Well, I couldn't stop myself from telling you all about the wonderful book I just finished, a collection of stories by Jhumpa Lahiri called Unaccustomed Earth. You may remember this accomplished author from her most recent book, also stories, Interpreter of Maladies.
This lovely book has eight unrelated tales of people who are both bound by family structure and its complicated relationships and also alienated, each in his or her own way. Each story has its own memorable (if sometimes bewildering) characters and its own way of describing the process of coming together or falling apart or sometimes both. The families stretch to a community, usually of exiles, who stand in for far-off parents or grandparents, a refuge in a new world.
The writing is just beautiful, so careful, so descriptive. It took very little for me to get involved with these characters and want to follow each story to the end, which I did pretty quickly. This one is a keeper, I have no idea why it sat so long on my "to-read" shelf. Luckily, it won out over The Horse, the Wheel and Language, on my recent trip to Cincinnati as I loved it.
Now, for the update on the rabies girl, which I forgot to include in my last post. Those who were able to get to Jean's parent's LOVELY home (thanks again) may remember that RadioLab had a recent episode on a girl in Wisconsin who contracted rabies which unfortunately was not diagnosed until way too late.
Rabies is considered the most fatal disease; its mortality rate is 100%. This poor girl, only 15 or 16 years old developed odd symptoms that progressed very quickly from a tingling in her arm to double vision to almost comatose within weeks.
After exhausting all possibilities, her mother finally remembered she had been bitten by a bat. They hadn't thought much of it but obviously the bat was rabid. Doctors told her to take her daughter home to die.
Except for one doctor, an infectious disease specialist in Milwaukee, who took on the case and in doing so, reviewed 20 years of case studies on rabies. In one, he found an amazing ray of hope - this study determined that rabies does not so much destroy the brain, as usually thought, but disrupts it. Sadly, it disrupts the base functions of the brain long enough to kill the patient. Autopsies showed not only an undamaged brain, but no rabies in the tissue around the brain.
So this doctor put the girl in a coma and had machines perform the functions the brain should, like breathing and ingesting water. AND she lived! And recovered, at least almost all of her functions. Of course, no one on record had recovered from rabies, so this treatment became known as the "Milwaukee Protocol" and has to date been used on 30 patients.
The good news is that 6 patients recovered, out of the 30, a big step up from everyone dying. The most interesting thing is that further study has found that the patients who recovered had enough antibody in their systems that they likely would have recovered anyway. So now doctors think rabies is 100% fatal...until it's not.
Here is the link to the RadioLab story. If you haven't listened before, give it a try, it is endlessly fascinating. http://www.radiolab.org/popup_player/# Rodney versus death.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Not necessarily proof but certainly a compelling experience
What an interesting and personal discussion we had this evening, all about Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander. Thanks to Jean for hosting in her parent's absolutely beautiful home, weren't we lucky she and Julie were able to negotiate a swap so that we can see them both these two months! Also thanks to everyone who contributed to a beautiful array of delicious food. Susan brought bags full of fresh yummy stuff like figs and Lynn had amazing fig treats. I need a fig tree!
Among us, many had met Dr. Alexander, a neurosurgeon from Lynchburg, or had heard him speak at one of his several Richmond appearances. Beryl and I had talked with him, me at some length during the Book and Author luncheon this past May. He is personally engaging, articulate and obviously convinced of his experiences. Catherine, Jean and Lynn all saw him at Reveille Church and came away with different opinions - Lynn skeptical, Jean and Catherine all in.
And that was in fact the way the group fell out on the book - with slightly more skeptics than believers but we all agreed that Dr. Alexander had this experience and is not fabricating a story, he is convinced this has happened to him. Kathy added in her sister's experiences from her many years as a hospice nurse which validated much of what he went through. At the same time, those universal types of experiences did not, to some of us, prove that heaven does exist, rather it was proof that we as humans travel the same pathways of human interaction and love, reaching for those we have loved, who made us feel secure, as we experience the last surges of life.
There were many personal stories of deaths and near-deaths in our families that corresponded with the outlines of Dr. Alexander's story. The one consistent thread was the connection, often a physical one, with loved ones and how that made the difference. In Dr. Alexander's case, his family members made the decision to stay with him all day and night, holding his hand, speaking to him, encouraging him to come back. He talked about being pulled back, by those who still needed him, only to find out that his younger son was talking to him, asking him to come back during the last stages of his coma.
Dr. Alexander's experience in heaven gave him endless confidence that he was loved, that he didn't need to worry, that all around him were there for him.His family had been with him during his coma all day and night every day, which could have created that feeling for him. Catherine shared an incredible experience that she had with her younger son who was very ill at age 2 1/2. In her case, she climbed into his crib in the hospital, after days of a coma, hugged him and told him it was not his time to go... and he opened his eyes and said "hi, momma". The incredible power of love from those around us are indeed what we felt cause us to come back from the brink, or allow us to pass on with peace.
So do we believe him or not? The conclusion seemed to be that the afterlife is not a function of religion or ritual but instead a great connectedness in some way that creates a greater good, a larger purpose and a reason to exist or to expire. We didn't believe him, but we didn't discount him either. What a great night, thank you all!
On to more prosaic subjects, our next meeting is at Julie's on September 16 at 6:30 pm. Our book is The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, another Book and Author find. Please let Julie know what you will bring along, let's hope it is warm enough for us to hang at her pool.
October's book is The Wife, by Meg Worlitzer, place to be determined. November is Haints by Clint McCown, is this author related to our own Dawn? If so, could she use her influence to get him to talk to us? I hope so!!
Thank you all for allowing me to be part of such a wonderful, thoughtful and intelligent group of readers. All the best to Sally Eddows, who is recovering from a mild concussion, we want to see you back next month!
Among us, many had met Dr. Alexander, a neurosurgeon from Lynchburg, or had heard him speak at one of his several Richmond appearances. Beryl and I had talked with him, me at some length during the Book and Author luncheon this past May. He is personally engaging, articulate and obviously convinced of his experiences. Catherine, Jean and Lynn all saw him at Reveille Church and came away with different opinions - Lynn skeptical, Jean and Catherine all in.
And that was in fact the way the group fell out on the book - with slightly more skeptics than believers but we all agreed that Dr. Alexander had this experience and is not fabricating a story, he is convinced this has happened to him. Kathy added in her sister's experiences from her many years as a hospice nurse which validated much of what he went through. At the same time, those universal types of experiences did not, to some of us, prove that heaven does exist, rather it was proof that we as humans travel the same pathways of human interaction and love, reaching for those we have loved, who made us feel secure, as we experience the last surges of life.
There were many personal stories of deaths and near-deaths in our families that corresponded with the outlines of Dr. Alexander's story. The one consistent thread was the connection, often a physical one, with loved ones and how that made the difference. In Dr. Alexander's case, his family members made the decision to stay with him all day and night, holding his hand, speaking to him, encouraging him to come back. He talked about being pulled back, by those who still needed him, only to find out that his younger son was talking to him, asking him to come back during the last stages of his coma.
Dr. Alexander's experience in heaven gave him endless confidence that he was loved, that he didn't need to worry, that all around him were there for him.His family had been with him during his coma all day and night every day, which could have created that feeling for him. Catherine shared an incredible experience that she had with her younger son who was very ill at age 2 1/2. In her case, she climbed into his crib in the hospital, after days of a coma, hugged him and told him it was not his time to go... and he opened his eyes and said "hi, momma". The incredible power of love from those around us are indeed what we felt cause us to come back from the brink, or allow us to pass on with peace.
So do we believe him or not? The conclusion seemed to be that the afterlife is not a function of religion or ritual but instead a great connectedness in some way that creates a greater good, a larger purpose and a reason to exist or to expire. We didn't believe him, but we didn't discount him either. What a great night, thank you all!
On to more prosaic subjects, our next meeting is at Julie's on September 16 at 6:30 pm. Our book is The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, another Book and Author find. Please let Julie know what you will bring along, let's hope it is warm enough for us to hang at her pool.
October's book is The Wife, by Meg Worlitzer, place to be determined. November is Haints by Clint McCown, is this author related to our own Dawn? If so, could she use her influence to get him to talk to us? I hope so!!
Thank you all for allowing me to be part of such a wonderful, thoughtful and intelligent group of readers. All the best to Sally Eddows, who is recovering from a mild concussion, we want to see you back next month!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Whoops! September and October books, a correction
Hi all, Ashley pointed out a mistake in the last post - we are reading The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope for September and The Wife for October. Sorry about any confusion!
August is still Proof of Heaven, some things stay the same. Thanks Ashley!
August is still Proof of Heaven, some things stay the same. Thanks Ashley!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
An Enlightening Night with Virginia Pye
Lucky us to get to spend an evening discussing River of Dust with its author Virginia Pye at Wendy's lovely home. Thank you so much Wendy, it was wonderful!
What a fascinating discussion, it was so interesting to hear how a novel comes together, and how it is like most things - hard work, perseverance and some luck makes it happen more than inspiration. Most of us really appreciated her effort as the general consensus was that we liked the book, although there were definitely other opinions.
In Virginia's case, this is her sixth novel and came out, in part, of a previous attempt that spanned three generations, starting in the same place as this book, the northern plains of China. Virgina drew on her family history for this novel. Her grandfather had been a missionary in a similar period in the same region and left his journals behind when he died, filled with his impressions and experiences. In his case, he came to China to close a mission on the heels of the end of the Boxer Rebellion. Instead, he stayed 15 years until his death and his widow stayed on many years after that with Virginia's father, their son.
His life, and that of his very strong and capable wife, was entirely different than the Reverend's and Grace's but there was the same sense of place, time and challenge. Virginia was open, funny and insightful as to how this particular novel came about. I was particularly taken with her describing her prior novels and how those lead into this one and gave her the practice she needed to create this novel.
And speaking of creating, Virginia mentioned that each of her prior efforts had taken about five years to complete. In this case, she completed the first draft in 23 days! She was taken with the story and the effort of getting it on the page and got up early and stayed up late with the inspiration.
As for the book itself, our discussion was all about The Reverend and his wife Grace, an odd combination of characters. He was remote in so many ways, increasingly obsessed with the local culture, increasingly absorbed in guilt and despair in the search for his son, lost as a result of his role in the death of another child. While some of us could empathize with his quest, in the end, he seemed beyond redemption, completely mad.
Grace was another puzzle, a physically weak person, longing for children that were repeatedly lost, yet her obsession was with her physically and mentally absent husband. Why did she focus on him while dismissing her lost son? Why did she give her daughter away to the other missionaries who were leaving China as she stayed to search for her husband. Virginia didn't say!
For her, the biggest surprise of the book was that Ahcho and Mai Lin were married! And that Grace comes to this conclusion late in the story, as she is physically wasting, watching them exchange the familiar, loving gestures of those long together. "Could they be married?" she wonders. Of course they could, of course they should be.
So, a lovely evening, talking about an entirely different view of our chosen book. Thanks again to Wendy and to Virginia for a great night!
Our next meeting is August 13 (another Tuesday, heads up, sorry Dawn!) and our book is Proof of Heaven, by Eden Alexander. This is a Book and Author Dinner book, and having met him, I can't wait. We are hoping Julie can host, if not, any volunteers?
We had a lively discussion about the next book and once again decided to select the next two books. September is The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, by Rhonda Riley, another Book and Author Dinner selection. Beryl, Mary and I were at her table at the luncheon and truly enjoyed talking with her.
September's date is the 16th and the book is The Wife, by Meg Worlitzer. I love this book and can't wait to hear what you all have to say about it. Anyone volunteering for September? Who could have thought that we would be scheduling into September? Certainly not me.
Thanks to all who brought goodies, it was a great evening all around, can't wait for the next time!
What a fascinating discussion, it was so interesting to hear how a novel comes together, and how it is like most things - hard work, perseverance and some luck makes it happen more than inspiration. Most of us really appreciated her effort as the general consensus was that we liked the book, although there were definitely other opinions.
In Virginia's case, this is her sixth novel and came out, in part, of a previous attempt that spanned three generations, starting in the same place as this book, the northern plains of China. Virgina drew on her family history for this novel. Her grandfather had been a missionary in a similar period in the same region and left his journals behind when he died, filled with his impressions and experiences. In his case, he came to China to close a mission on the heels of the end of the Boxer Rebellion. Instead, he stayed 15 years until his death and his widow stayed on many years after that with Virginia's father, their son.
His life, and that of his very strong and capable wife, was entirely different than the Reverend's and Grace's but there was the same sense of place, time and challenge. Virginia was open, funny and insightful as to how this particular novel came about. I was particularly taken with her describing her prior novels and how those lead into this one and gave her the practice she needed to create this novel.
And speaking of creating, Virginia mentioned that each of her prior efforts had taken about five years to complete. In this case, she completed the first draft in 23 days! She was taken with the story and the effort of getting it on the page and got up early and stayed up late with the inspiration.
As for the book itself, our discussion was all about The Reverend and his wife Grace, an odd combination of characters. He was remote in so many ways, increasingly obsessed with the local culture, increasingly absorbed in guilt and despair in the search for his son, lost as a result of his role in the death of another child. While some of us could empathize with his quest, in the end, he seemed beyond redemption, completely mad.
Grace was another puzzle, a physically weak person, longing for children that were repeatedly lost, yet her obsession was with her physically and mentally absent husband. Why did she focus on him while dismissing her lost son? Why did she give her daughter away to the other missionaries who were leaving China as she stayed to search for her husband. Virginia didn't say!
For her, the biggest surprise of the book was that Ahcho and Mai Lin were married! And that Grace comes to this conclusion late in the story, as she is physically wasting, watching them exchange the familiar, loving gestures of those long together. "Could they be married?" she wonders. Of course they could, of course they should be.
So, a lovely evening, talking about an entirely different view of our chosen book. Thanks again to Wendy and to Virginia for a great night!
Our next meeting is August 13 (another Tuesday, heads up, sorry Dawn!) and our book is Proof of Heaven, by Eden Alexander. This is a Book and Author Dinner book, and having met him, I can't wait. We are hoping Julie can host, if not, any volunteers?
We had a lively discussion about the next book and once again decided to select the next two books. September is The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, by Rhonda Riley, another Book and Author Dinner selection. Beryl, Mary and I were at her table at the luncheon and truly enjoyed talking with her.
September's date is the 16th and the book is The Wife, by Meg Worlitzer. I love this book and can't wait to hear what you all have to say about it. Anyone volunteering for September? Who could have thought that we would be scheduling into September? Certainly not me.
Thanks to all who brought goodies, it was a great evening all around, can't wait for the next time!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
No one wanted to have dinner with these people.
We had a great and enthusiastic turnout for our most recent meeting as everyone had something to say about this weird collection of characters. Let me first welcome Catherine Hammond, who came for the first time. And, get this, she was moving the very next day! Thanks for coming and welcome!
When it was all said and done, the general consensus was that this, like Gone Girl before it was a really good compelling read and kept us turning the pages. The bad news is that we wished we hadn't.
The problem is that after we turned all those pages, we were sorry to have spent the time as the main characters were just odious! What mother encourages her fifteen year old son to commit murder, killing his adopted cousin of all people? Yikes. After looking the other way after he killed a homeless woman!
It was very interesting though to watch the personalities and history unfold, one horrifying bit at a time. The way the author gradually revealed past incidences was very well done. Particularly well done was the way he positioned Claire as reasonable, even sympathetic, until at last even her husband was surprised at the extent of her duplicity.
At the end, it was only the much-maligned famous brother who seemed at all honorable and normal, with the only reasonable plan forward for the two involved sons. Sadly, his career was over, thanks to his relatives, while they continued on, seemingly unfazed. His wife, the least described of the group, was a weeping Myrtle throughout, not much of an add to the story other than to introduce the adopted son who would end up the second victim.
Dawn had a fascinating take on the story, which seemed completely plausible. She thought that Paul, clearly mentally disturbed, actually imagined the whole evening and the whole outcome. In fact, she thought that Claire died in the mysterious hospital visits. Paul's inability to cope resulted in his brother's suggestion that they take his son. As we remember, that resulted in Paul hitting his brother in the face with a hot pasta pot, which is what Dawn thinks actually scarred Serge, the famous politician. Made sense to me!
Ok, then, moving on, can we put these people behind us? Maybe not, as despite it being odious, it was also compelling and thought-provoking.
Our next book, an entirely different cast of characters, is River of Dust, by Virginia Pye, a Richmond author. Did we pick July 16, a Tuesday? Our notes say we are at Julie's, and since our date has changed, I will confirm with her.
Meantime, stoke up your appetizer reportoire as it was a ton of fun to have lots of nibbles. Wendy brought a fab salad that rounded out the whole evening, thank you! I will reach out to Virginia and see if she can join us for a bit and also confirm the venue with Julie.
Our August date is the 12th, at Wendy's and our book is Proof of Heaven. Let me know if I got anything wrong and feel free to weigh in, the blog is for us all. See you soon!
When it was all said and done, the general consensus was that this, like Gone Girl before it was a really good compelling read and kept us turning the pages. The bad news is that we wished we hadn't.
The problem is that after we turned all those pages, we were sorry to have spent the time as the main characters were just odious! What mother encourages her fifteen year old son to commit murder, killing his adopted cousin of all people? Yikes. After looking the other way after he killed a homeless woman!
It was very interesting though to watch the personalities and history unfold, one horrifying bit at a time. The way the author gradually revealed past incidences was very well done. Particularly well done was the way he positioned Claire as reasonable, even sympathetic, until at last even her husband was surprised at the extent of her duplicity.
At the end, it was only the much-maligned famous brother who seemed at all honorable and normal, with the only reasonable plan forward for the two involved sons. Sadly, his career was over, thanks to his relatives, while they continued on, seemingly unfazed. His wife, the least described of the group, was a weeping Myrtle throughout, not much of an add to the story other than to introduce the adopted son who would end up the second victim.
Dawn had a fascinating take on the story, which seemed completely plausible. She thought that Paul, clearly mentally disturbed, actually imagined the whole evening and the whole outcome. In fact, she thought that Claire died in the mysterious hospital visits. Paul's inability to cope resulted in his brother's suggestion that they take his son. As we remember, that resulted in Paul hitting his brother in the face with a hot pasta pot, which is what Dawn thinks actually scarred Serge, the famous politician. Made sense to me!
Ok, then, moving on, can we put these people behind us? Maybe not, as despite it being odious, it was also compelling and thought-provoking.
Our next book, an entirely different cast of characters, is River of Dust, by Virginia Pye, a Richmond author. Did we pick July 16, a Tuesday? Our notes say we are at Julie's, and since our date has changed, I will confirm with her.
Meantime, stoke up your appetizer reportoire as it was a ton of fun to have lots of nibbles. Wendy brought a fab salad that rounded out the whole evening, thank you! I will reach out to Virginia and see if she can join us for a bit and also confirm the venue with Julie.
Our August date is the 12th, at Wendy's and our book is Proof of Heaven. Let me know if I got anything wrong and feel free to weigh in, the blog is for us all. See you soon!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Lean In - and did we ever!
Once again, our book blog has been delayed by a well-timed vacation, this one in the beautiful beaches of Murrell's Inlet, SC, tucked between Pawley's Island and Myrtle Beach. So sorry, I wanted to get this off earlier but just did not!
This past meeting was at Beryl's house, now across the street from her old one! Of course the food was great and the fun even more so. Many, many thanks to Beryl who was able to get us all around the table for what will now be a rare seated dinner. As you may all recall, we are going the to all hors d'oeurves unless otherwise planned, as we are outgrowing our venues!
Our book was Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, the most recent of many books either for or by women on succeeding in the work place. The short sum up of our very fun evening was that we really liked this book even though some of us are over having to think about the topic.
Despite some painful (if still good) advice like "smile when you negotiate", the consensus was that this was a smart, well-researched and well-considered book with a fresh approach on a tired old subject. Many of us in the room had plenty of personal experience and so could relate all too well to the obstructions described.
One of the many fresh ideas in the book was that the choice of partner is as much a part of being successful in the work place as any other factor. Having a partner who is willing to take on child care and domestic duties frees up energy and time to devote to a career. Several of us also commented on how this also frees up resentment and anger from a marriage also, again a help when trying to concentrate on a career.
Sadly, I am unable to do justice to the energetic discussion we had, and it was a really good one. Please feel free to add in your own comments, as the discussion was long and pretty far-ranging.
Our next book is The Dinner, by Herman Koch and did we come up with a location? I think we are heading to the Deep Run Hunt Club but correct me if I am wrong. The date is June 10.
July's date is the 15th. For those who read ahead, our July book is River of Dust, by Virginia Pye, a Richmond author and this is her first published novel. She has offered to come visit with us, we can talk about that at our next meeting. See you all then!
This past meeting was at Beryl's house, now across the street from her old one! Of course the food was great and the fun even more so. Many, many thanks to Beryl who was able to get us all around the table for what will now be a rare seated dinner. As you may all recall, we are going the to all hors d'oeurves unless otherwise planned, as we are outgrowing our venues!
Our book was Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, the most recent of many books either for or by women on succeeding in the work place. The short sum up of our very fun evening was that we really liked this book even though some of us are over having to think about the topic.
Despite some painful (if still good) advice like "smile when you negotiate", the consensus was that this was a smart, well-researched and well-considered book with a fresh approach on a tired old subject. Many of us in the room had plenty of personal experience and so could relate all too well to the obstructions described.
One of the many fresh ideas in the book was that the choice of partner is as much a part of being successful in the work place as any other factor. Having a partner who is willing to take on child care and domestic duties frees up energy and time to devote to a career. Several of us also commented on how this also frees up resentment and anger from a marriage also, again a help when trying to concentrate on a career.
Sadly, I am unable to do justice to the energetic discussion we had, and it was a really good one. Please feel free to add in your own comments, as the discussion was long and pretty far-ranging.
Our next book is The Dinner, by Herman Koch and did we come up with a location? I think we are heading to the Deep Run Hunt Club but correct me if I am wrong. The date is June 10.
July's date is the 15th. For those who read ahead, our July book is River of Dust, by Virginia Pye, a Richmond author and this is her first published novel. She has offered to come visit with us, we can talk about that at our next meeting. See you all then!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Well, finally a recap
No doubt you have all been wondering where our most recent recap has been. The answer is in Kentucky, along with our book club members Mary Millhiser, Sally Eddows, Maggie Georgiadis and me. We were all at the premier horse event in the country, the Three Day Event sponsored by Rolex in Lexington, KY. There are pictures and they are amazing, will try to post them soon. This is one of only six events in the world at this level and it was absolutely amazing.
But, back to the real world, including the world of wonderful stories. A big thank you to Val for hosting, she was absolutely fabulous in getting so many of us around the table and we had a great turnout for Gone Girl.
The consensus was that we liked this book and I was one of those in favor, although most of us HATED the characters. Among the main characters, Nick was weak and weaker, Amy was just too amazing and odious, and Margo "Go" was just useless. What kind of nickname is that? And they were so isolated from everyone else, even Amy's parents. How sad, how
I think it was Val who pointed out that "Go" was the unconditional love role of the story, showing Nick, her twin, all the support of the absent parents, or any other responsible adults. No doubt there was a shortage of them as Amy's parents clearly used her as to create the life and the child they wanted. Should an issue arise, an Amazing Amy book could work it out, and show the real Amy what and how they wanted her to be.
Poor Amy, she grew up so amazing and so capable and so disassociated that she orchestrated her own life as if it were another episode, just along different lines. She wanted a handsome, compliant husband, playing out his assigned role and she finally got just what she wanted. Could any of us conceived of and executed such a plan, and adapted along the way as she did? Please say no.
I had to admit, this was a great read. I actually cancelled plans in order to get home and finish this book, it was so compelling and many of the group agreed. That being said, is there some reason why our younger writers have great stories and odious characters? This is far from the first book where we have not been able to find a character that we might identify with and champion. This may be the trend of current publications but I want to find someone to bring me into and along with the story and somehow that is missing from so many recent books.
Ok, then, moving on. Our next book is Lean In by Sheryl Sandburg, could not be a more different part of our intellects but an important one. We are meeting on May 13, but our place is uncertain. Wendy can't do it that night as we had hoped, and the Deep Run Hunt Club is also out that night. Can anyone volunteer to host?
Our June book is The Dinner, by Herman Koch, tentatively at Wendy's. Bring your ideas to the May or June meetings for July books, my pick is River of Dust, by Richmond's own Virginia Pye, I LOVED it.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
But, back to the real world, including the world of wonderful stories. A big thank you to Val for hosting, she was absolutely fabulous in getting so many of us around the table and we had a great turnout for Gone Girl.
The consensus was that we liked this book and I was one of those in favor, although most of us HATED the characters. Among the main characters, Nick was weak and weaker, Amy was just too amazing and odious, and Margo "Go" was just useless. What kind of nickname is that? And they were so isolated from everyone else, even Amy's parents. How sad, how
I think it was Val who pointed out that "Go" was the unconditional love role of the story, showing Nick, her twin, all the support of the absent parents, or any other responsible adults. No doubt there was a shortage of them as Amy's parents clearly used her as to create the life and the child they wanted. Should an issue arise, an Amazing Amy book could work it out, and show the real Amy what and how they wanted her to be.
Poor Amy, she grew up so amazing and so capable and so disassociated that she orchestrated her own life as if it were another episode, just along different lines. She wanted a handsome, compliant husband, playing out his assigned role and she finally got just what she wanted. Could any of us conceived of and executed such a plan, and adapted along the way as she did? Please say no.
I had to admit, this was a great read. I actually cancelled plans in order to get home and finish this book, it was so compelling and many of the group agreed. That being said, is there some reason why our younger writers have great stories and odious characters? This is far from the first book where we have not been able to find a character that we might identify with and champion. This may be the trend of current publications but I want to find someone to bring me into and along with the story and somehow that is missing from so many recent books.
Ok, then, moving on. Our next book is Lean In by Sheryl Sandburg, could not be a more different part of our intellects but an important one. We are meeting on May 13, but our place is uncertain. Wendy can't do it that night as we had hoped, and the Deep Run Hunt Club is also out that night. Can anyone volunteer to host?
Our June book is The Dinner, by Herman Koch, tentatively at Wendy's. Bring your ideas to the May or June meetings for July books, my pick is River of Dust, by Richmond's own Virginia Pye, I LOVED it.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Additional Books to Consider
Jean asked me to include some upcoming books by authors we have read in the past (or at least I have) that I am looking forward to reading. Here is the list, feel free to add in your own ideas!
Kate Atkinson - Life after Life, harkens back to Replay, a story of someone who dies and is reborn repeatedly
Elizabeth Strout - The Burgess Boys, I don't care what it's about, I am up for anything else the author of Olive Kitteridge has to offer
Elizabeth Berg - Tapestry of Fortunes, a midlife total change brings about the intertwining of multiples lives.
Meg Worlitzer - The Interestings, six friends, some successful in finding the life they wanted, some not and now it affects them. I thought The Wife was very good, so will probably read this as well.
For those who also enjoy Science Fiction/Fantasy, Gavriel Guy Key has a new book out called River of Stars. He wrote the amazing Under Heaven that I just LOVED, and this is a continuation of the same story line. It is waiting in my Amazon shopping cart as it comes out Tuesday. Can't wait!
Frankenstein and other marvels
First of all, welcome to our newest member, Sally Eddows who is a friend of Mary's and mine from the Deep Run Hunt Club. Welcome aboard!! And a very special thank you to Ashley who presented a fabulous Moroccan tagine and cous cous as well as everyone else who contributed. Moroccan is my very favorite cuisine so thank you so much, it was a fantastic meal.
While the meal had no detractors, the book was not so lucky. There were some among us who loved the book, particularly its use of language. Others were neutral but there was a definite contingent of people who did not enjoy it at all, particularly because of its use of language.
Another thing that drew comment was the extensive and loving descriptions of the the landscape and terrain, even when it was the Arctic ice. Frankenstein doted on the landscapes around Geneva and in particular the lake and went there for refuge when he was particularly under stress, which seemed to be always.
There were a lot of questions unanswered in the book like why did Frankenstein obsess on creating a life, then abandon it immediately? How did the monster find his way and survive with no language, no help, no idea of what had happened and how he came to be? Why didn't Frankenstein ever tell his father or Elizabeth what he had done and why he was so worried? And why was there so much snow and ice in the story?
All in all, I was really happy to read this classic and find out the real story, which is so much different than the common belief. It is even more difficult to imagine that this was written by a 19 year old! Although precocious, this book raised many important questions about life and morality, how did she do it at such a young age?
Our next book is Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn and our next meeting is on April 22 at 6:30 pm at Val's house. In a burst of enthusiasm, we also picked our next TWO books. May's book will be Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, tentatively at Wendy's and our June book is The Dinner, by Herman Koch, tentatively at the Deep Run Hunt Club. May's date is the 13th, and June is the 10th.
See you all on the 22nd!
While the meal had no detractors, the book was not so lucky. There were some among us who loved the book, particularly its use of language. Others were neutral but there was a definite contingent of people who did not enjoy it at all, particularly because of its use of language.
Another thing that drew comment was the extensive and loving descriptions of the the landscape and terrain, even when it was the Arctic ice. Frankenstein doted on the landscapes around Geneva and in particular the lake and went there for refuge when he was particularly under stress, which seemed to be always.
There were a lot of questions unanswered in the book like why did Frankenstein obsess on creating a life, then abandon it immediately? How did the monster find his way and survive with no language, no help, no idea of what had happened and how he came to be? Why didn't Frankenstein ever tell his father or Elizabeth what he had done and why he was so worried? And why was there so much snow and ice in the story?
All in all, I was really happy to read this classic and find out the real story, which is so much different than the common belief. It is even more difficult to imagine that this was written by a 19 year old! Although precocious, this book raised many important questions about life and morality, how did she do it at such a young age?
Our next book is Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn and our next meeting is on April 22 at 6:30 pm at Val's house. In a burst of enthusiasm, we also picked our next TWO books. May's book will be Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, tentatively at Wendy's and our June book is The Dinner, by Herman Koch, tentatively at the Deep Run Hunt Club. May's date is the 13th, and June is the 10th.
See you all on the 22nd!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
A wonderful gathering, all food all the time
Hi all, needless to say, with books about food, we spent way more time focusing on our dinner which was fabulous, than talking about our books for the month. As a reminder, they were The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
As Lynn described them, both are manifestos for a better food supply and what we can do to bring one about. They were also quite different in tone and approach. The Kingsolver book was personal and some really liked that approach and of course others were put off by it.
The Pollan book was much further ranging in its commentary but in the end probably no less of an indictment. I read that one (sadly I am not a Kingsolver fan) and found it fascinating in its entirety and tedious page to page, particularly in the middle.
The boar hunt and mushroom hunting really dragged down the momentum although I did pick up one important tip. At the final dinner, Pollan found his chef guest putting a whole stick of butter into the mushrooms. "So that's how they do it" he thought. Take note, all you amateur chefs. As Julia Child always practiced, nothing tastes so good that more butter won't help.
A particular shout-out to Lynn, who brought Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to our Christmas book swap. It was the hit of the evening, swapping hands three or four times and so became our choice for February. Thank you Lynn!
Our turnout was fantastic with 13 of us at Mary Millhiser's lovely farm for a glamorous dinner. Thank you Mary for being such a warm and welcoming hostess and Karen for all her help. What a treat! The oxtail stew was incredible, as was Fiona's fabulous bread and all other contributions.
For those who asked, here is the carrot recipe. If you haven't found her already, run out and buy every cookbook Patricia Wells has ever published, she is my go-to source. This is from her At Home in Provence. It is one of my most requested recipes.
Cut 2 lbs of peeled carrots into diagonal slices. Heat 2 tbles of olive oil over moderately high heat and add the carrots. Stir to coat with the oil, cover and lower the heat to moderate. Braise for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add fresh garlic cloves to taste, peeled and halved or slivered. (I use about 10 cloves but you could use up to a whole head.) Season with salt if desired and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and continue cooking until the carrots are almost caramelized and the garlic is soft and tender, about 15 more minutes. Don't forget to stir occasionally.
Sprinkle with pitted and halved best-quality black olives (about 30 or so), stir, check seasonings and serve hot or at room temperature.
So enough of that, on to our next book. We are back to the classics, reading Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Yes, that one, not the Mel Brooks version. Much like Lolita, the book is nothing like the cultural impression of the story and the contrast is always interesting.
We are meeting on March 25, at 6:30 at Ashley Silverburg's house, close to Libbie and Grove. See you then!!
As Lynn described them, both are manifestos for a better food supply and what we can do to bring one about. They were also quite different in tone and approach. The Kingsolver book was personal and some really liked that approach and of course others were put off by it.
The Pollan book was much further ranging in its commentary but in the end probably no less of an indictment. I read that one (sadly I am not a Kingsolver fan) and found it fascinating in its entirety and tedious page to page, particularly in the middle.
The boar hunt and mushroom hunting really dragged down the momentum although I did pick up one important tip. At the final dinner, Pollan found his chef guest putting a whole stick of butter into the mushrooms. "So that's how they do it" he thought. Take note, all you amateur chefs. As Julia Child always practiced, nothing tastes so good that more butter won't help.
A particular shout-out to Lynn, who brought Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to our Christmas book swap. It was the hit of the evening, swapping hands three or four times and so became our choice for February. Thank you Lynn!
Our turnout was fantastic with 13 of us at Mary Millhiser's lovely farm for a glamorous dinner. Thank you Mary for being such a warm and welcoming hostess and Karen for all her help. What a treat! The oxtail stew was incredible, as was Fiona's fabulous bread and all other contributions.
For those who asked, here is the carrot recipe. If you haven't found her already, run out and buy every cookbook Patricia Wells has ever published, she is my go-to source. This is from her At Home in Provence. It is one of my most requested recipes.
Cut 2 lbs of peeled carrots into diagonal slices. Heat 2 tbles of olive oil over moderately high heat and add the carrots. Stir to coat with the oil, cover and lower the heat to moderate. Braise for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add fresh garlic cloves to taste, peeled and halved or slivered. (I use about 10 cloves but you could use up to a whole head.) Season with salt if desired and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and continue cooking until the carrots are almost caramelized and the garlic is soft and tender, about 15 more minutes. Don't forget to stir occasionally.
Sprinkle with pitted and halved best-quality black olives (about 30 or so), stir, check seasonings and serve hot or at room temperature.
So enough of that, on to our next book. We are back to the classics, reading Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Yes, that one, not the Mel Brooks version. Much like Lolita, the book is nothing like the cultural impression of the story and the contrast is always interesting.
We are meeting on March 25, at 6:30 at Ashley Silverburg's house, close to Libbie and Grove. See you then!!
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