October/November book selection

The book chosen for our next discussion was The Lost Wife, by Alyson Richman. Discussion will begin November 20, 2011.

Enjoy your read!

It seems as though we all enjoyed The Paris Wife, and learned a lot about the era following World War I, and about Ernest Hemingway.

Randomly, several of our choices for our next read are about the period surrounding World War II. I am offering five books this time because I bet some of you have already read Room.The last book was on our list for last time, and came in a close second.

Our choices are: The Well and the Mine, by Gin Phillips; Wildflower Hill, by Kimberly Freeman; The Lost Wife, by Alyson Richman; Room, by Emma Donoghue; and State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett.

Please email your selection for our next book club read to kzmclain@comcast.net by Sunday night.

The Paris Wife

From Beckie:

I'm glad we voted for The Paris Wife, because I really liked the book.  Many of you know that I'm a former English teacher, and I think the time between the two World Wars is one of the most interesting literary periods.  I don't care for Hemingway's writing, so I don't know too much about him.  I'm assuming this book is well researched, and, if so, then I learned a lot about both the time period and Hemingway himself. 

 

I've never understood why so many of the great American authors of that time became ex-patriots, often living in Paris.  World War I was horrendous, and it left its mark on every man who fought.  I'm not sure why these Americans would go to Paris, when France was the site of much of the worst fighting.  Hemingway (at least as he's portrayed in this novel) never shook off the horrors he experienced.  He was such a macho guy, and it must have been humiliating for him to be haunted by those nightmares.  It seemed like he was running from his memories, trying to experience one over-the-top adventure after another, to erase what he had experienced.  I suppose this turned him into a better writer, but I certainly wouldn't have wanted him for a friend. 

 

I didn't find Hadley to be a very sympathetic character, etiher.  She put up with a lot from her husband, but she also drove me a little crazy.  When he needed to travel because of his work, she was so clingy.  She was definitely set up to be a contrast with the "modern woman" who was emerging at the time.  There's nothing wrong with relishing the role of wife and mother, but it caused her to lose her identity and independence, at least for a while.  I did sympathize with her toward the end of their marriage.  The social code of their friends made her feel that she was somehow an old-fashioned prude if she didn't turn a blind eye to Ernest's infidelities. 

 

Despite not finding either of the main characters especially likeable, I enjoyed the interplay between them.  Their relationship was complex, and it definitely reflected the time period.  They lived a wild life, overindulging in everything...food, alcohol, sex...  As a reader, I watched them spiral more and more out of control.  I honestly don't think the end of their marriage was so much from his other relationship as it was from the effects of their social circle.  The need to constantly out-do each other in terms of drinking, adventures, and even putting up with bad behavior created intolerable pressure.  It's hard to see how any marriage could withstand that.

 

Finally, I enjoyed the insight into the creative process of an author.  Obviously, there are many ways to approach writing; Hemingway's work schedule and determination were admirable.  I enjoyed tracking his progress as a writer and his struggles to get his work published.  He wasn't a pleasant man, but he took his writing seriously and had incredibly high expectations for himself.

 

With that, I'll throw the discussion out to the rest of you, with just a couple of minor questions:

 

What was your reaction when Hadley lost all of Hemingway's manuscripts on the train?  I literally groaned out loud.

Was anyone else annoyed with the nicknames? I found it maddening, especially Hadley and Ernest calling each other Tatie.  Tatie???

And the winner is....

It was a very close vote this time. We will be reading The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain. Discussion will begin Wednesday, September 21.

Enjoy your month in Paris!

August/September Book Club Choices

Great discussion on Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. I just finished reading his first novel, Hell at the Breech, and, while good, it wasn't nearly as good.

The next book choices, offered by Bec, are:

Caleb's Crossing by Gerladine Brooks;
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett;
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain; and
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

Please have your votes to me by Sunday, August 14, by emailing me at kzmclain@comcast.net.

Which letter was crooked?

I’m a big fan of Jan Karon’s Mitford novels. As you probably know, these novels take place in the fictional pretty little North Carolina town of Mitford. The characters are eccentric but sweet. Happiness and joy abound.

Contrast this with Franklin’s story that takes place in rural Mississippi. Dark and mean. Many of the characters are angry and violent. Poverty abounds.

I wonder if one author’s south is more accurate than the other’s. Probably not. Probably snapshots of different lives.

I LOVED this book, and will be very interested to see if others felt the same. I can’t remember the last time I cared so much about a character in a book as I did about Larry – poor Larry who carried such a difficult burden for such a long time.

The story, while very dark, was absolutely compelling. I never believed that Larry was guilty of the original crime, but Silas’ role in the whole event took me by surprise. I liked Silas, but am not sure I can ever forgive him for making Larry carry this burden for so long.

Having said that, I will say that it’s also been a long time since I’ve wept over a book, and the ending of this novel made me cry like a baby. What Silas gave to Larry was so simple, and so absolutely dear and heartfelt.

I have never read anything by Tom Franklin, but I think he is one of the best writer’s I’ve ever read. His descriptions were magnificent. When he would describe food, I could taste it. When he would describe a scene, I could smell the dust in the air and see the sun coming through the trees. His writing was astounding.

Obviously Wallace Stringfellow was a terrible fellow. But Larry’s father and Cindy’s father were evil, plain and simple. Three very despicable characters.

Such a picture Franklin drew about the poverty and the prejudice that Larry and Silas grew up with! I was horrified at the scene where Larry’s dad made Larry and Silas fight over the gun, and then mocked Larry over his stuttering. I was angry at Silas for holding Larry on the ground, resulting in Larry calling him a nigger, and then holding a grudge for so many years. But what a picture Franklin painted of the anger of youth, especially when that anger is fueled by evilness and poverty.

Was the book too dark for you?

Who did you think was the most evil character?

Did Silas’ role take you by surprise?

And most importantly, what in the hell does the title Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter mean?

July book

Votes are in, and we chose Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin.

Discussion will begin August 5. Happy reading!