Thursday, December 15, 2011
Cutting for Stone
Our January book is Cutting for Stone. Here is a short article where the author describes how he fits writing in between being a physician and other things. I hear this is a fabulous book!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Reader's Guide, Beauty of Humanity Movement
Reader's Guide
1. Food means much more than just sustenance in this novel, and no food has richer provenance than pho, according to Hu’ng. What is it about Hu’ng’s pho that draws his devotees?
2. How does Maggie relate to food, and to Vietnamese culture? How is her approach to food and art different from that of the Vietnamese-raised characters like Tu’, Binh and Hu’ng?
3. “What is blood without relationship, without life shared, in any case?” thinks Hu’ng when Binh comes to his defense (p 8). Discuss the meaning of parenthood, love and family in this novel.
4. What is it that caused Hu’ng and Lan to become estranged? Was it just a misunderstanding, or was something else driving them apart?
5. Hu’ng seems to manage a constant state of equanimity, and yet he has his passions, too. How did you feel about him as a character? Has he lived his life well? How would you answer his question in the very last sentence of the novel?
6. Tu’ thinks that “it is humbling to have an Old Man Hu’ng in your life. It makes you want to be a better person.” (p 75) Has someone in your own life inspired that feeling for you?
7. Maggie compares the work of the artist Mindanao, whose work offends Tu’, with the artists in the Beauty of Humanity Movement, who were oppressed by the state (p 167). What do you think of the comparison?
8. What do you think about Maggie’s assertion that Vietnam erases its own history (p 216)? And why is Tu’ embarrassed for her?
9. Mr. Vo became an informant, claiming he gave up an artist to protect the others. “Was I the fool not to play the game?” wonders Hu’ng many years later (p 293). What do you think of his choice, and that of Mr. Vo? What would you have done?
10. Food metaphors abound in this novel. Which was your favourite, and why?
11. Discuss the place for forgiveness—whether granted or not—in the novel.
12. What did you think of Lan’s revelation at the end of the novel, about why she committed the act that made Hu’ng angry for decades? Who injured whom?
13. This novel is written in the third-person omniscient perspective. How did this influence the way the story unfolded? Explore how the story would be different, if told from the perspective of any one of the characters.
14. Is there a particular dish, like Hu’ng’s pho, that resonates in your own life? What is it, and why?
1. Food means much more than just sustenance in this novel, and no food has richer provenance than pho, according to Hu’ng. What is it about Hu’ng’s pho that draws his devotees?
2. How does Maggie relate to food, and to Vietnamese culture? How is her approach to food and art different from that of the Vietnamese-raised characters like Tu’, Binh and Hu’ng?
3. “What is blood without relationship, without life shared, in any case?” thinks Hu’ng when Binh comes to his defense (p 8). Discuss the meaning of parenthood, love and family in this novel.
4. What is it that caused Hu’ng and Lan to become estranged? Was it just a misunderstanding, or was something else driving them apart?
5. Hu’ng seems to manage a constant state of equanimity, and yet he has his passions, too. How did you feel about him as a character? Has he lived his life well? How would you answer his question in the very last sentence of the novel?
6. Tu’ thinks that “it is humbling to have an Old Man Hu’ng in your life. It makes you want to be a better person.” (p 75) Has someone in your own life inspired that feeling for you?
7. Maggie compares the work of the artist Mindanao, whose work offends Tu’, with the artists in the Beauty of Humanity Movement, who were oppressed by the state (p 167). What do you think of the comparison?
8. What do you think about Maggie’s assertion that Vietnam erases its own history (p 216)? And why is Tu’ embarrassed for her?
9. Mr. Vo became an informant, claiming he gave up an artist to protect the others. “Was I the fool not to play the game?” wonders Hu’ng many years later (p 293). What do you think of his choice, and that of Mr. Vo? What would you have done?
10. Food metaphors abound in this novel. Which was your favourite, and why?
11. Discuss the place for forgiveness—whether granted or not—in the novel.
12. What did you think of Lan’s revelation at the end of the novel, about why she committed the act that made Hu’ng angry for decades? Who injured whom?
13. This novel is written in the third-person omniscient perspective. How did this influence the way the story unfolded? Explore how the story would be different, if told from the perspective of any one of the characters.
14. Is there a particular dish, like Hu’ng’s pho, that resonates in your own life? What is it, and why?
Beauty of Humanity Movement
Getting ready for our November book. Here are some reviews:
1. Globe & Mail "The concepts may result in a bit of a formula, but it's one that works, especially in this novel because of the addition of art – both poetry and visual art – and because of the essential humanity of the characters. Their flaws are evident, but Gibb chooses to create appealing figures who, in most cases, do what they can to help their fellow human beings. Perhaps that's idealistic, but seeing such hope in the face of such adversity is uplifting."
2. The Guardian "An intensive course in Vietnamese history, Gibb's poised and thoughtful novel does not flinch from horror but is also open to the beauty of this scarred country."
3. The always interesting Quill & Quire "The novel is full of book-club friendly themes such as lost love, forgotten memories, changing values, displacement, and family"
4. And finally, the always thoughtful and entertaining Kevin (the one from Canada) "Books by Canadian authors that are set in contemporary South Asia seem to have emerged as a semi-regular feature of Canadian fiction"
1. Globe & Mail "The concepts may result in a bit of a formula, but it's one that works, especially in this novel because of the addition of art – both poetry and visual art – and because of the essential humanity of the characters. Their flaws are evident, but Gibb chooses to create appealing figures who, in most cases, do what they can to help their fellow human beings. Perhaps that's idealistic, but seeing such hope in the face of such adversity is uplifting."
2. The Guardian "An intensive course in Vietnamese history, Gibb's poised and thoughtful novel does not flinch from horror but is also open to the beauty of this scarred country."
3. The always interesting Quill & Quire "The novel is full of book-club friendly themes such as lost love, forgotten memories, changing values, displacement, and family"
4. And finally, the always thoughtful and entertaining Kevin (the one from Canada) "Books by Canadian authors that are set in contemporary South Asia seem to have emerged as a semi-regular feature of Canadian fiction"
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Help book cover controversy
There are three main versions of The Help.
1. This is the original North American cover.
If you didn't know what the novel was about, what would this cover tell you? Now that you've read the book, how do you think this cover is pertinent?
2. This is the cover of the book for the UK market:
1. This is the original North American cover.
If you didn't know what the novel was about, what would this cover tell you? Now that you've read the book, how do you think this cover is pertinent?
2. This is the cover of the book for the UK market:
Personally, I think this one makes a lot more sense; however, it was considered too controversial for the US market. Apparently readers in the UK can handle it though.
3. Movie tie-in version:
Monday, October 3, 2011
White people writing black: "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack"
Just one more (until I find another one, of course!). As the introduction says,
This article is now considered a ‘classic’ by anti-racist educators. It has been used in workshops and classes throughout the United States and Canada for many years. While people of color have described for years how whites benefit from unearned privileges, this is one of the first articles written by a white person on the topics.
This article is now considered a ‘classic’ by anti-racist educators. It has been used in workshops and classes throughout the United States and Canada for many years. While people of color have described for years how whites benefit from unearned privileges, this is one of the first articles written by a white person on the topics.
Statement to fans of The Help from the Association of Black Women Historians
I think this statement should form part of our discussion on The Help.
Reading Group Questions for The Help
1. Who was your favorite character? Why?
2. What do you think motivated Hilly? On the one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can't control her. Yet she's a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother but, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?
3. Like Hilly, Skeeter's mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter—and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable; and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter's mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why?
4. How much of a person's character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?
5. Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart's faults so that she can get married, and that it's not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart?
6. Do you believe that Minny was justified in her distrust of white people?
7. Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught?
8. From the perspective of a twenty-first century reader, the hair shellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of "beauty" changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what's the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent?
9. The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?
10. Do you think there are still vestiges of racism in relationships where people of color work for people who are white? Have you heard stories of parents who put away their valuable jewelry before their nanny comes? Paradoxically, they trust the person to look after their child but not their diamond rings?
11. What did you think about Minny's pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?
2. What do you think motivated Hilly? On the one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can't control her. Yet she's a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother but, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?
3. Like Hilly, Skeeter's mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter—and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable; and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter's mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why?
4. How much of a person's character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?
5. Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart's faults so that she can get married, and that it's not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart?
6. Do you believe that Minny was justified in her distrust of white people?
7. Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught?
8. From the perspective of a twenty-first century reader, the hair shellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of "beauty" changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what's the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent?
9. The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?
10. Do you think there are still vestiges of racism in relationships where people of color work for people who are white? Have you heard stories of parents who put away their valuable jewelry before their nanny comes? Paradoxically, they trust the person to look after their child but not their diamond rings?
11. What did you think about Minny's pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?
Two Reviews of the Movie
These reviews were written when the movie came out this past summer, but I think some of the points they raise will make excellent discussion questions when we meet on this book:
1. "New Film 'The Help' Whitewashes the Civil Rights Struggle into a Heartstring-tugging Hallmark Card . . . Thanks to The Help’s sugarcoating, the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance has been compelled to release a video discussing the truth of the country’s maids, nannies and chauffeurs. ”
2. "The Terrible, Awful Sweetness of The Help ...If Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help was an angel food cake study of racism and segregation in the 60’s South, the new movie adaptation is even fluffier. Like a dollop of whip cream skimmed off a multi-layered cake, the film only grazes the surface of the intersecting oppressions of race, class, gender and geohistory."
1. "New Film 'The Help' Whitewashes the Civil Rights Struggle into a Heartstring-tugging Hallmark Card . . . Thanks to The Help’s sugarcoating, the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance has been compelled to release a video discussing the truth of the country’s maids, nannies and chauffeurs. ”
2. "The Terrible, Awful Sweetness of The Help ...If Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help was an angel food cake study of racism and segregation in the 60’s South, the new movie adaptation is even fluffier. Like a dollop of whip cream skimmed off a multi-layered cake, the film only grazes the surface of the intersecting oppressions of race, class, gender and geohistory."
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Other books we considered . . .
Here are the other books we considered reading:
Oh, so close . . .
Widow Clicquot, Tilar Mazzeo
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wrobiewski
Others:
Other Boleyn Girl, Phillipa Gregory
Sentimentalist, Johanna Skibsrud
Alone in the Classroom, Elizabeth Hay
Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls
Coming Through the Slaughter, Michael Ondaatje
Please let me know if I missed any and I'll update this master list.
Oh, so close . . .
Widow Clicquot, Tilar Mazzeo
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wrobiewski
Others:
Other Boleyn Girl, Phillipa Gregory
Sentimentalist, Johanna Skibsrud
Alone in the Classroom, Elizabeth Hay
Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls
Coming Through the Slaughter, Michael Ondaatje
Please let me know if I missed any and I'll update this master list.
Books for our 2011-2012 season
Here we are again, off for another exciting year of reading, discussion, snacks and wine. Here are the books we selected for the year:
October: The Help, Kathryn Stockett
November: Beauty of Humanity Movement, Camilla Gibb (we must discuss this title!)
Other selections:
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
Cat's Table, Michael Ondaatje
The Sound & the Fury, William Falkner
State of Wonder, Ann Patchett
Room, Emma Donoghue
Still Alice, Lisa Genova
October: The Help, Kathryn Stockett
November: Beauty of Humanity Movement, Camilla Gibb (we must discuss this title!)
Other selections:
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
Cat's Table, Michael Ondaatje
The Sound & the Fury, William Falkner
State of Wonder, Ann Patchett
Room, Emma Donoghue
Still Alice, Lisa Genova
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Female Genital Mutilation
Further to our May discussion on FGM and North American girls, I got this e-mail from Ayaan Hirsi Ali's foundation today:
Today is the first day of summer, and it's prime time for girls to be subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) or forced marriage, either here in the United States, or overseas.
Does this really happen in the United States?
Yes.
Forced Marriage
There are numerous reports of girls being taken out of school in the United States in their early teenage years and returned to their parents' home countries to be forcibly married. For example, in 2007, the New York Daily News reported that a number of girls were being forced to return to Pakistan to marry men chosen by their families. One woman recalled being tricked and drugged before being put on a plane to Pakistan and, once there, being forced at gunpoint to acquiesce to a marriage to a man chosen by her father.
FGM
Research conducted by the African Women's Health Center of the Brigham and Women's Hospital found that approximately 228,000 women and girls in the U.S. have either suffered the procedure or are at risk of FGM, a number that increased by approximately 35% between 1990 and 2000.
Because the procedure can have very serious health complications, summer is the optimum time for families to have their daughters cut as they will not be missed from school. Recovery can take the entire summer and may cause complications for the girls entire life. Numerous authorities suspect that the actual numbers are far higher, though there have been few reported cases of FGM being performed in the U.S. There is also a concern that families send their daughters out of the country to suffer the procedure.
Currently, it is not a crime to take your daughter abroad to undergo FGM. Representatives Crowley and Bono Mack introduced The Girls Protection Act last year that would make it a federal crime to transport a minor outside the United States for the purpose of FGM. This bill has just been reintroduced and needs your support - contact your legislators today to ask them to pass this bill!
What can you do?
Please consider making a donation to the AHA Foundation today to help us stand up for the rights of girls and women in the West.
With donations of $110 to the AHA Foundation, we will send you a package of 10 rare Ayaan Tulip bulbs when they are ready to plant this Fall*.
Your gift will help protect the rights of women and girls in the United States from abuses such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation and honor violence.
Step 1: Make a donation of $110.
Step 2: Send an email to info@theAHAfoundation.org including the shipping address for where the tulips should be sent.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Review of Lady Chatterly's Lover
Here is an interesting review of Lady Chatterly's Lover, written by Doris Lessing for the Guardian in 2006. A snippet from her review:
Many novels do not gain by relating them to their times. Others, usually the polemical kind, may only be understood in context, and Lady Chatterley's Lover is one. To read it unenlightened, particularly the feverish third version, can only leave the reader wondering what on earth is all this urgent preaching about, particularly now, when it is hard even to remember what a mealy-mouthed society Lawrence was writing in. It was prudish, repressed and priggish, and as always in such a time the dirty snigger was never far away.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
June Books
The books to read for June are:
Lady Chatterly's Lover, by DH Lawrence, and
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Read what you can . . .
Lady Chatterly's Lover, by DH Lawrence, and
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Read what you can . . .
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Hijab, burqa ....what's the difference?
Here are some handy illustrations to show the different types of Islamic coverings.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Ayaan Hirsi Ali on YouTube
Ayaan Hirsi Ali's website: The AHA Foundation works to reinforce the following basic rights: the rights of women and girls to security and control of their own bodies, the rights of women and girls to an education, the rights of women to work outside the home and to control their own income, the rights of women and girls to freedom of expression and association, and the rights of women and girls to other basic civil rights of citizens and residents defined under the laws of Western democracies and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, regardless of sexual identification.
Ayaan on the veil (3 min)
Ayaan on Bill Moyer (7.5 min)
Ayaan on the political situation in Somalia (5 min)
Ayaan on losing her religion (5+ min)
Ayaan on Islam in Europe (9 min)
Ayaan on the veil (3 min)
Ayaan on Bill Moyer (7.5 min)
Ayaan on the political situation in Somalia (5 min)
Ayaan on losing her religion (5+ min)
Ayaan on Islam in Europe (9 min)
May book club selection: Ayaan Hirsi Ali
This month's selection is Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. If you can't get a copy, then read her latest book, Nomad.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Another interesting review of The Bishop's Man
The National Post has a good, short review of The Bishop's Man here.
I thought that for a novel about a priest, this book was very un-religious. What do you make of that? I hope you have some thoughts on this for our discussion!
I thought that for a novel about a priest, this book was very un-religious. What do you make of that? I hope you have some thoughts on this for our discussion!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Bishop's Man - Reading Guide
I found a reading guide for the Bishop's Man. If you want a printable copy, click here.
Reader's Guide
1. What techniques does MacIntyre use to build suspense? Consider, for example, the opening phrase “The night before things started to become unstuck . . . ” How does MacIntyre’s use of foreshadowing and flashbacks affect your experience of the novel?
2. Discuss the various forms of isolation in the novel. How does isolation impact Duncan’s life? Is it something he dislikes, or craves? Why?
3. Discuss the impact of suicide on the community of Creignish, across generations. How has Duncan been affected by his own interactions with suicide?
4. Years ago Duncan trained himself to ignore the protests of errant priests. “Accuse the accuser, one of their best tactics,” he notes (p. 133). What drives Duncan to face his own transgressions? What are your thoughts on his romantic alliances? What is your opinion on the issue of celibacy in the priesthood?
5. At Braecrest, Dr. Shaw observes that Duncan's father, his “young woman” and his priesthood occupy the same place in his memory, a place of "despair neutralized by hope" (p. 342). Do you think this is an accurate assessment? What are the sources of despair, and hope, in Duncan’s life?
6. Duncan wonders, “So many of these priests are clever, funny men. The freaks are so rare. But they're the only ones I really know. How have I managed to spend twenty-seven years in this ministry and known only the bad ones? Why have I never been part of the wider community of funny, clever and perhaps even holy men? What is it that draws me to the tragic and the flawed?” (p. 264). How would you answer these questions? Could Duncan have found a different role in the church? Could his gifts have been put to better use?
7. Duncan opens Book Three by describing “the day my life began assuming what I expect will be its final shape.” After meeting a police officer, he momentarily considers Alfonso’s teachings about contrition, before listening to another unnamed voice in his head (p. 207). What do you think of Alfonso’s assertion that true contrition must be an act that results in positive change? How would things have been different if Duncan had heeded Alfonso’s words that day? Did he miss other opportunities? Where does the other voice come from?
8. Discuss the behaviour of fathers in the novel, both biological and within the clergy. How do they leave their mark? What about the women of Creignish?
9. Discuss the strategies Effie and Duncan each developed as a means of surviving their dysfunctional childhoods. How are they the same? How different?
10. Discuss the role alcohol plays in the community of Creignish, and in Duncan’s life. What is it that finally gives him the strength to stop drinking? Do you think he will stay sober?
11. “The phone aroused me on that Monday morning in Port Hood and launched the narrative that I must now, with some reluctance, share” (p. 5). Who do you suppose Duncan intends as his audience? Do you always trust his words? Does your opinion of his reliability change at any point as you read? What is your opinion of Duncan, overall?
12. In their final conversation, Jude warns Duncan that "There's no morality in an institution. It's just a thing" (p. 354). Do you agree?
13. What do you think of Duncan’s gatekeeper role? Would you say that he was complicit in a cover up? Or is he absolved because he was following orders? Do other factors mitigate his responsibility?
14. Could this novel still work if Duncan were a teacher, soldier or politician?
15. How do you feel about the novel’s ending? What is your opinion of Duncan’s actions near the end? Does he go far enough? Where do you think his life will take him?
16. Consider the passages MacIntyre uses as epigraphs to each of the four books in the novel. What is the significance of each?
17. This novel is a work of fiction that could be described as “ripped from the headlines.” How would you compare the experience of reading this novel with that of reading news reports? What are the pros and cons of each format?
Reader's Guide
1. What techniques does MacIntyre use to build suspense? Consider, for example, the opening phrase “The night before things started to become unstuck . . . ” How does MacIntyre’s use of foreshadowing and flashbacks affect your experience of the novel?
2. Discuss the various forms of isolation in the novel. How does isolation impact Duncan’s life? Is it something he dislikes, or craves? Why?
3. Discuss the impact of suicide on the community of Creignish, across generations. How has Duncan been affected by his own interactions with suicide?
4. Years ago Duncan trained himself to ignore the protests of errant priests. “Accuse the accuser, one of their best tactics,” he notes (p. 133). What drives Duncan to face his own transgressions? What are your thoughts on his romantic alliances? What is your opinion on the issue of celibacy in the priesthood?
5. At Braecrest, Dr. Shaw observes that Duncan's father, his “young woman” and his priesthood occupy the same place in his memory, a place of "despair neutralized by hope" (p. 342). Do you think this is an accurate assessment? What are the sources of despair, and hope, in Duncan’s life?
6. Duncan wonders, “So many of these priests are clever, funny men. The freaks are so rare. But they're the only ones I really know. How have I managed to spend twenty-seven years in this ministry and known only the bad ones? Why have I never been part of the wider community of funny, clever and perhaps even holy men? What is it that draws me to the tragic and the flawed?” (p. 264). How would you answer these questions? Could Duncan have found a different role in the church? Could his gifts have been put to better use?
7. Duncan opens Book Three by describing “the day my life began assuming what I expect will be its final shape.” After meeting a police officer, he momentarily considers Alfonso’s teachings about contrition, before listening to another unnamed voice in his head (p. 207). What do you think of Alfonso’s assertion that true contrition must be an act that results in positive change? How would things have been different if Duncan had heeded Alfonso’s words that day? Did he miss other opportunities? Where does the other voice come from?
8. Discuss the behaviour of fathers in the novel, both biological and within the clergy. How do they leave their mark? What about the women of Creignish?
9. Discuss the strategies Effie and Duncan each developed as a means of surviving their dysfunctional childhoods. How are they the same? How different?
10. Discuss the role alcohol plays in the community of Creignish, and in Duncan’s life. What is it that finally gives him the strength to stop drinking? Do you think he will stay sober?
11. “The phone aroused me on that Monday morning in Port Hood and launched the narrative that I must now, with some reluctance, share” (p. 5). Who do you suppose Duncan intends as his audience? Do you always trust his words? Does your opinion of his reliability change at any point as you read? What is your opinion of Duncan, overall?
12. In their final conversation, Jude warns Duncan that "There's no morality in an institution. It's just a thing" (p. 354). Do you agree?
13. What do you think of Duncan’s gatekeeper role? Would you say that he was complicit in a cover up? Or is he absolved because he was following orders? Do other factors mitigate his responsibility?
14. Could this novel still work if Duncan were a teacher, soldier or politician?
15. How do you feel about the novel’s ending? What is your opinion of Duncan’s actions near the end? Does he go far enough? Where do you think his life will take him?
16. Consider the passages MacIntyre uses as epigraphs to each of the four books in the novel. What is the significance of each?
17. This novel is a work of fiction that could be described as “ripped from the headlines.” How would you compare the experience of reading this novel with that of reading news reports? What are the pros and cons of each format?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Our Next Book -- The Bishop's Man
Because everyone seems to be going off on fabulous vacations for spring break, we're not meeting until Monday, April 11th. That gives everyone lots of time to read our next book, the Giller-prize winning The Bishop's Man, by Linden MacIntyre.Here is a review of the novel from The Globe & Mail
When you read the article, in the middle of the review, you will find a comment in pull-quotes. It says: "This is not a book about redemption. It is a story of contrition." I think that makes for an interesting discussion question. What do you think the reviewer means by that comment, and do you agree?
The Bishop's Man promises to be a fascinating book, just bursting with possibilities for discussion.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
My Stroke of Insight in less than 20 minutes
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
The 20 min video of our February book, in the author's own words.
The 20 min video of our February book, in the author's own words.
Monday, January 24, 2011
A Decade of Book Club Reading
Thanks to Gillian, here is a list of the books we've read over (almost) ten years.
2002/2003
Oct - Sula, Toni Morrison
Nov - Clara Callan, Richard B Wright
Jan - The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
Feb - The Map That Changed The World, Simon Winchester
Mar -The Russlander, Sandra Birdsell
Apr - Any book written by Anita Desai
May - Charlotte Gray, Sebastian Faulks
Jun - Any Known Blood, Lawrence Hill
2003/2004
Oct - Unless, Carol Shields
Nov - Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks
Jan - Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood
Feb - Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
Mar - Stanley Park, Timothy Taylor
Apr - A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
May - Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris
Jun - The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
2004/2005
Oct - Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
Nov - Crow Lake, Mary Lawson
Jan - East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Feb - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon
Mar - Missing Sarah, Maggie de Vries
Apr - Amanda Bright@home, Danielle Crittenden
May - A Complicated Kindness, Miriam Toews
Jun - The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
2005/2006
Oct- Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Abrom
Nov - The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
Jan - The Rebel Angels (or other book by author) Robertson Davies
Feb - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie
Mar - Atonement, Ian McEwan
Apr - The Last Days of Dogtown, Anita Diamant
May/Jun - One of Malcolm Gladwell's: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,
The Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference, or Freakonomics, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
2006/2007
Oct - Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
Dec - A Star Called Henry, Roddy Doyle
Jan - Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Feb - Sweetness in the Belly, Camilla Gibb
Mar - Cancelled
Apr - (2) The Birthhouse, Ami McKay, and Digging to America, Anne Tyler
May - The Consolations of Philosophy or How Proust can Change Your Life, Alain de Botton
Jun - Eleanor Rigby, Douglas Coupland
2007/2008
Oct - Turn of the Screw, James Henry
Nov - Secret River, Kate Grenville
Jan - Enduring Love, Ian McEwan
Feb - Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, Vincent Lam
Mar - Cancelled
Apr - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See
May - Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Jun - Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards
2008/2009
Oct - My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
Nov - The Lollipop Shoes, Joanne Harris
Jan - Love in the time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Feb - Cancelled
Mar - Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Apr - Mister Pip, Lloyd Jones
May - Late Nights on Air, Elizabeth Hay
Jun - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, David Sedaris
2009/2010
Oct - Blindness, Jose Saramago
Nov - The Accidental, Ali Smith
Jan - The Palace Walk, Naguib Mahfouz
Feb - Cancelled
Mar - Cancelled
Apr - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
May - The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas
Jun - Exit Lines, Joan Barfoot
2010/2011
Oct - Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
Nov - If On a Winter's Night a Traveler, Italo Calvino
Jan - Last Night in Twisted River, John Irving
Feb - My Stroke of Insight, Jill Bolte Taylor
Still coming:
Infidel or Nomad, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (recommend Infidel)
Lady Chatterly's Lover, DH Lawrence
Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Bishop's Man, Linden MacIntryre
2002/2003
Oct - Sula, Toni Morrison
Nov - Clara Callan, Richard B Wright
Jan - The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
Feb - The Map That Changed The World, Simon Winchester
Mar -The Russlander, Sandra Birdsell
Apr - Any book written by Anita Desai
May - Charlotte Gray, Sebastian Faulks
Jun - Any Known Blood, Lawrence Hill
2003/2004
Oct - Unless, Carol Shields
Nov - Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks
Jan - Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood
Feb - Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
Mar - Stanley Park, Timothy Taylor
Apr - A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
May - Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris
Jun - The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
2004/2005
Oct - Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
Nov - Crow Lake, Mary Lawson
Jan - East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Feb - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon
Mar - Missing Sarah, Maggie de Vries
Apr - Amanda Bright@home, Danielle Crittenden
May - A Complicated Kindness, Miriam Toews
Jun - The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
2005/2006
Oct- Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Abrom
Nov - The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
Jan - The Rebel Angels (or other book by author) Robertson Davies
Feb - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie
Mar - Atonement, Ian McEwan
Apr - The Last Days of Dogtown, Anita Diamant
May/Jun - One of Malcolm Gladwell's: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,
The Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference, or Freakonomics, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
2006/2007
Oct - Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
Dec - A Star Called Henry, Roddy Doyle
Jan - Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Feb - Sweetness in the Belly, Camilla Gibb
Mar - Cancelled
Apr - (2) The Birthhouse, Ami McKay, and Digging to America, Anne Tyler
May - The Consolations of Philosophy or How Proust can Change Your Life, Alain de Botton
Jun - Eleanor Rigby, Douglas Coupland
2007/2008
Oct - Turn of the Screw, James Henry
Nov - Secret River, Kate Grenville
Jan - Enduring Love, Ian McEwan
Feb - Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, Vincent Lam
Mar - Cancelled
Apr - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See
May - Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Jun - Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards
2008/2009
Oct - My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
Nov - The Lollipop Shoes, Joanne Harris
Jan - Love in the time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Feb - Cancelled
Mar - Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Apr - Mister Pip, Lloyd Jones
May - Late Nights on Air, Elizabeth Hay
Jun - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, David Sedaris
2009/2010
Oct - Blindness, Jose Saramago
Nov - The Accidental, Ali Smith
Jan - The Palace Walk, Naguib Mahfouz
Feb - Cancelled
Mar - Cancelled
Apr - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
May - The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas
Jun - Exit Lines, Joan Barfoot
2010/2011
Oct - Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
Nov - If On a Winter's Night a Traveler, Italo Calvino
Jan - Last Night in Twisted River, John Irving
Feb - My Stroke of Insight, Jill Bolte Taylor
Still coming:
Infidel or Nomad, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (recommend Infidel)
Lady Chatterly's Lover, DH Lawrence
Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Bishop's Man, Linden MacIntryre
February book
Hey, everyone . . . February's book is My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Bolte Taylor. There is a whole website for the book: http://www.mystrokeofinsight.com/
Looking at the website, I just realized I've seen the author on Oprah.
Back with more soon . . .
Looking at the website, I just realized I've seen the author on Oprah.
Back with more soon . . .
Monday, January 10, 2011
Last Night in Twisted River: discussion questions
From LitLovers.com:
1. Like a number of Irving's novels, this one is concerned with a father and son. What is the relationship between Danny and his father Dominic? And how would you describe each of the characters?
2. One of the central ideas of this book is the precarious— even random—nature of life. How does Irving explore that theme throughout the novel? What are some of the inexplicable coincidences and accidents? Did the bizarre occurrences enrich the story for you..or irritate you?
3. Irving can be an ingeniously funny writer. Point out some of the many humorous parts in Twister River.
4. Why does Danny become an author? What does he try to accomplish with his writing? Talk about the ways this book reflects on the art of fiction. Consider these two quotations from the book:
6. Ketchum is Dominic's best friend: "Everything about Ketchum was hardened and sharp-edged, like a whittled-down stick—and, as Danny had observed, 'wicked tough.' " What do you think of Ketchum?
7. Do you find Constable Carl's chase believable or not? If you've seen Les Miserables, can you see a comparison between Carl and Inspector Javert?
8. Have you read other Irving novels? If so, how does this one stack up against the others? Are there similarities?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off with attribution. Thanks.)
1. Like a number of Irving's novels, this one is concerned with a father and son. What is the relationship between Danny and his father Dominic? And how would you describe each of the characters?
2. One of the central ideas of this book is the precarious— even random—nature of life. How does Irving explore that theme throughout the novel? What are some of the inexplicable coincidences and accidents? Did the bizarre occurrences enrich the story for you..or irritate you?
3. Irving can be an ingeniously funny writer. Point out some of the many humorous parts in Twister River.
4. Why does Danny become an author? What does he try to accomplish with his writing? Talk about the ways this book reflects on the art of fiction. Consider these two quotations from the book:
Fiction is "both autobiographical and not autobiographical at the same time."
"All writers must know how to distance themselves, to detach themselves from this and that emotional moment."
How might these remarks apply to Danny...or to John Irving himself?
5. As father and son move from New Hampshire to Boston to Iowa, Vermont and Toronto, the book takes us back and forth in time—often out of sequence. Were you able to patch together a chronological timeline? Think about why Irving might be playing with time sequence—what affect does it have on the plot...or theme...?6. Ketchum is Dominic's best friend: "Everything about Ketchum was hardened and sharp-edged, like a whittled-down stick—and, as Danny had observed, 'wicked tough.' " What do you think of Ketchum?
7. Do you find Constable Carl's chase believable or not? If you've seen Les Miserables, can you see a comparison between Carl and Inspector Javert?
8. Have you read other Irving novels? If so, how does this one stack up against the others? Are there similarities?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off with attribution. Thanks.)
John Irving Interview with the CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/asithappens/aihstreaming_20100215_03.wma
copy this link into your web browser to hear an interesting interview with John Irving on CBC's As It Happens.
copy this link into your web browser to hear an interesting interview with John Irving on CBC's As It Happens.
January: Last Night in Twisted River
Oh, my! We're meeting on Last Night in Twisted River, by John Irving, on Monday, January 17th. For some reason, I thought we were meeting later in the month, so now I really have to get some reading done, because I'm only on page 38, and it's one long book! And, alas, I have to put aside the Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood, which I'm really into at the moment! So many books, so little time.
Anyway, here's a link to what the author has to say about his book (I still haven't had the time to figure out how to actually make a link work--sorry!--but you can cut and paste into your web browser): http://www.john-irving.com/Last_Night_In_Twisted_River.asp
Off to look for some reader notes on the novel . . .
Anyway, here's a link to what the author has to say about his book (I still haven't had the time to figure out how to actually make a link work--sorry!--but you can cut and paste into your web browser): http://www.john-irving.com/Last_Night_In_Twisted_River.asp
Off to look for some reader notes on the novel . . .
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