Jump to content

shirleyz

Member
  • Posts

    106
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by shirleyz

  1. While I understand how hard it must have been to let go, I completely understand his reasoning. He wanted to set them free, in fact he says "Clare has taken Rebecca to the world of the living - its noise and surprises, its risk of disappointment. ... It's where Rebecca should be. ... I've followed my brother into this world and I've never left it..." He wanted his daughter to live her life independenty from what held him back, he didn't want her life to be prejudiced by her parents' strange household arrangements.
  2. 5. Each chapter is narrated by a different 'main' character. Did that work in your opinion? While I usually find this disturbs the flow of a novel, I think that the characters in this book follow each other very seamlessly. I think the story gained perspective through the different narrations – it is such a dynamic story that it needs the different points of view as outlined by the different characters. 6. What do you think of the descriptions by the author? The story is full of very detailed descriptions, especially of the setting – I could vividly picture Jon’s and Clare’s flat in NY; and also the alpha alpha field where Jon finally scatters this father’s ashes. What I found strange is that hardly any female character is described physically, while the males (Ned, Bobby) are given very detailed descriptions (is this always done by Jon?) 7. Did you enjoy the book? Will you be reading any more books by Michael Cunningham? As I have already said, it is not a book I would have chosen in a book store, however, I found that the story intrigued me, and I was looking forward to see how the story would develop. While it’s sad that the “family” had to break up, I find it a very apt ending – both the parents want a better future for their child, while Jonathan seems to finally accept his past and future. I'd like to read The Hours - I'm curious to see how this author will treat a female point of view...
  3. 1. What do you think of the main characters? How would you describe them? Bobby, I feel, is the most selfless of the group, the most ready/willing to adapt. He is constantly seeking a family – after the loss of his brother, his family unit breaks down – his mother kills herself and his father turns to drink. So he “attaches” himself to Jonathan’s family. When his family home is completely destroyed in the fire, he moves in with Jon’s family permanently. When he returns to the site of the burnt house (towards the end of the book), he tries to remember the location of the rooms. He loves playing the Hendersons, and he is the one to suggest that they settle down in the country, which he thinks of leaving as a legacy to his daughter. Bobby lives in “another” world – very often he seems detached from what is going on, however, he gels the group, he is most in tune with what the others are feeling. His previous losses help him cherish what he has. Jonathan is constantly seeking happiness. His mother suffocates him as a child, however, we hardly learn anything about his feelings for her; it was his father he adored. He has fond memories of his father (remembers how he used to carry him on his shoulders, the feeling of his skin, etc) I think Ned was more accpeting of Jon’s sexuality than Alice, who never quite accepted that her son is gay. When Ned and Jon speak in Arizona, it is Ned who sets him thinking about settling down, inviting him to find a “place” where he is comfortable with himself. I’m not sure how to term his relationship with Erich – they see each other for a number of years but they don’t commit to each other. He is terrified of catching his illness, and only at the very end (the pond scene) does he fully accept him. He is quite mean when he first speaks to him (Erich) about his appearance due to his illness. Clare does not want to grow old. Thanks to her inheritance, she can be free to “flow” through life - she doesn’t hold a “solid” job, she floats through relationships... I think she is a very fickle person who wants to have the cake and eat it. She remodels Bobby to her liking, and uses him to get the thing she wants – having a baby before she gets too old. To say her relationship with Alice is stiff is an understatement. Only when she has her child do I manage to associate with her and understand her actions. As a mother she feels her love and sense of protection for her daughter overwhelm her (which she describes as a “monster”). While she cares for Erich, she is only really interested in her daughter’s wellbeing. I understand her decision to move away, even if I don’t completely agree with it. Alice is a bitter lady – she marries in haste to spite her parents, and then she repents at leisure. I cannot understand how she can tell her son that she doesn’t want her baby, the daughter she then looses. She resents any friendship Jon has outside of their own – as a child she keeps him home with her; as an adult she dislikes his friends, in fact she has no good word to say either about Bobby or Clare. I kept expecting her to do something weird (like Maureen I thought she would sleep with Bobby), though I must say the fact that she helps Bobby in his first catering venture “redeems” her in a way...
  4. I've finished A Home at the End of the World today... looking forward to starting Shades of Grey
  5. I really enjoyed reading this book, though I really have to say that it is not a book I would have ever chosen to read if I wasn't participating in this circle. I was surprised to find that it was a very fast read - once I started I really wanted to know how the story would develop. the character I identify most with is Bobby - in my opinion he is the eternal peacemaker. I find Clare and Johnathan are both as very selfish people... I'll be posting answers to the questions soon
  6. is a lucky girl with the greatest of best friends :D

    1. Maureen

      Maureen

      I bet your best friend is lucky too :)

    2. Chrissy

      Chrissy

      That's a lovely thing to be able to say ~ both of you! :)

    3. Inver

      Inver

      Bestest friends are the bestest...lol

       

  7. Hoping to finish The HIstory of Love very soon as I just received A Home at the End of the World from my lovely friend Mau just in time for the April reading circle
  8. both my parent read avidly when I was young, so that must have influenced me... I read quite a lot but my sister on the otherhand was never a keen reader. my husband reads sporadically, my son loves reading, but my daughter regards reading pretty much as a chore.
  9. I'm really excited - just got Room from Play for only Eur3.99 - been waiting to get it for ages... and while I was at it I also got Shades of Grey I will give them to my husband so my children will "give" them to me for my birthday
  10. thanks for that Lucy - at last I feel that I'm not the only person in the world who "saw through" the ending to this book... I really cannot understand what all the fuss is about!
  11. will look forward to your comments as I've recently bought this book... hope it gets better!
  12. I've started reading this over the last few days, and I must admit I'm finding it quite tough to follow through the story (still in the very initial pages...) thanks for your reviews - will persist and hope to enjoy it as much as you did
  13. Hi Kylie - I see you got The Leopard after all good luck with that - hope you enjoy the read! and you're right - getting a book for a friend doesn't count
  14. I read it about 20 years ago when I was studying for my Italian A-level. top of my head - it's a fascinating story about the risorgimento in Italy, told in a very colourful language, in a very different way. the author really delves into the different characters... it was one of the easiest to relate with in terms of plot and history hope this helps!
  15. I've read 37 from the list... and I must admit that some were "forced" reading due to studies... 987. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe 940. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen 938. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 937. Mansfield Park – Jane Austen 936. Emma – Jane Austen 933. Persuasion – Jane Austen 923. The Red and the Black – Stendhal 913. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 904. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë 902. Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë 899. Shirley – Charlotte Brontë (just because it's about my name!! ) 876. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens 863. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott 846. Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy 843. Daniel Deronda – George Eliot 826. Bel-Ami – Guy de Maupassant 758. Strait is the Gate – André Gide 749. Sons and Lovers – D.H. Lawrence 728. Women in Love – D.H. Lawrence 725. Crome Yellow – Aldous Huxley 610. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien 605. Brighton Rock – Graham Greene 589. The Power and the Glory – Graham Greene 532. The End of the Affair – Graham Greene 494. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien 468. The Leopard – Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa 294. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting – Milan Kundera 276. The House of the Spirits – Isabel Allende 275. Schindler’s Ark – Thomas Keneally 272. The Color Purple – Alice Walker 242. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood 116. The Reader – Bernhard Schlink 109. Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood 93. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden 49. Life of Pi – Yann Martel 26. Everything is Illuminated – Jonathan Safran Foer (currently reading) 19. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon quite a few others are on my TBR pile and my wishlist... if only I had more time!!!
  16. WOW Frankie - this is an impressive list... I find that ately I have so many books I wish to read that I need to organise my thoughts, and this might be a good starting point... I'll try to give it some thought
  17. grey day :(

    1. pickle

      pickle

      same here very grey :-(

    2. Raven

      Raven

      We had sun until a short while ago, we now have grey.

    3. Maureen

      Maureen

      I think you need to change this :)

  18. wish I could find more time to read :S

  19. HI Kylie, might I suggest Pauline McLynn for your mum - http://paulinemclynn.com/site/. She's an Irish writer like Maeve Binchy. and maybe your father would like Andy McNabb, who writes about war (not sure if his books are autobiographical...). An author my father enjoys is Wibur Smith, and my husband has also read a few Greg Iles... hope this helps
  20. this book is on my wish list - great to hear such good reviews about it... it's moved a few notches up in the "to be acquired" pile
  21. I've decided to try this book as an audio book, as the 1000+ page version I have is definitely daunting! I hope to be able to post my comments soon, though I'm afraid I keep being tempted by other books that have been waiting longer on my TBR pile!!
  22. I agree with Sara... I'd just try to read faster in order to cram as many as I can
  23. is very pleased with herself :D

    1. Maureen

      Maureen

      You should be!! XX

×
×
  • Create New...