Crow Lake

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

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

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!!!

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?

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

      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

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

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

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.