Maureen

I am loads better now thanks Weave. Alice felt and behaved quite differently than the rest of her peers in Cleveland, with whom she felt no affinity whatsoever. She also has not much in common with her husband Ned. She found common ground with Bobby, the other ‘alien’ to Cleveland and consequently forged a strange friendship with him and with her son. She managed this because of the bond she developed with the two boys, a sort of mother figure who would join them on their adventures, ready to hand out advice, much like Wendy used to hand out ‘medicine’ to the boys on the island. Both Bobby and Jon were different children - both ‘lost boys’ in their own way, who needed a strong person to turn to. I think that first Alice and later even Clare were a Wendy figure to both Bobby and Jon throughout the novel at different periods of their lives.

Hey guys, I apologise for not being here much the last couple of days, but I had tonsillitis, and fever, and did not feel like writing much. Just wanted to thank everyone for taking part, it has been a great discussion, and everyone's input much appreciated.

That's a very apt answer Shirleyz, and I agree it does impart peace and a feeling of rest and closure. I never thought about Alice when replying to this question, but the title really conveys the sense of contentment and happiness to her otherwise unsatisfying life. At the end everyone seems comfortable with the decisions which have been taken, the life ahead and at peace with their perturbed lives.

I watched it this week, and it is quite faithful to the book, although there are some changes. The fact that Bobby let Clare and Rebecca leave

12. Did you watch the film? How did it compare to the book?

Welcome Nali. I'm sure you will find sonething of interest here

Two more Tempe Brennen - 206 Bones and Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs. My comfort reads. Also Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. This was not what I was expecting. Set in a dystopian future society known as Chromatacia, this is definately darker than all the previous Fforde novels I have read so far, but although the first few chapters were tough to reconcile with, and once I went on Fforde's website and read a bit of background about the characters, the rest of the book was a delight. In fact I had Fforde wirthdrawal symptoms for a while......and now I have to wait for ages to read the sequel. I almost wish I had not read this yet, but waited until the sequel was out so that I could continue with the mystery. I am itching to learn why spoons were not produced any more, why Reds cannot marry Greens, and various other little mysteries, which will remain unsolved for me till 2013.

Yes I thought so too. In fact I think she managed to extract the best qualities of Clare, Jon and Erich. However, funnily enough, I did not feel she made that big an impact on Bobby's character. In fact I think this was the strongest flaw in Bobby's character - his lack of fatherly interaction with his daughter. He cared for her as he would care for a puppy, but we never read that he was playing donkey with her, or making finger puppets, or plasticine. He failed in the role of a father in my opinion...

I hope it will not be the last

10. Discuss the significance of the title A Home at the End of the World. Does it suggest hope, despair, or both? Explain I think the title suggests a little bit of both hope and despair, although perhaps in unequal quantities. All three main characters had dealt with despair in their lives, Clare had had a hard time acepting herself first of all, she had been through previous relationships which did not work out and did not have a great connection with her parents. Jon had not had an easy life - his childhood did not prepare him for the world out there, and he had to deal with his homosexuality. Bobby never recovered from the death of his brother - at one time he mentioned that he was living for the living and for the dead - or soemthing to that effect. Now at last, they found a home together, each at peace with themselves and with their demons. There is hope that this strange family will succeed.

Yes he did. At first he was terrified when Clare was on top of him, and she kept coaxing him until he climaxed. Then he started to cry 'He started weeping, openly and extravagantly as a baby'. Before they had sex he had told her that he did not think about other women. The only words he said after he stopped crying were 'I never. I never thought I would.' In my opinion, although Clare had her own agenda for doing this, (she wanted Jon not Bobby - earlier when he had asked her something Jon would have known the answer to instinctively, she was thinking 'Oh Jonathan. Why aren't you straight?' she was at least kind and patient with Bobby. This also makes me think that Jon could not have sex with Clare - as she admitted to herself that her motive in having sex with Bobby was that she wanted a baby, and she wanted to raise it with Jonathan, and she saw this as the way to achieve her ambition.

I always understood that Jon was 100% homosexual. He loves Claire, but in a friendly, caring sort of way - sort of like a Mum or an auntie, or a big sister. I never came across an inkling of him showing sexual interest in any female. That's a very apt description of what I think Claire is like. It is isn't it? That and how different people see different things when reading the exact same book! :) I have too. It is really interesting.

Easter Figolla

Two more questions - taken from http://media.us.macm...312424084RG.pdf 10. Discuss the significance of the title A Home at the End of the World. Does it suggest hope, despair, or both? Explain 11. As a young mother, Alice says of her relationship with her son Jonathan and his best friend Bobby: “Sometimes in those days I thought of Wendy from Peter Pan—an island mother to a troop of lost boys” (p. 87). What do you think she means? How does the theme of “lost boys” figure into the novel as a whole? What role do the women play in relation to this theme?

5. Each chapter is narrated by a different 'main' character. Did that work in your opinion? I must admit that this frustrated me for the first few chapters, as I usually hate that, but in this case, I think it worked. It gave all the main characters equal importance, which I think is central to this book, as every one of them played an improtant part in the story, and each made such a great influence on the others. 6. What do you think of the descriptions by the author? It is my first Cunningham novel, so I don't know if this is his way of writing, but I really found this book descriptive. Certain times, the events happeneing felt so real, it was as if I were in the next room. For example, reading about Carlton's accident, I felt as if I could see the glass breaking, and the blood everywhere. The cemetary scent I could picture really clearly - as if I were hiding behind some column and watching everything.

I never saw this at time I was reading the book, and I am not really of the opinion Bobby found Carlton in Erich. I rather think Bobby was made that way - he is the child who would pick the three - legged puppy out of a whole litter, who will befriend the only other friendless guy at school, who would carry his friend across the desert if he broke his leg, or who would give his time and energy to help anyone who is less - less fortunate, less strong, less able, less happy.

I did not form a high opinion of Claire, to be honest, but you really really seem to dislike her Frankie I did not think Claire went so far as to dislike Bobby, but she did not think much of him either. I think for her, he was a bit more than a sperm donor - he helped her fulfill her wish of becoming a parent. However I think I prefer Claire to Alice - Alice's character is too suffocating and controlling for me. She sucked the life out of Jon for a lot of years, and just tolerated Ned - she never had a good word to say about anyone really.

Ooshie, you could pop to the thread and say that you hated it and why.....it is still valid discussion In fact it would be different to what eveyone else so far has said, hence interesting

Some good points there Shirleyz. I think Erich, although a minor character, played a very important role in this novel. Jon never wanted him to become an important part of his life - he was just a sex buddy - he did not encourage a friendly relationship at all - in fact it was ages before Erich was introduced to the Hendersons. After the first meeting - when they all had a blast on the rooftop, Jon disappeared. One reason for this I feel, is that he did not want to be part of comfortable family and friends 'normal' relationship. When Erich was accepted as a friend by the others, Jon felt too settled and normal and he wanted to escape. That episode marked a change in the family's life - Jon left the home. Later, when Jon, Bobby and Claire were settled at their home and with their business, when Jon met Erich again, he was quite hostile towards him - probably because he made him come to terms with reality as regards illness and death. This was another milestone for Jon. Another important event which came about because of Erich is that when Claire left with Rebecca, Bobby elected to stay behind, because Erich needed him. 8. Do you think Jonathan, Bobby and Clare’s attempt to redefine family succeeded or failed? Why? What do you think defines a family?What do you think the novel is ultimately saying about family? I think their attempt succeeded. Although bizzarre, their relationship was what family is all about - two or more people who live together, who love each other, who take care of each other in sickness and in health, whether poor or rich. Isn't that a family? I think the novel wants people to look at other non-traditional family units, and accept that although strange, they do exist and work out fine. Perhaps the author, who lived as part of a gay family himself when it was so less accepted, wants to send out a message that a different way of life could still be a good way of life.

Two more questions - taken from http://media.us.macm...312424084RG.pdf 8. Do you think Jonathan, Bobby and Clare’s attempt to redefine family succeeded or failed? Why? What do you think defines a family?What do you think the novel is ultimately saying about family? 9. What role does Erich play in the character’s lives? In what ways do you think he is a catlyst for change? Discuss the significance of death in the novel.

I love the fact that different people see different things in the same book Makes for a great debate. I did not think that Bobby explored his sexuality - I felt he rather went with the flow...in fact he only had 2 sexual partners we know of, and they both instigated the sex. In fact he told Claire that he was not sure he could do it, the first time. I also think much of Jon's and Bobby's friendship was because they were both 'strange?' 'different?' children at school - birds of a feather sort of thing

Yes I agree. At first when Claire saw Bobby, I felt she looked at him as if he was a hilly-billy from another civilisation, with a mixture of curiousity and disbelief. Then they soon forged a friendship - especially as they had lots of time together in the mornings after Jon left for work. Claire never left home before eleven, and she and Bobby had time to spend together.

3. What do you think of the different friendships going on? Bobby’s and Jon’s friendship developed when they were still in their teens. Both had a different childhood. Jon lost his sister at birth, and Bobby lost his brother who he looked up to and adored. Had Jon’s sister lived, he would not have been the only outlet for his mother, she would have had two people to keep her company and her influence would have been somewhat diluted. Bobby’s family life - and by default his life - changed drastically from the moment his brother died, his parents stopped living as well, and just plodded along until they gave up the struggle. So Jon and Bobby, both different to other kids, both having a dysfunctional family life, found each other and gave each other a family. I also think that during their teenage years, Bobby was somewhat the leader, and Jon used to ‘follow’, but when they grew up and Jon moved to New York and Bobby followed, they reversed roles, with Jon being the leader and Bobby the follower. Jon’s and Claire’s friendship is more complex. I think he finds in her a replacement of his mother to a certain extent - so he exchanged his relationship with his mother with a relationship with Claire, with the added bonus that he was now on a more equal footing in this relationship. Bobby describes Claire’s relationship with Jon as wife-like. However it was even more than that - they could discuss clothes and gossip, and men. They had a great relationship, they were each others’ confidants and soul mates - with out the tension of a sexual relationship. For Claire, Jon was also a potential father for her child….her biological clock was ticking and she wanted a baby. In her opinion, having a baby with Jon was ideal - she was not in love with him, but they were good friends. Bobby’s and Alice’s friendship is perhaps the strangest of all. Alice once said that Bobby made sense to her sometimes. They had both found themselves in a place that was foreign to their nature, and wanted to fit in. At first, Alice’s friendship with Bobby was more of an effort to please Jon than real pleasure in Bobby’s company, however their relationship endured even when Jon left for New York. In the earlier days, Alice was the student - with Bobby and Jon teaching her about music and drugs, and later she was the teacher - teaching Bobby all he needed to know to run his own business. She was concerned about his friendship with Jon, as she thought of him as a person with little intellect and no ambition although sweet and kind. Bobby’s and Claire’s friendship started as Claire took Bobby under her wing. She thought that he had that lost puppy appeal, and made her feel protective of him. She began by re-doing Bobby - his hair, his clothes, different music, new friends. For Bobby, when they started having a sexual relationship as well, he had a real family. For Claire, he filled the post of father to her child, without too much interference on his part. 　

Yes it is a possibility isn't it? His two partners had a series of relationships, and during the 80s, protection was not as de rigeur as it is today. I think this is something a lot of people, especially homosexuals, grippled with, twenty or so years ago - the fear and the uncertainty....