Kell

I've had a go at answering the questions set earlier in the thread: If this is your first time reading a graphic novel, how are you finding reading the format so far? Do you find it 'easier' or more difficult than reading a purely text-based book? What do you think of Art Spiegelman's style of writing and illustration? I

I was thinking about this & it was actually Dale who said "maybe it's coz of Fish & Chips being pretty much the national dish". He could be right, I suppose! I agree - it would certainly be a way of getting young adults interested n the subject, due to the format being one that is traditionally aimed at their age group.

Have now just finished all of part one &, whaddaya know? "Nu?" showed up repeatedly throughout it - LOL! I also found interesting the fact that the only time human faces were given to characters was during the section where Art's previous strip about his mother's suicide in the 60s. Perhaps because it's after the war & the people are no longer catagorised in the same way as they were during the atrocities? Edited to add: I also especially liked the symbolism of the roads in Nazi-occupied Poland taking the form of a swastika - very clever!

It's another one of those that really gets people talking, for sure. Whether you like it or not, there's always going to be something to provoke you and get a reaction. Books like this are great for discussion because you get so many different viewpoints and sometimes get to see things from an angle you perhaps didn't get yourself when you read it, but looking back can see it once it's pointed out to you.

I'm already up to Chapter 4: The Noose Tightens and have to say I'm really getting into this. I haven't read a graphic novel since I was about 14 or 15 years old and now I'm wondering why I ever stopped, as this one is so very good. i love the "voice" of Vladek - so very, very Jewish, with his reversal of words within sentences - I half expect him to greet his son with "Nu?" ("So?" - a catc h-all phrase, the menaing of which can change depending on the situation). I'm also enjoying the fact that each little section starts with Art visiting his father and occasionally has Vladek saying something like, "But I don't want you to write that bit in your book." It makes it feel all the more personal, yet making us one step removed from the action. The whole animals-as-people aspect makes it feel very Orwellian in approach, but having the story presented in cartoon pictures makes a difficult subject more accessible to the reader, in a way that we perhaps wouldn't be if it were only words on the page, or action on a screen.

That was actually the only change I really couldn't understand - I wanted it to be the rabbit!

It's certainly a book that seems to provoke extreme reactions, whether positive or negative. It's also one of those books that seems to naturally encourage discussion on the various ethics involved in the story, which I think makes it a pretty good choice for a book group, especially of you get folks seeing things from different angles (which is pretty much inevitable with a book such as this one). It's certainly provided me with several hours of very interesting conversation with others who have read it. I wonder if that was more what Ishiguro was aiming at when he wrote it?

Yes, I felt that the changes made were still in keeping with the spirit of the books and so worked well. The film stands up both as a film in its own right (for those who haven't read the book) and as a very good adaptation. It's rare for me to agree with changes being made to a plot from a book (the way I see it is it worked in the book, so why change the story when the film is supposed to be based on it), but in this case I could see why various little changes had been made, making it more appropriate for visual entertainment, than it might have been if it had stcuk to the book to the letter. And of course, it helped that Johnny Depp was in it.

to the forum, Winston. You've got several books on your list that I've read & loved (such as Lolita, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Great Gatsby for starters), so I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I did. There are also one or two on my own pile of books to be read as well as my wish list - i'll look forward to discussing them with you.

It's definitely a bit of a Marmite book - you either absolutely love it or absolutely loathe it - I don't think I've heard of anyone (so far) who was somewhere in the middle. During and imediately after the time that I was reading this, quite a few folk approached me with their opinions on it and they ranged from "extremely bland" to "an emotional rollercoaster", some thought the characters were stupid for not changing their situation, others decided they were just resigned to their fate. Ishiguro is definitely a writer I'll be revisiting, to see if I enjoy any of his other works...

I love different versions of the Arthurian legends. I really enjoyed reading The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell last month - I think I'll be getting hold of the 2nd book in that series at some point. I read a very unusual interpretation from Morgana's point of view after her imprisonment on Avalon a few years back - The Queen's Captive by Haydn Middleton. It's actually the 2nd in the series (I've never read the rest of the series), has very heavy sexual overtones and is incredibly visceral, but absolutely compelling. I really must try reading the rest of the series (it's a familiar cry from me, but I really do mean it when I say it!). There's just something about the whole chivalry, lords & ladies, myth & magic legend that I adore...

I quite fancy getting this one myself - I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it when yo're done.

Hi Carole. I noticed this iisn't the only place you're author of the month - I got my newsletter from LoveReading.co.uk and I see you're the featured author for February there too - way to go!

Yes, I know of two sequels, although there may be more - I'm not sure. Hang on, i'll just go & check... ... Nope, there are just the three of them in that series: 1. The Winter King 2. Enemy of God 3. Excalibur

Ooh, I LOVE Lords & Ladies! Magrat really comes into her own in that one.

Hi WoKK (I hope you don't mind me shorteningyour name there!) & to the forum! I agree with 2 of your choices right off: I read Cuckoo's Nest when I was about 15 or 16 & loved it (I was already a fan of the film). As for option No. 5, I think there are quite a few of us here who would go for that option!

Thanks for that, Judy - I enjoyed The Kite Runner last year, soI'll be keeping an eye open for this one.

I'm not sure how recently it went on, but certainly a major tradition in the Jewish people in many parts of Europe was to approach a Matchmaker to find you a good wife from a good family and it would all go ahead whether or not the girl was happy with the match. I am so looking forward to reading this - it sounds absolutely intriguing!

Nope, just the one. There were several variations listed, but only one who had just joined today, so I figured that was the Icecream we all knew.

I've just added you to my ever-growing watch list, Icecream.

I was given this one to review by CBUK when the site was still going - I rather enjoyed it. I think the review is kicking about on here somewhere, but if not, it's certainly on my On the Shelf blog (which you can find through my signature). I hope you'll enjoy it.

I'm sure I've mentioned The Carpet People somewhere here. It was the 1st book I read by Pratchett & was responsible for getting me hooked on him in the first place. What's especially impressive is that he wrote & had it published when he was just a teenager, then reworked it with a more mature mind when he was in his 40s. I wasn't soimpressed with Strata or Dark Side of the Sun though - I prefer his Discworld series by far.

We had to come to some sort of arrangement. We had elected to have one bunk for the two of us, one of the very top ones, which are very hot and can't be reached without undertaking the most perilous and ridiculous contortions. THe parents had taken the two bottom bunks, and the children had distributed themselves as best they could among the three remaining. ~ The Sexual Life of Catherine M by Catherine Millet (Thank goodness the 6th, 7th & 8th sentences on page 123 weren't of a sexual nature!)

Yes - I found that odd. I can understand that they'd want to stick to their principles, but if it's a choice between farming stolen land or starving, I know which I'd choose!

What an excellent insight, Betty. I did notice the fact that when they were wearing the burkahs they had no names mentioned, but I never thought about the possibility of the three words representing the three sisters, but I think you may be right. Personally, I would perhaps associates the word "fluttering" with Shakila, as she was slightly flirtatious in the shop while looking for her veil, and also because it conjours up images of a "blushing bride" fluttering her eyelashes.