider themselves "broad minded" and "free thinking" but as narrow-minded and bigoted about people who might have issues with her morals or disagree with her assessment of world issues as any of the conservatives she dislikes. (Good grief . . . she loved every word out of the foul-mouthed Italian at the soccer game!?! It was an "exquisite" and "lucky" moment to be sitting in front of him--page 69?! She seemed so much like the artsy, pompous, full-of-themselves intellectuals I have encountered in life!) She offers regrets for any hurt feelings "strictly religious individuals" might have to her writing and then summarily dismisses them as she excuses herself from their business (page 14). Using the label of "a liberal" is really too simplistic to summarize any complex human being (including Elizabeth Gilbert), but in the interest of time, "if the shoe fits"!

This having been said, I thought this book was full of valuable insights and enlightening views that all of us could benefit from examining. In other words, my plan is to sift through what I read then keep the wheat and blow the chaff away (including the parts where love turned into ????) Enough of criticism. Here's the wheat:

1) I loved her quest to learn who she really is. I loved watching her "transformation." I loved considering our need for food for the body, food for the spirit, and love in our lives. I loved her search for the quiet mind and for "balance" in life. I loved her acknowledgement that she should be the best in "Elizabeth Gilbert," rather than trying to be someone else. (page 192--"If God wanted me to be a shy girl with thick, dark hair, He would have made me that way, but He didn't."

2) I really enjoyed the section on prayer and meditation. It was rich with lessons on our relationship with God. I found much that was really "true." The idea of surrender to God, letting go of the junk, praying with focus, choosing not to harbor unhealthy thoughts . . . there was sooooo much in this section that has already been of value to me!

One final note, the ideas in Eat, Pray, Love are receiving consideration on many levels and in many venues throughout the world. Some call it humanistic, some call is faux or new age religion. On my flight here, I was seated next to a lady who was reading "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. We kept stopping in our readings to share insights with each other and they were amazingly similar. My seat-mate shared the "100 monkeys" theory with me. She said that researchers of primate behavior have found that if a new behavior is exhibited by a group of monkeys, that when the critical mass of 100 monkeys exhibit this same behavior, distant communities of monkeys with no contact with the original group will start exhibiting the same behavior. The theory is that life is all connected and that if enough people will start thinking about themselves and their world differently, we can truly create "a new world." (Sounds like life in the Millenium to me--they just leave out the 2nd coming!)

Anyway, I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book. I have already found changes that are occuring in my view of life and its experiences that have resulted from reading this book. Thanks!

--Karen Smith

Love eat pray love

2008-03-23T21:23:00.003-06:00

      A great big thank you to whoever suggested this book for our club. I found it fun, fascinating, insightful and stimulating. I relate personally with so much of Gilbert’s own insights and feelings, and I like her method of expressing them.

      Her writing is both direct and meandering, interesting and funny:

“I’m grateful for Luca [Spaghetti] because he has finally allowed me to get even with my friend Brian, who was lucky enough to have grown up next door to a Native American kid named Dennis Ha-Ha, and therefore could always boast that he had the friend with the coolest name. Finally, I can offer competition” (p. 58).

      As for Gilbert’s insights and feelings related in the book, I feel very connected with her. She sees herself as I have done at times, in terms of how she thinks the world sees her, as in this exchange with Richard from Texas at the Ashram in India:

“’OK, I think you’re probably right. Maybe I do have a problem with control. It’s just weird that you noticed. Because I don’t think it’s that obvious on the surface. I mean — I bet most people can’t see my control issues when they first look at me.’

Richard from Texas laughs so hard he almost loses his toothpick.

‘They can’t? Honey — Ray Charles could see your control issues!’” (p. 151).

      I walk around thinking I’m fooling the world about who I am, thinking what a good actress I am. And I just know there are some wise souls out there, shaking their heads and tsk-tsking me for playing this time waster of a game.
      Another example of how I feel connected to her is when she describes how singing the Gurugita for her nephew changed her relationship with the task:

“I filled the song with everything I wished I could teach him about life. I tried to reassure him with every line about how the world is hard and unfair sometimes, but that it’s all OK because he is so loved. He is surrounded by souls who would do anything to help him. And not only that — he has wisdom and patience of his own, buried deep inside his being, which will only reveal themselves over time and will always carry him through any trial. He is a gift from God to all of us” (p. 169).

      The sentiments Gilbert expresses in the lines above are similar to ones I feel toward my nieces and nephews. I would imagine parents feel the same way about their children. There is so much love in those lines. Pure, simple love. No strings attached. Nothing her nephew needs to do to deserve any of it. I find that utterly beautiful. I also see it as a reminder to myself: that I am loved, that I am a gift from God. There are moments in my life (in fact, the majority of them), when I act as if I am not loved. Here is another reminder that I am.
      Finally, the books contains so many nuggets of wisdom, from her Italian comrades to her friends in India and Indonesia:

      * Richard from Texas: “A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake” (p. 149).
      * The plumber at the Ashram: “With all your heart, ask for grace, and let go” (p. 185).
      * Giovanni: “Liz, you must be very polite with yourself when you are learning something new” (p.56).

      Besides all the spiritual insights, Gilbert describes a Yogic practice that absolutely fascinates me. The blue energy pitching though her body as she meditates tests my curiosity: Is this really possible? What is really happening here? Is it good for you? Is it a spiritual or a physiological event? Tale 46, beginning of page 143, bears rereading.

      So again, thanks for this reading. I tore through it so quickly the first time, I think I will have to make time to reread the entire thing, starting with Tale 46.

Jane Eyre

2008-02-27T14:20:00.002-07:00

I haven't read any reviews yet, so please forgive me if you've already talked about this. :)

So, I just have to say that Jane Eyre...well, there's a reason it's a classic. I think everyone in the Young Women's program should read it while a Miamaid (can you imagine, Required Reading in YW's? lol) and before they start dating. I mean, it deals with the "Ugly Duckling/unpopular" situation, the "I love him but he seems to be in love with her!" situation, the "I'm just the smart girl" situation, and the ever popular, "How to choose between settling and maintaining my inner core values??!" Jane goes through HUGE hardships, has to make the HARD decisions, faces loneliness and disappointment time again, and yet maintains her humanity, her compassion and her sense of self and morality through it all.

To get right to the punch, I love that Jane is not a victim. She so easily could have been, but her hardships made her strong. Can you imagine Jane set in today's world? Bless her heart, she'd probably have been on Oprah, working her way through her role as a victim with abuse issues, abandonment issues, probably co-dependant on the wrong sorts of people (though, as a note, I know that not all people who appear on Oprah who have suffered atrocities become victims in their lives, I'm just saying Jane had a lot going against her). Who knows what she would have become. lolol. But in all seriousness, she still had her baggage and issues (don't we all!). That's what made her so real, I think, but she had gained strength and earned respect through her hardships, which made her a richer character for it.

Also, I LOVE that Jane, when faced with her utmost heart's desire (marrying her love, her kindred spirit, her soul mate, Mr. Rochester) and the most wretched of discoveries on her wedding day (of all times) becomes such an example of staying true to who you are. When she is then faced with an offer to be with Mr. Rochester, to just run away together, she stands her ground and says, NO, even though she knows she is giving him up. For anyone who's ever had to make "the hard decision," this surely resonates. Oh, it was so hard for her, and yet she did it! And the blessings that come from that decision make a world of difference for Jane!!! Goodness, can you imagine the different ending the story would have had if Jane had said, "Yes?" Sure, Mr. Rochester would probably not have been blinded/mangled, but Jane's spirit would have been.

And I love that the ending is "happy" but in a very non-traditional way. It's not like Jane and Mr. Rochester run off into the sunset, blissful to the end, because their opposition has been solved for them. There is tragedy that strikes before the concluding happiness, but this tragedy illustrates that, truly, it's a story that love in its entirety is beautiful, but finding beauty is not finding love. Jane truly is the love of Mr. Rochester's life, but there are consequences for choices we make. How interesting that the dashing Mr. Rochester himself suffers disfigurement, but is yet still desired by Jane because she loves him wholely (is that a word?). When we truly love, the physical weaknesses that we might find in ourselves and others disappear because we love the whole of the person, and so that passion that exists at the beginning of a relationship can survive because a different type of love (and passion) becomes the priority. That's what Jane and Mr. Rochester have. It is romantic and yet probably a more realistic love than exists in other literary works (even though the story is not as realistic as one might want. :) )

So, in the end, gotta say that I really really love Jane Eyre. I can't believe that it only took 37 years to read it. lolol.

Have a great day, everyone!!!

:) Laurenda

Just Jane

2008-02-20T20:21:00.002-07:00

I've been saying for the past few years that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite reads. I think, after reading it for this club, that my emotional state at the time of the reading has a lot to do with how much I enjoy this book.

I usually pick up this book when I am feeling romantic or lonely. When I need to escape into this ideal relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester. At those times, this book fills that emotional need, and I get great pleasure out of it. All that said, I was feeling neither romantic nor lonely when I read it this time. I was disappointed to discover that I did not lose myself in it like I normally do. I felt more detached as I read it. I looked at it with a cooler eye, noticing more things like Jane's way of talking rather than the burning desire between her and Edward.

I normally swoon over and long for the type of relationship Jane has with Mr. Rochester. It is energetic, it is fierce. Two strong-minded personalities bending so perfectly with each other. She being so morally minded, unafraid to speak and act her beliefs ("I care for myself ... I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane and not mad -- as I am now."). He so clever and temperamental. The tiny hints of his growing love for her ("At all events you will come back: you will not be induced under any pretext to take up a permanent residence with her?") are delicious.

But though I read the book with pleasure, I did not feel as energized as I usually do. (This brings up an interesting discussion: What do I expect a novel to do for me ... emotionally? intellectually?)

This reading did give me the opportunity to explore something I've been curious about: the differences between Jane's behavior as a child and as an adult. Bronte often refers back to Jane's brutal childhood under the power of her cousins -- John's physical abuse and the girls' disdain -- and her aunt. As an adult, Jane seems so self-assured, so unafraid. (She gives Hannah the servant a good talking to: "But I do think hardly of you. .. and I'll tell you why...") I would think that her childhood abuses would have made her timid. But she commands respect as an adult, and it's wonderful to see her example. But, I am reading the book as a product of the pop-psychology generation.

If I think about it, I can see the argument that Jane's turning point came when she finally stood up to her aunt and cousins. ("I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt again as long as I live.") That lashing out broke through her early timidity and began to shape the woman that she eventually became. And she became a rock.

Jane Eyre - Self-righteousness is not religion

2008-02-20T18:32:00.002-07:00

I think the favorite part of my version of Jane Eyre was the Preface. Charlotte Brontë inscribed the second edition of Jane Eyre to W.M. Thackeray (which was included in my book). In that inscription she writes, "Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion...appearance should not be mistaken for truth." I love that. And how Jane Eyre reflects this, both the book and the character. Right from the beginning Jane doesn't cave in to conventionality - I love it when tells Mr. Brocklehurst that she will avoid hell by taking care not to die. Classic!! Jane doesn't do anything conventionally, but has a very high moral standard. Amanda and I were talking about how much integrity Jane had to have in order to leave Thornfield - a place where she has finally felt she could make a home. Could I have done that? Leave someone I love with such an intense passion? Hmmm...

Another reference to appearances occurs when Bessie and Abbot are talking at the beginning of the book about Jane's illness. Bessie states, "Poor Miss Jane is to be pitied, too, Abbot." Abbot replies, "Yes, if she were a nice, pretty child, on might compassionate her forlornness..." How one appears determines how we should feel toward them? And yet, it does. I know I do it - when I see someone dressed in rags, I feel differently toward them than I do someone who is neatly dressed (expensively or not doesn't matter). Appearances should not be mistaken for the truth. How much more character Jane has than Georgiana, the "nice, pretty child."

I LOVE this book - it is one of my all time favorites. I love several of the movie adaptations as well - my two favorite being Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre, 2006) and Jane Eyre (A&E, 1997). Mr. Rochester is such a great character - morally questionable at time, and yet totally sympathetic. I really don't even have a problem with the mind games he plays with Jane because in a way, he's really helping her come to the realization that she loves him. "You never felt jealousy, did you, Miss Eyre? Of course not: I need not ask you; because you never felt love," (pg.210). Opposition in all things? Could we know joy without sadness?

One thing that struck me this time was the age of Mrs. Reed at the beginning of the book. In the movies, and in my previous readings of this book, she seems so old - like in her 50's (sorry, Karen). But this time around I realized she's only in her 30's. I've never pictured her this young before (and yes, 30's are YOUNG).

I especially appreciate how Charlotte Brontë and her sisters (as well as Jane Austen) broke out of the conventional roles for women. Brontë even makes reference to it in the book: "women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do...It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex," (pg. 161 of my book).

I love the following exchange between Rochester and Jane:
"Is the...man justified in daring the world's opinion, on order to attach to him for ever this gentle, gracious, genial stranger; thereby securing his own peace of mind and regeneration of life?"
"Sir, [said Jane] a wanderer's repose or sinner's reformation should never depend on a fellow creature. Men and women die; philosophers falter in wisdom, and Christians in goodness."
All this is true, but I love Rochester’s follow up:
"But the instrument - the instrument! God, who does the work, ordains the instrument."

I would like to pose a question to the group. Why, when referring to certain townships, etc., does the text insert a dash? Like ------shire? And yet, other places are referenced without problem.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I ramble on. Thanks, Amanda, for giving me the opportunity to reread Jane Eyre. I love it.

Snowflower....

2008-01-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies:

I know that you think that I have really dropped out of the whole scene, but I haven't...really I haven't.

I read this book some time ago and I really enjoyed the idea of learning about the chinese culture. I find it fascinating...and I am greatful that I was born where and when I was. I was shocked by the explination of the foot binding and how young it began. I started to see my nieces and how their feet would be well on the way to being bent over and twisted...how did these women walk, work or stand for that matter...don't get me started. The reason these women were mulitated the way they were was for the sexual gratification of their spouses. Crazy stuff. But, we have to remember that women were second class citizens...and unfortunately still are in so many societies.

It was unfortunate too that how the women were treated they mimiced in their own interpersonal relationships. Lily to me was a sad character... She truly fell victim to her own treatment and was just as intolerant to others around her. I agree with Karen when she said that she didn't have a great self esteem/self love etc. (I think it was Karen...) In any case how does one love others if they really don't love themselves.

Interesting book...thanks for the pick!

Sorry this will be late

2008-01-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

I just got the book from the library yesterday- 5 people had holds on it in front of me. Sorry about my tardiness. Your reviews have made me somewhat hesistant to read it as I am not in the mood for a "depressing" book at the moment. But they have also intrigued me so I will dive in... I'll read and post as fast as I can. :)

Lily

2008-01-12T10:46:00.001-07:00

I've been very intrigued by the varying opinions on this book. It wasn't until several of you commented on how depressing the book is that I realized that it is depressing. I guess that I viewed it as one woman's life journey, her regrets, and her attempts to make amends. I was proud of Lily for finally seeing the carnage of her life, even though her penitence was too little too late.
The comments that were made about basing one's decisions on their horoscope, and the role of women in that culture made me wonder what kinds of things I would/wouldn't do living in such confinement. In Lily's shoes, how many of us would place compassion over obedience to family honor. I too appreciate how blessed we are to live in this country at this time. We have the choice to be whatever we choose. We are not considered worthless if we never marry or bare sons. Some of the people I admire most in my life are my single friends and family members. I would never want any of them to underestimate the impact for good that they have had on me and others.

I can't say that I disliked Lily, but I was disappointed in her at times. I felt that Lily was very stuborn, and greedily held onto her grudge under the guise of duty. Perhaps that came from her inability to allow others to love her, or her failure to see that she was worth loving. Her relationship with her husband was heartbreaking because he loved her, but she didn't love herself enough to love him back.

Lily's aunt (I can't remember her name right now) was probably my favorite character. She seemed to have an inate ablility to find joy in the mundane.

I was going to apologize to those of you who didn't care for the book, but I think that that is one of the best parts of beloning to a book club. We don't always have to like or appreciate the books that others choose, but it's good to read a variety of genres, see other perspectives, and think about things that we might not otherwise.

I'm excited about reading "Jane Eyre" again. It's one of my all time favorites. I promise that my next pick will have nothing to do with the Chinese culture.

Snowflower and the Secret Fan

2008-01-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

"Raising a girl and marrying her off is like building a fancy road for others to use." I think this quote from Snowflower and the Secret Fan sums up the book for me. The quote comes from one of the chants the women sing to Lily on the Day of Sorrow and Worry before her wedding. I don't normally like books or movies dealing with Chinese culture but this book I was actually able to keep my interest. I loved learning about the rituals surrounding foot binding, nu shu, and the relationships between men and women. I had heard of foot binding before I read the book but I didn't realize the practice was performed on 6 and 7 -year old girls. I also didn't know that it killed 1 out of every 10 girls.

While I loved immersing myself in the historical customs, I didn't enjoy the relationship between Lily and Snowflower. I was really unsympathetic to Lily. I know that she didn't know how to respond to Snowflower's sad situations but she didn't have to stick to the obedience schtick. I have to say that I did cry at certain points throughout the book--Beautiful Moon's death, when Snowflower's second son died, the mistreatment of Snowflower by her husband--but I did not cry when Lily mis-read the nu shu letter from Snowflower. I couldn't cough up that much sympathy for Lily. Also, did anyone else notice that none of the men have name's except for Lily's husband? None of the boy children are named. They just call them eldest son, second son, etc. Strange. And while Lily did try to make things right at the end for Snowflower's children, I thought it was too little too late. But then again, how much could Lily have done for Snowflower while she was still alive and married? A woman alone was worse than an animal for at least an animal had worth. And to think there are still cultures that have that kind of thinking about women's worth. I am thankful that we as American women have all the choices we do, especially as a single woman :)

Also, reading about the 8 characters and the 12 signs of the horoscope and how much their lives depended on this information was fascinating to me:

"Naturally, I'd like to say that Snow Flower and I followed our horse natures exactly as the horoscopes outline, but horses--and people--are not always obedient. We say one thing and do another. We feel one way; then our hearts open in another direction. We see one thing but don't understand that blinders hinder our vision." I thought this quote really humanizes Lily but she thought this on the day before her wedding, before she knew the truth of Snow Flower's life. Regardless of how she tried to "see something bigger" than her "tiny slice of life I could see from our lattice window," she couldn't see the sorrow happening so close to her. Also, can you imagine following your horoscope and astrological signs so much so that your life decisions and personality are completely based on them? While I enjoy checking out my horoscope and reading my fortune from a chinese cookie (and adding bed at the end of the fortune), I don't actually believe that "this is a lucky day. You receive good news about money and if you decide to do any traveling this weekend--you have picked the right time for traveling." My actual fortune for today! It's a good thing I am actually traveling this weekend. Hmmm....maybe there is something to this horoscope thing ;)

The Secret Fan

2008-01-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

Just another post from me that proves how emotional and easily influenced I am. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't want to put it down. Not a good thing when I've been sick this past week... staying up way too late turning pages.

Since Thursday I've had Lily and Snow Flower on my mind. I think about them in all that I do. Like, These Is My Words, I have compared my life to theirs and feel such gratitude for the conveniences I have, the time I was born and the country I was born into. We are so blessed to live in the United States. It's pretty amazing to think of the small percentage who are fortunate enough to be born in this country and partake of the freedoms we enjoy.

So I dream about the customs of Lily and Snow Flower, I think about them in my sleep, gals! At 5am this morning, I woke with an earache, but prior to waking fully, I realized I was dreaming of Lily and Snow Flower taking care of me with their herbs to draw out the infection in my ear. So I laid there longer obeying what they said and endured the pain a bit longer until I realized where I was.

After reading the other reviews, I see I am the odd ball. Though I did feel detached like Danielle P. explained, I enjoyed the characters. No tears were shed as I read this book. I was calmly in awe the whole way through. Not having contact with the "outer realm", being trained daily on how to be married, being told they were worthless every day, arranged marriage and understanding their lowly place as women. What an unbearable load they carried from the moment their memories began. As appalling as it seems to we Americans, it was their life and it was respectable. I can only praise Lily and Snow Flower for their grace. The only thing I didn't condone was how Lily publicly humiliated Snow Flower. Everything else that played out seemed as good as it could possibly be with the statuses they were afforded.

Yes, communication was limited. Their society was so different from anything we could understand. Stating their true feelings was very risky. Even with the closeness of a loatong, Snow Flower had her reasons for keeping secrets. That said, I respected Lily's bitterness for everyone leaving her out of the loop for so many years. It was an added dagger to the conniving behavior of her mother. Understandable.

The happy part of the book, I found, was that Lily was a better mother than her mother. A common thing we find in life today. We always want to do better than our parents did. Sure, new mistakes are made since we only get one shot at it, but the intention to do better is there.

Thank you for choosing this book. It is piece of Chinese culture I probably would have never picked up myself.

(In my search to find photos of the bound feet, I found and enjoyed this article.)

Keep it a 'Secret'

2008-01-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I know Katie said she preferred this novel to The Good Earth. I disagree. I found The Good Earth to be gripping, emotional, interesting. I am sorry to report I cannot use any of those words to describe Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Because it lacked those characteristics, among others, this book was difficult for me to read.

The themes author Lisa See explored were viable: friendship, betrayal, family dynamics, poverty. She even described some fascinating (if not bewildering) customs: foot-binding, marriage customs in China of the era, medical remedies. (I admit I skipped quickly over the pig-butchering. It didn't sit well with my breakfast. No bacon, but still....) In the end, though, I found that I just didn't care.

A good novel starts and ends with characters I either love or relate to on an emotional level (Elizabeth Bennett, Sally J. Friedman). They tell funny anecdotes, endure heart-breaking situations, and are witty, intelligent, and moral. I neither loved nor related to Snow Flower or Lily. It's possible it's because they "lived" in a country 6,000 miles away nearly 200 years ago. More likely, the characters were not "real" enough -- or likable enough -- for my tastes. Something kept me too distant from them. I am picturing Lily as she almost robotically performs her duties, especially as the new Lady Lu.

As for Snow Flower, though there were hints here and there about her wanting to "fly off," her actions did not corroborate her feelings. As the story unfolds, we learn she was more trapped in her situation than we were led to know at the beginning. Still, I did not find a lot of emotional depth within her. I am willing to listen to an argument that the setting was, in part, at fault. Snow Flower could hardly have flown off anywhere given her poor situation during that era. But I can't help thinking a better novelist could have given Snow Flower more dynamism.

The fact that there are very few real discussions in the book -- mostly just recollections -- also kept me feeling distant from the events and people. Never "hearing" Lily's husband speak was one example of a relationship that meant nothing to me. Was the author also telling us that the relationship meant nothing to Lily either? It's hard to tell.

The slow, cumbersome story-telling kept the novel from being more gripping. It took so long to get to the point. If the author was trying to build up the "before" to make us really understand how good things used to be between Snow Flower and Lily, then she erred on the side of quantity over quality. So many scenes seemed extraneous: sitting up in the ladies' chamber, Lily's older sister's marriage problems, each detail about the secret women's writing.

In addition to the dearth of compelling characters and forward-moving story-telling, the book was plain depressing! Sad story after sad story: Spring Moon's death, foot-binding, marriage to strangers, no mother-daughter love, poverty, civil unrest, opium addiction, miscarriage. The author might have made the book more readable had she imbued a little more sunshine and humor. Just because a book reflects the realities of the time does not mean there is nothing to laugh at.

This book gave me very little to smile about. I don't call it a waste of time; it had its value, especially in its descriptions of the customs of the time. Other than that, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan could fly away as if it were one of a pair of mandarin ducks, and I would not be worse off for it.

Mea Culpa

2008-01-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow Les Liesuses! Hope you had a good holiday season and the new year is treating you right.

I just wanted to apologize for not being better at posting. I finished reading "These is my words" on time and enjoyed it a lot (though I must confess that the first "chapter" had me a wee bit freaked out I'd have a twangy narration going on in my head for the rest of the book. I'll forever be grateful Savannah taught Sarah how to read and spell better!), but missed posting my review for so long that I got a bit embarrassed to do/say anything about it. I'm so glad it turned into a romance with Sarah and Jack (even with the sad ending) verses the unnerving travelogue of Indian violence, rape, pillage and plunder. It also made me, yet again, grateful for flush toilets (heck! all indoor plumbing and modern appliances) and feminine hygiene products and ob-gyns.

Speaking of the latter, and somewhat explaining my sad participation as of late, is the fact that I am pregnant with our fourth (and probably last) baby and have, quite frankly, been very ill with this one and consequently have become a slacker in many aspect of my life. I just have a few weeks left before I'm done with my first trimester and hopefully things will balance out and I'll start feeling normal again. So, I'm sorry I missed Snow Flower...it sounds really interesting and I was appreciatively aghast at the foot binding pictures (ye gads! I feel bad for ever complaining if my toenails get a bit snaggled-toothed). And I have loved reading all the insightful comments everyone has contributed. You ladies are so smart and insightful and I really appreciate everyone's discussion. It truly is a pleasure to be part of this group and I hope to get back in the saddle, so to speak.

:) Laurenda

Snow Flower...

2008-01-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm going to hurry and post now so that Danielle can use my copy of the book for her post.

Although I liked Snow Flower better than The Good Earth (Karen Buxton, was that your choice, too?), I found the book extremely depressing. The Chinese attitude toward women is so frustrating - and I know they are not the only culture with these attitudes. Women are only good for bearing sons - bearing daughters is a disgrace. ARGH! Guess what? Without bearing daughters, there would be no one to bear sons. A woman's identity is based only on her husband and her sons? Women have their own identity, whether they are married or single, whether they have children or not. I found The Three Obediences (pg. 24) to be especially annoying: "When a girl, obey your father; when a wife, obey your husband; when a widow, obey your son." This quote on page 151, "Sons are the foundation of a woman's self. They give a woman her identity...," really ruffled my feathers, as well.

The descriptions of the foot binding experience were excruciating - thanks, Karen B., for the pictures. I had a hard time imagining what the finished product would look like. "Foot size would determine how marriageable I was," (pg. 34).

Lily, who started out as a sympathetic character, became someone I really couldn't like. However, I don't think her story is unique. How many times in history will a person, or a group of people, change with prosperity? As Lily become more prosperous (partly because of her laotong, Snow Flower), she also became proud, judgmental, and pompous. "Now you have abundance in your life, Lady Lu - an abundance of malice, ingratitude, and forgetfulness," (pg. 226). I really couldn't blame Snow Flower for no longer wanting to hang out with Lily. Friends are supposed to love you no matter what, are supposed to help you aspire to be a better person WITHOUT criticizing your every choice.

Of course, from the beginning we knew that something happened between Lily and Snow Flower. I knew on page 69 that it would have something to do with nu shu, the secret language of women - "Much tragedy could result from a wrong reading." Lily might have been able to salvage her friendship with Snow Flower in time if there had been open communication instead of the infestation of bitterness in her heart. I guess that's something we could all do better - instead of being passive-aggressive and harboring ill feelings, COMMUNICATE.

Thanks for choosing this, Karen. I had purchased this book a long time ago to read, but hadn't done so, yet.

These Is My Words

2008-01-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ladies,

Your reviews of These Is My Words, make me glad I chose it. Actually, my daughter-in-law, Heather, told me about this book last summer. Her book club was reading it. I bought the book and devoured it. As I was reading the ending (on an airplane, of course) I started to cry and thought . . . my daughter-in-law wouldn't have cried. Besides, I am on an airplane! I can't start bawling on an airplane! Then when I talked to Heather about it, she said she just sobbed when Jack died. Next time I won't put such a cork in my emotions :)

I read this book last summer, so I hope I can remember all the thoughts that I was wishing I could share with someone then. I chose the questions I did because I really wanted to discuss them so here are my responses: (I loved reading your reviews!)

1--I think the 1st person narrator is what hooked me in the first place. Seeing the world through Sarah's eyes (HER journal) was far more interesting than hearing it in the passive voice of the outside observer. Besides, I LOVED figuring out things (like her love for Jack) BEFORE she did.

2--Most of us have a desire to "figure things out," to understand the world and our place in it. For Sarah, this was a passion and education was her answer. There were other themes in the book as well. One was, what does it take to be a hero? Another was how do we cope with grief and/or adversity? Still another was who is really good and who is bad (appearance vs real intent--Sarah kept thinking Jack was bad, when he wasn't. She thought she was bad when she wasn't)? What is the place of religion in our lives? And the overriding theme of family, commitment, and love . . . what a great story!

3--I loved your thoughts on heroes/heroines. I think you each hit it on the mark. I thought I'd address the 2nd part of this question: Mama's mental illness. I think there is a reason we don't know her name. She becomes the universal--mother. I also thought that her withdrawing, healing and/or replenishing until someone really needed her, was significant. Who hasn't wished they could "just go away and come back when things are better" when life gets too hard? November 1, 1894 "No wonder Mama went away in her head when Clover passed. And then Papa. I am going to visit my Mama tomorrow and tell her I am sorry for everything I ever did that caused her sorrow . . and for ever wishing . . that she would come back. She probably wanted to stay there. It's a wonder she came back at all. If I knew how to make myself go away in my head, I declare I would." And yet, Sarah deals with it all. March 30, 1900 when April runs away to get married Sarah says, "Well this hurt my heart, and yet . . . I will never turn away." Mother love.

4--Sarah and Jack . . . what a love story. His death, trying to save a baby that wasn't there, broke my heart. (Katie, do you remember the story of Mom jumping and of a moving camper to save our family? Dad was driving the truck, but Mom didn't see him get it. She thought we were rolling. She hit the road, face first and was a mess! She did it to save her family.) Sarah described him as "always bursting through walls, always riding off cliffs, fight[ing] the world's woes . . . He was always safe doing what he wanted to do, and because he quite the Army he died being a Fire Chief." But Sarah also saved people. I loved that way Katie described them . . . truly equals.

I am glad you enjoyed reading "These Is My Words" and I look forward to future selections!

--Karen S.

The Book Thief

2008-01-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ladies,

I am finally going to post my reviews of the last 3 books!! (Thank heavens for Christmas Break . . . I have read & read!) I will do them in order: The Book Thief, These Is My Words, then Snow Flower. I asked Katie if I should just drop out of book club during the school year and she said, "No." I hope late reviews are better than no reviews :( I really DO enjoy reading and am glad I have Les Liseuses to give me a reason to do something I love!

Anyway . . . about The Book Thief: Laurenda . . . thank you so much for selecting such a powerfully moving book! I loved the quotes that Katie used in her review. I thought Zusak's writing style was so creative. I don't think I have read anything quite like it. I also loved the characters. They seemed real, genuine and believable. I could even see a little of my grandmother in Rosa (a little gruff and cold on the outside, but a warm heart inside). The way the mayor's wife was disabled by grief and the way Liesel brought some life back to her was poignant and again--believable.

And Max . . . the complexities of wanting to live and yet feeling like being alive betrayed the dying were so heart wrenching. My brother-in-law felt something similar when he came back from Vietnam. He felt guilty for being alive when he knew that other "better" men died.

I, too, wondered if Liesel married Max. I wanted to know more about what happened to her. And yet, the discussion and thinking that occurs because Zusak DOESN'T give all the answers enhances the impact of the book.

Laurenda--I am like you . . . the history buff part of me really loved hearing the human side of the factual story. I know something about the German experience from people that I have known. My son, Matt's, first soccer coach was the son of a member of Hitler's SS. (Thankfully, he was only an accountant. He was a member of the Church and his experience at the end of the war was miraculous!) I also worked with two Germans (Emil and Emmy) in a factory that my uncles owned. Emil had a wooden leg because of his experience on the Russian front. (He would NEVER talk about what happened there.) Emmy was almost stereotypically German. She worked in the sewing room and was happy as long as she was IN CHARGE (even if being in charge meant she cleaned the restroom as well).

As many of you have commented, The Book Thief made me think. I have always been appalled by man's inhumanity to man. I can only hope that I would have the courage to risk my life to save another's. Perhaps when we spend time to help someone who needs us, we ARE giving our life for them. Perhaps . . .

--Karen S.

The book with the gramatically incorrect title.

2008-01-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

I started a post about a month ago, got interrupted, and never finished it. I should not have chosen to start working a retail job during the holidays. I haven't had any time for myself, let alone my family. I apologize, Katie, for not posting within the acceptable timetable, but I still wanted to add my two cents.

I loved "These is my Words". The beginning was very depressing, but once I got past the first five tragedies I either became calloused, or the events weren't as traumatic. Perhaps it was my enjoyment of the book or the fact that I now live in Texas, but for a while, I had a difficult time not speaking like a hick. Maybe that is my true nature, and the real challenge is trying to sound educated in my daily life.

That brings me to the "education" theme of the book. I loved and admired Sarah's thirst for knowledge. We all tend to make assumptions about other people, and I appreciated how she was able to shove other people's disrespect in their faces. Her interaction with the banker and her ability to see right through Felicity were prime examples. We tend to become so accustomed to the environment in which we live, that we start to believe that it is the norm. After having lived in Utah for so long, and being surrounded by college students, when we first moved to small town, oil field, Texas I was rudely awakened to the fact that not everyone has a college degree, and that I was a snob. My apologies if I've mentioned that before, but it was such a poignant moment for me. The fact that Sarah was perceived as being uneducated gave her an advantage in many ways. She was often overlooked and used it to her advantage.

I believe that Sarah's greatest enemy was her own insecurity. Jack loved her for all the reasons that we loved her character. It's human nature, I suppose, to overlook our strengths, and focus on our weaknesses. Sarah was a hero simply because she always rose to the challenge.

I loved Jack. It's hard not to love a "Rhett Butler".

I realize that I have completely neglected the "Group Discussion Questions". I'll try to follow the rules better next time.

Words from Gina

2007-11-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

I can't get over how great this book was. I just want to buy a million copies and hand them out on the street. I have felt so humbled as I have read this novel. My curiosity has gotten the better of me and I've tried to find more information on Sarah Prine. It bothered me that this was "based" on her life, but not her real journals word for word. The real Sarah Prine didn't have time to keep a journal, nor did she have the skill apparently. I just wanted validation that someone really faced each thing that she encountered with that kind of integrity. So I guess fictional or not, I want to be the hard worker, doting mother and loving wife that Sarah Prine was in this book.

In the whole wide world of information on the web, this is the only factual information I could find other than this blog entry by Nancy Turner herself:

The real Sarah Prine is third from the left. Young girl is Nancy Turner's mother at age 11. The tallest lady is Nancy's grandmother, teller of stories and baker of pies, and the lady on the far right is Nancy's great- great grandmother, Roxie Virginia Stockman Reed."

Now, On to the review...

#1--1st person vs. 3rd person narrator
I guess after reading the book narrated by Death, I much prefer 1st person perspective. I like that we know what Sarah's views and feelings are on the matters she faces... I didn't like the way Death interpreted people's actions and why they might have done what they had done. Sarah just stated the facts plain and simply. She didn't judge people unfairly in my opinion, she just followed her honest gut feelings and I think they served her very well. Even in the case of Felicity.

#7--themes: thirst for education, etc.
I don't think it was odd for Sarah to thirst for education like she did. Even in her day. She had an instinct for survival and education was something that would have a hand in her means to keep her family safe. I personally loved how she questioned the doctor's diagnosis and went to find more information on her own. Sure, the outcome wasn't what she had hoped, but she did the right thing and kept all kinds of information at her fingertip even prior to Suzanne's scarlet fever. Also, her realization (per Blue Horse) that education is like a tree... that will stick with me forever.

#2 and #4 together--the heroic in women's everyday lives
I agree with Katie here. All women are heroes. They are! Each of us has a mission in life and each of us has a special work ethic and distinct drive to survive and move forward. It's amazing what we can accomplish in a day, with horrible environments, relationships and whatever else that might make us "fit to be tied" as Sarah would say. I could totally imagine feeling as low as Sarah did after Jimmy died. How did she keep going with a small baby and all that work on the ranch? I think if we each knew what each of us faces, we'd wonder how each of us could move forward as well. But we do and we survive and we are stronger for it.

#9 and #11 together--the relationship of Sarah and Jack
Passionate. Unique. Equal. Unconditional.
I found their relationship so humorous. I could tell they'd eventually end up together because she was always so peeved by him. And even when they were married she'd disown him on every other journal entry. Their chemistry was just wonderful and even though Jack's good-bye was heartbreaking, I knew she'd survive and be fine, just like he did.

My words!

2007-11-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

What a delightful read! I not only had the print version but the book-on-CD version, so I got to "hear" Sarah's words as well as read them. I suspect, however, that this double-reading of sorts may have prevented me from seeing Sarah's spelling improve over the course of her story. I would happily read the follow-ups to this story, as Amanda tells me they exist. That makes me happy. For now, I will tackle the questions and wax academic.

1. Had it been written in the third-person, this book would change my relationship with Sarah and the other characters. It's hard to say if those relationships would change for the worse. Would I not feel as close to Sarah if I didn't get to read her, writing nakedly in black and white? In terms of character, there can be a sense of mystery in novels that use the third-person. The reader cannot know all a particular character is thinking. (Of course, the same could be argued for first-person narratives. But first-person points of view do tend to reveal more of an honest character: how she thinks and feels, for one.) Third-persons can leave the reader guessing. With Sarah, we did not have to guess how she truly felt about things. She was so frank in her journal (and with others). On the other hand, third-person narratives can be more illuminating when it comes to action. In this novel, the reader might have more information about what exactly Jack was doing out there in Mexico. We might have gotten more history had this book been written from a third-person point of view. I think I have successfully written in the first-, second-, and third-people (!) in this answer.

2. I don't remember exactly how education changes Sarah, besides the fact that she derives a sense of pride from her academic accomplishments. And, as I alluded to earlier, it may have improved her spelling. Education certainly changes her family; her brother went on to become an architect in San Francisco. Sarah's mentions of the Board of Normal Education and the new university in Arizona lead me to believe that she will further pursue her own studies. It seems to me, though, that her greatest "education" was not academic but experiential. Her life itself was her university. Her classes were not Art History or German, but Economics, History of the American West, Botany, Animal Husbandry. I got a great sense of her awe and wonder toward education, and her accomplishments in life as well as "school" prove to me that her mind was top-notch.

3. A physically handicapped friend (she had no use of her arms and used a wheelchair to convey herself) once complained to her mother on the phone: "I'm not special. I just do what I need to do every day to survive." She was griping about her alma mater's recent invitation to come and speak to graduates at an upcoming ceremony. I compare this attitude (of humility, perhaps?) to that of Sarah's in a way. Sarah had little choice but to do what she did to survive. Fortunately, she had enough steel and wits to make it a success. Did Sarah have determination and courage, as the back of this book describes heroism? I felt she did. She was very resilient. At many points, she could have just given up. But she had this sense of determination that was intense. She just kept putting one foot in front of the other, even though she was scared. And that's courage in my book. As for her mother, it seems like it was self-preservation that led her to isolate herself. She eventually healed. But I have to note that she did so only when someone else (Sarah) "dropped the ball." Her mother had to step up. I think that is how many of us grow: When we have to step up and take responsibility.

4. Sarah and Jack are up there with Jane and Mr. Rochester, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. The spark between them was palpable. As for the time-pieces, I guess the obvious answer is that they were always waiting for each other. Sarah had to wait for Jack to come home all the time. Jack had to wait for Sarah to realize she was in love with him. (And also for her husband to die!) I think also they knew their time together was precious. They always had an eye on it.
The book, "The Duchess," was just a fabulous inclusion. It seemed that as long as Jack had the book, he had a part of Sarah. At first, it seemed a sort of insurance policy. He knew how she longed for the book. She would always pursue it. I think, too, the promises and wonder of that single torn page really gave Sarah a sense of hope of things to come, of possibilities. I think her horizon opened tremendously just from that single page. Her sense of wonder, too, at this page, revealed an innocence and tenderness that really made her a lovable character. Consequently, it was a lovable book.

These Is My Words...

2007-11-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

I LOVED this book. I would look at it every time I was in a bookstore, but for some reason, I would never buy it. So, thank you Karen for making me finally buy it. I will go ahead and address the questions Karen wanted us to discuss.

1. 1st person vs. 3rd person narration: The question at the back of the book states “…one may feel that Sarah is neither honest with herself nor correctly interpreting others’ actions or feelings.” Well, isn’t that real life? We all live our lives in our own 1st person. We all interpret others’ actions and feelings based on our own experiences. People can experience the same event without experiencing the same event. We all have our experiences, thoughts, knowledge, etc., which influence how we interpret what happens around us and to us. I liked that it was in 1st person. I loved that everyone around Sarah knew that Jack was in love with her, but Sarah didn’t see it? On March 28, 1882, Captain Elliot came to visit. Mama kept telling Sarah to fetch him stuff, but also to comb her hair. Savannah helps Sarah “spruce up.” On July 4, 1882, Savannah “accidentally” slops milk all over Sarah’s work dress, then tells Sarah that her other work dress was covered with mud so that Sarah will have to wear her new dress during another Captain Elliot visit. I learned more about Sarah from how she saw things around her than I would have learned, I think, from an all-knowing third person explaining Sarah.

2. Sarah’s thirst for education: Sarah’s education changed the whole book…literally. Sarah’s diary entries at the beginning of the book are grammatically rough. As she reads and learns, her narration improves. I’m glad Sarah wanted to improve herself – she wasn’t going to resign herself to her lot in life. However, I think Jack said it best (August 28, 1886), “Education doesn’t keep a person from being a fool, and the lack of it doesn’t keep a person from being intelligent.” Seeking education is a good pursuit – however, being educated doesn’t make one smart.

3. The heroic in women’s everyday lives: I think every woman is heroic. Let’s start with Sarah – a couple of events stand out. The first one is when she defends Savannah and her sisters from those filthy men. And although I don’t agree with Ulyssa’s not fighting back, isn’t she a heroine for living her Quaker beliefs even in the direst of circumstances? The second event that show’s Sarah’s heroism is the fact that she eventually forgives Jimmy. He was the person she should have been able to trust the most, but he ended up betraying her (from the beginning). It took awhile, and it took some suffering, but she ended up forgiving him in the end. There’s a paragraph Sarah writes on October 6. 1887: “After I got my bread dough set to rising, I cleared off the table of flour and got out my gun cleaning rags and brushes and oil, and made sure I was ready for trouble.” Sarah had to cook, clean and then “be prepared for trouble.” Although women today don’t necessarily need to cook from scratch or clean their guns, they still need to defend their homes from outside dangers. Mother’s today have the same desires as Sarah, I think, “[o]ur children weigh hard on my heart, and thinking about them growing up honest and healthy, or just living to grow up at all, makes a load in my chest that is bigger than the safe at the back, and more valuable than all the gold inside it.” I don’t have children, but I have the same desires for my nieces, nephews and their children.

4. The relationship between Sarah and Jack: I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Sarah and Jack. They were each so independent, yet dependent on their love for each other. It gladdened my heart watching Jack treat her like an equal, not like a possession – not only did Jack treat her like an equal, she acted like an equal. I’m glad that Sarah finally got the experience the kind of love that she envied so much watching Albert and Savannah. I enjoyed watching Jack tease her, I enjoyed the fact that Sarah’s family kept trying to push her into a relationship with him, but she had no clue. The reading group question at the end of the book asks, “What is the significance of Jack and Sarah exchanging time pieces for their wedding gifts to each other?” What do you guys think?

The Book Thief (Karen Buxton)

2007-11-02T15:53:00.001-06:00

I'm finally posting again after a very long break. With our move and
all of the things that are to be done, I haven't had much time to
read, but I did slowly make my way through this book. I really
really liked it. I think that I'd now be pretty good at swearing in
German, but I'll refrain.

I thought Gina's comments about listening to the book on CD were
interesting. I don't think that I would have liked listening to a
creepy guy read to me. I read through the author's comments at the
end of the book, and he mentioned that he kept revising Death's
character and personality so that it wasn't so creepy. It's
interesting that the publishers chose someone with such a voice.

Anyway, I loved learning about what it must have been like living as
a citizen in Nazi Germany. I really enjoyed reading the "Children of
the Promise" series for that same reason. Especially post war era in
East Germany.

Personally, I really liked Rosa. She seemed so gruff and angry, but
stereotypically thoses sorts are soft and loveable on the inside.
Hans, of course, was the ideal father figure. He was kind,
compasionate, with an endless ability to love. I don't believe that
he used Leisle as a replacement for his own children, she needed to
be loved, and he needed to love.

I was heartbroken that Rudy died, but prepared for it. I several
times in the book figured that Max and Leisle would find each other
in the end, but the author was never really said that they married.
That was my assumption considering that she spent the remainder of
her life in Sydney. I was left wanting to know more about her adult
life and marriage.

I've had the opportunity to visit Dachau. As I read, I remembered
the feelings that I felt in that place, and wondered how the the
German people felt as they passed by it while it still held
prisoners. It's a sacred place where many people grew to know there
God through their suffering.

I always post so late, that there really isn't anything that I might
add that hasn't been said already. Thanks for the great book picks.

The Book Thief

2007-10-31T14:35:00.000-06:00

"They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up."
~Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

I'm sorry not to have posted sooner, especially since I am the one who chose the book (yeesh!). This book was fascinating to me and, when describing it to various friends, the best words that I've come up to describe it are just that: "interesting" and "fascinating".

That being said, I have a true confession: I am a notorious End-of-the-Book reader, so to have Death "spoil" the ending for me was WEIRD! lol. Seriously, I went to the back of the book and SURE ENOUGH, the bomb struck, "Papa" died, Rudy died...the devastation occurred, just like Death said. Huh, I thought. And I have to admit, being a notorious End-of-the-Book reader, it DID change the way I read the book--in fact, it took something out of it for me. I know, it's COMPLETELY hypocritical, but true and I'm not really sure why it felt like that. Often, I read the end of the book because (as in the case of the Harry Potters or Eclipse, etc.,) I've gotten so involved (or obsessed!) in the story/characters that I start going a little wonky NOT knowing what's going to happen. So, with this book, KNOWING what's happening from the very very start messed with my head; so, even though I really really liked it, I didn't enjoy reading it as much as I wanted to, if that makes any sense. Probably not, but that's how weird I am. So anyways, it really became a bittersweet read knowing how much Liesel was going to lose at then end, and I had to focus on the hope element that also ran throughout the book.

I enjoyed Death as the narrator (and loved Katie's review using the different breaks that were used...inspired, Miss Katie!) and thought how "interesting" to have that perspective...a third party trying to be detached and yet still emotionally involved telling the story and offering insights and helpful translations! (though I could see where a creepy-voiced Death on the audio would have been distracting to the poetical nuances that Death was so often spouting). The illustrations were a really interesting touch, too, didn't you think?

I think I must have unconsciously selected this book because of its subject matter--it brought back all the stuff I learned when I got my degree in history, as The Holocaust was my area of emphasis. Even then, the topic was is such a dark place to be so immersed and full of sadness that I found myself looking for the bits of light of the era: the Resistance movement, survival stories, common links of humanity. That being said, the book really does effectively illustrate all of that: the lowest levels we can sink to if we don't check ourselves and keep ourselves awake to what is happening around us, but also the startling acts that reveal the very best of humanity that any person is capable of (Rosa).

I felt the book was also true to the feelings that most Germans had--of accepting things that normally would have appalled them, because they seemed to happen, little by little, until it was too late. Also, amid all the denial that was going on was just LIFE...a boy wanting to kiss a girl, friendships, sports.... We get the same way, don't we? Preoccupied in what we are doing, places we need to go, things we need to do, and even the fear of getting involved, that we don't pay attention to our literal and figurative surroundings. Furthermore, the Germans at the time were still recovering WWI's devastation (Death tries to capture that when characterizing Hans, I think) and the world wide Great Depression that affected them not only because they were so in debt after the war, but because there was such loss of life and employment! The atmosphere in Germany seemed to not only crush them physically but emotionally and mentally, so of course Hitler was able to come to power; he seemed like a charismatic light that would indeed bring about change, bring back their sense of "volk" and pride. Lots of his early ideas fit the mood of the people and, especially, became in sync with their need to blame SOMEONE for their plight.

Alrighty then. So now that I've digressed into a mini history lesson, let me just get back on target and say that this book helped me remember a lot and that context helped enrich the book for me.

I read somewhere that Markus Zusak has written other, critically claimed books for young adults, but actually wrote this with an older audience in mind. I think that was evident in the overall mood of the book and think that it might be a bit much for a younger audience to handle (there was, after all, more swearing than I expected...sorry about that if it offended anyone). But I LOVE the Non Sequitur cartoon Gina posted!!!! LOVED IT!!!! Because Liesels' story is much like the tattoo of the number of the old Holocaust Survivor...it helps us remember, and hopefully look at our world around us today. And for that, I enjoyed and appreciated this book.

:) Laurenda

I finally finished The Book Theif

2007-10-30T22:55:00.000-06:00

I wish I had actually read this book. I instead listened to it on CD in my car for over a month... as my commutes are no longer than 12 minutes each. Yeah, so it took a long time to "read" the book and the narrator had such a creepy voice, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I think I could have. At the end, he thanked me for listening to the performance. He indeed gave me a performance. With his creepy German accent he would alter his voice for each of the characters in the book. Can you imagine Leisel having a high pitched old man voice? Yeah, it ain't pretty. I'd rather hear a more innocent voice made up in my head as I scanned actual pages of the book.

So anyway, you'll understand why I didn't love the book as much as the rest of you, but I did like it.

I need to buy this book just to reread the beautiful descriptive phrases and words this author uses. Such poetry, really. I was so touched by how Death himself would eloquently describe we humans.

I wasn't convinced that Leisel knew herself so well as a child that she understood every action she would make, though. I think Death was a witness and a major interpreter of what we humans are thinking, more specifically what Leisel was thinking. I hope you understand what I mean. I don't have a book to show examples of times that Leisel would do or say certain things, as a child, and we'd be given an explanation of why she did or said it that way. As if a child knows them self as well as an a middle-age adult. Or maybe I am undermining children... maybe Leisel did understand why she did the things she did. Who am I to judge a fictional character. What do you think?

My favorite character of the book was Hans. He was so warm and unconditionally there for Leisel. I loved how he kept Leisel's secrets, how he was more than a father to her, but the closest confidant. I am sorry to report that Rosa never grew on me. Maybe it was because of the cardboard description of her, maybe it was the creepy German guy impersonating her saying zowchel a million times, I just didn't connect with her lack of affection. Yes, she took care of her family, yes, she hid a Jew, but she still was so hard. I wish I liked her better after a month long getting-to-know-you in my car.

I learned much from this book. I agree with Amanda that it was an education on the people of that time and place, not just facts about the Holocaust. We know what happened from our history classes, but we didn't get a feel for the lives of those innocent Germans that didn't agree with what was happening. This book gave us that!

I can only imagine something so horrific occurring in our modern day, in our country (it was, in fact, their modern day and in their country). It's given me perspective on my own convictions and how far I would go to stand for the right. I hope that I would do what the Hubbermanns' did for Max. I would hope that if my religion was questioned and they came for all the Latter-Day Saints, that I would suffer and even die standing up for it.

2007-10-30T22:53:00.001-06:00

Click to enlarge.

The Book Thief or The Tear Maker?

2007-10-16T20:50:00.000-06:00

I finished reading The Book Thief on the airplane the day that our co-worker Curtis Cloud died. I couldn't help but wonder if the narrator "Death" was there with Curtis and what color the sky was. And at the thought of this, combined with the fictional deaths of Rudy, Mama and Papa, I had the tears flowing and no kleenex in sight. I had to use the cocktail napkin from my drink to sop up the tears and mascara.
How long did it take anyone else to know who the narrator was? I had to re-read the first 2 short chapters again just to get that understanding but from there I throughly enjoyed the short style of the chapters and the oftentimes humorous but telling asterisk marked statements from Death. I was also struck by the thought that we don't often hear the side from the Germans in Nazi Germany during this time. Most of us have read Anne Frank and other stories that show us the Jewish or outcast viewpoint. I am again amazed at how the power of persuasion and fear can make humans forget their innate goodness and commit attrocities in the name of righteousness.
Liesel had a horrible life and I can imagine that her story happened to many people including those that belonged to the Nazi Party. I was struck by Frau Hoptzanful (sp?) and that for all of her heil Hitlers, she lost her 2 sons and her own life. It didn't matter what side she was on, Death takes no sides in war.
Argh, I didn't mean this to be a diatribe about War and the horror of it. I loved this book and I found many parts that were funny and heartwarming. Such as Rudy's love of Jesse Owens and how he ran painted in coal just to be like him. I loved the interactions between Liesel and Rudy, Liesel and Papa, Liesel and Mama, pretty much any interaction with Liesel. Who else wanted to know more about what happened to Liesel after the pivotal moment of the airraid? We got a lot of before the bombs but not a lot of the after. I want to know how Liesel went from the Mayor's house to apparently working for Mr. Steiner and then her relationship with Max. Did she marry Max? Who else thought she should marry Max?
Again, I love this book and I learned a lot about this time period but in a very human and contextual way, not in the history book sort of way.

The Book Thief

2007-10-15T22:25:00.000-06:00

I thought this was a painfully beautiful book. Death talks about that at the end of the book actually- which I thought a little cocky of the author but still true. Death says, "I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant. " The truth behind it comes from the contrast of human actions. There are the cowards and the vicious. There are also the heroes who are all the more heroic in the face of crisis and danger.

I was struck by how precarious a position the Hubermanns were in . While I can't understand how a nation ever let their hate get to this point I do understand why at that point so few were willing to take action. I am amazed by those like the Hubermanns were willing to risk the lives of their families to save a few souls. I hope that I would do the same. I hope that I would prevent the situation from getting that bad in the first place. I was amazed at how quickly the people would turn on each other. I thought it most revealing when it talked about how Rudy's dad felt about the Jews being kicked out and when Hans jr. voiced his opinions. You could hear the propaganda that spouted fear. I thought it interesting too that kicking the Jews out took away Herr Steiner's competition and also his paying customers. The war furthered that even more. So what he had originally feared ( no work) came to pass because they kicked the Jews out. Hans Jr. was exceptionally brutal especially because of the contrast between him and his Dad. He is quoted as saying,"It's pathetic - how a man can stand by and do nothing as a whole nation cleans out the garbage and makes itself great. " It reminded me of the rhetoric against illegal aliens in our country. Now don't get me wrong- I do think that we need to protect our borders better. But blaming all of our country's problems or our personal financial troubles on a group of people gets a little too close to what the Germans did to the Jews and anyone who helped them. At least that's how it started. Indifference and the building of fear kept it escalating. I'm thankful for the many opinions in our country and the loud voices that keep us on the straight and narrow- for the most part.

Anyway I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it's perspective though it was very hard to read at times because because of the tragedy of it. I've been having weird dreams where we need food storage ever since. I think it's a combination of things making that happen but still... it's good advice to myself in my sleep. :) We are having a preparedness expo this weekend where I plan on gathering lots of good info.

These Is My Words

2007-10-06T13:51:00.000-06:00

Karen would like us to focus on the following questions for the review of These Is My Words...

There are 12 discussion questions at the end. I would like to propose that we focus on the following questions in the order listed.

#1--1st person vs. 3rd person narrator
#7--themes: thirst for education, etc.
#2 and #4 together--the heroic in women's everyday lives
#9 and #11 together--the relationship of Sarah and Jack

The Book Thief

2007-10-06T13:47:00.000-06:00

* * * Death as the Narrator * * *
A intriguing literary tool, providing powerful
insights into human nature while still being
(somewhat) detached from human follies (“I guess
humans like to watch a little destruction”).

I found everything about this book to be captivating – the narrator, the way the chapters were broken up, the use of the * * * breaks * * * to further explain detail, but mostly the characters. I grew to love the characters – some, of course, being easier to love than others – Hans, the mayor’s wife, Rudy, Liesel and Max, and even Rosa – who stood by her husband in his quest to do the right thing.

I marked up much of this book. I loved the way the author described everyday, mundane things – using unique adjectives, using adjectives in direct opposition to what is being described, or giving inanimate objects movement. Examples:
“shivering snow,” “chips of rain,” “He smiled loudest… ,” “, shivered like the future,”
“A gang of tears trudged from her eyes… ,” pg. 28
“…due primarily to the brute strength of the man’s gentleness… ,” pg. 36
“Hans Hubermann wore a face with the shades pulled down. ,” pg. 63
“The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and Fresh. ,” pg. 175
“[Liesel could…] taste the human flavor of [Max’s] words. ,” pg. 218
“The words landed on the table and positioned themselves in the middle. ,” pg. 330
“…she woke up tasting the sound of he accordion in her ears. ,” pg. 358
“Rudy’s voice reached over and handed Liesel the truth. For a while, it sat on her shoulder, but a few thoughts later, it made its way to her ear. ,” pg. 364
“When [Papa] looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes. ,” pg. 527

I’ve always been fascinated with WWII, and greatly angered by it, as well. Each time I study it, read about it, or whatever, I think of three questions: 1. What causes that kind of hatred against an entire group of people (slaves in America, the Civil Rights movement, etc.)? 2. How can that many people be influenced by that kind of hatred? 3. What would I have done if I were a German during this time? I hope I would have been like Hans – disgusted with what I saw and wanting to do the right thing, no matter the risk. Another thing that amazes me about WWII is what people could live through. Max spent months locked up in a house, never going outside, afraid for his life – but yet, he was living.

Death gave us a lot of information in advance, which added to the bitterness of the story (“Of course, I’m being rude. I’m spoiling the ending… ,” pg. 243). Rudy’s a great example. Death foretold what would happen to Rudy before we were done learning to love him. After knowing what happened to Rudy, each moment he spent with Liesel was bittersweet for the reader.

My final question is this: What color will everything be at that moment when [death] come[s] for [me]?

It is finished

2007-09-20T15:28:00.000-06:00

Finishing "Eclipse" was a relief to me. At this point, I am little over Bella and her twisted relationship. I don't call it twisted because he's a vampire. I call it twisted because she turns too often to guilt-tripping and codependent behaviors. Even the boys' manipulating turns me off.

I don't like how Bella thinks she has power over everyone else's feelings; none of us does. We are all responsible for our own. And all this "I can't live without you" talk is too sappy and nonsensical. Is the author trying to paint a relationship based on "true love"? If so, I think she needs a lesson on it herself. (Not that I know exactly what it is, but it seems like it's less clingy than what's pictured here.)

Another point: I am glad Bella is beginning to glimpse the real repercussions of what might happen if she becomes a vampire. I am surprised that that is not addressed more deeply -- or has not yet been. This willingness to give up her humanness, her "natural" soul, her family, all she knows, for this one man again hints of codependency.

On brighter notes: I am glad to see the author is improving in describing action scenes. In her past books, she's just skipped over them, beginning chapters with Bella waking up after all the action has taken place. And I liked the description of how the werewolves came to be. That story might even make up a novel all its own.

I am somewhat interested what will happen to Bella, Edward and Jacob in the future. But I am not holding my breath.

Final point: When Bella is menstruating, do you think Edward and the rest of the Cullens avoid her? Why has not the author delved into this?

Some of My thoughts on Eclipse

2007-09-11T20:20:00.000-06:00

Sorry. I was on vacation for the last week and a half. Almost everyone I talked to on vacation liked the books. ;) Well everyone liked them but everyone argued about the best ending and about the characters. It was fun to hear other opinions and discuss the book in person. I think that we would have a lively discussion in person. That's one of the things I love about the book. Everyone has different allegiances because she hasn't made anyone a complete monster. Not all werewolves are bad, not all vampires are bad, not all humans are bad and yet each of them do monstrous things at various times.

I loved the relation between the vampires and the werewolves. I hope we will continue to find out more about that in the next book. I thought it was interesting that the werewolves believe they were created as protectors and the vampires simply sees them as volatile monsters. I don't understand the Cullens hatred of them. Especially when they are protecting people. The Cullens should support that. I liked the tenuous relationship that forms between them because they are fighting for the protection of their community(which for the vampires only means Bella).

I liked hearing Rosalie and Jasper's stories. I'm glad that Bella heard them. I still feel that Bella is too young to be making the decisions that she is making. I think her aversion to marriage showed that. I'm glad that in this book she struggled with her decisions and her eyes were opened up a little bit. I'm not convinced that she made the right decision. I can't help feeling the same sadness that Jacob and Rosalie do that Bella is going to give up her mortal life and experiences. I feel like she is eating to Fruit of the Tree of Eternal Life before she gets the chance to live and grow. True, she still will have the chance to grow and change- both Jasper and Edward have- but it takes a lot longer and she will be denied important experiences like the opportunity to have kids and family and friends(she will be limited to only the Cullens). I feel like the more mature person would have chosen the life with Jacob. The life with Edward may seem glamorous and he is a wonderful guy but it is extremely limited. The cons are greater than the pros. I think that Jacob has the potential to be as wonderful as Edward and I think her life would be happier because it would be filled with the people she loves not just the person she loves. With Jacob she could have taken the time to grow up before making a commitment. With Edward she is forced into an immediate decision(that's not his fault). The only reason that she shouldn't choose Jacob is because he didn't imprint with her.

I think that Edward is a drug to Bella. As a vampire he has been described as the perfect predator and part of that is his attractiveness to his prey. It is not something he controls but it is part of who he is. It is why he is so irresistible to her. She is like a drug to him too. They tend to be self-destructive together because of their two different worlds.

Ideally Edward would find a way to become Mortal and then Bella could truly choose. Then she wouldn't be blinded by the rush to stay young and beautiful. Then she wouldn't be blinded by his amazing good looks and vampire pheromones. Then she could enjoy all of life's experiences with him by her side. Then she would be making a true life decision rather than the fantasy one.

Not quite finished

2007-09-10T14:39:00.000-06:00

I had to first read the other 2 books in this series. I am still working on Eclipse. I will post when I am done. I'm trying not to peek ahead at everyone's postings here!

Danielle

Eclipse

2007-09-09T13:10:00.000-06:00

Ladies,

There are so many things I like about Eclipse. One is the title. How cool is it that Edward, the vampire, the cold creature of the night, eclipses Jacob who was Bella's sun! (see pages 599-600--Jacob, "He's like a drug for you. . . I would have been the air, the sun." Bella, "I used to think of you [as my personal sun]. You balanced out the clouds. . . ." Jacob, "The clouds I can handle. But I can't fight with an eclipse.") No sun can. The literary technique is just cool.

Second, as much as Bella's indecision about Jacob and Edward drove me crazy (she really acts like a self-centered teeny-bopper at times), I think I would have been madder if her decision to become a vampire had been made easily. This book really makes her LOOK: She is going to give up the ability to have children (Rosalie's story). That is HUGE. She is going to have to learn to control incredibly strong desires to do horrible things (Jasper's story and the new vampire, Bree). She really has to look at this. I know she dismisses it, but Edward is concerned about her SOUL. Her indecision finally makes me believe that she really understands that she is going to have to SACRIFICE something to be with Edward (page 589). If she hadn't valued Jacob, it would have been no sacrifice.

Third, Bella finally grows up and begins to think of others. Her decision to have a wedding for her parents and for Alice, her decision to be clear and honest with Jacob even if it hurts her, and most important, HER decision to wait to have sex until she and Edward are married (she finally cares about HIS soul page 620) demonstrates some maturity. She is going to need it to become a Cullen. (I know that the descriptions of her physical attraction to Edward are breath-taking and that is not so good for the target audience. I was grateful that Bella finally made the right choice. I can only hope that the teen-age target audience got the point that she was really making the BETTER choice no matter how strong her desires were.)

So, even though it drove me crazy, I think the conflict of Bella trying to figure out who she really is and who she really wants to become was important. (The two magnets she was trying to force together were two parts of herself, p. 608)

For those of you who don’t know, my husband, Rod, read the book as well (as did two sons and two daughters-in-law). We now have a family blog about this book—great conversations. I wanted to include Rod’s idea that the best way for this story to end would be for Edward to become mortal. Meyer hints at this on page 273 when Edward says, "If there were any way for me to become human for you--no matter what the price was, I would pay it." Interesting thought. (At that point in the book, he was the one making the sacrifices.)

Finally, KT . . . I really appreciated your sarcasm. You are right. Bella really doesn't appreciate what she has. Edward's willingness to sacrifice everything to see that she is truly happy is so intense. I can't wait to read the book from his perspective (if Meyer still plans to write it). I also look forward (I think) to the sequal, New Horizons (?) I look forward to reading more of your thoughts.

I loved Eclipse!

2007-09-06T23:25:00.000-06:00

I feel so warped being taken to Forks for 3 consecutive super-long books. It's been almost a week and I still can't snap out of that world. Once I think I am back to normal, I'll run into someone that has read all the books and get all wrapped up in it all over again.

Seriously, something is wrong with me! I relate to Bella on too many levels. I read Katie's post on Monday and thought, "Man, I can't write a review now! I've felt that kind of love for two people, having to choose one. She'll think I'm a total bimbo!" So there you have it. Once upon a time, I did have those deep torn feelings that Bella had for two special people (and similarly, they were both as understanding of my feelings for the other party - that good-bye scene with Jacob tore me up). Maybe that is why I am so warped by these books. It's taken me to a place I miss and don't want to think about at the same time. It's so surreal I can't even begin to explain myself.

So anyway, I appreciate Laurenda enlightening us on the "imprinting" question posed by Katie. I had D sitting next to me when we read Katie's post Monday night and we both agreed that he couldn't have imprinted on her, otherwise he would of had to let her know. It couldn't have been a secret anyway because Edward can read the pack's minds. He didn't keep any of Jacob's secrets from Bella.

And speaking of Edward, I am still in love with him... Yeah, he took a step back when being seduced and yeah, he let Bella figure out Jacob by herself, letting her go to La Push now and then (and later allowing Jacob to be the "space heater" inside her sleeping bag - YIKES). I don't think he was playing the manipulative game like Jacob was though. I seriously think Edward is just wise and mature enough to see the good intentions in people/creatures. Sure, he grew and matured because of the situations Bella put him in, but I think he would give the benefit of the doubt in any case. I doubt it has much to do with his age, but his ability to read minds. This in turn has made him a forgiving and compassionate character in this book

Thanks, Katie, for choosing this one. I didn't even start the original book assigned and it sounds like I didn't miss too much.

Eclipse...

2007-09-04T19:03:00.000-06:00

Hello Ladies!

Okay, I have to start off by saying that I read this book like a crazy woman when it first came out and was fit to be tied that I had no one to talk to about it when I was done! lol. So, needless to say, I'm glad Katie chose this one (though I did read about a third-ish of Calamity Physics and its end, for which I can review it with this: GET TO THE POINT, Blue!!!!! Yegads. That girl cited more sources than half the academic history journals I had to read during grad school!!!! It dragged down the book and the story so much that you really didn't care who was killed and for what reason. I DID however, find the "final exam" at the end of the book funny. And that's my review of that book.)

Alrighty then. Eclipse. I, too, really liked this book because I was so curious as to how things were going to turn out and I like Stephenie Meyer, as a person (I've seen a couple of the interviews she's done for Borders, GMA, etc.) and as a writer.

That being said, man was I miffed when I was done reading it the first time (I'm currently re-reading it)!!!! In fact, I was like, "ARGHHHHH!" I felt that SM had made Jacob too much of a character in this book, had neutered Edward, and had notched up the whine factor for "poor" Bella. In fact, Bella was so guilt ridden and angst filled that at times I wanted both Edward and Jacob to leave her alone so she could find a good therapist!!! The girl, seriously, has issues (more than just hanging out with vampires and werewolves). She is too much a people pleaser for me to really feel that she knows what she wants at the tender age of 18...and this is spoken from a mega-people pleaser who is still reeling from an unfortunate photo event between my divorced parents at my wedding.

So, here's some of the things that I didn't like: I didn't like the fact that Jacob kissed Bella into recognizing she really LURVED him too. I should have known when we had the Wuthering Heights analogies that NO GOOD was going to happen to this little love triangle. But seriously, he had to kiss her before she realized she LOVED him? WHAT was THAT about????? I think that she kissed him and actually had, quite literally, a heated response; I don't know that I would classify that as love. As Katie said, WAY too Harlequin Romance for me. Once again, if Bella was so out of touch with her feelings for him that she had to be forced into admitting them...THERAPY! That's what she needs before she really commits to EITHER of them! And truthfully, I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that Jacob was only 16, though he looked 25, and wasn't being considered a near date-rapist when he was forcing her to kiss him. That wasn't romantic to me at all. Yes, he acted foolish like a 16 year old in love for the first time, but the fact that his character is physically so strong made all that too creepy for me somehow. Just as Edward was seriously over-protective of Bella and often over-reacted, Jacob came off as some bad cologne that was sprayed on too strongly for my personal taste.

And Edward...of the three, I probably had the least problem with his character because I felt that he at least made some emotional progress. You really do have to allow the person you love to chose and he did that. I'm glad that he stuck to his guns about his morality (being that kind of guy). I'm still a little put off about Bella being so opposed to marriage, and at the end, I wanted to see her really embracing the idea of being married to Edward as opposed to the idea of having the wedding to say good-bye to friends/family and to please Alice and Edward.

Bella...was shrill and whiny to me. In Twilight, though she seemed klutzy, at least she seemed strong emotionally. Now, I realize that she's been through alot. But her character kind of regressed to me. I was often rolling my eyes at her antics. As I'm typing this, I think that the word that keeps coming to mind was that Bella was consciously selfish. She knew it and refers to it several times in the book, but still chooses that selfishness. Maybe that's what bugged me. I understand that in the end she was supposedly choosing, but I was mad at her character for agreeing with Jacob that he was more like "sun" and "natural" stuff, whereas her love and need for Edward was likened to a "drug". ugh.

I should mention that I'm writing this practically a MONTH after the book came out. Since I first read it, I've lurked on the Twilight Lexicon to see what other readers thought and I've read SM's website. She recently posted some FAQs about Eclipse that she heard repeatedly on her book signing tour, and she says that Jacob did NOT imprint on Bella. She agreed, too, that Jacob was playing dirty with Bella because in his mind, he was not only trying to win his first love's heart, but trying to save her life. And Bella had to go through all that so, as Katie and Karen had discussed, so she could see and recognize her choices and truly make the one that she wanted. All that extra input has been helping in this second reading, but still...I find myself rolling my eyes.

All that being said, I actually did like the book--quite a bit. I enjoyed that once again, I could totally submit and enter the world of Forks quite happily. I liked all the new things that we learned about Rosalie and Jasper, warring vampires and how to combat them, and about the werewolves in general, and I thought the conversation/negotiations about waiting until marriage was part of a relationship, especially when you have two moral compasses/generations at work. And most importantly, eyes rolling aside, I'm still excited about the next book. A year seems like a long time.

Great choice, Katie!!!! :)

Eclipse

2007-09-02T13:32:00.000-06:00

I loved Eclipse, but I have serious problems with it. I'm not sure I liked it as much as Twilight and New Moon. Bella seemed much more whiny to me, and more wishy-washy. She seemed much stronger in Twilight. Maybe the trauma caused by Edward's leaving in New Moon has had a more profound effect than I thought.

Maybe I'm just a bitter old lady, but, poor Bella, choosing between two guys (please note the dripping sarcasm), and making them both suffer. Is that realistic? Or is it more like a harlequin novel? I had big problems with this. I spoke with Karen about it, and she mentioned that Bella has like Jacob in order for her to have a choice, to CHOOSE life as a vampire with full understanding of what she's giving up. I can kind of see that. However, at the same time, how can Edward be her soul mate if she is in love with Jacob...if Edward's her soul mate, how can a part of her (even a small part of her) prefer Jacob and wish that it was his arms she wanted to be in.

Laurenda sent me a link to a couple of interviews with Stephenie Meyer to help me come to terms with this Edward/Jacob dilemma. One discussion took place at a Borders in Sunset Hills, MO. To quote Meyer:
"If she (Bella) hadn't fully explored the idea of staying human, I don't think I'd be a very responsible parent - and I sort of feel like I'm her mom - to let her go ahead and choose to be with Edward without really looking at all the options." So, Karen hit Meyer's reasoning dead on. Still doesn't mean I like it.

I didn't like Jacob comparing Eward to a drug, and himself to the air and sun (yes, he's a teenage boy and has a lot of growing up to do).

Based on something my niece said, I want to pose a question. She asked whether Jacob would imprint and if he does, how will Bella react. My question is, what if he already has imprinted, and it's Bella? We only have Jacob's word that he hasn't imprinted. If he's imprinted with Bella, and he knows she's in love with Edward, would he tell her? I know he's had no shame in manipulating her in other ways, but imprinting is very serious to werewolves, and would that rejection be too much?

The Late Stranger Review

2007-08-13T14:06:00.001-06:00

I can't say anything more intelligent about this book that hasn't already been said. Thanks for your reviews, everyone.

I didn't enjoy the book... I was quite confused with this character and his lack of emotion. I am very grateful the book was short so I didn't have to read 500 pages of gloom and facts about his surroundings that didn't matter much.

I am curious about Camus' other works... he did win a Nobel Peace Prize for Literature, so some of his writings MUST be good and uplifting, right?

The Strange Stranger

2007-07-24T10:40:00.000-06:00

I took this opportunity to read The Stranger in the original French. It was still very strange. Maybe it was all my English Lit classes in high school, but I kept asking myself "who is the stranger?" Does it refer to the Arab killed on the beach? Or does it refer to M. Mersault? If it does refer to Mersault, who is he a stranger to? To the court, to society, or to himself? I think he is a stranger to himself. The only opinion or attitude that he clings to is that he has no regret for killing. How many times throughout the book did he say "ca m'est egal?", or "I don't care." Do you want to get married? I don't care. Do you want to write this letter for me? I don't care. I was SOOOO frustrated with his attitude of "I don't care." Coupled with "I don't care" was his desire to make others happy or understand him. He had no part in what his friend, Raymond, was doing, but Mersault states several times that he did things to make Raymond happy.

I was surprised to read that "[a]lthough he is often associated with existentialism, Camus preferred to be known as a man and a thinker, rather than as a member of a school or ideology. He preferred persons over ideas. In an interview in 1945, Camus rejected any ideological associations: “No, I am not an existentialist.. Sartre and I are always surprised to see our names linked....”

The writing the "L'etranger" seemed very choppy: (I'm translating) "I ate fast and had coffee. Then I went home and slept a little bit...I wanted to smoke. It was late." Just factual statements, emphasizing the lack of emotion.

How odd is his line after killing the Arab (again, translating): "I understood that I had destroyed the balance of the day." Just weird. I did mark several pages that either had beautiful writing, or just strange occurrences.

I like how Camus described the friend or Mersault's mom at the beginning - who was crying but his face was so wrinkled, tears couldn't flow down. Or, at that fatal beach how the sun breaks into shards when hitting the sand. Just fascinating.

There's a whole paragraph that I found interesting, when Mersault is in prison: "I didn't understand why I was deprived of [smoking]. Later I understood that this was part of punishment. But at this moment I was used to not smoking, so this punishment no longer was punishment for me."

I didn't feel sorry for the protagonist - I was just confused that he couldn't understand what was going on around him. I'm all for being a non-conformist, being yourself, being original, but never to the extent that morals and laws no longer pertain to me.

My review is probably as fractured as the book. I can't say I liked it, but I'm glad Danielle chose it. Thanks!!

Amorality?

2007-07-19T22:55:00.000-06:00

I felt like The Stranger exemplifies a prevailing snobbery in academia. It is an attitude that nothing in this life matters and those that try to believe in any higher order or in the case of Camus any order at all are fools. At first I wasn't sure if Camus was being sarcastic or if he truly believed that nothing matters in life. So I looked it up on Sparknotes and he was being serious.

I think his book contradicts itself. According to Camus, to quote sparknotes, "Though The Stranger is a work of fiction, it contains a strong resonance of Camus’s philosophical notion of absurdity. In his essays, Camus asserts that individual lives and human existence in general have no rational meaning or order. However, because people have difficulty accepting this notion, they constantly attempt to identify or create rational structure and meaning in their lives. The term “absurdity” describes humanity’s futile attempt to find rational order where none exists." Meursault is irrational and amoral. The world around him however is not. As far as I can see the world around him, except for his friends, acted rationally and morally in response to his actions. Everyone is appropriately shocked at his lack of feeling. Contrary to Camus, I do not believe that their shock comes from the fact that they are less enlightened than Meursault. I believe that they are more enlightened than him. They understand the importance of connections and feelings. I related to the shock of the magistrate at his lack of an explanation for his actions. I was annoyed with Meursault for never choosing his actions. He claims to be amoral but I don't believe in amorality. I believe in choice and accountability of actions. Meursault is a wimp. He lets life happen to him and then is surprised (however briefly- he did not expect to be convicted) about the outcome. I can respect him having the belief that nothing really matters but I prefer it Hemingway style where you make up your own code of behavior because people still matter. This quote of his drove me nuts (it is Meursault reflecting on talking with his lawyer about his crime): "He left looking angry. I wished I could have made him stay, to explain that I wanted things between us to be good, not so that he could defend me better but, if I can put it this way, good in a natural way. Mostly, I could tell, I made him uncomfortable. He didn't understand me, and he was sort of holding it against me. I felt the urge to reassure him that I was like everybody else, just like everybody else. But really there wasn't much point, and I gave up the idea out of laziness. " To me it sums up Meursault. He just wants to feel good ("I explained to him that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings") and he is too lazy to do anything. He also thinks that he is normal and perhaps better than normal for his enlightenment. I think the book proves that he is not like everyone else as he is trying to claim. Very few people understand him. I feel sorry for him.

I first began to question Meursault as a narrator when he didn't notice that the nurse with his mother's coffin was missing her nose. That's when I thought that maybe Camus was being sarcastic. I was sad when I realized he wasn't. But I think his book still works as proof that his theories on life are unworkable in real life. Order does exist in this world. Truthfully it is much more ordered than we realize. Humans are unpredictable and volatile and often irrational but the whole universe is not such.

The Stranger...

2007-07-19T20:42:00.000-06:00

Hello ladies:

I have to say that I have not read this months book...my apologies, but I am very interested to read all that you have to say about it.

I did go and listen to the bit on Diane Rehm's show and it sounded interesting. I was trying to understand better exestential (sp.) literature, and I really wasn't getting it. I guess my brain is too caught up in the lighter fair...ie, Harry Potter or something similar. What to do, what to do?

I do love reading your opinions...thanks for sharing!

Michelle

'Strange' Days

2007-07-19T19:32:00.000-06:00

Hello ladies. If you made it through The Stranger, I would like to thank you. I know it was very different from the last book we read, and I for one had expectations that were not met.

I chose this book because I'd heard about it through one of my favorite radio shows on NPR, the Diane Rehm show. The discussion on the show, lead by the highly respected host, piqued my curiosity. Though I do not regret taking the time to read it, I wish I could say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The main player, Meursault, was hard -- if not impossible -- to warm up to. He didn't seem to have the "normal" human emotions that I -- as a woman -- like to recognize in others. I was reminded of those old movies from the '40s, where the men drink martinis and the women wear hourglass outfits and say the exact right thing all the time. So prescribed and robotic -- everyone filling his to role to a T and showing no great emotion.

Contributing to this robotic life-view was the fact that Meursault was friends with that girlfriend-beater. This friendship, coupled with the fact that he actually wrote that letter for him, just stunned me. Why would he be friends with such a man? Was he supposed to be this all-accepting, nonjudmental, emotionless sort of superhuman?

On the other hand, I found myself feeling sorry for our hero, especially when he was in the courtroom. All the spectators looked at him like he was a monster, when he merely viewed life differently from them. I relate him to an autistic person, who just hasn't the capacity to express feelings in the same manner the "rest of us" do.

The climactic scene at the end was almost a relief, as it brought this rush of feeling and sheer humanity to the book. I guess the author meant us to feel the difference. Like water tastes better when we are thirsty.

After finishing the book, I listened again to the radio show, which reminded me this was an second-generation existentialist book. According to a guest on the show, existentialism has three major questions:

1. Can we trust reason?
2. What are we responsible for, if anything, as humans?
3. Is there a meaning that transcends history?

For someone who seeks meaning in everything, I found it hard to attach meaning to practically anything in this book because the storytelling was disjointed and dry. I think this prevented me from connecting it to anything real. If that is the point of the book, then it worked on me.

This book did not lead me to study existentialism to any great degree. One thought on religion/faith, though. The priest came all the time to talk with him in his cell. Meursault refused to see him. I have to say I see some sort of valour or honor in Meursault's sticking with his own beliefs (or lack thereof). As I read once somewhere: Faith is a process, not an event. Had Meursault converted "on his death bed," so to speak, it might take some of the "meaning" out of the act. (I've always wondered if people who give their lives to God on their death beds are just acting on fear rather than a conscious decision. I see faith as something that helps me through this life, not the next.)

2007-07-09T08:10:00.000-06:00

Hi Ladies! (for some reason, Blogger wouldn't let me post a title...hmmmm)

I've tried not to read any posts/remarks, so sorry if this sounds repetitive. :)

First, I have to say that I'd read "Zippy" right before bed, so I'd often fall asleep with that memoir-like narrative voice in my head, which was pretty surreal, let me tell you. It also made me haul out my own journal and write a few entries (I think I last wrote in it a year ago!!! egads!), so if for nothing else, I really appreciate reading "Zippy" for that reason alone!

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I was INCREDIBLY moved by the story in the second chapter, I think, where she found a letter her mother had written in her baby book, concerning her illness when Zippy was 5 months old and the friends drove down from Gary, IN, so that her mother could sleep, and that they took her to the doctor and there were only 26 antibiotics (!!!!! Thinking about this now, after this past week when all three of my kids came down with strep throat and I just feel so blessed!) and the resident randomly picked the right one and Zippy survived the night after her mother turned the whole thing over to the Lord. And then I busted out laughing when she noted that after Zippy started talking, her mother wrote that all she had to say was "Please God, give that child some hair," or something like that. CRACKED me up.

I also laughed about her siblings telling her that she was adopted, because (true confession time) I remember telling my younger brother (with my older brother validating it, of course) that poor Herman was adopted because he didn't have to wear glasses and had light brown hair instead of dark brown. And the poor kid believed it, until he went to my mom who told us that, no, she was there, he definitely was NOT adopted. lol. (my mom had all of us via natural childbirth).

My biggest bugaboo was also part of the charm of the book...she recalled her childhood as we all do: in vignettes. I think I wanted more chronological order to her stories, whereas she kind of jumped around (which wasn't so bad until she started reintroducing secondary characters, like that neighbor boy who kidnapped her cat, and that got me a bit confused). However, isn't that how we all remember when telling people of our past? We have a story that leads to another and then another, and then when topics change, we go back in our past to find experiences that relate to the new topic.

I think it's interesting how she touched upon her mother's depression and her father, also like we remember our childhood memories. My own mother suffered from severe and debilitating postpartum depression (back in the day when it wasn't labeled as such) during the same generation and I know that the things that were just normal for me and my siblings were kinda weird for other people and definitely not acceptable for an Air Force Officer's wife. Of course, I know this now. Back in the day, that's just how it was.

I really enjoyed Zippy. As I'm raising my own kids, I wonder what they'll remember of their childhood. Hopefully they'll look back on it with such a kind and compassionate eye. Thanks for suggesting it!!!

A Spitfire named Zippy...

2007-07-08T23:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the late posting, folks. I really wanted to get creative and write a post by just quoting Haven words straight from the book. There were so many quotes throughout the book that cracked. Me. Up. Ends up, I'm not savvy enough to pull that kind of cool post together.

Let me share a few quotes that made me laugh out loud anyway. I can't count how many times Ian just gave me looks like I was crazy each time I'd have an outburst. And to my dismay, he didn't even want to know what the fuss was about... I did share the whole camping story though. How Zippy's dad would pack, repack and take the camper for a spin and check the lights again, etc. HILARIOUS!

The Quotes:

"If I could have gotten my nose close enough, I would have inhaled leaded gasoline until I was retarded."

"...but she had not truly known Chicken Love..."

"On the end-of-the-year report card all she was wrote was 'Is disruptive in class. Colors outside the lines. Talks out of turn.' When I showed it to my parents, they read it out loud to me, and my mom said, 'Good for you, sweetheart.' And my dad gave me a little pat on the back."

"Some people liked to go camping even if their daily lives already resembled camping."

"They're going to a convention." -- "Oh, a convention. Would that be for the Society of Drunken Philanderers?" -- "The SODP, we call it." -- "I see."

"Tiger had just tipped over sideways after chasing her own butt for ten minutes."

"It seemed that controlling her bladder was her one, overwhelming priority, because sometimes a little bit of pee would start to come out and she would look sad and shut it off and stand and stand and stand, and then a few minutes later a little bit more pee would come out..." -- "...which made me worried, because as I understood it, dogs did all their breathing through their tongues." -- "Jiggers, honey, why don't you just let all your pee out and then go lay down in the shade?" -- "I'd get under the porch if I were Jiggers. It's hotter than billy-be-doggone bangtree outside."

"...slicker than snot on a doorknob..."

"I had to tip over a little for laughing at the retarded gypsies, then straightened back up as I realized I was laughing at my own family."

"Plus you were born with a tail." -- "We had it removed so your pants would fit. Also we didn't want you to suffer in school."

"...nasty old bat."

"Well, she for sure knows you are not a Christian because you don't even go and pretend."

"...I'm going to turn you upside down and spit in your butt, are we clear?"

"...even though diamonds are girls, threes are boys." -- "Eights were completely girls, but the black eights were girls who were maybe a little too good at sports." -- "For good measure I put all the boys back in the box with the Joker, where they belonged."

"Mabel Simpkins told me today that the Jesus who died at Easter was the same one who was born at Christmas. Is that true?" -- "I just laughed at Mabel and told her she sure wasn't making a fool of me. I know Easter comes before Christmas."

"It was so pretty, I wanted to break it."

"...let me suggest some nice, fuzzy tights, the kind that don't go all the way to your crotch, but stop just in the middle of your thigh."

I also enjoyed the stories of Julie and how Zippy could read her mind and spoke for Julie... Even when she had to poop, Zippy asked the teacher if she could go.

I absolutely loved the Father's Day story where Zippy gets her dad a new dog from the hippies. It was so touching "it would have made a pirate weep."

Zippy

2007-07-08T19:45:00.000-06:00

Ladies,

Sorry I am late. I finished the book on time (sort of), but spent the last week in Utah with lots of family, including Katie. I really had a great time, but no spare minutes to post my review. Anyway, here it is:

Having been a teen-ager in a small town (American Fork, UT) during the 60's, I enjoyed this book on one level as a great trip back in time. (I LOVED the photos.) Actually, the setting and many of the events reminded me of my own childhood in the 50's. (Kimmel said Mooreland was a bit behind the times.) I kept writing down my experiences in the margins of the book as Zippy's experiences triggered my memories. My "pixie" haircut. My pair of red patent leather shoes with stacked heels. (I saved my money for weeks to buy them.) The arrival of my very first order of 45 rpm records. (My mother created a treasure hunt through the entire house to heighten my excitement!) I remembered the German shepherd in our neighborhood who killed our neighbor's little dog while I screamed hysterically on the front porch. I remembered when the "Fry Daddy" made its debut. I remembered smells that transport me instantly to some place or event in my past, like the smell of the service station on the corner or the clean chalkboards and floors in my elementary school on the first day. I remembered the Mickie Mouse Club and the blonde Mouseketeer named Karen. I remembered the red and black striped "Suzie longlegs" that my dad brought back from a business trip. I also remembered the "gross" shoes he made me buy when my mom had him take me shopping. I remembered how scary Maleficent was and that Marcus Welby, MD was a TV favorite. I remembered dresses that my Grandma wore, medical breakthroughs like polio vaccines, Avon lipstick, polyester pants, drive-in movies with the big silver sound box that hung over the window, Saturday matinees at the Coral Theater (25 cents), my junior high (the "old" high school) with the detached lunchroom and the candy store adjacent to the school, my mother pin-fitting a jumper to me, and the list goes on. (You can tell this book really took me back!)

But there are other things that made this book a good read besides nostalgia. First, Kimmel's writing style was so genuine and entertaining that I often laughed out loud! She did a great job of capturing a child's outlook and enthusiasm.

She also deals with some very profound issues. (Any of the 16 questions at the back of the book would be fun to discuss with you all.) Zippy's own religious awakenings (Easter--page 242) and her parents' differing approaches to things spiritual (from her dad's church in the trees to her mom's consistent attendance at church) really raised some important questions. I thought it was interesting that the book ended at Christmas with the comment, "Thank you for not losing faith."

The family dynamics dealt with important issues as well. Zippy matter-of-factly lets the reader in on Dad's gambling/smoking/compulsive behavior and Mom's depression/escape from life/financial problems. I found that the way Zippy's older brother and sister treated her really bothered me. For years, I have wrestled with when teasing becomes plain meanness and this seemed like a lot of meanness to me. (And she STILL looks up to them.)

I appreciated the things that made me think. I didn't appreciate the sick/dark side that Kimmel portrays using the neighbor family that abused animals. I wished it hadn't been part of the book. (Do all books today have to have something sensational in them?) When the rabbit was actually eating Zippy's finger, I was absolutely nauseous.

The carnivorous rabbit notwithstanding, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was fun and thought provoking and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it.

--Karen Smith

Link to radio review of The Stranger

2007-07-02T11:38:00.000-06:00

Link to Readers' Review of Albert Camus' The Stranger, which was discussed on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR back in September 2006. President Bush had been reading the book, which prompted Rehm to feature it on her radio show.

Danielle

Zippy - Karen Buxton

2007-06-20T16:07:00.000-06:00

I didn't spent much time looking for hidden meanings, or "this is why
I'm the way I am" pronouncements. I think it's because I spent my
early childhood in a small town (population 500). The dogs and the
kids roamed the streets, there were nice homes, abandoned homes, as
well as many that should have been abandoned. My dad had a beer
every night, and didn't say a whole lot to my mother who spent the
first half of every day on the couch sick with asthma and back pain.
Sounds dreary, but I didn't see it that way. There was a lady (Mrs.
Robinson), that my friend and I liked to go and visit, who had at
least 15 dogs and more cats than could be counted. Of course the
thing that is engrained on my memory of my visits to her house is the
smell. Horrid! I've often wondered what eventually happened to her
and all of her animals. Speaking of smells...There was a family that
lived in town that had three daughters. The girls were always very
stinky. Occasionally they would come to primary, and during class
one day the girl my age took off her shoes, and stunk up the whole
room. I remember being pleasantly surprized, on another occasion,
when my mother and I went to their trailor, and the girls were taking
baths. My older sister, who is the same age as Kimmel, remembers
going to a friend's house for a sleepover. When it came time to go
to bed, the bed was covered with a huge pile of questionable laundry
(dirty? clean?). The two girls simply crawled under the pile of
laundry and went to sleep.

Anyway, enough reminiscing. I was interested in Danielle's comments
about the "car repair" episode. My impression of the event was that
he was not only getting frustrated with the project, but that Zippy
was driving him crazy with her questions etc. Her presence was not
helping the situation. I just figured that he was inviting her to
leave for her own well being. I didn't believe that he was going to
physically harm her, just throw a tantrum. Again, my impressions
might be coming from my own experiences. My dad was always fixing
the cars. It's always interesting how differently we all view the
same event. I appreciated Danielle's more positive take on the
episode.

I also very much enjoyed the pig story even though it was somewhat
troubling to me. I also got a kick out of the story about her
parents fighting and her mother riding away on Zippy's bike. There
were many humerous events as well as many tragedies. As a child she
wasn't necessarily aware of the humor or the tragedy, but as adults,
I'm sure that we more clearly see the absurdities, and the sorrows.

I've written much more than intended, and I hope I haven't bored any
of you with my own life history. Thanks for indulging me.

Yay for Zippy!

2007-06-19T13:46:00.000-06:00

I love Zippy. I read it once before about five years ago- my Mom recommended it to me after her book club read it. That is why I recommended it for us. I had forgotten how truly wonderful it is. It was great fun to read again and rediscover Zippy. I also read the sequel so hopefully I will not get the two confused. The first is the best but the second still has the same flair.

It was interesting to read two memoirs in a row both wonderful in their own way. I was annoyed with Mike Ramsdell for jumping around the timeline in his story because I felt like he was covering something up. With Zippy it didn't bother me- she told the stories that connected to a theme for each chapter and she generally got older as the book went along but she definitely skipped around the timeline. I think that added to the ending feeling abrupt. But I think maybe she didn't want an ending. She wanted to leave us with a feeling of continuation- a feeling of future stories. This book was just a snippet - one facet in the kaleidoscope. I am amazed at how this book hangs together with no obvious direction. It is a memoir told from her young eyes and not her current eyes.

I love how innocent and oblivious she is. I love how active she is. I love her opinion of herself and of her family. I love that the whole town raised her since her parents couldn't. I think her relationship with her father is interesting because it is obviously not the norm for his relationships. He was a different Father to her than he was to her other siblings. She takes this for granted. He is a good father to her- I love it when he tells her to go away because he is frustrated with the car he is working on and is going to start swearing soon. There is something so sweet in that moment- so respectful of her and who she is and so representative of their relationship. He is imperfect and they both know it and accept it. There are boundaries to what she gets to see and what she doesn't. It isn't hidden from her but he is a better person when he is with her. I think it is funny how she feels encouraged to be a rebel by him. It makes her His Girl.

I love that she never sees herself as a victim. She describes some terrible conditions for a childhood and yet she remains impervious to them. She doesn't remember suffering because she wore the same pants all year long and the laundry never got done and the house is falling down and has no heat. Her mom was on the couch but that was comforting to her- she always knew where to find her. I can relate to this somewhat because my Mom was always on the couch with a good book while I was growing up too. Not because of depression but because of illness- repeated pneumonia and strep throat and those kinds of illnesses. My Mom was much more responsible for us- she always knew where we were and she kept the house pretty tidy (as tidy as possible with 4 rugrats tearing it apart all of the time). It makes me appreciate my Mom more- knowing now how ill she was and how hard it must have been for her to pick herself up and take care of us. I am impressed with Zippy for her lack of resentment and her innocent oblivion to how bad things must have been.

On of my favorite stories from this book is the one where she protects Rose from the band teacher. Rose didn't even tell her what was wrong- just that something was wrong and her Mom didn't believe her. Zippy figures it out sort of by thinking of the band teacher. She doesn't really understand but she knows that it can't continue. She uses her stubborn personality and protects her friend by staying and walking home with her everyday. She could have been putting herself in potential danger too but instead she bullies the band teacher. It's great! And she doesn't even quite realize what she has done. I also love that she punishes the band teacher for not letting her play drums ("because it is a boy instrument") by making him lug around the bells. I love that she her sense of what's right in the world and the way she follows it and stands up for it. Zippy addresses so many issues that we go through in our youth without making too big a deal out of any of them. And yet they shape her and who she is.

So this is not a very well written review- my thoughts are kind of disorganized today... and everyday... but hopefully it makes enough sense... I wish I could write like Haven...

Zippy

2007-06-19T12:01:00.000-06:00

I have to say I was skeptical about this book at first. And the introduction that spoke about how here sister was just as skeptical about reading a story of a girl growing up in the middle of nowhere and no tragedy in her life...how interesting could that be?

In any case, I was surprised by this book. She relates such interesting stories and memories such as the pig hurling episode with such a tongue in cheek approach that you can hardly not smile at the thought of it. (My sensibilities tell me to be shocked, but I found my self laughing none the less.)

I also loved her candor in regards to so many different realities. One example of this was how she didn't want to be Dana's friend and vice versa and that her other best friends or the second best friends were quickly drawn away from her to this new girl. Etc... I loved the fight for no reason and how they made up and became friends again. Haven skirts around the idea that Dana's home life was different than hers but not that it was as bad as it really was...does any of this make sence? Anyway, she was able to intimate something different than what she is actually saying.

This was a fun and interesting read. I wish that I would be able to remember all the little stories of my childhood...I see pictures and I wonder sometimes what what happening that we needed to remember that moment. I guess my mind is going in my old age!

Thanks for the read!

Michelle

A Train...

2007-06-19T11:54:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to first say that I needed to post for "A Train to Potevka" before I could step up to Zippy.

I really enjoyed this book. It had interesting stories and intrigue and held my interest. However, like so many of you, I found it difficult getting past the writing at times. He is a great story teller and the writing is just as though he were telling you the story as opposed to me reading the story.

I love spy stuff, so knowing that this was essentially a true story made it all the better. I have often wondered in my life what it would be like to be a spy in the truest sence of the word. Would it be hard to be LDS? Would there be a lot of intrigue? Where would I be, etc. Knowing me, however, I would have probably ended up in the middle of North Dakota translating something or other...not very exciting.

Thanks for having us read this. It was interesting to see the spy game in action.

Michelle

All is Zippy

2007-06-18T18:30:00.000-06:00

I LOVED this book. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I was entranced by Zippy's childhood recollections. I remember reading a review of the book... "finally, a memoir about a happy childhood." I'll admit, I kept waiting for the "this is why I am the way I am" comments, but they never came (thank goodness).

I don't have my book in front of me, but I know I marked several different pages for one thing or another. Danielle P. said, "I delighted in the character's matter-of-fact approach to things, her mature yet childlike way of expressing herself." I noticed that as well. The author recounted events in an almost adult fashion, but with the innocence of youth. It takes talent to recount a story as a child would perceive events, but include enough information that an adult reader can understand between the lines.

I actually felt myself in the book - wishing I grew up in a small town like Zippy did. I remember mocking older people who "wished for a simpler time" and this was back when I was in high school. Now, I'm the one wishing for a simpler time, one in Mooreland with my family. Haven really knows how to tell a story. I've already purchased the next Zippy book.

I loved her relationships with her family, especially her dad. Aside from his drinking, gambling, etc., there were parts that reminded me of my own dad. I had pages marked as examples, but...

Good choice. Thanks Danielle W.

Zip, Zip Hooray!

2007-06-12T00:40:00.000-06:00

I had the great fortune to listen to a Book on CD version of A Girl Named Zippy read by none other than the author herself. Though I am confident I would have laughed and cried as readily as I did had I read the print version, this audio book allowed me to feel somehow closer to the places and people the author described. I can still picture Zippy's mom curled up on the couch with a good book. I see her brother breaking down the bathroom door and slapping his sister. (An act, incidentally, I totally applauded when it happened, though I am a pacifist at heart.) Her father, too, with all those dogs in the front yard.

I began to listen to the book on a flight from Salt Lake to Dallas. I had to put it aside, however, when tears started running down my cheeks after hearing the letter Zippy's mother wrote when she thought her baby girl might die (hope I am remembering this right; it's been a few weeks since I read it). I knew I wouldn't be able to bawl properly on an airplane full of strangers. I also could not properly laugh aloud in a plane: One of the funniest scenes was when Zippy's best friend's mother (did I get that right?) got nailed by that pig running straight toward her and knocking her on her butt (or was it her face?).

Most of the book made me laugh and not cry, I am happy to say. I delighted in the character's matter-of-fact approach to things, her mature yet childlike way of expressing herself. And I really like how her character could have come off sounding really snotty and snobbish (since she was so smart), but I really loved the girl.

I also love hearing stories of the bond between father and daughter. It seemed the two in this book had a nice relationship; I sensed no anger or resentment from Zippy. She alluded a bit to her father's gambling and -- maybe drinking? -- problem but this didn't seem to interfere too much with her adoration of him.

I thought the book ended a bit abruptly. I didn't feel that crescendo before the resolution you get in a great book. Perhaps because there were so many crescendos in all the vignettes. Or perhaps I didn't want the book to end yet. In any case, I look forward to reading more from this author. It was a tidy and fast read with lots of laughter and color.