by James Frey
Meeting Date: June 30, 2010
Hostess: Barb
For all you nay-sayers who hate James Frey for the A Million Little Pieces debacle, I say ... too bad; if that is what it took for Frey to write Bright Shiny Morning then so be it. Bright Shiny Morning is incredible. It is a great book and if we had to go through the scandal to get to this book, then it's worth it.
All of the group enjoyed the book quite a lot. It was fun, during our discussion, to remember some of the lesser stories that we had forgotten by the time we finished the book. Everyone was great at raising another "remember this" story which prompted another line of discussion (i.e. the trailer park, the African guy with the mini-putt empire, the woman who was raped and bought a gun, etc.). We also speculated on how we thought some of these tertiary stories would/could come back to intersect the primary stories. We did talk at greater length about the main stories: Amberton & Casey, Old Man Joe, Esperanza, Maddie & Dylan. Some of the themes of these discussions were: love and hope; the "American" dream (myth); the need to help someone and do they want the help?; whether the women were strong and independent or not; the reasons for having (or not) children; and the unfairness and inequality in (US???) society.
We also talked at length about Los Angeles and the facts that Frey gives us about the history of the city. We actually had quite an intense discussion as to whether these facts were "true" or not and we were fairly divided on this, some of us never doubting or questioning for a moment that they are, in fact, true (by definition aren't facts "true"?) and others questioning their veracity, primarily because of Frey's epigraph "Nothing in this book should be considered accurate or reliable." Those who did not doubt the facts, took this statement as a kind of 'fuck you' to Oprah after their battle over whether the stories in A Million Little Pieces actually happened to him. In fact, several of us liked Bright Shiny Morning so much that we will now read A Million Little Pieces after all the scandal.
We also discussed Frey's writing style in this novel of a stream of consciousness; omitting punctuation, capitalization and repeating phrases. Some of the group found this a bit annoying, particularly when first starting to read the book, but we agreed that this was a very good technique to give the reader insight into the character's thoughts without having to add extra dialogue or description. A few of us were amused/intrigued by associating Frey's fictional characters with the real life person who we believed they were based on (i.e. Perez Hilton, Tom Cruise).
Finally, we noted that some of us were disappointed with the ending. Not to say that we found it bad or inappropriate for the book but rather that we just hoped for something different.
Unfortunately I am missing the breakdown of everyone's actual rating (in fact, I can't even remember who all was at the meeting besides the first four of us listed below). I do have a record of the overall rating so if you were at the meeting, feel free to add your personal rating if you recall.
Ratings:
Kellie ....................
Barb ....................
Stacey ....................
Lynne ...................9.25
Dannette ..............
Natalie .................
Overall: 9.29
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Meeting Date: May 28, 2010
Hostess: Stacey
We had a new member join our B&B Club for the first time tonight, Rebecca. It was a small group, only five of us, but we had quite a lengthy and in-depth discussion.
Overall this book was well-liked by the group. It was such a unique concept to write a book in the form of letters. Many of us were skeptical at the outset both because of the format of the book and the topic being related to the war. We actually felt that the idea of letters allowed the authors to get to the point more quickly and there was not a lot of description to get muddled up in.
We had a lengthy discussion of how the authors were able to develop characters and make them 'knowable' to the reader, yet without all the added narration of a typical book. From time to time, some of us did note that it was hard to remember who some of the characters were, including some of the more prominent (say secondary characters) in the book, but for the most part it was straightforward and understandable. We also noted that it was clear that some of the letters were missing in the chronology, and we wondered how the authors came to decide which letters to omit.
We discussed the questions included in the book, some of which made for a very interesting discussion, such as: why Juliet would be such a good mother to Kit; whether Juliet and Dawsey would have gotten together without Remy and/or Isola; the discussion about Elizabeth and how we believed we knew so much about her, even though she was not a character in and of herself in the book, but only a a character of other people's thoughts, minds and memories. We talked about being surprised that Sidney was gay; Mark was only about the "show" -- how he looked and he only wanted to do what he wanted for himself. We noted that many of the characters changed throughout the book, and we also noted, interestingly that many of the characters "fell" into their professions without and specific training.
We also had a discussion of what a "great catch" means to us and how that differs from the prevailing ideas of what women want in a relationship.
We had numerous favourite characters: Isola, Juliet, Dawsey and Elizabeth. Our least like characters were: Mark and Adelaide Addison.
Ratings:
Barb ...................6.75
Stacey .................8.5
Lynne ..................7.5
Rebecca ...............6.75
Natalie .................9.5
Overall: 7.8
Meeting Date: May 28, 2010
Hostess: Stacey
We had a new member join our B&B Club for the first time tonight, Rebecca. It was a small group, only five of us, but we had quite a lengthy and in-depth discussion.
Overall this book was well-liked by the group. It was such a unique concept to write a book in the form of letters. Many of us were skeptical at the outset both because of the format of the book and the topic being related to the war. We actually felt that the idea of letters allowed the authors to get to the point more quickly and there was not a lot of description to get muddled up in.
We had a lengthy discussion of how the authors were able to develop characters and make them 'knowable' to the reader, yet without all the added narration of a typical book. From time to time, some of us did note that it was hard to remember who some of the characters were, including some of the more prominent (say secondary characters) in the book, but for the most part it was straightforward and understandable. We also noted that it was clear that some of the letters were missing in the chronology, and we wondered how the authors came to decide which letters to omit.
We discussed the questions included in the book, some of which made for a very interesting discussion, such as: why Juliet would be such a good mother to Kit; whether Juliet and Dawsey would have gotten together without Remy and/or Isola; the discussion about Elizabeth and how we believed we knew so much about her, even though she was not a character in and of herself in the book, but only a a character of other people's thoughts, minds and memories. We talked about being surprised that Sidney was gay; Mark was only about the "show" -- how he looked and he only wanted to do what he wanted for himself. We noted that many of the characters changed throughout the book, and we also noted, interestingly that many of the characters "fell" into their professions without and specific training.
We also had a discussion of what a "great catch" means to us and how that differs from the prevailing ideas of what women want in a relationship.
We had numerous favourite characters: Isola, Juliet, Dawsey and Elizabeth. Our least like characters were: Mark and Adelaide Addison.
Ratings:
Barb ...................6.75
Stacey .................8.5
Lynne ..................7.5
Rebecca ...............6.75
Natalie .................9.5
Overall: 7.8
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
by Steig Larsson
Meeting Date: April 23, 2010
Hostess: Dannette (at the pub)
Discussion: Dannette introduced the discussion by advising us that the original, Swedish title of the book was "Men Who Hate Women". While a few of us were aware of that, most of us had not heard this before. This generated a discussion as to whether we thought that title was appropriate or not. We agreed that we didn't really find it fit that well with the story; in addition, we agreed that we likely would not have picked up a book with that title.
We discussed the "Nazi" undertones which occur periodically in the novel. Generally, we found them out of place, but again, our hostess having done her research homework, advised that Larsson who previously worked as a journalist and this was a particular topic of interest for him.
We talked about whether we thought Mikael Blomkvist is actually Stieg Larsson's alter-ego and if he saw himself as a 'protector of women' -- which is how we agreed that Mikael saw his role in relationships with women. Clearly, Lisbeth did not need a protector and we found that Mikael didn't really know how to deal with that.
We discussed the ending where Lisbeth sees Berger and Blomkvist together. We discussed whether we thought/hoped it would be Salander and Blomkvist together. In some ways, the relationship between Berger and Blomkvist did not sit right with us. It seemed that Mikael thought he could 'have his cake and eat it too', as it were.
We discussed the role that Lisbeth's trustee played in shaping her feelings about men and her need for control of her own life. We talked about the need for her to get revenge against the men who harmed her as well as her being something of a hero for other women. We also discussed crimes against women in Canada/USA versus Sweden. The rates of violence against women were much higher in Sweden than we expected (and with two criminologists in the B&B Club crime stats are something that we are pretty familiar with).
We also talked about the sending of the flowers to Henrik Vanger by (spoiler alert) Harriet to her great-uncle every year. Of course, once Harriet is located and revealed as the person who sent the flowers, the author tries to convince you that she did it to let her great-uncle know that she was fine and alive. In fact, we found that it did the exact opposite; it tormented and taunted Vanger for thirty years. It was a mystery that he could no longer handle. Furthermore, we agreed, that had Harriet really wanted Henrik to know she was alive and doing well, there would have been occasions for her to contact him and let him know.
Overall, we all really liked the book. It is complex and there are a lot of sub-plots, secondary and tertiary characters so there were times when it was a bit hard to figure out who is who. We unanimously agreed that Lisbeth Salander was our favourite character; she was strong, independent and exceptionally intelligent. Mikael Blomkvist was also a favourite character. Many of us went on to read the other two books in Larsson's Millennium Trilogy and some of us saw the movies as well.
Ratings:
Kellie ..................7.5
Lynne ...................8
Stacey ...................9
Stephanie ..............9
Christina ...............9
Barb ......................9
Dannette .............7.5
Overall: 8.4
Meeting Date: April 23, 2010
Hostess: Dannette (at the pub)
Discussion: Dannette introduced the discussion by advising us that the original, Swedish title of the book was "Men Who Hate Women". While a few of us were aware of that, most of us had not heard this before. This generated a discussion as to whether we thought that title was appropriate or not. We agreed that we didn't really find it fit that well with the story; in addition, we agreed that we likely would not have picked up a book with that title.
We discussed the "Nazi" undertones which occur periodically in the novel. Generally, we found them out of place, but again, our hostess having done her research homework, advised that Larsson who previously worked as a journalist and this was a particular topic of interest for him.
We talked about whether we thought Mikael Blomkvist is actually Stieg Larsson's alter-ego and if he saw himself as a 'protector of women' -- which is how we agreed that Mikael saw his role in relationships with women. Clearly, Lisbeth did not need a protector and we found that Mikael didn't really know how to deal with that.
We discussed the ending where Lisbeth sees Berger and Blomkvist together. We discussed whether we thought/hoped it would be Salander and Blomkvist together. In some ways, the relationship between Berger and Blomkvist did not sit right with us. It seemed that Mikael thought he could 'have his cake and eat it too', as it were.
We discussed the role that Lisbeth's trustee played in shaping her feelings about men and her need for control of her own life. We talked about the need for her to get revenge against the men who harmed her as well as her being something of a hero for other women. We also discussed crimes against women in Canada/USA versus Sweden. The rates of violence against women were much higher in Sweden than we expected (and with two criminologists in the B&B Club crime stats are something that we are pretty familiar with).
We also talked about the sending of the flowers to Henrik Vanger by (spoiler alert) Harriet to her great-uncle every year. Of course, once Harriet is located and revealed as the person who sent the flowers, the author tries to convince you that she did it to let her great-uncle know that she was fine and alive. In fact, we found that it did the exact opposite; it tormented and taunted Vanger for thirty years. It was a mystery that he could no longer handle. Furthermore, we agreed, that had Harriet really wanted Henrik to know she was alive and doing well, there would have been occasions for her to contact him and let him know.
Overall, we all really liked the book. It is complex and there are a lot of sub-plots, secondary and tertiary characters so there were times when it was a bit hard to figure out who is who. We unanimously agreed that Lisbeth Salander was our favourite character; she was strong, independent and exceptionally intelligent. Mikael Blomkvist was also a favourite character. Many of us went on to read the other two books in Larsson's Millennium Trilogy and some of us saw the movies as well.
Ratings:
Kellie ..................7.5
Lynne ...................8
Stacey ...................9
Stephanie ..............9
Christina ...............9
Barb ......................9
Dannette .............7.5
Overall: 8.4
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
by Azar Nafisi
Meeting Date: March 26, 2010
Hostess: Lynne (at the pub)
Discussion: The first questions we talked about were not so much about the book itself but were questions that Nafisi raised with her students: why do we read? what is the purpose of fiction? Overall we tended to agree that we read to escape; to experience something that we might not otherwise have the chance to experience. We also read for enjoyment and to learn new things. We read to be able to contrast one 'reality' with another - to discover what is reality for each of us. By way of explanatory example, we related to Nafisi telling her "girls" about America. For all intents and purposes this was 'fantasy' to the girls but not because Nafisi's tales were fictional. But they were able to take her experiences and her stories and try to relate it both to their lives in Iran and to the other stories that they were being told about the 'reality' of the Western world by their politicians and sometimes their own families - thereby maybe coming up with their own reality.
Generally, most people agreed that it was a difficult book to read. In particular with the opening section being "Lolita" we found it difficult to get interested in the book, especially if we had not read the book "Lolita" by Nabokov. Whereas, several of us agreed that by the time we got to the section on "Austen" that was the part that made the book worthwhile and more what we were expecting. We noted that this was done purposefully by the author, as the story does not flow chronologically from Lolita to Austen.
In Austen there is more of a discussion of the lives of the women in Iran and comparing them with the characters that Austen wrote about. Lolita, we felt was more of the author's critique not only of the book "Lolita" but also a critique of other literary critiques of Lolita. However, this was not a unanimous opinion of the first section, and some people did find the challenge of the Lolita discussion quite engaging and forced the reader to think about ...(I don't know something, something; Dannette do you want to jump in here? the juxtaposition of the subtext that is thought provoking; you lost me!).
We did discuss the comparison of the rape of the 12-year old Lolita with the legal age for marriage in Iran being lowered from 18 to 9 and although the author does not make this point outright, some felt that this was her purpose in focusing on this book. There were other comparisons that we made about the lives of the young women in Iran, who had no point of reference to life prior to the revolution, such as there lack of agency and their overarching control by males in their lives, just like Lolita. In terms of agency, we did discuss the women's ability to resist and we compared this to the women in "A Thousand Splendid Suns".
We had very little discussion of Gatsby & James. These sections seemed less to grab us either because they were less compelling or we disliked them. Again, while a few people had read The Great Gatsby, not many of us were familiar with many works of Henry James. In retrospect, laying in my bed later that night, I realized I had wanted to bring up the 'magician' and I was uncertain about this person and his relationship with the author. I regret that we did not discuss it.
We discussed the idea of 'characters' and really there were no favourite characters. We did talk about the difficulty that many of us had of keeping the identities of the 'girls' straight. We questioned whether it was because their names were not terribly familiar to us or if it is because we really did not have enough personal details to distinguish who was who.
We were split as to whether we would recommend the book or not, with 3 saying no and 3 saying yes.
Ratings:
Dannette ................8
Barb .......................5.5
Lynne ......................4
Christina .................6
Rebecca .................7.5
Stacey ...................abstain
Natalie .................did not finish reading it
Overall: 6.2
Meeting Date: March 26, 2010
Hostess: Lynne (at the pub)
Discussion: The first questions we talked about were not so much about the book itself but were questions that Nafisi raised with her students: why do we read? what is the purpose of fiction? Overall we tended to agree that we read to escape; to experience something that we might not otherwise have the chance to experience. We also read for enjoyment and to learn new things. We read to be able to contrast one 'reality' with another - to discover what is reality for each of us. By way of explanatory example, we related to Nafisi telling her "girls" about America. For all intents and purposes this was 'fantasy' to the girls but not because Nafisi's tales were fictional. But they were able to take her experiences and her stories and try to relate it both to their lives in Iran and to the other stories that they were being told about the 'reality' of the Western world by their politicians and sometimes their own families - thereby maybe coming up with their own reality.
Generally, most people agreed that it was a difficult book to read. In particular with the opening section being "Lolita" we found it difficult to get interested in the book, especially if we had not read the book "Lolita" by Nabokov. Whereas, several of us agreed that by the time we got to the section on "Austen" that was the part that made the book worthwhile and more what we were expecting. We noted that this was done purposefully by the author, as the story does not flow chronologically from Lolita to Austen.
In Austen there is more of a discussion of the lives of the women in Iran and comparing them with the characters that Austen wrote about. Lolita, we felt was more of the author's critique not only of the book "Lolita" but also a critique of other literary critiques of Lolita. However, this was not a unanimous opinion of the first section, and some people did find the challenge of the Lolita discussion quite engaging and forced the reader to think about ...(I don't know something, something; Dannette do you want to jump in here? the juxtaposition of the subtext that is thought provoking; you lost me!).
We did discuss the comparison of the rape of the 12-year old Lolita with the legal age for marriage in Iran being lowered from 18 to 9 and although the author does not make this point outright, some felt that this was her purpose in focusing on this book. There were other comparisons that we made about the lives of the young women in Iran, who had no point of reference to life prior to the revolution, such as there lack of agency and their overarching control by males in their lives, just like Lolita. In terms of agency, we did discuss the women's ability to resist and we compared this to the women in "A Thousand Splendid Suns".
We had very little discussion of Gatsby & James. These sections seemed less to grab us either because they were less compelling or we disliked them. Again, while a few people had read The Great Gatsby, not many of us were familiar with many works of Henry James. In retrospect, laying in my bed later that night, I realized I had wanted to bring up the 'magician' and I was uncertain about this person and his relationship with the author. I regret that we did not discuss it.
We discussed the idea of 'characters' and really there were no favourite characters. We did talk about the difficulty that many of us had of keeping the identities of the 'girls' straight. We questioned whether it was because their names were not terribly familiar to us or if it is because we really did not have enough personal details to distinguish who was who.
We were split as to whether we would recommend the book or not, with 3 saying no and 3 saying yes.
Ratings:
Dannette ................8
Barb .......................5.5
Lynne ......................4
Christina .................6
Rebecca .................7.5
Stacey ...................abstain
Natalie .................did not finish reading it
Overall: 6.2
Night
by Elie Wiesel
Meeting Date: February , 2010
Hostess: Stephanie
Discussion: Once again, Stephanie greeted us with a special surprise: her Jewish friend Irena was visiting from Calgary and would be joining us for the discussion. Irena added some socio-historical background information on Judaism and the holocaust.
We all agreed that this was a difficult book to read. This is Wiesel's personal experience of being captured and imprisoned in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. He describes in detail the horrors that he and other Jews were forced to endure. We discussed our prior knowledge of the holocaust and we also compared some of the atrocities that continue in society today (Darfur, Rawanda, etc.).
We also had a new member, Rebecca, join the Booze & Book Club for the first time.
Ratings:
Stephanie ...............6
Dannette ................8
Stacey ....................6
Rebecca ..................8
Barb ........................7
Lynne .................abstain
Overall: 7
Meeting Date: February , 2010
Hostess: Stephanie
Discussion: Once again, Stephanie greeted us with a special surprise: her Jewish friend Irena was visiting from Calgary and would be joining us for the discussion. Irena added some socio-historical background information on Judaism and the holocaust.
We all agreed that this was a difficult book to read. This is Wiesel's personal experience of being captured and imprisoned in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. He describes in detail the horrors that he and other Jews were forced to endure. We discussed our prior knowledge of the holocaust and we also compared some of the atrocities that continue in society today (Darfur, Rawanda, etc.).
We also had a new member, Rebecca, join the Booze & Book Club for the first time.
Ratings:
Stephanie ...............6
Dannette ................8
Stacey ....................6
Rebecca ..................8
Barb ........................7
Lynne .................abstain
Overall: 7
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini
Meeting Date: January 15, 2010
Hostess: Natalie
Discussion: We had a great turn out for this meeting which included two special bonuses. First, Natalie pulled out the awesome 'margarita' maker which was super cool and the margaritas were dee-licious (the only downfall was that I could drink them almost as fast as she could make them ... and of course, I had to let some of the rest of you have some too! :-)). And secondly, we were treated to a solo dramatic performance of the book by Stephanie! Fantastic!
Overwhelmingly, this book was either very well-liked or even loved by everyone but me. The group liked the story and especially the historical/political and cultural background information. Overall, the story was well written, the characters well thought out and developed and the story was not predictable.
We talked about the strength of the women characters (although for me -- the dissenter of the group I found the women were not very strong - there were numerous instances whereby they could have done something to improve their situation and did not do it -- for example they had the opportunity to kill the man that was causing them to be oppressed and who was perpetrating violence against them, likely without any chance of getting caught - and they chose not to do so).
Most of us found that the story was likely very realistic for the women in the story and they accepted the little bits of happiness that their lives permitted, when it happened at rare moments. Stephanie noted that the women experienced one level of sorrow which led to another. We also talked about the contempt that women feel for men in their lives and we questioned whether any of us would have been able to accept and live in the conditions which they did.
Ratings:
Lynne ...............5.5
Natalie ..............10
Stacey ...............9
Stephanie ..........9
Dannette ..........8.5
Kellie .................9
Barb .................9.5
Overall: 8.6
Meeting Date: January 15, 2010
Hostess: Natalie
Discussion: We had a great turn out for this meeting which included two special bonuses. First, Natalie pulled out the awesome 'margarita' maker which was super cool and the margaritas were dee-licious (the only downfall was that I could drink them almost as fast as she could make them ... and of course, I had to let some of the rest of you have some too! :-)). And secondly, we were treated to a solo dramatic performance of the book by Stephanie! Fantastic!
Overwhelmingly, this book was either very well-liked or even loved by everyone but me. The group liked the story and especially the historical/political and cultural background information. Overall, the story was well written, the characters well thought out and developed and the story was not predictable.
We talked about the strength of the women characters (although for me -- the dissenter of the group I found the women were not very strong - there were numerous instances whereby they could have done something to improve their situation and did not do it -- for example they had the opportunity to kill the man that was causing them to be oppressed and who was perpetrating violence against them, likely without any chance of getting caught - and they chose not to do so).
Most of us found that the story was likely very realistic for the women in the story and they accepted the little bits of happiness that their lives permitted, when it happened at rare moments. Stephanie noted that the women experienced one level of sorrow which led to another. We also talked about the contempt that women feel for men in their lives and we questioned whether any of us would have been able to accept and live in the conditions which they did.
Ratings:
Lynne ...............5.5
Natalie ..............10
Stacey ...............9
Stephanie ..........9
Dannette ..........8.5
Kellie .................9
Barb .................9.5
Overall: 8.6
More
by Austin Clarke
Meeting Date: December 4, 2009
Hostess: Lynne & Kellie (at the pub)
Discussion: We were a very small group for this meeting. Generally, the few of us who read the book were fairly indifferent to it. Stacey could not get into the book, and although she attended the meeting she did not read enough of the book to contribute to the discussion. She did contribute to the drinking though!
We felt that there was not much of a story, it seemed to lack some substance and some of us were waiting for 'some-thing' to happen. We felt that Idora could have been a stronger lead for the story which would increased our enjoyment of the book. We felt that the author did not give her enough credit - she was an educated woman and had lived in Canada for a long time but it seemed that she became 'dumb' once she came here. She seemed to have very little hope or prospect for a better life. We did discuss that Josephine could open doors for her.
The book did, of course, generate discussion of race and the criminalization of poverty ... which was, we believe, the author's purpose in writing this book. We discussed reconciling the Koran with gang membership and involvement; and we talked about the availability of positive role models for young men, especially racial minority men.
We also engaged in a discussion of the imagery that Clarke introduces. BJ appears in shadows and his mother continually thinks she sees him emerging form the dark. There is a constant contrast in the changing mood between dark and light.
Finally, we also discussed the layers of Canadian content. For me, I enjoyed the book because it takes place in my old neighbourhood in Toronto. These were my streets; I felt comfortable and familiar with everywhere the characters were moving to and from. And while I understood that this helped me enjoy the book - just the fact that it was centred in Toronto I know is not the reason why I liked it (i.e. Vincent Lam's book "Bloodletting and Other Cures" takes place in Toronto and that is one of the worst books I have ever read in my life). We questioned whether we would be interested in reading Clarke's previous novel "The Polished Hoe" which is purported to be "a metaphorical history of slavery". I was the only one who liked "More" enough to want to "The Polished Hoe".
Ratings:
Natalie ..............5
Kellie .............5 (neutral)
Lynne ..............7.5
Overall: 5.8
Meeting Date: December 4, 2009
Hostess: Lynne & Kellie (at the pub)
Discussion: We were a very small group for this meeting. Generally, the few of us who read the book were fairly indifferent to it. Stacey could not get into the book, and although she attended the meeting she did not read enough of the book to contribute to the discussion. She did contribute to the drinking though!
We felt that there was not much of a story, it seemed to lack some substance and some of us were waiting for 'some-thing' to happen. We felt that Idora could have been a stronger lead for the story which would increased our enjoyment of the book. We felt that the author did not give her enough credit - she was an educated woman and had lived in Canada for a long time but it seemed that she became 'dumb' once she came here. She seemed to have very little hope or prospect for a better life. We did discuss that Josephine could open doors for her.
The book did, of course, generate discussion of race and the criminalization of poverty ... which was, we believe, the author's purpose in writing this book. We discussed reconciling the Koran with gang membership and involvement; and we talked about the availability of positive role models for young men, especially racial minority men.
We also engaged in a discussion of the imagery that Clarke introduces. BJ appears in shadows and his mother continually thinks she sees him emerging form the dark. There is a constant contrast in the changing mood between dark and light.
Finally, we also discussed the layers of Canadian content. For me, I enjoyed the book because it takes place in my old neighbourhood in Toronto. These were my streets; I felt comfortable and familiar with everywhere the characters were moving to and from. And while I understood that this helped me enjoy the book - just the fact that it was centred in Toronto I know is not the reason why I liked it (i.e. Vincent Lam's book "Bloodletting and Other Cures" takes place in Toronto and that is one of the worst books I have ever read in my life). We questioned whether we would be interested in reading Clarke's previous novel "The Polished Hoe" which is purported to be "a metaphorical history of slavery". I was the only one who liked "More" enough to want to "The Polished Hoe".
Ratings:
Natalie ..............5
Kellie .............5 (neutral)
Lynne ..............7.5
Overall: 5.8
Red Dog Red Dog
by Patrick Lane
Meeting Date: November 2009
Hostess: Dannette (at the pub)
Discussion: Mostly either did not or were indifferent to this this book. There were complaints about the writing style and problems with the character development. Some thought there was way too much description while others liked the description but agreed that there was way too much of it. There was a comment that this was an example of a Canadian writer trying to prove something. Overall the story was difficult and this may have led somewhat to our dislike of the book: there seemed to be no hope, they had no happiness and the characters were seemingly resigned to their fate - they could see nothing more for themselves. There were two of us who did like the book well enough, and what we found was it seemed to be well-written in terms of being, what we believed would be very realistic for this family.
This meeting we had a special guest, my BFF Emma was visiting so even though she hadn't read the book she did partake in the booze part of the Booze & Book Club and she even kicked out at rating on the book - based on listening to our discussion.
Ratings:
Stacey ................................1
Natalie .............................5.5
Kellie ..................................7
Barb ................................5.75
Lynne ..............................7.25
Dannette ...........................6
Emma (bonus rating) .........2
Overall: 5.4 (or with the bonus rating included 4.9)
Meeting Date: November 2009
Hostess: Dannette (at the pub)
Discussion: Mostly either did not or were indifferent to this this book. There were complaints about the writing style and problems with the character development. Some thought there was way too much description while others liked the description but agreed that there was way too much of it. There was a comment that this was an example of a Canadian writer trying to prove something. Overall the story was difficult and this may have led somewhat to our dislike of the book: there seemed to be no hope, they had no happiness and the characters were seemingly resigned to their fate - they could see nothing more for themselves. There were two of us who did like the book well enough, and what we found was it seemed to be well-written in terms of being, what we believed would be very realistic for this family.
This meeting we had a special guest, my BFF Emma was visiting so even though she hadn't read the book she did partake in the booze part of the Booze & Book Club and she even kicked out at rating on the book - based on listening to our discussion.
Ratings:
Stacey ................................1
Natalie .............................5.5
Kellie ..................................7
Barb ................................5.75
Lynne ..............................7.25
Dannette ...........................6
Emma (bonus rating) .........2
Overall: 5.4 (or with the bonus rating included 4.9)
Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
Meeting Date: October 2, 2009
Hostess: Joyce
Discussion: Most people liked or really liked the book. Most of us felt that is a very nice story and we appreciated the simplicity of the writing style, making it easy to read. I believe everyone agreed that they liked the "flashback" to "present day" style of the story-telling. For most of us, it was the ending that really made the whole book come together -- had the ending been different, we believe that it would have significantly altered how we felt about the book. There were a couple of people who were indifferent - neither liking nor disliking the book. Those who were indifferent found the story did not hold our attention enough, we consistently forgot secondary characters who were being reintroduced throughout the novel; and even found it difficult to remember what was happening from the last time we'd put the book down to the next time weo picked it back up (and sometimes that was not a very long period of time). We certainly credit the author, a woman, for writing the story in a man's voice. There were several comments that we forgot that the author was a woman; even in our discussion on Friday night some of us would slip and refer to "him" as the main character being the author. It was commented that, in particular, this was achieved by the thread of sexualization that was woven throughout the book, which we all felt was written from a male point of view. We enjoyed the parallel between "Rosie" in the historic story and "Rosemary" in the present story. We commented that Jacob's treatment of Rosie as a living being deserving of respect was mirrored by Rosemary's treatment of Jacob in his old age. We also commented that the women in this novel were more commodities and lacked the strength that we saw in the women in "Pillars of the Earth". We had an interesting discussion on loneliness and whether having children lessens that loneliness in old age; certainly in the book it does not.
Favourite characters were Kinko, Rosie/Rosemary and Marlena. Kinko demonstrated his compassion for his fellow circus/train travelers many times through the novel and after his initial harsh exterior was let down, he showed the true depth of his character. Even with significant reason to be harsh and difficult, he proved to be understanding and caring. Rosie/Rosemary were caring and compassionate. We enjoyed the way they were both able to approach situations without carrying the past with them. Marlena was a naive yet caring person. She was making the best she could out of a very bad situation and we appreciated some of the risks that she took to improve life for Jacob. The least favourite character was unanimous: Uncle Al. Although we tried to see the good that Uncle Al did - employing people and feeding them during the depression, we could not justify his actions as being anything but selfish and self-aggrandizing. There was also a comment about the lawyer at the beginning being someone that we disliked for his lack of compassion and understanding.
Ratings:
Joyce ...................8.5
Stephanie ...........8.75
Lynne ...................5.5
Stacey ....................9
Barb ....................6.75
Overall: 7.7
Meeting Date: October 2, 2009
Hostess: Joyce
Discussion: Most people liked or really liked the book. Most of us felt that is a very nice story and we appreciated the simplicity of the writing style, making it easy to read. I believe everyone agreed that they liked the "flashback" to "present day" style of the story-telling. For most of us, it was the ending that really made the whole book come together -- had the ending been different, we believe that it would have significantly altered how we felt about the book. There were a couple of people who were indifferent - neither liking nor disliking the book. Those who were indifferent found the story did not hold our attention enough, we consistently forgot secondary characters who were being reintroduced throughout the novel; and even found it difficult to remember what was happening from the last time we'd put the book down to the next time weo picked it back up (and sometimes that was not a very long period of time). We certainly credit the author, a woman, for writing the story in a man's voice. There were several comments that we forgot that the author was a woman; even in our discussion on Friday night some of us would slip and refer to "him" as the main character being the author. It was commented that, in particular, this was achieved by the thread of sexualization that was woven throughout the book, which we all felt was written from a male point of view. We enjoyed the parallel between "Rosie" in the historic story and "Rosemary" in the present story. We commented that Jacob's treatment of Rosie as a living being deserving of respect was mirrored by Rosemary's treatment of Jacob in his old age. We also commented that the women in this novel were more commodities and lacked the strength that we saw in the women in "Pillars of the Earth". We had an interesting discussion on loneliness and whether having children lessens that loneliness in old age; certainly in the book it does not.
Favourite characters were Kinko, Rosie/Rosemary and Marlena. Kinko demonstrated his compassion for his fellow circus/train travelers many times through the novel and after his initial harsh exterior was let down, he showed the true depth of his character. Even with significant reason to be harsh and difficult, he proved to be understanding and caring. Rosie/Rosemary were caring and compassionate. We enjoyed the way they were both able to approach situations without carrying the past with them. Marlena was a naive yet caring person. She was making the best she could out of a very bad situation and we appreciated some of the risks that she took to improve life for Jacob. The least favourite character was unanimous: Uncle Al. Although we tried to see the good that Uncle Al did - employing people and feeding them during the depression, we could not justify his actions as being anything but selfish and self-aggrandizing. There was also a comment about the lawyer at the beginning being someone that we disliked for his lack of compassion and understanding.
Ratings:
Joyce ...................8.5
Stephanie ...........8.75
Lynne ...................5.5
Stacey ....................9
Barb ....................6.75
Overall: 7.7
Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett
Meeting Date: September 3, 2009
Hostess: Stacey
Discussion: The overwhelming consensus for the book was positive ranging from "liked it very much" to "loved it"! I believe there was general agreement that it was the best book we have read in the B&B Club so far (with one possible dissension!). All but one of us had very LOW expectations starting the book (based on the jacket cover) but it failed to meet the expectation of one person who had a HIGH expectation going in. The predominant negative comment from several participants was the excessive description of the building process, materials, etc. but there were some of us who had some potential explanations for why Follett focused on this so much. The other negative comment, was that the story had too many highs and lows (the "yay hooray" versus "boo" complaint). We all felt it was an amazingly well conceived story and was, for the most part, well-told and well-written. Although there is a large cast of characters we had little to no trouble remembering them all. We also enjoyed Follett's detailed descriptions of the characters and building of our affiliation with them. One thing several of us found surprising was that although we were very attached to the characters we did not feel a sense of loss when we finished the book. Some people commented on the difficulty of reading the "rape" scenes and others believed that the few references to animal cruelty were more difficult. Not to say the rapes were enjoyable but rather they were a part of the medieval life and were historically accurate. There were also comments on the strength of the female characters and this was somewhat surprising given the time period. In fact, we commented that obviously so many things in life have changed, we still could see similarities in the social structure of the time compared to now. There was virtually no consensus on favourite or least favourite characters. We all liked several characters (Phillip, Aliena, Jack, Eileen, Tom Building) and disliked a couple (William, Alfred) but even still we saw the "bad" in the good characters and the "good" in the bad characters.
Ratings:
Joyce ...............10
Dannette ..........9.2
Lynne ..............10
Kellie .................9
Barb .................9.5
Natalie ..............9.5
Stacey ................8
Stephanie ...........8
Overall Rating: 9.15
Meeting Date: September 3, 2009
Hostess: Stacey
Discussion: The overwhelming consensus for the book was positive ranging from "liked it very much" to "loved it"! I believe there was general agreement that it was the best book we have read in the B&B Club so far (with one possible dissension!). All but one of us had very LOW expectations starting the book (based on the jacket cover) but it failed to meet the expectation of one person who had a HIGH expectation going in. The predominant negative comment from several participants was the excessive description of the building process, materials, etc. but there were some of us who had some potential explanations for why Follett focused on this so much. The other negative comment, was that the story had too many highs and lows (the "yay hooray" versus "boo" complaint). We all felt it was an amazingly well conceived story and was, for the most part, well-told and well-written. Although there is a large cast of characters we had little to no trouble remembering them all. We also enjoyed Follett's detailed descriptions of the characters and building of our affiliation with them. One thing several of us found surprising was that although we were very attached to the characters we did not feel a sense of loss when we finished the book. Some people commented on the difficulty of reading the "rape" scenes and others believed that the few references to animal cruelty were more difficult. Not to say the rapes were enjoyable but rather they were a part of the medieval life and were historically accurate. There were also comments on the strength of the female characters and this was somewhat surprising given the time period. In fact, we commented that obviously so many things in life have changed, we still could see similarities in the social structure of the time compared to now. There was virtually no consensus on favourite or least favourite characters. We all liked several characters (Phillip, Aliena, Jack, Eileen, Tom Building) and disliked a couple (William, Alfred) but even still we saw the "bad" in the good characters and the "good" in the bad characters.
Ratings:
Joyce ...............10
Dannette ..........9.2
Lynne ..............10
Kellie .................9
Barb .................9.5
Natalie ..............9.5
Stacey ................8
Stephanie ...........8
Overall Rating: 9.15
Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
Meeting Date: June 19, 2009
Hostess: Lynne
Discussion: We were fairly well divided down the middle with half of us LOVING the book and half of us really not liking it at all. There was some indication that those with greater imagination and a bit of a fantasy outlook on life preferred it to those of us who are have a more practical (and some would say rigid and inflexible) view of the world. Those that loved the book, could not put it down, were enthralled with Martel's story-telling ability and his wonderful description of what Pi went through. However, having said that, those are the people who tended to struggle a little more with the beginning of the book on the talk of how Pi came to get his name and his associations with various religions. Those of us on the other side of the table (metaphorically) actually liked the beginning of the book more - finding it to be more factual and grounded with the story from the sinking of the ship onwards to fantastical and unbelievable. Some of us (OK me ... ) struggled with the writing, finding the repetition simply annoying! :-)
It was clear that there are many levels to this story and I certainly know that I didn't catch onto all (or maybe any) of them. Richard Parker's name, for example, being an Edgar Allen Poe character.
We had a brief but interesting discussion of characters which really ended in more of an open question as to who were the characters; was there only one character or were the animals characters. I think each of us has her own feeling of which is the 'real' story and who the 'real' characters are.
Ratings:
Barb .................5.5
Stacey ...............4
Dannette .............9
Stephanie ............9
Joyce .................9.5
Natalie .................4
Lynne .................3
Overall Rating: 6.3
Meeting Date: June 19, 2009
Hostess: Lynne
Discussion: We were fairly well divided down the middle with half of us LOVING the book and half of us really not liking it at all. There was some indication that those with greater imagination and a bit of a fantasy outlook on life preferred it to those of us who are have a more practical (and some would say rigid and inflexible) view of the world. Those that loved the book, could not put it down, were enthralled with Martel's story-telling ability and his wonderful description of what Pi went through. However, having said that, those are the people who tended to struggle a little more with the beginning of the book on the talk of how Pi came to get his name and his associations with various religions. Those of us on the other side of the table (metaphorically) actually liked the beginning of the book more - finding it to be more factual and grounded with the story from the sinking of the ship onwards to fantastical and unbelievable. Some of us (OK me ... ) struggled with the writing, finding the repetition simply annoying! :-)
It was clear that there are many levels to this story and I certainly know that I didn't catch onto all (or maybe any) of them. Richard Parker's name, for example, being an Edgar Allen Poe character.
We had a brief but interesting discussion of characters which really ended in more of an open question as to who were the characters; was there only one character or were the animals characters. I think each of us has her own feeling of which is the 'real' story and who the 'real' characters are.
Ratings:
Barb .................5.5
Stacey ...............4
Dannette .............9
Stephanie ............9
Joyce .................9.5
Natalie .................4
Lynne .................3
Overall Rating: 6.3
Away
by Jane Urquhart
Meeting Date: May 29, 2009
Hostess: Stephanie
Discussion: When we arrived, Stephanie announced that as a special bonus for the night, there would be a door prize at the end of the night ... an original oil painting that she had bought at a silent auction earlier in the week. The picture depicted a young woman, eyes closed yet wistfully facing out to sea, where a sailboat floated by. How ironic that in the week that we were reading the book "Away" she would find a painting that virtually depicted the theme of the book! It was very thoughtful and added a new level to hostess'ing book club!
There was a general consensus that everyone had some struggles with the book - although there were differences in opinion as to whether the writing was beautiful prose or simply just confusing - I believe everyone commented on the fact that they had some difficulty in understanding at least parts of the story. The concept of "away" and/or being "away" also generated some interesting discussion with some believing that mental illness was at the heart of the characters who experienced it. We got into a very interesting discussion on the merits of Canadian literature. And while everyone was glad that we had selected a Canadian author, there was a question as to whether we give Canadian authors and Canadian literature more acclaim than they necessarily deserve. Several of us struggled to just have the author tell the story rather than getting caught up in the language so much.
There was a wide range of preference in the favourite and least favourite characters. There was some consensus that Mary/Moira was a least favoured, especially in that she really was one of the primary characters for at least half the book and yet we learned almost nothing about her - what with her being "Away" for most of that time. Generally people liked Eileen (at least the early years) and Liam. There were also comments about liking Brian, Exodus Crow and even Osbert and Granville but again, the character development for some of these personalities was somewhat lacking. Aidan received a lot of votes for least likeable - and yet, almost everyone was able to identify with him (or men like him) and had gone through personal experiences with their own Aidans. For some, this made us like Eileen less for falling for a man like him while others forgave her knowing we would have done the same thing.
People tended to either prefer the story that took place in Canada over the story in Ireland, but this was not the case for everyone. Most people would not recommend the book, but there some who would recommend it with a caveat (not sure what the caveat would be though) and some thought it was a good recommendation for a book club book.
On a personal note, "Away" is precisely the type of book that I thought (before joining a book club) that would be read and discussed at book clubs - these ethereal, meaningful books that I don't understand. And while I certainly do not purport to have understood Away in any real, deep sense, I appreciated the discussion which was both insightful (to help me understand) and reassuring (that I wasn't the only one that didn't really get it!). I'm glad that this is not the only "type" of book that we read, but also appreciate that I could read it and still enjoy a decent discussion.
Ratings:
Stacey .................2
Joyce .................5.6
Natalie ................7
Dannette .............8
Lynne ..................5
Stephanie ............6
Kellie ...................6
Overall: 5.6
Meeting Date: May 29, 2009
Hostess: Stephanie
Discussion: When we arrived, Stephanie announced that as a special bonus for the night, there would be a door prize at the end of the night ... an original oil painting that she had bought at a silent auction earlier in the week. The picture depicted a young woman, eyes closed yet wistfully facing out to sea, where a sailboat floated by. How ironic that in the week that we were reading the book "Away" she would find a painting that virtually depicted the theme of the book! It was very thoughtful and added a new level to hostess'ing book club!
There was a general consensus that everyone had some struggles with the book - although there were differences in opinion as to whether the writing was beautiful prose or simply just confusing - I believe everyone commented on the fact that they had some difficulty in understanding at least parts of the story. The concept of "away" and/or being "away" also generated some interesting discussion with some believing that mental illness was at the heart of the characters who experienced it. We got into a very interesting discussion on the merits of Canadian literature. And while everyone was glad that we had selected a Canadian author, there was a question as to whether we give Canadian authors and Canadian literature more acclaim than they necessarily deserve. Several of us struggled to just have the author tell the story rather than getting caught up in the language so much.
There was a wide range of preference in the favourite and least favourite characters. There was some consensus that Mary/Moira was a least favoured, especially in that she really was one of the primary characters for at least half the book and yet we learned almost nothing about her - what with her being "Away" for most of that time. Generally people liked Eileen (at least the early years) and Liam. There were also comments about liking Brian, Exodus Crow and even Osbert and Granville but again, the character development for some of these personalities was somewhat lacking. Aidan received a lot of votes for least likeable - and yet, almost everyone was able to identify with him (or men like him) and had gone through personal experiences with their own Aidans. For some, this made us like Eileen less for falling for a man like him while others forgave her knowing we would have done the same thing.
People tended to either prefer the story that took place in Canada over the story in Ireland, but this was not the case for everyone. Most people would not recommend the book, but there some who would recommend it with a caveat (not sure what the caveat would be though) and some thought it was a good recommendation for a book club book.
On a personal note, "Away" is precisely the type of book that I thought (before joining a book club) that would be read and discussed at book clubs - these ethereal, meaningful books that I don't understand. And while I certainly do not purport to have understood Away in any real, deep sense, I appreciated the discussion which was both insightful (to help me understand) and reassuring (that I wasn't the only one that didn't really get it!). I'm glad that this is not the only "type" of book that we read, but also appreciate that I could read it and still enjoy a decent discussion.
Ratings:
Stacey .................2
Joyce .................5.6
Natalie ................7
Dannette .............8
Lynne ..................5
Stephanie ............6
Kellie ...................6
Overall: 5.6
In Search of Respect Selling Crack in El Barrio
by Phillippe Bourgois
Meeting Date: May 1, 2009
Hostess: Barb
Discussion: Although we were a small group for this meeting (only 5) we had a very animated debate that went beyond the book to poverty, racism, religious freedoms and ethical marginalization and issues of accommodation, tolerance and acceptance. For the most part we all enjoyed the book - particularly the conversations more so than the structural analysis and theoretical arguments of the author. Most also agreed that they would recommend the book but would be sure to inform other of the non-fiction/textbook format of the book. There was a consensus on the favourite personalities of Primo and Candy although some struggled with Candy's inability to make a better life for herself and her kids, all the while claiming that family was so very important to her. We likened Candy's struggle to Maureen's difficulties in our last book "The Hour I First Believed" where all of us wanted so much for Maureen to succeed; in the face of all the positive influences and forces at work in Maureen's life, she was unable to overcome her drug addiction. Did Candy - with virtually no positive, protective factors in place - really have much of a chance? It was an interesting analogy. Caesar was the least liked, and yet still somewhat sympathetic personality.
Ratings:
Lynne ..........7.5
Barb .............7.5
Kellie ...........7.5
Stacey ...........6
?? ...................6 (sorry ... I can't remember who the last person at this meeting was)
Overall: 6.9
Meeting Date: May 1, 2009
Hostess: Barb
Discussion: Although we were a small group for this meeting (only 5) we had a very animated debate that went beyond the book to poverty, racism, religious freedoms and ethical marginalization and issues of accommodation, tolerance and acceptance. For the most part we all enjoyed the book - particularly the conversations more so than the structural analysis and theoretical arguments of the author. Most also agreed that they would recommend the book but would be sure to inform other of the non-fiction/textbook format of the book. There was a consensus on the favourite personalities of Primo and Candy although some struggled with Candy's inability to make a better life for herself and her kids, all the while claiming that family was so very important to her. We likened Candy's struggle to Maureen's difficulties in our last book "The Hour I First Believed" where all of us wanted so much for Maureen to succeed; in the face of all the positive influences and forces at work in Maureen's life, she was unable to overcome her drug addiction. Did Candy - with virtually no positive, protective factors in place - really have much of a chance? It was an interesting analogy. Caesar was the least liked, and yet still somewhat sympathetic personality.
Ratings:
Lynne ..........7.5
Barb .............7.5
Kellie ...........7.5
Stacey ...........6
?? ...................6 (sorry ... I can't remember who the last person at this meeting was)
Overall: 6.9
The Hour I First Believed
by Wally Lamb
Meeting Date: March 13, 2009
Hostess: Stacey
Discussion: There was a consensus that no one would recommend this book, even though the overall rating was quite high. There was an excellent discussion about the fact that this really seemed to be two books, not one, and people tended to prefer the first half to the second half. Apparently those of us who are not "human" preferred the latter part! Haha! :-)
There was a fair amount of agreement on the least liked character(s) (Maureen and/or Mrs. Seaberry) and the favourite characters were Lolly and Janis. It was interesting that several of us had similar comments but for some, those things made us like the book and for others they made us not like the book. For many, there was a lack of identification with the characters, when adding that to the length of the book, we found the book "forgettable", even from chapter to chapter and certainly by the time we finished reading it.
Ratings:
Stephanie ........7
Joyce ..............8
Natalie ...........8
Barb ...............8
Lynne .............5
Dannette ........7.5
Stacey ...........7.5
Martha ..........7.5
Overall: 7.3
Meeting Date: March 13, 2009
Hostess: Stacey
Discussion: There was a consensus that no one would recommend this book, even though the overall rating was quite high. There was an excellent discussion about the fact that this really seemed to be two books, not one, and people tended to prefer the first half to the second half. Apparently those of us who are not "human" preferred the latter part! Haha! :-)
There was a fair amount of agreement on the least liked character(s) (Maureen and/or Mrs. Seaberry) and the favourite characters were Lolly and Janis. It was interesting that several of us had similar comments but for some, those things made us like the book and for others they made us not like the book. For many, there was a lack of identification with the characters, when adding that to the length of the book, we found the book "forgettable", even from chapter to chapter and certainly by the time we finished reading it.
Ratings:
Stephanie ........7
Joyce ..............8
Natalie ...........8
Barb ...............8
Lynne .............5
Dannette ........7.5
Stacey ...........7.5
Martha ..........7.5
Overall: 7.3
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