Reading Rocks!

Blindness

2008-01-04T16:11:00.000-06:00

Thanks everyone for such a great discussion about Sweetness in the Belly. Despite some mixed reviews (among the book club), I'm quite happy to have read this story. I've learned a lot about Ethiopian history/politics, while also getting a sense for the everyday life of a culture very foreign to me. In the end, I think the book club has been fantastic for exposing me to novels/authors that I wouldn't have read on my own.

NEXT BOOK
Blindness by José Saramago.

PLOT SYNOPSIS
Winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. A city is hit by an epidemic of 'white blindness.' The blindness spreads, sparing no one. Authorities confine the blind to a vacant mental hospital secured by armed guards. Inside, the criminal element among the blind hold the rest captive: food rations are stolen, women are raped. There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers through the barren streets. The developments within this oddly anonymous group -- the first blind man, the old man with the black eye patch, the girl with dark glasses, the boy with no mother, and the dog of tears -- are as uncanny as the surrounding chaos is harrowing. -- Barnes & Noble

THE AUTHOR
José Saramago, born in Portugal in 1922, Saramago is one of the most acclaimed writers in the world today. In 1998 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Saramago lives in the Canary Islands.

Sweetness in the Belly

2007-11-26T09:17:00.000-06:00

From Ms. Emma Wain:

I suggested Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb for our next book club selection because my sister told me that it is ‘the best book’ that she’s ever read! Many others have echoed these feelings, including Fiona, so I was very eager to read the book myself and understand why it had stolen so many hearts. Furthermore, the fact that this book includes many rich themes and ideas- multiple nations, cultures, religion, suffering, joy, love and history….who wouldn’t love it??!!!

I am now just past half-way through Sweetness in the Belly, and am really enjoying the novel. I find Lilly’s character very lovable and captivating- how she started out with such a unique and eclectic upbringing, and how relatively easily she seemed to take things as they came in her life. I find it amazing that while she is in Ethiopia, that she seems so open and accepting of her circumstances, and of the people around her and how she is treated poorly by many of them for being a ‘farenji’. She seems to embrace experiences and people as they are, and to be a vibrant, positive and hopeful soul.

So, when we jump to the years when she is living in England years later, and appears to have lost her vibrancy, and more importantly her sense of hope for the future, and perhaps even for humanity… this keeps me turning the pages in order to understand what has led to this stark and critical change in her outlook. Stay tuned!!!

Book Club Renaissance: The Glass Castle

2007-09-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

A posting by May Zeibak:

I chose The Glass Castle because of my fascination with other peoples’ lives. The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, is a memoir. I only had to read the first paragraph to realize that I would not be able to put the book down. Jeannette Walls takes the reader behind closed doors and reveals with such vivid description the intimate details of her family life – with all the peculiarities and dysfunction included. The story unfolds from her childhood perspective, and is expressed with such sincerity and compassion that I felt immediately pulled into her life – as if I was standing there watching the events take place. Particularly amazing to me is that Jeannette Walls is a public personality, a regular contributor to MSNBC, who has completely opened up and revealed her private life to us in such a fascinating way."

The Inheritence of Loss

2007-04-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

First off, sorry for major delay between posts. My enthusiasm for reading/bookclub (like lots of things in life) ebbs and flows. That said, I'm really happy to be reading The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.

I'm currently midway through the book and I'm intrigued. The backdrop of the story shifts from New York City to Kalimpong (a hillside town nestled at the foot of the Himalayas). Desai uses these two perspectives show how lives interact between the West and the East. Given that Desai left India at 15 and has lived in England and the US since, she offers an authentic voice to the story. Also, once major theme explored in the novel is the lasting impact of British Colonialism.

In addition to shifting geographically, the story maneuvers from past to present (set in the 1980s) to tell a rich family history of the characters (which I find quite reminiscent of Middlesex). I'm looking forward to finding out where Desai takes the story in the 2nd half.

About the Author
The Inheritance of Loss is Kiran Desai's 2nd novel and has received widespread success, both commercial and critical. At the age of 35, Desai won the Man Booker Prize for fiction (2006), for the Inheritance of Loss, making her the youngest woman to win the prize.

Another interesting fact about the author is that she is the daughter of Anita Desai, a well-respected author who was short-listed for the Man Booker 3 times. Anita Desai is probably best known for her novel In Custody (short-listed for The Booker), which was later made into a Merchant Ivory film.

On Beauty and Being Right

2006-12-26T09:26:00.000-06:00

I managed to finish On Beauty on December 31st, and I have to say this book was my favorite of 2006. It did take me a while to finish the novel, but not because it wasn't riveting. I think I was drawing out the experience of the Bellsley and Kipps families and when it was done I was truly sad to turn to the story's last page.

By examining 2 families, Zadie Smith has created a real dialogue and debate about art, politics, and honesty. There is so much in On Beauty that has prompted me to stop reading and do research (e.g. on Rembrandt's work, on Haiti's history with the U.S.) Also Smith has created a balanced and compelling discourse on affirmative action, class differences and racial tension that was eye opening, without being preachy. All of this fascinating subject matter comes to life through the clashes between authentic and beautiful characters.

You may (or may not) know that the plot of On Beauty was based on E.M. Forester's classic Howards End. Zadie Smith refers to the Howards End as her '...first literary love' and clearly a source of great inspiration. The plots of Howards End and On Beauty are apparently quite similar, but Zadie Smith has successfully modernized this classic into something that is truly her own.

For the book club meeting (date tbd), I think we should do something different: watch the film version of Howards End (1992) starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter (with Emma Thompson taking home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role). I think it would be a fantastic experience compare/contrast the film/original story of Howards End with On Beauty. Que pensez vous?

Interesting Links
o Dialogue with Zadie Smith on On Beauty
o Book Club Reading Guide
o ABC Local Radio Brisbane Book Club Discussion: scroll to the bottom of the page for the mp3

Zadie Smith's On Beauty

2006-11-06T14:45:00.000-06:00

I have just started reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith, so I have little ground for forming an opinion. In the mean-time I will judge the book by its cover: I love it!

Zadie Smith is one of the literary world's most talked about authors. At the age of 25, her first novel White Teeth was published and immediately achieved critical and commercial success. Since then, Smith has written The Autograph Man (2002) and most recently On Beauty (2005). She's a Man Booker nominee and Orange Prize winner.

SYNOPSIS
Why do we fall in love with the people we do?
Why do we visit our mistakes on our children?
What makes life truly beautiful?

Set in New England mainly and London partly, On Beauty concerns a pair of feuding families—the Belseys and the Kippses—and a clutch of doomed affairs. It puts low morals among high ideals and asks some searching questions about what life does to love. For the Belseys and the Kippses, the confusions—both personal and political—of our uncertain age are about to be brought close to home: right to the heart of family.

ACCOLADES
"...Ms. Smith possesses a captivating authorial voice - at once authoritative and nonchalant, and capacious enough to accommodate high moral seriousness, laid-back humor and virtually everything in between - and in these pages, she uses that voice to enormous effect, giving us that rare thing: a novel that is as affecting as it is entertaining, as provocative as it is humane." -- The New York Times

The Accidental

2006-10-14T22:03:00.000-05:00

On Oct 29th we'll be meeting to discuss The Accidental. I absolutely loved this book. The style of writing is bold, the characters are authentic (especially Astrid) and Smith's observations about life in the new millennium are poignant without being heavy-handed.

The central character Amber is a surprise guest at the Smart family's summer cottage. Months after her arrival,Amber is forced to leave abruptly; but not before deeply affecting each family member. This character is not to be interpreted literally; Amber is a catalyst used to examine how each of the Smarts has begun to think outside of their own personal norm. Although widely acclaimed, The Accidental has been criticized for being too much of a 'literary exercise'. I can see how this could turn-off readers, but I think this story is less about the plot and more so about grander themes and inventiveness of writing. Regardless, I am very much looking forward to discussing and hearing others' points of view.

In the mean-time, here are some interesting links:
o The Guardian: Review
o The Guardian: Interview with Ali Smith

The Accidental

2006-09-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

The first book of season 2 will be The Accidental by Ali Smith.

ABOUT ALI SMITH
o Scottish-born, now lives and writes in Cambridge
o Her novels explore grand themes using a shifting perspective between characters
o Smith's earlier novel Hotel World was short-listed for both The Booker and The Orange Prize in 2001.
o In 2005, The Accidental won the Whitbread Novel of the Year Award which is aimed at celebrating works that are enjoyable to read while having high literary merit.
o Also in 2005, The Accidental was short-listed for The Booker aside authors Zadie Smith and Kazuo Ishaguro.
o Opening gay, Ali Smith has been with her partner for 17 years

THE ACCIDENTAL: SYNOPSIS
The Smart family's lacklustre holiday in Norwich is turned upside down when a beguiling stranger called Amber appears, bringing with her love, joy, pain and upheaval. The Smarts try to make sense of their bewildering emotions as Amber tramples over family boundaries and forces them to think about their world and themselves in an entirely new way. The Accidental is at once a mysterious web of secret identities and a ruthlessly honest look at the silent cracks that can develop unnoticed in relationships over time.

REVIEWS
"Ms. Smith is a wonderful ventriloquist, adept at throwing her voice into an astonishing array of characters....[S]he captures their thoughts, their dream lives, their sense of their place in the world with perfect and unwavering pitch." Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

"Smith captures the speech and thoughts of each character with a real, compassionate kind of virtuosity." San Francisco Chronicle

Book Club: Season 2

2006-09-06T17:20:00.000-05:00

Welcome back!

I hope everyone is as excited as I am to kick-off the 2nd year of the Read Rocks Book Club. Aside from needing a better name for the club, we have the task of choosing our first book of the season. Everyone is aware of the rules, so I'll simply list each member's choices below:

Fiona
o Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer | this book was deemed 'a work of genius' by The New York Times
o Reading Lolita in Tehran - John Muthyala
o In the Skin of the Lion - Michael Ondaatje | Acclaimed author of The English Patient

Michael
o The Accidental - Ali Smith | winner of the Whitbread Prize and short-listed for the Booker
o The Namesake - Jumpha Lahari | check out the film trailer being debuted at TIFF | Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Interpreter of Maladies
o The Night Watch - Sarah Waters | lesbian author who has been short-listed for the Booker multiple times

Summer Hiatus

2006-06-17T10:43:00.000-05:00

We've decided to take a break from the book club. With everyone's active and conflicting schedules, its a challenge arranging to meet during the summer months.

The upside is: this will provide us all a chance to read books we have wanted to read individually. For me, my summer reading schedule is going to be:

* Slow Man by J.M. Coetzee

* Lolita by Nabakov : currently 1/2 through, but had to postpone reading this one for Shadow of the Wind

* Norwegian Wood by Murakami: this one has been recommended to me by several people, and I'm intrigued.

I'm not 100% decided on Norwegian Wood, but I'll definitely keep everyone posted. As soon as I'm done with Slow Man, I'll post my comments. So far I love it. I've been pleasantly surprised at how different this story is from Disgrace and I'm continually impressed by Coetzee's subtle observations and his consistent ability to incorporate broad themes into his specific stories.

Looking Ahead...

2006-04-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm about 150 pages into Shadow of the Wind and I think it's charming. The key to enjoying this book, I believe, is to suspend your disbelief and allow yourself to take pleasure in the journey.

As usual, I'm thinking ahead to our next book. Our choices so far have been male-dominated, so I suggest that we focus on a female author. What do you think of the following suggestions:

* Into the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: a modern classic that showcases Woolf's groundbreaking stream-of-consciousness narrative. Into the Lighthouse spans two days (separated by 10 years), of one family reflecting on tensions and familial dysfunction.

* On Beauty by Zadie Smith: from the award-winning author of White Teeth, On Beauty is an affecting and entertaining look at relationships, cultural differences and political correctness. Smith is considered one of Britain's most talented young authors.

* Surfacing by Margaret Atwood: This is the book that introduced the world to Atwood in the early 70s. According to the New York Times Book Review, Surfacing is "...one of the most important novels of the twentieth century". Not to mention, Surfacing will add some Canadian Content to our repertoire.

Wrapping up Disgrace

2006-04-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

I have to say, I absolutely loved Disgrace. In a lot of ways, this book is about not understanding others. Opposition is everywhere; between men vs. women, blacks vs. whites, old vs. young and humans vs. animals. You can definitely tell that this subject matter is meaningful to Coetzee and that he is speaking from his personal experience living in South Africa. Coetzee's central theme is that history can not be escaped, whether it be personal mistakes or the atrocities of nation.

Comments on Coetzee and the Nobel Prize:
Not only is the Nobel Prize in Literature "the supreme acknowledgment of literary talent. It also recognizes the moral integrity and universal significance of one's work...Coetzee has been concerned with important moral issues . . ., including apartheid and race relations in his native South Africa, human rights, animal rights, and social and political injustice...He is also widely respected for his intellectual courage and honesty in posing such questions as, 'What do we do in the face of terror?'and for suggesting the devastating truth that lies in the possible answers to those questions."

Below are some links, related to the book:
* Lord Byron
* William Wordsworth
* South Africa
* Reading Guides: click here or here

Next up, Shadow of the Wind.

Disgrace and Shadows

2006-03-20T15:43:00.000-06:00

So we've agreed that our next novel will be The Shadows of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. First off, I'm going to refer to the book as La Sombra del Viento, its Spanish name (kidding). Secondly, I am totally looking forward to a page-turner that (no doubt) will prove a little more uplifting than Disgrace, Atonement or Middlesex.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Disgrace is our current focus. David Lurie is definitely not an enviable man, but he is engaging. I'm about 25 pages into the book, and I can not put it down.

I just found a profile-page at Barnes & Noble discussing J.M. Coetzee (click here). I learned that Coetzee is so reclusive that he did not even fly to London to accept his 2 Booker prizes. Also on this webpage, there's a section entitled "If you like J.M. Coetzee, you'll definitely like...": Salmon Rushdie. I think we need to, at some point, read some Rushdie; especially given that his name keeps coming up whenever we discuss future books to read.

We're especially lucky because there are several book club guides available for Disgrace. I think there are going to be so many great ideas packed into this tiny novel.

Next Book: Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

2006-02-24T22:55:00.000-06:00

After much deliberation, our next book will be J.M. Coetzee's 1999 Man Booker Prize winner Disgrace.

Coetzee was born in South Africa, studied in the U.S. and then returned home to write and teach. His books reflect South African society, the impact of colonization and the on-going transformation of his home nation. His eloquent writing style has been compared to Nabakov and Kafka. In 2003, Coetzee won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

"—Disgrace is not a hard or obscure book—it is, among other things, compulsively readable—but what it may well be is an authentically spiritual document, a lament for the soul of a disgraced century."
—The New Yorker

"—A subtly brilliant commentary on the nature and balance of power in his homeland...Disgrace is a mini-opera without music by a writer at the top of his form."
—Time

Middlesex and the City

2006-02-14T21:02:00.000-06:00

As we all wrap up Middlesex, I thought there was time for one final post before we meet (Feb 24th). Here is list of random links that are related to the book.

* Greek Mythology: Antigone & Tiresias & Hermaphroditus

* Interview with Eugenides on the topic of Middlesex (warning, contains spoilers)

* Negative Review: The Economist
* Mixed Review: The New York Magazine
* Positive Review: CNN.com

* Reading Guide #1

As I approach the end of this book, I am appreciating how many offshoots of information (science, history, literature etc.) that Middlesex contains. That being said, I have felt very disconnected from the characters in the story. Regardless, I’ll leave the final verdict for when I’m done and had time to discuss and reflect.

Middlesex: Rich with History

2006-01-22T19:48:00.000-06:00

For The Record: we are meeting on Friday February the 24th, which gives us about a month to complete the book. As a guide, we should all be around the mid-point.

I’m just at the beginning of Part Three (i.e. Caliope’s story) and I think it’s necessary to acknowledge how much history is interwoven into the story. Here are some links that help to put things into a historical perspective.

Asia Minor / Smyrna: the picture of the boat (above) shows the escape from burning Smyrna. Over 100,000 people died, but some managed to escape to America (Lefty & Desdemona)

Nation of Islam & W.D. Fard: interesting that Desdemona ends up working with the founder of the Nation of Islam

I’m finding these historical references to be interesting albeit a little contrived. Regardless, I think we’ll have tons to discuss on the 24th.

Middlesex: Update

2006-01-06T14:24:00.000-06:00

I'm about 30 pages into Middlesex and I'm truly intrigued. I especially enjoy how the narrator is telling his/her story before being conceived. Or as Eugenides puts it..."In the greenroom to the world, I waited." Very clever.

Barnes & Noble has an excellent webpage devoted to Jeffrey Eugenides. I noticed that one of his favourite books of all time is Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, a novel that has been on my 'to read' list for a while. I think our next book should be trailblazing and controversial.

In the mean-time, I hope everyone is enjoying Caliope's (or Cal's) story as much as I am. Happy reading!

Book #3: Middlesex

2005-12-11T21:44:00.000-06:00

NEXT BOOK
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

NEXT MEETING
February 17th OR 18th, 2006

FUN FACTS
* Eugenides won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for Middlesex
* Eugenides has published two books in his career, Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides, with a notable 10-year gap between the two.

...A deeply affecting portrait of one family's tumultuous engagement with the American twentieth century.
--The New York Times

Atonement: Comments & Another Reading Guide

2005-12-06T10:07:00.000-06:00

To frame our discussion, I think we should all think about what Atonement means to us personally and in the context of McEwan's story.

BACKGROUND
The origin of the word atonement is Christian, representing the reconciliation between man/woman with God. After confessing sins, one is saved and elevated toward God.

McEWAN'S ATONEMENT
In McEwan's novel, the idea of atonement is secular and more personal. There is a focus on reconciliation with oneself and asking for forgiveness from others. Unlike the Christian context, we're left wondering if a McEwan's characters were truly saved and whether atonement was achieved.

ANOTHER READING GUIDE
A more detailed discussion guide can be found here: Reading Guide

Atonement: Meeting Cont...

2005-12-05T18:55:00.000-06:00

If you get a chance, here are some of the discussion questions we'll be reviewing:

STARTING POINTS FOR YOUR DISCUSSION

1. Robbie is treated like a member of the Tallis household. He has had a Cambridge education and is considering going to Medical College, however, he is still the housekeeper’s son. What bearing does this have on his and Cecilia’s relationship and the reaction he receives after the allegations?

2. Robbie writes Cecilia a sexually explicit love letter that she never should have read. How do the events that result from this letter compare with the romantic ideals of love as harboured by young Briony in her play?

3. Leon and Cecilia are adults in an adult world whilst Briony is thirteen and still a child trying to impress her siblings. How does being the youngest sibling affect Briony’s actions throughout the novel?

4. Briony is precocious and harbours delusions of adulthood. These delusions are challenged both by the homecoming of her newly graduated sister and the arrival of her glamourous cousin, Lola. To what extent do her feelings of inferiority brought on by these events drive Briony to make the rape allegations? Why does she substitute Cecilia and Robbie as the victim and the assailant?

5. Robbie witnesses many horrific sights in France. How does his experience of the war compare with those of the sisters? How realistic do you think McEwan’s descriptions of the horrors of war are?

6. As an old lady Briony reveals that much of what she has told the reader is not true. Is this atonement of the title for her benefit or for ours? Is it too late for her to be asking for forgiveness?

Black Dogs

2005-12-02T14:35:00.000-06:00

Between Atonement & Middlesex, I've decided to read Black Dogs -- one of McEwan's earlier novels. Apparently his earlier work is a lot darker, which earned him the nickname Ian Macabre.

I'm only 25 pages into Black Dogs, but I'm already hooked. The story is written in first person by Jeremy, a man who lost his parents in a car accident when he was young. As an adult, Jeremy takes on the task of writing his mother-in-law's memoirs, in which he examines why her marriage dissolved. Central to her story is a devastating encounter with black dogs...I have yet to discover whether this encounter is figuritive or literal. I'll soon find out.

So far so good. I'll keep you posted!

Atonement: Meeting

2005-11-22T11:45:00.000-06:00

On Sunday Dec. 11th, we'll be meeting to discuss Atonement.

Location: May's place
Time: between 6 - 6:30 pm

Don't Forget to bring:
* Your book
* Your personal favourite quote from the book
* Your ideas for discussion

Note: I'll bring the book club discussion guide.

David Bergen's "The Time In Between" wins the Giller

2005-11-15T20:16:00.000-06:00

On November 8th, The Time In Between was named the winner of Canada's top literary award, The Giller Prize.

This is a story of a man who leaves his B.C. home to return to the country where he fought twenty-eight years earlier as a young, reluctant soldier.

Sounds like a moving novel and a way to up our Canadian content. Let's keep it on our growing list of books to read.

Aside: I know we're not supposed to judge books by their covers, but this one is stunning. Don't you think?

Atonement: Pacing

2005-11-05T21:47:00.000-06:00

Here's a guide to help ensure that we're all on the same page (wink wink).

Note: this is intended to be a guide. I know a lot of you can read the whole book over the course of a weekend; whereas, others prefer to read 5-10 pages a day over the course of a month (or so). So in the end, one must suite one's self.

2005 Giller Prize: Short-List

2005-11-05T16:28:00.000-06:00

The prestigious Canadian Giller Prize short-list was announced this week. As you probably know, the Giller Prize was established in 1994 to honour excellence in Canadian fiction (long format or short stories). Past winners include Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro and Rohinton Mistry.

And the finalists are:
• Joan Barfoot for her novel Luck
• David Bergen for his novel The Time In Between
• Camilla Gibb for her novel Sweetness in the Belly
• Lisa Moore for her novel Alligator
• Edeet Ravel for her novel A Wall of Light

Book Club Suggestion: An Exercise

2005-11-03T22:19:00.000-06:00

I'm about 50 pages into Atonement and loving it!

I'm finding McEwan's style of writing to be so lush and quite witty. So I've been finding myself marking a lot of pages to look back on once I'm done. My favourite so far is from p.17 when Briony is experiencing frustration while trying to direct her cousins in her play (The Trials of Arabella):

“There had been trouble enough already, but Briony began to understand the chasm that lay between an idea and its execution only when Jackson began to read from his sheet in a stricken monotone, as though each word was a name on a list of dead people, and was unable to pronounce ‘inexperienced’ even though it was said for him many times,…”

As a suggestion: I think we all should chose our own personal favourite quote from the book, to be read aloud at our next meeting (first weekend of December).

Thoughts?

Starting Atonement

2005-10-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I just started the book. McEwan's writing style is unique and bit challenging, but I think it simply requires some getting used to.

I noticed that the name of the main character is Briony -- a name I've never heard before. Here's some background & info in the name:

Prounounciation: BRY-o-nee
Origin: Greek
Note: 20th century flower name coinage: a vine (Greek "bryonia") native to Europe with large leaves and small flowers.

Happy Reading!

Our Members (as at October 24, 2005)

2005-10-24T16:56:00.000-05:00

Fiona Cunningham
Michael Dorr (President & spokesmodel)
Renita Paranjape
Stacey Sequeira (attitude problems)
Sarah Sturgeon
Emma Wain
Maha Zeibak
May Zeibak
___________________________________________
Linnea Neslon (part-time member)
___________________________________________
Marcus Lam (Correspondence - Platinum Status)
Kena Paranjape (Correspondence - Regular Status)

Welcome to the Reading Rocks Book Club

2005-10-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

After the resounding success of our first book (Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham), we have democratically chosen our next book....

The critically acclaimed #1 best seller, Atonement by Ian McEwan.