Virtual Book Club

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: E's Remarks

2011-11-19T07:57:00.000-05:00

Has anyone out there ever found the name of a stranger in a second-hand book and wondered about them?

I’ll confess to a flicker of thought about who may have read a book that somehow made its way into my hands, though never have I acted upon the impulse to communicate with them.

I’m simply not that brave; I had to work hard to visualize a reserved man from Guernsey writing a stranger in London because he’d read a book she had once owned and wanted further reading recommendations from her.

I wonder what went through his mind as he carefully composed his request. Sixty years ago, would such a request have been taken at face value or might it have been viewed as odd?

My guess is, since people communicated largely through letters and telegrams unless they could meet face-to-face such a request would have been answered eventually, as it was in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Penned by Mary Ann Schaffer and her niece, Annie Barrows, the book takes the reader back to post-war England and the Channel island of Guernsey. It is 1946 and both London and Guernsey share the grief and ravages of war. We meet a young writer, Juliet Ashton, and her friend and editor discussing via letter a book tour, her correspondence with friends and the receipt of a letter from an unknown man detailing his discovery of a book she once owned.

With time, the two develop an ongoing correspondence through which the reader learns of the Nazi occupation of Guernsey and the existence and membership of the island’s literary society. This presents Juliet with exciting possibilities for a new book and she soon finds herself engrossed in the lives of each society member and their families.

At the center of poignant anecdotes is a young woman, Elizabeth McKenna, whose whereabouts since her arrest by the Nazis is initially unknown. It is she who creates the society, first as a ruse, to hide the consumption of contraband pork by the group, which meets for dinner and then flouts the Nazi occupiers curfew. We learn too that Elizabeth becomes a central character in the lives of those she befriends and cares for on the island. She is presented as an unconventional woman who falls in love with a young German doctor, eventually having his daughter and raising her in tightknit Guernsey. When Elizabeth assists a young Nazi prisoner and arrested for her crime by the Nazis, all of Elizabeth’s friends care for four-year-old Kit, hoping for her mother’s return.

It is at this point that Juliet decides to meet the literary society members in person. She journeys to Guernsey and in Elizabeth’s cottage, falls in love with the place, its inhabitants, Kit and the gentleman she first met when he wrote her as a stranger.

For her part, Juliet sees beyond grief and loss in those around her. Having lost her own parents as a girl, she is no stranger to grief or anger, but it is the love for Kit that surprises her as well as her willingness to leave life in London behind for the sense of extended family she finds on the island.

Juliet learns of Elizabeth’s death at the hands of her captors and the horrors faced in her concentration camp through a French survivor, Elizabeth’s friend Remy. Like Juliet, Remy is invited to Guernsey to heal. Though she recuperates physically, Remy remains haunted by her experiences and eventually leaves for Paris to begin life anew.

The book ends with the promise of marriage for Juliet and her desire to adopt Kit. A novel rooted in contemporary history, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is also about transformation and the power of the human spirit to overcome oppressive forces.

The letter is used very cleverly in this book as a literary device. Much as I tried to picture the same information conveyed by e-mail, I could not. What would be lost? Warmth, the sense that the letter writer carefully selected his or her words and cared about the feelings communicated.
Additionally, the gift of detail or nuance, more easily explained in a letter, is often missing in today’s truncated electronic missives. The time taken to write a letter may also make a difference to its recipient. Finally, one does not keep e-mails as special tokens of attention, time or history. They cannot be bundled and put in a special place to preserve moments in time, as letters often were. There is a certain charm about this book that comes through in the letters between its characters. I would sum it up as an enjoyable read.

Woman in the Fifth - Megan's Complaints :)

2010-06-04T15:41:00.004-04:00

Overall, I have to give a thumbs down on this one. Although I admit to feeling some suspense and I enjoyed the descriptions of Paris and the differences between neighborhoods.

But everything was just a little too. Do you know what I mean?

The nasty desk clerk. That man went beyond nasty to the point where I couldn’t believe what was coming out of his mouth. I mean, really.

Omar. A dirty thug for a neighbor is certainly a possibility. Does he have to be a dirty thug who, aside from his regular dirty thug bad habits, uses the “minimum amount of toilet paper?” Come on.

The secret of the warehouse. They can’t just be dealing drugs down there. Or porn. Oh, no, of course not. They’re doing both those things plus making snuff films!

The Terrible Tragedy. Not only did he sleep with a student and lose his job. He slept with a student who killed herself AND his wife was sleeping with the Dean at the same time!

Now, maybe everything had to be awful to the nth degree before “our hero” was in the correct state of mind for Margit to appear. That was certainly implied. Her story was horrific to the nth degree, that’s for sure. What do you think?

I will say I wasn’t as disappointed as Beth about the supernatural aspect. Maybe it’s all that fantasy I still like to read. But even there the author goes overboard eventually. I can get behind a spectre that assists her chosen swain by planting evidence or causing accidents. But then all of a sudden she’s manipulating the Dean’s computer and waking the daughter up from a “non-responsive” coma?

And at the end, what? He gets a nice apartment and a nice job teaching Film Studies and he gets laid every three days.

Meh.

Woman in the Fifth

2010-05-27T19:53:00.002-04:00

Is the floor open for comments/discussion? Megan, e, anyone? I have a bone to pick . . . with the author

Lunch in Paris Summary And Comments...

2010-04-24T16:53:00.018-04:00

An expat American woman studying in London meets a French professional and newly-minted Ph.D at a digitisation conference, they eventually have lunch, and while enjoying what has to be the most sensual meal I've read about in years, decide to have their after-lunch tea at his apartment. Both realise their desire for the other, and for her part, the American, though hesitant about being viewed as potentially slutty, decides her French man is nonetheless worth that risk. So begins Elizabeth Bard's Lunch in Paris...

Described by the author as a love story with recipes, the book, an engaging read from start to finish, pulls its readers along on a budding romance that blossoms into marriage, the melding of two linguistically challenged but loving families and an on-going exploration of what it can be like to live in a culture different from one's own.

Growing up as an expat myself, the interplay of cultures, the expectations engendered and the experiences that widen perspective have always intrigued me. For both Elizabeth and her husband, Gwendal, widening perspectives yield unanticipated results. In Elizabeth's case, this shows in the increasing knowledge that her life in Paris will be very different from the almost punch list-like achievement orientation found in her New York peers. At the same time, she uses her drive and vision to help shape and guide Gwendal's aspirations beyond what French convention says is possible, with apparent and growing success.

Equally interesting is Elizabeth's attraction to Paris, with its myriad museums, a city steeped in history, art, music, cinema, markets, and, of course, food. It is in food and French cooking that Elizabeth re-claims her joie de vivre while acclimating to the life and rhythms of her new home. Each chapter contains the fruits of her learning and labours, from entrees to lovely vegetables and sumptious desserts for each season or major event, including her husband's wonderful apricot charlotte.

Refreshingly penned, the book grew out of conversations with friends and the author's desire for a project that would focus not only her writing skills, but those she was gaining as a cook and a resident within French daily life and culture.

For more information on the book, visit http://www.amazon.com or the author's blog at http://elizabethbard.blogspot.com.

Interested readers can also consult the Readers Guide for the book that Elizabeth put together and which is posted below this entry.

As there are 13 questions, those of us participating in this discussion have agreed to answer the specific questions which each of us find most compelling. Visitors to this blog can check the Comments Section for those.

As this month's commentator, I will post my observations and questions here.

1. In Lunch in Paris, major life events are landmarked by food. Why is food such a potent force — and is this particularly true in France? Has a meal ever changed your life? Do you have a particular food that brings to mind certain memories, certain people?

Food is a potent socialiser and bonding experience in cultures across the world. Why? Because it is used for nourishment, to convey love, to convey and celebrate accomplishment, to assuage unhappiness or to provide reward. It is also a focal point for religious, social and cultural events, whether one is French or not.

I enjoyed seeing the differences between French and American eating customs, some of which were quite telling. For example, the French often serve multi-course meals but portions are smaller, and everything is good in moderation, whereas in America, gluttony often appears to rule the day, as does the comsumption of processed or fast foods, and we now have the rates of diabetes, obesity and other diseases to prove the point, unfortunately.

Growing up as an expat, I was exposed to American and Central American foods, fresh vegetables and tropical fruits. The foods of Panama will forever have special memories and meanings for me, as do the foods commonly served during Passover, for example. A restaurant meeting in which I barely ate due to nervousness landed me my first long term writing job, and birthdays are always celebrated with a meal. What has changed significantly is how and what I eat; I always shop the freshest aisles of the market, rarely eat restaurant food, try to follow a mostly vegan regime and avoid sweets except for the occasional treat. My portions are smaller and since I cannot drink alcohol, my food budget stays fairly consistent. I've made a couple of Elizabeth's recipes and they were wonderful.

2. Elizabeth is slow to assimilate into French culture, in spite of her eagerness to do so. Which parts of this adaptation do you think would be the most difficult?

I've thought about this since I would like to visit Paris again...For me, it would be learning to get around the city or neighbourhoods, learning the language, although I speak more than one, and learning about what not to do when interacting with others...For example, here, many people mention what they earn in relation to their jobs but in France, this is a social no-no. It is considered uncouth.

4. Halfway through a first date with her future husband, Gwendal, Elizabeth goes home with him. How key a role does food play in the seduction that follows? How does sex on a first date play differently between France and America? Does the author seem confused or liberated — or both — by the cultural differences?

Food apparently plays a role through the entire process, starting with the mint tea and beyond with the post-coital apricot charlotte...I think the biggest difference is that American women are taught to think about sex and love...ie does he love me, will he still call me...etc, and worrying about "reputation" rather than asking themselves "do I like this person?" "would I enjoy being with this guy?" "Can I have sex without feeling guilty over it," rather than looking at it as being okay to climb between the sheets with someone in order to get to know them and have a bit of fun? I think Elizabeth seems a bit divided on this issue to begin with but gradually decides it is okay...I think I was ahead of my generation on this issue because I have always felt that women have as much right to sex as their partners, and have as much right to explore this arena.

12. Elizabeth voices serious doubts about raising a child under the French system of health care, after seeing how doctors treated Gwendal’s father. Is her wariness justified? Would you be able to reconcile the French outlook with your own?

Unfortunately, what happened to Gwendal's father can happen anywhere and has indeed happened in America to me and others I've known. Bad doctors and their misjudgements, lack of care or even overconcern with money or class can exist anywhere. If one is marginalised or looked down upon socially, their lives or productivity are often judged as being of less value which may be reflected in the time and attention they receive. I think the way we deal with these issues may be vastly different in terms of litigation but very few people in this situation have the time or resources to fight back. The American healthcare system is now so fragmented and hard to access that even those with resources find it difficult to use. We no longer have bragging rights in this area, in my opinion.

Check the Comments Section for Further Discussion and Happy Reading!

Lunch in Paris Readers Guide Questions...

2010-04-18T16:36:00.003-04:00

As promised, I've posted Elizabeth Bard's Lunch in Paris Readers Guide here so that those who are reading and any who may be interested in the upcoming discussion will have the questions readily available. A summary of the book and my observations will be posted by April 30. The author, Elizabeth Bard, has promised to drop by around that date. Thanks and happy reading!

READING GROUP GUIDE
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes
By Elizabeth Bard

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. In Lunch in Paris, major life events are landmarked by food. Why is food such a potent force — and is this particularly true in France? Has a meal ever changed your life? Do you have a particular food that brings to mind certain memories, certain people?

2. Elizabeth is slow to assimilate into French culture, in spite of her eagerness to do so. Which parts of this adaptation do you think would be the most difficult?

3. Elizabeth faces some linguistic challenges as well as cultural ones, especially when she meets Gwendal’s parents — and introduces them to her own. How does she overcome communication barriers? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to rely on a form of communication other than language?

4. Halfway through a first date with her future husband, Gwendal, Elizabeth goes home with him. How key a role does food play in the seduction that follows? How does sex on a first date play differently between France and America? Does the author seem confused or liberated — or both — by the cultural differences?

5. Elizabeth has some difficulty adjusting to life in Paris after having grown up in New York. What are the main differences she sees between French and American culture?

6. In the beginning, Elizabeth has trouble understanding Gwendal’s lack of a concrete “five year plan.” Throughout the book, how do their different visions of success clash and,ultimately, complement each other?

7. In explaining his frustrations with the French system, Gwendal quotes the American author (and former Paris resident) Henry Miller: “In America, every man is potentially president. Here, every man is potentially a zero.” What do you make of Gwendal’s statement?

8. Elizabeth pushes Gwendal to pursue his career beyond what is generally socially acceptable. What do you make of her effort —and his eventual success?

9. Despite some misgivings, Elizabeth is helpless but to fall in love with French cooking. What would you say typifies Parisian cuisine? If you had to serve a meal "typical" of your culture to a French person, what would it be like? What do you think your way of eating says
about your country and its culture?

10. What meal or dish could you be seduced by — or which would you use to seduce someone?

11. When Elizabeth asks for a “normal”-size piece of cake at a family dinner, she makes a subtle cultural error that takes her a long time to understand. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you missed a social cue but didn’t quite understand what you did wrong?

12. Elizabeth voices serious doubts about raising a child under the French system of health care, after seeing how doctors treated Gwendal’s father. Is her wariness justified? Would you be able to reconcile the French outlook with your own?

13. What will be the ongoing challenges — and opportunities — as Elizabeth and Gwendal continue to shape their life and grow their family in Paris?

Lunch in Paris Readers Guide...

2010-04-04T14:39:00.003-04:00

Having finished Elizabeth Bard's Lunch in Paris for the second time, I'll be working on the questions from her Readers Guide and posting a brief summary of the book by April 30th.

Those interested in her Readers Guide will find it on her blog under February 20. A link to the blog was provided in the previous post. As Elizabeth is flying back to New York City tomorrow to resume her book tour and readings, I'm sure she'll appreciate our wishes for safe travel and a successful trip.

Those reading the book for VBC, kindly send me an e-mail and let me know whether you intend to participate in the discussion and how the reading is coming along for you.

Thanks and happy reading!

Lunch in Paris

2010-03-22T19:20:00.004-04:00

Lunch in Paris, by Elizabeth Bard, is our next foray into virtual book discussion. The author has a web site and a discussion guide. I welcome input for an end date for reading and one for beginning discussion. I know e has two more France/Paris–based books to keep us on the theme: Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, and Woman in the Fifth, by Douglas Kennedy.

Finally, I've finished.

2010-03-14T17:19:00.002-04:00

Before I go on, let me say that it was a good book. A very good book. Unfortunately, it's taken me since late October to slog through it. I'm relieved to say that I'm not the only one who slogged through (two of my coworkers I've found out, said the same) it so at least there's that.

OK, so 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'.

When I logged it into my Shelfari page the words 'magical realism' came up. That works. I had that that the 'chronicles' were actually about Mr. Okada, but with more reading I began to wonder if there was something more that was only skimmed. So much is going on in this book, so much that connects somehow, but so little is explained that many questions are left by the time the words are read. Like, what about Cinnamon? What about Cinnamon's father? One can conjecture, but one would rather not. I like back stories and now I feel the need to fly to Japan and get to know some of the places mentioned in the book and perhaps meet Mr. Murakami and shake some answers out of him.

Now I see that no one else as written since late last year, except for Cinnamon to say that she's got a life. Which is what has kept me quiet here and elsewhere. So I hate writing more till I know that someone isn't going to read this and feel cheated that I let something slip.

Anyway, I did enjoy the book and may possibly read more of his stuff. Anybody out there?

2010-02-20T09:19:00.003-05:00

hi VBC readers. Sorry I have been absent for some time from this blog. I have decided to leave blogging for a while, so am going to remove myself from contributing to this blog. I hope it continues in some form or other! Happy reading X

Hideous Kinky : E's Comments

2009-10-11T16:43:00.014-04:00

Esther Freud's Hideous Kinky, published as a first novel in 1992, is as charming as it is often alarming. A narrative of one family's trip by caravan, train and trek, through Europe and into North Africa, the story is told through the eyes of the youngest of two sisters, who is five at the start.

Set in the 1960's, as the story unfolds, the reader meets the two sisters, their mother and an evolving cast of characters they encounter along the way. We learn that the mother and the girls are English, that they've left home in search of adventure. Though there is a father, he is out of the picture, save for sending money and Christmas gifts to the girls.

Though the mother is a talented seamstress, she appears without further credentials, and makes her way through various adventures either by her wits or with the help of a young Arab man, Bilal. It is Bilal, whom her youngest daughter pointedly asks to be her father, at one point. Largely without resources, the mother and her girls survive from day to day, and she spends a great deal of time worrying whether or not money from England will present itself.

For his part, Bilal also survives by his wits, acrobatic tricks and business schemes, which fall flat, as he is unable to train the narrator of this story to effect more than a handstand. A growing attraction to Sufism compels the girls' mother apart from Bilal as she goes to another town in search of a mystic with whom to broaden her spiritual horizons.

At this juncture, the oldest daughter, Bea, all of eight, announces she's staying put. Headstrong, Bea craves the stability of school and home, as does her younger sister, who dreams of mashed potatoes. Their wandering, self-preoccupied mother, meanwhile, remains oblivious to these needs.

Leaving Bea with an expatriate couple, her mother and the young narrator in this book set out, eventually making their way to yet another town by train, hitch hiking and walking until they find the desired Sufi colony. Gone for weeks on end, growing penury and the event of Bea's birthday finally forces their return to Marrakesh.

Alarmed to learn that Bea is no longer where she left her, the reader finally sees panic set in as her mother searches, eventually locating Bea at a school for children with polio, which is run by yet another ex pat. Meeting her eldest in the midst of her birthday celebration, an event laden with sandwiches, fruits, cake and lemonade, Bea's mother notes a cold reception.

Returning to their previous hotel and its diverse inhabitants, the girls, their mother and Bilal find themselves in dire straits monetarily. It is then that Bilal composes a letter of flourishing prose, exhorting his rich Islamic brethren to show charity and kindness to this English woman. Instructing her to take the letter to the best merchants and others, the girls' mother is thus reduced to begging.

While one would think that this mother would then see sense and return to England, it is not until Bea evidences a nasty gum infection and is taken to see an ex-pat known as Auntie Rose, that the tide turns. Though Rose confirms a gum infection and shows Bea how to gargle with warm water and salt, she is neither doctor nor dentist, advising the girls' mother to simply get them home.

Finally obtaining medication from a doctor, Bea's infection clears, and plans are made to return to England. In a poignant ending, Bea climbs into a barren luggage rack, softly chanting the words hideous kinky to herself as the narrator of this story decides to stay seated with their mother, in case she should suddenly drop her plans to go home, exiting instead at one of the train stops.

While I enjoyed the perspective and narration in Freud's novel, I often found myself wondering what the girls' mother was thinking, first carting them across Europe in a broken down caravan driven by her married boyfriend, while his wife in the back doesn't speak. The only words emerging from her almost catatonic silence are 'hideous kinky', which becomes a soothing mantra for the children as the twists and turns of this otherwise delightful read become too confusing.

The use of the youngest child as narrator in this book provides a comedic, innocent foil against which the restlessness, rootless wandering and spiritual dabbling of her mother contrast sharply. One wonders about the "Daddy in England," whose presents appear at Christmas, the boyfriend John, who leaves with his fragile wife as the others depart for Morocco via ferry from Spain, all of the prostitutes at their hotel in Marrakesh who steal a friend's baby's nappies and other things from them, and the mother's subsequent relationship with an otherwise religious Muslim, whom the narrator claims as her father. The plethora of characters they meet on their various adventures also stand out against the innocence of her narration, sometimes to an alarming degree. The mother's naivete in leaving Bea behind, is but one of many examples of this.

Another is her almost constant penury. Who takes children on a trip with no money and no plan as to how to provide for them? Who makes no plans for a child's education, leaving it to an eight-year-old to announce that she was going to school and needed a uniform? Given that the 60's were an era of hippies and 'free love', some but certainly not all of their mother's preoccupation and longing for adventure, was understandable, but these children seemed more like props on her stage, as did Bilal and John.

The fact that this book is loosely autobiographical is interesting. Freud, an actress turned novelist, appears open to adventure in this book. One wonders whether she is the young narrator of this tale or her more rebellious older sister.

Adapted into a 1998 film of the same title, this book is a refreshing read. As I have yet to see the film, starring Kate Winslett, I've no idea how the movie compares to the book. Has anyone else seen this?

Until Next Time...

The Sheltering Sky...Some Comments by E

2009-10-06T15:52:00.003-04:00

Paul Bowles 1949 book, The Sheltering Sky, focuses on the lives of an American couple and a friend and their travels together in the North African desert. Bowles never answers the question as to why they choose to travel that region, although he hints at marital difficulties between Kit Moresby and her husband, Porter, who it seems, is just seeking adventure and believes Europe to be ruined by war.

Kit is portrayed as rather manipulative; She becomes guilt-ridden after almost responding to the romantic attentions of their friend, Tunner. Her relationship with Porter is noticeably lacking in both romance and genuine affection. Tunner apparently has amorous feelings for Kit, which are never fully explored or explained by the author.

Another hallmark of these characters is that none of them seem aware of the myriad dangers present around them---from disease and bad food to political unrest. There is also the matter of an over-bearing, extremely racist, anti-Semitic English woman and her thieving son, who attempt to befriend the trio. Aside from feeling superior to Jews, the French and Africans, which the reader learns about via increasingly jarring commentary, her character and that of her son, appear to exemplify the worst of English classicism and racism, while Americans are portrayed as ignorant, adventure-seeking fools. Arabs are seen in a somewhat more sympathetic light.

When Porter dies after an unnamed illness, Kit wastes no time in fleeing, leaving Porter's corpse to be discovered by Tunner and the police. Leaving her old life behind, Kit determines to have an adventure of her own, paying no heed to the possible dangers, cultural differences or vagaries of politics that darken the road ahead.

Eventually becoming the concubine of an Arab, Kit also realises she too is ill, a situation that escalates as the last part of the story unfolds. When she is escapes and is at last located by the police and consulate, the woman sent to organise Kit's return to the United States is genuinely shocked at her appearance and attitude and wonders whether Kit has gone mad.

The reader, at least this one, is left with that unanswered question as well as others. and struck by Bowles apparent dislike of his characters.

As an expatriate himself for over fifty years, Bowles may have seen adventurers of every stripe; he is certainly unstinting in his portrayals. An interesting contrast in his own life is that Paul Bowles writing is characterized by dark elements while his musical compositions, for which he is also well known, are of much lighter tone. For more information about the author, visit the official Bowles website at http://www.PaulBowles.org.

The Sheltering Sky is a provacative read.

The next 3 Books!

2009-09-23T15:42:00.005-04:00

We have 3 winners, with 42% of the votes each!! I have added them to the sidebar for our next 3 months.

I have also added a 'Working List' a bit further down the side bar. I suggest that when any of us thinks of a book they would like to read here, just add the title to this list. Any of the 'contributors/authors' of the blog can do this by going to the edit layout page from the dashboard. Alternatively leave a comment and one of us will do it. It just makes it easier to see at a glance what has been proposed without trawling back through all the comments. I have added all the books which we recently voted on which had one or more vote- and have left off those which had no votes!

Hope everyone is ok with this? I suppose at some stage we should have an explanation of how we choose books on the side bar, but as this is still a work in progress perhaps that should be for later. Feel free to comment if you think anything needs changing....!

Oh one other thing...if we write what we think about each book on one post (ie by adding our comments to the first person's post either by editing that post- because we can edit each other's- or by writing in the comments page) we can link the picture of the books we have read to that post- to make it quicker/easier to find past posts....not sure if I am making sense here...

Voting Open!

2009-09-15T10:23:00.004-04:00

Having read e's post below and Jo's comments, I would like to propose that e chooses the book for October, as she has been having trouble getting books. therefore she can choose one she knows she can get hold of. Then I thought I would try to add a poll to the side bar to see if we can choose the next book few books after that.

I am not sure if it will work, because most of us who read here are co-authors of the blog, will it count as one vote? So I have enable 'multilpe votes' to see if that helps. Of course anyone who visits here who is not a 'co-author' can still vote!

I have tried to include all books suggestions from previous comments pages. I am sorry if I have missed anyone's choice- just leave a comment and we can add it in for next time. I propose that we take the 3 top chioces for our next 3 books. Any suggestions about how this progresses welcome....

My Apologies...

2009-09-14T20:37:00.002-04:00

I have yet to receive the Bowles book from my library system. The latest information is that I should get it by September 30, at which time I'll be away and the VBC will have begun the October selection.

Obtaining several of the selections for the VBC has been a persistent problem over the last months. I wonder if we might consider coming up with a short list of reading possibilities through December so that I and others can have a bit of advance time to secure the books via either the library or Amazon?

Also, I wonder if anyone has read any of the novels of Philippe Claudel?

Is anyone open to perhaps reading a play or some poetry?

As we've not yet settled on a selection for October, these are some ideas...

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo- Cinnamon's thoughts

2009-09-11T15:00:00.008-04:00

note- this may give away details of the plot....

A satisfying read. All the loose ends tied up at the end. A substantial plot with several climaxes. As a crime thriller though, not for the fainthearted. If this were a film it would have a rating of '18' at least. The scenes of sadistic rape and torture were painful to read. Each section of the book is introduced by a presumably accurate statistic about the extent of sexual violence and domestic abuse against women in Sweden. Shocking. I am uncertain whether the cause of these women is served by fictionalising this violence. Larsson makes good points about the role of power and its misuse in these situations. Although Lisbeth's revenge (against her guardian) is clever, I was uncomfortable knowing that our justice systems today are up against people of such cunning evil that no other option would be open to a victim. Abduction, torture and murder of disenfranchised women continues today and the novel seems to suggest that the high-profile serial-killer cases that come to light are just the tip of the iceberg.

The evil of fascist, neo-Nazi politics and the criminal activities of big corporations are other causes for reflection. As is the apparent ease with which it is possible for someone with the know-how to hack into a computer. I have been so naive!

I was surprised when the name of Enid Blyton came up when the authors on a bookshelf (was it Henrik's?) were listed. I later read that Larsson was a fan, also of Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking- on whom he based the character of Lisbeth ( a grown-up version). Mmmm.. a very grown up version!

There were many autobiographical elements- the author himself was a journalist, a vehement anti-nazi campaigner, a publisher of Expo, an independent Swedish anti-racist magazine, and himself a veteran of death threats. So we can surmise the character of Blomkvist is based on Larsson. Sadly the author, a 60-a-day smoker and a workaholic, died aged 50 from a heart attack in 2004- take note any driven authors out there.

I thought the pacing of the book was brilliant- considering the 2 main investigators do not even meet until the middle of the book, the threads of the strory were very cleverly woven. I thought all the characters were plausible (even Lisbeth)- but it is not edifying to think that we are so flawed as these characters are portrayed. It is not edifying to think that relationships are carried on in the absence of love. It is not edifying to think of the skeletons in our family histories- but all sadly plausible.

When we read the Martha Grimes I felt I was an outsider trying to get to grips with a group of characters that had a history together. The same is true of other series of books- Enid Blyton's 'The Famous Five', for example- you can't just read one in isolation- you have to read to read them in sequence. Larsson has 2 more in this trilogy. I am very tempted to see where he takes these characters next...

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-Jo's Thumbs

2009-09-04T18:52:00.002-04:00

They're both up baby.

Fugitive Pieces- Cinnamon's thoughts

2009-08-16T03:30:00.007-04:00

I found the first part of this book to be both a sobering and heartening read. 'Enjoyable' is not the word, considering the subject matter- the massacre of seven year-old Jakob's family at Nazi hands, his escape to Greece and the profound effect that witnessing this and other horrors has on his life, including his haunting by his murdered sister Bella. The message is eventually of healing; a peace that comes through the self-expression of poetry.

The relationship between Jakob and his rescuer/'Godfather' ('koumbaros'), was well drawn- the tenderness and respect they have for each other; their shared suffering resulting in a mutual understanding which can only be described as pure love.

Jakob receives a most amazing education from geologist Athos, who literally digs him out of the mud at Biskupin. Athos has a grip on our rootedness (if there is such a word!) in history and on the earth.
"What is a man", said Athos, "who has no landscape? Nothing but mirrors and tides."
I loved the descriptions of Greece, their friendships, their conversations, their shared discoveries.

Jakob speaks Yiddish, Polish and a smattering of German. With Athos he learns Hebrew, Greek and eventually English. The redemption of language is displayed in this novel. For Jakob, remembering his experiences in Polish or Greek is too painful- the memories are bound up in the language. However he finds that English is one step removed "English could protect me; an alphabet without memory". He starts to write poetry and makes the telling statement "Poetry, the power of language to restore".

Anne Michaels, the author, skillfully weaves in snippets of stories about Nazi occupation of Greece and their treatment of the Jewish people- each atrocity revealed by a hint or a glimpse fills the reader with fresh horror. It is very difficult to write about such subject matter in a work of fiction, but I think the author does it well. Such is her evocation of the effects of these horros on the survivors that when in part 2 Ben's father (a ghetto survivor and escapee) tries to enrol for a Canadian pension and comes face-to-face with an ex-Nazi (one presumes) now working in Canadian civil service, the cruelly whispered words "you do not have the right papers" sends chills down the spine.

Jakob talks about photographs he later sees of Nazi officers carrying out their 'duties'- how their faces are are captured laughing as if they do not believe they are doing anything wrong- as if they really believe that the people they are humiliating are not part of humanity- they are less than human- they are vermin. Jakob does not believe this however- he does not believe that they didn't know. He believes that deep down they each knew their victims were fully human. Their faces are lying, he says, and he finds this frightening. "If truth is not in the face then where is it? In the hands! In the hands!"

The second part of the story attempts to relate Jakob's story and experience to Ben, the son of a ghetto-survivor. The author wishes, I think, to show how history effects subsequent generations on a personal level. Ben comes to understand, for example, that his father's unusual behaviour and intense sadness around food; the fact that his mother sometimes has to soothe his father's head as he eats, can be explained by the dehumanising experiences of starvation in the ghetto.

Whilst the author makes some important observations here, I found this second part of the book more difficult to read- partly because I was still too lost in Jakob's story and still too amazed by his miraculous relationship with Michaela, to really want to focus on Ben and his relationships. The scenes of him picking through the deceased Jakob's possessions would ring true with anyone who has had to clear the belongongs of a deceased family member. I thought it was interesting that Ben found that Jakob had a collection of buttons- maybe this was Jakob's way of connecting with his mother who was sewing on buttons at the time of her death and all the boy Jakob could hear was the sound of the buttons clattering onto the floor...

So those are my thoughts! I am yet to find out if Jakob Beer was a real poet as is implied by the preface, or whether he has any published work. I'm off to google...

Fugitive Pieces mini-Review

2009-08-02T20:06:00.003-04:00

Well, like the last book, this one took me way too long to read. I again resorted to speed reading otherwise I'd have ended up sleeping away a century. I won't say much about this book, but will wait to see what other may say.

I have read several stories with this narrative style. I've written in this narrative style. I've come to the conclusion that I don't like this narrative style. I especially didn't like it toward the last 50 pages when I completely lost the thread of the story and the narrator changed and started talking in the second person.

What's that about? Again, I've written using 'you' instead of 'I' or 'he/she'. But that was one short story and the narrator never changed. Didn't like it this time.

I guess I didn't like it. Sorry to be so negative.

I did like the point about the gradual instant though. That was nifty. I can imagine long convos dedicated to the gradual instant.

Next Month and the Month After

2009-07-30T12:13:00.003-04:00

I'm still reading Fugitive Pieces. Took a long time to pick up the book and it's a slow starter (for me anyway). Just plow through Banyan Tree Meg. I had to use my speed reading skills (which I don't like to do when reading novels) otherwise I would never have gotten through it.

Ok, well through the use of careful deliberation, cold logic, and the process of elimination (eeny-meeny-miney-moe), I got our list down to 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' for August and 'The Sheltering Sky' for September. I have already started on 'The Plague' as our July Reading isn't holding my attention long enough to just read the one book.

What's this 'Book Lust'? I've rubbed a book all over me because it was so good. But that's a private moment between me and my book.

August

2009-07-28T13:19:00.002-04:00

Is anybody there?

Has anyone a suggestion for August reading? There are a few books I'm interested in reading (actually several). I will list them here. These are just suggestions of course.

-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larson)
-The Sheltering Sky (Paul Bowles)
-The Plague (Albert Camus)
-The Deptford Trilogy (Robertson Davies)
-The Spirit Catches You and You Fall (Anne Fadiman)
-The Windup Bird Chronicles (Haruki Murakami)

Warning--There might be a spoiler or two...The Banyan Tree

2009-06-25T23:47:00.001-04:00

I had such a difficult time getting through this book. I started it at the beginning of the month and only finished it last Friday. That’s over two weeks! Just to read one book. Mind, I was reading other books that I had to put on hold while slogging my way through this book.

Well, I immediately appreciated the richness of language and imagery. Dense and one I was able to muddle my way through it all, quite beautiful. But as I would explain to colleagues who all wondered why I was reading the same book for over a week, let alone over two, I kept wondering when the f*** the story would start. Yeah, yeah, it’s the story of the life of a woman. I get it. But why not just write my story? Or my mom’s? Or my grandmother’s? Now that would’ve been a story. Like the time she used to hop the trains to Salinas to go dancing and only return home before dawn, her parents never knowing what she did, or the time she wrote the Pope after her divorce and being excommunicated and then storming the church, telling the parish priest what-for. Now that would have held my interest. But as it was, I had to force myself to speed read, which I don’t like to do when reading novels as I enjoy the plodding slowness of savoring every word as it trickles through my mind.

Still, as I said, I did understand that the story was beautifully written, three dimensional and layered. I just couldn’t get into until after the husband died. Then it started picking up for me. But I wondered why this story was written, a devoted wife, loving husband, children. Children who all leave and are barely developed, only developed enough to grasp the idea that they leave home and never want to return. Why? And why not someone else’s story?

Anyway, I’ll wait to discuss more after more posts.

Hope you all have happier reading.

'Mr. Pip' by Lloyd Jones- Cinnamon's thoughts

2009-05-31T13:49:00.003-04:00

'Everyone called him Pop Eye'.

The opening line of the book is as memorable as the opening line of 'Great Expectations' ('My father's family name being Pirrip...'), which is quoted in this book. The whole book is one of those memorable books, the story, the words, the settings , the characters staying with you for a long time after reading it.

This book was an education to me! Just as reading 'Half of a Yellow Sun' I learned about the Nigerian Civil war, this book told me of a conflict in the Southwest Pacific, the Bougainville Civil War. I love books that send me straight to Google, to find out about peoples and histories I has never even heard of before. Lloyd Jones describes the horrors, the atrocities of this conflict with such a vivid recall and with such an understanding of how they might affect the young minds witnessing them, that you feel that he must have talked to people who had been through these things. I was interested to learn that he was previously a journalist covering the embargo of Bougainville. In some respects he is telling the story of every war-crime victim. This is what fiction can do.

I was also interested to learn (and this may be of interest to other writers and authors) that he wrote no less than eleven versions of this novel. First prize for persistence, for seeking excellence.

Now to the story- where to start? It is such a rich book.

The pace of the book was interesting- very slow at the beginning. Then you realise that you are 'waiting' with these islanders for their fate. As the embargo takes hold, and the last boat leaves, and the school closes, Matilda the young narrator says ..'we had all this time on our hands..' then 'Now we had an idea of what our time was for- it was to be spent waiting'. Waiting for the unknown terrors that await them, for the deaths that must surely come as the medicines run out and malaria takes it's infant victims. With the islanders we are distracted and intrigued by the way the reading of 'Mr' Dickens affects their lives. Needless to say, the pace accelerates as events unfold and in the latter few chapters, years are covered.

I loved the way the book illustrates how reading a novel can be an escape. How precious is the written word. So precious that after their one copy of 'Great Expectations' is destroyed the children, under the guidance of Mr Watts, set about retrieving the book, each contributing fragments from memory. It is later revealed that Mr Watts had been removing the 'embroidery' from Dicken's language, removing difficult, perhaps unnecessary words from the narrative in order to make the story more accessible to the young ears. He does this after a 'discussion' with Dolores, Matilda's mother, who complains about the word 'insensibly'. She makes a good argument and Mr Watts, demonstrating the huge respect he has for the opinions of his fellow islanders, then, in effect, becomes a scriptwriter. Hallelujah for script writers and directors who make works of literature, such as Shakespeare and Chaucer, accessible to modern minds. In doing this, the effect of Dickens' words were not diluted. They permeated the minds of the young listeners, and in Matilda's case they became her saviour, her healing, her 'raison d'etre'.

A nice little denouement, discovering that Mr Watts was an amateur dramatist. Pulling Grace on a cart, wearing a clown's nose- was this an act of humility? After all the 'white' missionaries and governments, the 'white' exploitation of the copper mines had probably served to bring about these awful events. Or was it an act of affrmation of their relationship- their 'communing of minds', their equality?

Another nice little contrast was the contrast between Mr Watts' 'teaching' and the formal teaching the children had previously received- 'to write an essay about the Duke's visit'. The meaninglessnes of such a task is underscored by the children's hilarity that the white people 'weren't any good at sitting on the ground'!

I liked Grace's mother, Dolores. She tries to make sense of her small world as best she can. Her facade of sternness hides a shy, private person, saddened by her enforced separation from her husband. She is determined to make the best of things, but she is ultimately a truly tragic character. Although she is dogmatic, superstitious and fearful in her faith in the end she is a brave witness to the horrific demise of her 'old adversary', Mr Watts. Although it is too late to save him, she sacrifices herself in order to be a witness to the Truth. In the end, what her God requires of her is greater than her fear for her own life. The sucking noise made my the redskin officer as her murder goes on behind him made me shudder. This was awesome writing. I cried.

Storytelling and its power to transform is a theme throughout the book. All the characters- all the villagers have stories to tell, and they are invited by Mr Watts to the school to share their own stories with the children. Mr Watts' 'tales by campfire' to the rebels shows how the stories touched all hearts.

In the end, Matilda's writing of her own story, when rising from her depression she pens the first line 'Everyone called him Pop Eye', is the her own catharsis. Mr Watts becomes her Dickens and his legacy is life-changing.

'..he taught us how to re-imagine the world, and to see the possibility of change, to welcome it into our lives.'

A life-changing book, actually!

Choosing Books

2009-05-29T15:55:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone!

I have taken the liberty of adding Fugitive Pieces as the July read, as it seemed from the comments that it was a popular choice.

You are going to have to help me out here! I tried to create a 'poll' on the side bar with all the suggestions for fiction books and non-fiction books so that we could 'vote' for which book we would like to read next. However- it didn't work!! Does anyone think this might be a good idea?

Barbara was asking who the 'paid-up members' are. If you mean the blog 'authors', they are those listed on your profile. However- if we are going to 'take it in turns' to choose, it might be useful to have a list of 'authors' on the side bar with the month they will be expected to choose for. Personally I prefer to throw open suggestions to anyone who wants to come here, read and comment.

What do you think?

ps I will be posting on Mr Pip soon!

Mr. Pip

2009-05-28T10:19:00.001-04:00

Just popping in to note it is interesting how Dickens features in Out Stealing Horses as well as this book. How about a Dickens work this fall?

tut

Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao

2009-05-20T02:52:00.003-04:00

A while back a friend of mine recommended this book as an excellent read, and then in early April I was wondering around at the local farmer's market and toddled into the prerequisite used book store. A flyer announced that the book store would be hosting a book club featuring this book. Unfortunately, I thought the meeting was tonight, but I realized earlier today that the book under discussion was something by Salman Rushdie and not Junot Diaz.

Anyway, I'm glad I read it even if it was too early.

This book appears to be a biography of sort of one Oscar de Leon. The narrator, Yunior (Junot Diaz) occasionally stops the narration to explain things, sometimes in great detail and always with a great deal of humor, usually of the noirish variety), in footnote form. It reads many times like an unauthorized historical account.

The title character is a young Dominican man who is sooo not the stereotypical Dominican male. He a sci-fi nerd of the highest order and goes through life reading all manner of sci-fi books, watching various sci-fi television shows and films, and uses high falutin language with everyone at all times.

Though really I have practically nothing in common with the title character, I do feel a certain kinship with him. Hispanic, big reader, loves sci-fi/fantasy, and thinks and uses words that are just not in vogue anymore. I actually think in that narrative style, those high falutin words when I frame my thoughts. Then I have to translate it all into everyday language or run the risk of not being understood by friends and family, or just being thought of as an incredible snob and otherwise pretentious.

Anyway, has anyone else read this book?

I would like...

2009-05-16T00:01:00.002-04:00

...this to be the July book. Tony mentioned the author in his post today, and I have never read it - have you?

Fugitive Pieces

Anyone else have suggestions for the summer?

Open Door Policy!

2009-05-10T01:40:00.004-04:00

I think we have a quorum, so I have removed the "members-only" restriction, and the blog can now be viewed by whosoever wants to cruise over.

Feel free to add a contributor any time you like - just go to the Settings tab, click on Permissions, and then Add Authors.

I am not sure if an author even needs a Blogger profile, I think just an email address will do it.

Enjoyed the posts and comments on Stargazey.

With a series and especially a detective series, there are always many returning characters mixed in amongst the new ones, and I agree it can get confusing if you haven't "grown" with the characters from the start - and it can be hard to keep track!

Looking forward to Mr. Pip and hopefully I will be able to get a post in, this time.

Cheers to you all and for those that celebrate it, Happy Mother's Day to all the mums not forgetting Subby's!

Barbara's thoughts on The Stargazey

2009-05-01T22:07:00.002-04:00

I don’t often read mysteries, so it was somewhat exciting to launch into a book destined to be a “who done it?” I was not disappointed in that regard.

I actually think Martha Grimes’ greatest strength was in her character development. She told us enough about each character, from Melrose to Linda Pink to the Fabricants, to allow us to create a fairly good mental image of them.

But there were so many characters and I often forgot some of the more minor ones as the story progressed and then they would reappear. Whereas Out Stealing Horses might have been criticized for having too few characters, The Stargazey possibly errs in the opposite direction.

I found myself longing for certain characters, like Father Noailles or Linda Pink or young Sophie, to take a more leading role in the denouement, whereas they simply dropped away and in Sophie’s case turned out to be fabricated.

I really loved some of the descriptions of scenes, like the men’s club in London and the home of both Mona Dresser and Ilona Kuraukov.

From the beginning, we see the killer Dana as a ruthless woman who lets no one get in the way of her objective. She kills with no remorse. And yet she lets Melrose and Jury off with hardly a scratch when she had ample opportunity to kill the only two people who had figured her out.

In the end the mystery is explained, but the villain(ess) gets away with the goods. I suppose that sets up the scene for a sequel, but it seems a little unfair after 400 pages to let her get away.

Then there’s this business of stars. They are everywhere in the book:
-- The Stargazey (pub)
-- starry-gazey pie (a real thing)
-- Diane’s interest in stargazing
-- the magical Stardust shop in London with its night wood scene
-- Father Noailles as the amateur stargazer with a telescope in his room
-- Kate McBride (the fake) sitting at an outdoor cafe in Brussels where there were so many stars
-- “It wasn’t in the stars” for Jury to follow Kate (the fake) onto the palace grounds.
-- Jury’s dream of Chief Superintendent Racer at a fun fair at the top of the big wheel, stuck against a black and starless sky

One would think with all this mention of stars, they would have something to do with the plot itself. But as far as I can tell, Martha just seems to be fascinated with stars.

The comment on the art itself was so accurate. The wonderful pieces of Bea Slocum were being totally overlooked because of Ralph Rees’ “Snow” pieces.

I’m afraid there were parts of the plot that I simply could not follow. By the end I sort of knew what happened, but there were many connections I had missed. Perhaps a second read would point them out. In a way, the false leads had somewhat obliterated the real ones, and of course one doesn’t know the difference the first time through.

The Stargazey was nonetheless a good read. I will keep my ear out for news of Dana and the smuggled Chagall.

Stargazey

2009-04-28T09:25:00.003-04:00

I thought Stargazey was a well-crafted mystery, and liked how the author mentioned starry things throughout. The red herrings were low key and didn't scream out at you, and the ones that didn't amount to anything worked out as coincidence. I liked how Melrose was involved and how he and Jury knew where the answer to the mystery was long before they untangled everything. I liked the descriptions of the men at Melrose's club and the bit where Melrose finds out they were true heroes back in the day. That spoke volumes of how our different generations act and view life and loyalty.

An adjunct suggestion before our next discussion

2009-04-26T13:15:00.005-04:00

A lovely book, and perhaps a nice read after Out Stealing Horses, is this, by Tove Jansson. Kathryn Davis has written the introduction to the one published by the NY Review of Books that we can get in the United States, but I'd love to read the intro by Esther Freud (follow the link). Esther Freud wrote the great Hideous Kinky, partly based on her own childhood, and Kathryn Davis wrote one of my favorite books, The Thin Place

I'm furiously finishing Stargazey, but I thought you'd like to have another thing in the stack by your chair or bed . . .

Stargazing...and more!

2009-04-19T00:10:00.001-04:00

I finally finished up the book "The Stargazey" to-day. Won't divulge any-thing here, as yet( that'll all be in my review when I get back, which will be late ). A lot of questions I did have, were answered in this book. Now if I can just get in some more reading time...

I also managed to track down a copy of "Send Bygraves"( also by Martha Grimes ),which is a novelette set to verse. Got hooked on the first page! And Megan was kind enough to send me a copy of "Belle Ruin"( looking forward to that ). Many thanks to Megan...

The topic of reading books from another culture( and author of such ) has always intrigued me. Like "OSH", it gives one a glimpse into another world. Hence, I'm still struggling through "The Portable Nietzsche"( Walter Kaufmann~~Princeton University`1954( 3rd printing April 1959 )-Viking Press. Nietzsche being a German philosopher in the latter half of the 19th century. 'Tis too long a read for a month; more like a year! This is one big book! And deep...

Instead, I submit for consideration( for a possible July read ) "Dee Goong An" or "The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee". It's a translated 18th century novel, based on a real Chinese Judge from 7th century A.C.E.( or A.D. ), Judge Dee( b.630-d.700 ). A fantastic tale not only of an era from long ago, but how things were done, as far as the criminal element went, back then. Except for the harsh punishments, the tale can be time-less. Don't know how easy a copy would be to get hold of. I've an old Dover edition from 1976( based on a privately published edition from Tokyo in 1949~~under the title "Dee Goong An: Three Murder Cases Solved by Judge Dee ). And it's probably not for every-one, so beware if you do find a copy. But then again you've all probably seen worse on CNN( which I still boycott ).

Out Stealing Horses, briefly

2009-03-28T14:17:00.002-04:00

I did like this book; this is the first time I’ve read something for discussion in a very long time (college, in fact) so I’m happy to have read Barbara’s, Cinnamon’s, and JGH’s very thought-provoking analyses. I’m afraid mine is just going to be impressions, rather than trying to figure things out.

Time is so very fluid here, and so the central theme of river and the water, and even the fluidity between borders. Where does Norway end and Sweden begin? The characters can’t really tell out in the wilderness. Only at the end, when society and civilization impinge with currency and language as Trond and his mother discover the money his father made is insignificant, is the difference made clear.

This was definitely a man’s/nature’s world. Women were on the edge, or kept out, or marginalized. I was shocked when Trond’s daughter appears suddenly out of nowhere, and he doesn’t immediately recognize her. His wife is killed in a car accident. His sister dies of a disease. This has me thinking more and more about the role of Lars’ mother. At first I saw her also as on the edge, the sexual awakener, the mother. Think of her, riding home all that way not knowing her son had been killed by his twin! But she is very central to the entire book. Without her, nothing would have happened. And yet, we barely know anything about her.

Out Stealing Horses

2009-03-28T10:11:00.002-04:00

Thank you for allowing me to join you! Although I’ve never participated in a group blog or blog book group before, I follow the Avid Reader blog and was excited to see that a new virtual book club was forming – it took me a while to find you! Back when AOL was just getting started in the early 90s I participated in the first online book group there. It was a huge (like maybe 50 members) and busy group and some of the members read and posted about a book every week. Complicated democratic nominating and voting sessions were held every month for the following month’s books and there were splinter groups for different genres. We were “together” for about 5 years, but then people started having crazy fights and we ended up going our separate ways.

I miss the online format, but I have a few offline groups that I participate in – a fiction, nonfiction and mother/daughter book club -- but I realize I may have to drop at least one of these because I always seem to need more time and flexibility. I love the online format for this and the way it lets you think through and write down impressions. Looking forward to participating and getting to know everyone here!

I enjoyed Out Stealing Horses tremendously. One reason I was attracted to it was because one of the reviews compared it to Haldor Laxness whose book Independent People is one of my favorites. I realize I enjoy reading books about solitude -- maybe because I’m craving it in my life right now. We see Trond adjusting to his new life -- cooking for one, deciding when to build a fire, his companionship with Lyra, nervousness about the snow shoveling and any disruption in routine. These were some of my favorite parts of the book. They felt comforting to me somehow. I read the review that Barbara posted and remember thinking that the book would make a good movie (starring Max Von Sydow as the older Trond! ) but it didn’t feel contrived to me like the reviewer implied. At the end of the review the reviewer said that the book was bound to fall short of American expectation of “showdowns and knockouts.” I got to thinking about that and wondered if the quiet way the book ended was un-American…

Barbara, I was interested in your comments about the flatness of the emotion. I also have to disagree – but I found that often the physical effects of an emotion were sometimes described more vividly than the feeling itself (Jon’s violent crushing of the bird egg, the possible emotions at play that may have contributed to the accident where Jon’s father was injured) But I did feel there were things omitted that would have filled out the picture of Trond just a little bit – there was no discussion of his later life, wives or family life before he decided to become a hermit. Even a paragraph or two would have been enough. Thanks so much for posting those photos. They really helped define what I envisioned- we’re lucky to have your background and perspective!

Cinnamon, I love the fallen tree metaphor that you discovered. How it is pinning shut the door to his toolshed! How appropriate that Lars, who must be dealing with his own conflicting feelings about the coincidental reunion, is helping him pry it open. Speaking of metaphors, I thought the suit that his mother bought for him was a good metaphor for his new role as “man” of the family, his maturation and coming of age.

I have to say that the book did bring up some painful memories for me. I was at a similar age as Trond when I discovered that my father was having an affair (before my mother did). I could relate to Trond’s grief over the realization that his family life would never be the same, that his father wasn’t the shining example of loyalty and manhood that he had held him up to be, that his mother was heartbroken. The difficulty of realizing that his father was a person who deserved love and happiness yet not quite being able to forgive him for what he did to get it. All of these were things that my family went through – I imagine many people with broken families have these struggles. I feel very lucky that my father made an effort to maintain our relationship even though the one with my mother had ended.

WARNING!!! RE-ROUTING ATTACK....

2009-03-28T08:38:00.004-04:00

Just so everybody is aware, I had a recent attempt by someone to attack my system. This was gained through Barbara's post, in her comments section. Clicking on the link( or the word "here" ) gets you to the interview page, which is then quickly re-routed to another web-site. My advanced virus 'ware blocked me from accessing this site( which was reported ). I have the URL written down for a site called "internet safety examine". If any-one has had trouble with the link, let Barbara know!

Barbara if there is another link you have in mind, I'd still like to read the interview.

Cinnamon's thoughts on 'Out Stealing Horses'

2009-03-27T04:53:00.005-04:00

As I sit to write this I am looking forward to hearing what everyone else has thought about the book, and how everyone feels about the Book Club. The fact that all the people reading this post will have read the book is great because I need have no fear of 'spoiling the ending'. So this is not like writing a book review- nor is it an essay in literary criticism. I will just say what I liked and what I didn't like about the book. It is a different process to an actual reading group- in that case you read the book, go to the meeting and your thoughts and opinions develop during the meeting as the discussion ensues. Your memory of the details of the book is prompted by the discussion. Writing for the VBC has been a little more difficult in that I have had to formulate and articulate my opinions before the 'meeting'- it has taken a little more effort!

The nearest I have ever been to Norway is my handcream- so this book was like getting off a plane and knowing straight away you are in a different country by the landscape, the air, the smell. I loved the descriptions of smells- ' the smell of roasting meat and coffee in the air, the smell of smoke, and timber and heather and sun-warmed stones and some special scent I had not noticed anywhere else...' And the descriptions of weather- 'a grey layer of cloud floats across the sky like a duvet..' and of watching the stars.

'Out Stealing Horses' is the code word for a cell of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Norway in 1944. Although Barbara had previously posted about the resistance movement, I stupidly had not realised this was a theme of the book until Franz reveals it to Trond. I was as surprised as Trond! I think this is tribute to the light, subtle touch with which Petterson (and his translator Born) writes. I liked this lightness of touch- the language wasn't florid or fancy, yet the elemental descriptions were so effective- wood, earth, stone, water, sky, wind, green ,river. I felt I was there.

Just like the waterways Barbara previously mentioned, I thought the rhythm of the narrative was like a flowing river, the current overturning stones (buried facts) as the water (plot) twists and turns.

Trond's desire to get attention from his father; his hope that the summer has somehow bonded the two of them together; his simple trust in his father; his hope and faith that his father will soon leave the remote forest and return to Trond and his mother and his sister- all this hope, in spite of having glimpsed the 'other life' his father led as a protagonist in the resistance and as the lover of Jon's mother- all this hope is cruelly dashed with the letter that curtly announces his father's intention not to return.

The ensuing years living without a father has a profound effect on Trond's life, his relationship with his wife and eventually his relationship with his own daughter. His inability to communicate with her mirrors his own father's self-interestedness.

It is not surprising that Trond is drawn back to living in the forest, in a place similar to that which he shared the summer of 1948 with his father. He says of that time- 'I was the forest'. His father goes around sniffing the branches, and the scents of the forest are in Trond himself: 'Before I fell asleep I put my forehead against the coarse timbered wall sniffing the faint scent of the forest it still held'. As if by inhaling these scents he can some how get closer to his father. I found this very poignant, heart-wrenching stuff.

The reconciliation of his abandonment comes in meeting Lars again years later. From the age of 10 Lars has enjoyed the attentions of Trond's father- who has set up home with Lars' mother. Trond does not explicitly say how this makes him feel- you can only imagine. Meeting with Lars is unexpected and at first Trond is not too happy with the ensuing flood of memories- 'it ties me to a past I thought was well behind me and pulls aside the fifty years with a lightness that seems almost indecent'. We think we have put the past behind us but it can rear up at any moment. The falling of the tree is hugely symbolic. We are told elsewhere that it is an unusual event for these trees to fall- they usually bend with the wind. The fallen tree is the huge blockage in Trond's life caused by the abandonment of his father. It almost kills him. He literally cannot get on with his life without removing it- it is pinning shut the door of his toolshed!

The cutting up and removal of the tree by Trond and Lars, working together, not discussing the past but knowing, sharing is also symbolic. Cutting out dead wood. Removing the blockage. Moving on. Reconciliation.

Once the blockage is removed, up pops Trond's daughter. We glimpse how much she is craving Trond's love, just as Trond craved his father's. We feel the daughter's pain. A father's abandonment has affected the next generation also.

What happens to us in childhood shapes our lives. Such a well-known fact, it is almost a cliche. Psychotherapists start with childhood, but most people in the world do not have access to 'therapy'. Petterson has shown very effectively the subtle and lasting consequences that can arise from the decisions we take and that our children will be affected and moulded by who we are and what we do. I wonder- did Trond's father have any idea what he was doing to his son? If so, would he have done things differently? Do we have sympathy with him?- he was a 'hero' of the Resistance after all.

I found myself thinking about what 'blockages' there are in my own life.

'I look back to that time, I see how each movement through the landscape took colour from what came afterwards and cannot be separated from it'

I loved this book- a little gem, with so much in it. I want to read it again and have recommended it to my actual reading group- thank you Barbara!

Postcript: I also loved his relationship with his dog- very accurate interpretations of doggy language!

Barbara's thoughts on Out Stealing Horses

2009-03-26T21:45:00.003-04:00

For me the beauty of Out Stealing Horses was what the author didn’t say, those many unanswered questions that just hang there. We never learn how Jon came to use the watchword of the resistance: Are you coming? We’re going out stealing horses, a much more literal phrase for him and young Trond. We never find out what actually happened to Trond’s father, although Trond mentions that all he has to do is ask his coincidental neighbor Lars. We never know the thought process that caused his father to abandon his family, leaving them only a paltry sum in a Swedish bank, just enough to buy Trond a new suit. We know very little of the intervening years between 1948 and 2000, the present to which all else is a flashback. We never find out what happens between the two aging men who were once children together and who now cut up a fallen tree together. The final fate of Lars’ mother and Trond’s father is not mentioned, although one assumes they spent their remaining years after 1948 together.

The book has been criticized for being flat, a story told without emotion. But you have only to know Norwegians to realize this is the way they face life. The challenges and high points are rather flattened into a sort of continuum.

A central theme in the book is that of loss. Lars shoots his 10-year-old twin brother with a loaded gun left out by his older brother Jon. Jon wantonly smashes an egg from a goldcrest nest, possibly out of frustration for his dead brother; he then leaves home to join the navy. Trond’s father’s macho behavior causes Jon’s father to suffer injuries from which he never recovers. Trond loses his father altogether at the end of the summer of 1948. Trond’s second wife dies in a tragic car accident.

I felt a certain sadness as I watched an old guy try to become a hermit as a way of escaping from life. He is not naive to the existing dangers as he prepares for what could be a harsh Norwegian winter. It is only with some reluctance that he meets his neighbor, contacts someone to plough his snow, and talks to his adult daughter.

The language, even in its translation, is beautiful. We ride the horses bareback in Barkald’s field with teenage Jon and Trond. We feel the hormones rise as Jon’s mother approaches most any man or adolescent boy. We watch the ill-fated logs become stuck on their trip to Sweden. We understand the feelings of betrayal and disappointment Trond and his mother feel in the final chapter.

I especially like the very end of the book, where Trond and his mother have a brief respite from their troubles as they walk down the streets of Karlsrud with Trond wearing his new suit. In the last sentence he draws a line from his father’s philosophy “We do decide for ourselves when it will hurt.” And then the story is over for the reader.

Theme Thursday: Vegetable

2009-03-19T17:57:00.004-04:00

A worthy read. As are Michael Pollen's In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Theme Thursday is animal

2009-03-12T14:40:00.003-04:00

With all the books written about them and for them, I offer a glimpse of a book with one as a victim, of sorts. Erle Stanley Gardner wrote quite a few mystery novels, where animals seemed to be the catalyst. "Bats Fly at Dusk" and "The Case of the Careless Kitten", are but two titles of a very long list. It's no wonder he's one of my favourite authors. The kitten here, is named Amber Eyes, due to his eye colouring. He becomes the victim of a money scam and is poisoned, at one point in the book. His keeper, Helen Kendal, manages to get Amber to the vet, in the nick of time. Fast paced and full of action. I've never had a disappointing read, from Mr. Gardner.

Norway's Resistance Museum

2009-03-10T16:18:00.004-04:00

During my 1973 trip to Norway with my parents, we spend some time with a friend's family in Southern Norway. They had been very involved with the resistance movement in World War II. We drove to a remote area near the coast where you could still find remnants of barbed wire from that era. My father was fascinated by the barbed wire and brought home several souvenirs, which I'm sorry I no longer have. For a while my friend (who was a toddler during WWII) lived in that area with his grandparents when things were heating up in Oslo.

Here's a link to Akershus Castle, which houses the resistance museum in Oslo. It's a fascinating place and a good reminder that it took many countries to defeat Hitler's wrath in Europe. The Scandinavians were often silent heroes in that fight!

Clearly the story involves a network of persons committed to this cause!

i have questions

2009-03-08T18:23:00.004-04:00

My main questions are: When is the fountain of youth going to be found? Will it be affordable? and... Will I still be around to to benefit from finding it?

But as far as The Virtual Book Club goes, my question is about Mr. Pip a novel by Lloyd Jones. Can we decide if this is our book for May?

And, are there any books suggested for the rest of the year? Do we want to discuss for awhile? Choose just a few books at a time, or the whole 12?

Just Curious.

Out stealing bookplates!

2009-03-06T10:30:00.004-05:00

Just kidding! However, when I finally got my copy of "Out Stealing Horses", I just had to get a scan of the bookplate. Not all the libraries use them. Most just have a name stamped inside. I ended up with a soft cover edition and this was a pleasant surprise!

Welcome to Norway

2009-02-27T18:49:00.003-05:00

Just to set the stage for Out Stealing Horses, I’ll share a little about Norway with you. Part of the appeal of this book was the fact that I’m half Norwegian. In fact, the Queen of Norway is my (now deceased) father’s 5th cousin. She may or may not have the family book on her bookshelf.

In 1971 after graduating from college, a friend and I backpacked through Europe. We rode a bus into the middle of nowhere to find my Norwegian relatives, who were strawberry farmers in Telemark. Our inability to communicate without the help of the local school teacher who spoke English fueled my desire to learn Norwegian.

Back home I exchanged friendship for language lessons with lonely embassy employees and gradually learned enough Norwegian to be able to accompany my parents on their one and only trip out of the country two years later. I will never forget the thrill at seeing the place for which our family was named and learning the stories of what had happened to those who had stayed behind.

Norway is a wild and beautiful country, a rugged place where only 4 percent of the land is arable. That might explain why so many people decided to leave the country in the mid-1800's, as they searched for land to call their own.

It’s water everywhere that connects remote places, often forming the only way in and out. That was true very recently of my grandmother’s families home on the Sogn Fjord, where it was not until 1973 that a road was built.

The pictures I’m including were taken when my family visited Norway in 2003 to attend a family reunion on that very farm. I gave a short speech in my primitive Norwegian and they all cheered for America. It was quite a touching homecoming.

You will come to have your own appreciation of the waterways that figure into our March book. And you will definitely get a sense of the remoteness of the place. That’s a big part of the appeal of the book.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

2009-02-27T08:21:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately I don't have any bookplates to share with you, but I thought I would share instead, by way of testing the waters of this blog, a book I have just read.

It had been on my shelf for some time- one of those books you have to wait until you are in the mood to read.

It is one of last year's 'Richard and Judy' book club reads- they are talk show hosts- I suppose the American equivalent would be a recommendation from Oprah Winfrey.

I just wanted something light and fluffy- a mousse (salmon mousse?) of a book!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It is partly a spoof on British politics, so some of the irony may be lost if you are not conversant with some of the recent British political figures. One of the speeches made in the House of Commons by a politician character in the book made me laugh out loud! It is quite a while since a book made me do that!

It is written as a collection of notes from meetings, emails, letters, newspaper reports and memoranda. It's quite clever the way the plot builds from these. A rich sheikh has fallen in love with fishing, most particularly salmon fishing, and hatches a plan to introduce salmon into the wadi of Yemen. He engages a British Fisheries Scientist to engineer this madcap project, and the British Government try to use the scheme to gain kudos. It is also the story of a failing marriage and of developing friendships. I thought the most enigmatic and likeable character was the Sheikh himself, whose gentleness, calmness, wisdom and faith are presented in sharp contrast to the follies of politics.

An entertaining light read!

I was also wondering if anyone is averse to reading 'Mr Pip' by Lloyd Jones in May- or maybe some of you have read it already? or 'Disgrace' by J.M Coetzee? Why not post your suggestions here?

book plates

2009-02-23T19:13:00.003-05:00

Here's mine from childhood. Why not edit and add your own?

Here's a home-made one I found in an old Dorothy Dixon book. This also seemed to be a popular thing to do. A bit more personal, if you will. This one is from around 1933 and was the quickest one from the pile, to scan in. More later. I'll have to do some digging. I had to enhance this, due to the faded pencil lines.

Flea Market Finds...

2009-02-22T13:07:00.007-05:00

Thought I'd start off by sharing my latest finds, at the local Flea Market. I just picked these up, this morning. And for only a buck each!! The first is from 1870; a book of verse/poems by H.H. I have no idea who this is, so any help in I.D.-ing would be appreciated. I skimmed through it( like I do all my books, ere I buy them ). Some wonderful poems in here. Another is Vol. I of Audubon and His Journals, as written John, himself and edited by his daughter Maria, in 1897. This is a Dover Publication issue from 1960. Alas icould not locate any other volumes. The last is a kid's story by Catherine Sefton( who also writes adult fiction ). I thought it fit in here. The girl in the story is a major bookworm, who gets sent to visit her Aunt & Uncle in Ireland. Unfortunately her books she'd packed for the journey are lost. To make matters worse, there are no book stores or libraries, in the town. NO BOOKS!!! HORRORS!! Apparently she is befriended by a ghost, who leaves her a different book to read, each day ( I think ). I've not yet read it in full( of course not ). But it looks like a cool, spooky, fun story. I just wanted to get this posted, as I have to get some down-time, ere I go to work.

Greetings!

2009-02-21T22:23:00.002-05:00

So, here's what I've got so far.

The blog url, laeticiaknollys, was chosen a while ago when I created this blog for possible future use.

I have always had a soft spot for Lettice Knollys, who married Dudley right in Elizabeth I's teeth and lived to tell the tale. And flaunt her style about the court, what's more. Not many ladies got away with that!

The red color is to remind us of the brains behind the outfit, Avid Reader. Seemed appropriate.

I am not sure yet of all the participants, but in this case, expanding a bit on what we've got at Theme Thursday, everyone will have the ability to author a post.

That way, when it comes down to discussion time, you can add your own piece at your own pace.

In fact, I'm inclined to go even further, and give us all the go-ahead to post here at any time in between discussions. Our own recommendation page, as it were. Good finds that you come across, old favorites, the odd essay that may have been percolating in your brain. Just a thought?

At present, this blog is restricted to the authors and cannot be viewed or commented on by anyone else. We can certainly change that if we want to, but just at the beginning, I for one am inclined to keep the circle closed, except of course for those who want in on the discussion!

Happy Reading!