Denise's comments (member since May 30, 2008)

Denise's comments from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die group.

This isn't exactly related to the Poisonwood Bible, but this talk by Chimamanda Adiche seems related to this discussion:

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adic...

As for the book, I read it a long time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've forgotten quite a bit of it, but I don't recall having a problem with character believability.

Maybe I'll try interlibrary loan first.

Daniel,

I have not read Willard, but I am a Brautigan fan and you have sparked my curiosity. I'd never even heard of it. Given your review, though, I don't know that it's worth the $5.15 plus shipping.

I didn't realize 2666 was on the list. Nice. My other GR bookclub is reading in Jan and I just picked it up.

I just finished Go Tell It on the Mountain, too. I was suprised by the ending, but it actually worked for me. I love Baldwin's writing. I thought he did an excellent job portraying the different perspectives of the characters.

...there's only so much a vampire does, and he does it over and over again.

Thanks. That made me smile.

Ann from SC,

Glad you like Anna Karenine. I just read this last year and really loved it. Tolstoy has such sympathy for people.

I'm only halfway through, but thouroughly enjoying this. It is decidedly not plot-driven, yet so much is happening all the time. I have had to back up and reread a few sections as different images sent my mind off in different directions and I realized I had lost focus and got a bit lost.

Nice quote, Mara. I should be marking up my book because I keep coming accross bits I'd like to share, but I don't.

I just started To the Lightouse. Don't think I'll be done in time for the discussion. Still working on War and Peace.

Good for you Paula. I hope to read that one soon, also. Although I have missed the last couple of months, I enjoy the discussion group. Hope to see you there.

Gerald--interesting story about Marianne Wiggins. I may have to check out that book. I recently read Evidence of Things Unseen A Novel by her and liked it a lot.

Paula-- I loved Giovanni's Room, but not because of the likability of any of the characters. I just love Baldwin's writing.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. I'm glad I wasn't born English and a woman when the Bronte sisters were.

Dang it. I haven't gotten a copy yet. Read the first few comments and feel inspired. I'll have to order it if I can't find it.

No need for apologies, Jasmin, and welcome to the group. I found this a tricky book to follow, but I am still thinking about it now, which says something for it.

Deanne-
Sorry to jump topics, but what new country? What's the job look like? Is this the kind of thing you do often?

While the book is seemingly a short and "light" read there is really a lot to think about lurking belowing the surface. Very similar to Holly - its the things that lie deeper then the lipstick smile.

Nicely put, Libby.

Here are some of my thoughts on Holly: People were drawn to Holly by her beauty and charisma or charm. She realized at a young age the affect she had on people. There was a bit of mercenary quality to her use of her beauty, yet she did not seem bitter or hurtful. She also recognized it as a fleeting power and wanted to marry money while at the peak of her powers. A retirement policy of sorts. I’m not sure I share the narrator’s perception of her character:

…the average personality reshapes frequently, every few years even our bodies go through a complete overhaul—desirable or not it is a natural thing that we should change. All right, there were two people who never would. That is what Mildred Grossman had in common with Holly Golightly. They would never change because they were given their character too soon; which like sudden riches leads to a lack of proportion: the one had splurged herself into a top-heavy realist, the other a lopsided romantic. … They would walk through life and out of it with the same determined step that took small notice of those cliffs to the left.

I guess the romantic may come into play in how she views people. Think how staunchly she stood by the crime lord in prison because he was nice to her. She didn’t feel taken advantage of because she had been paid to deliver messages and he always had good manners. She seemed to want to view people in a good light. She even felt fondly of her husband, though the story creeped me out a bit. It seemed a little exploitive for the man of many children to marry a 14 year old destitute beauty. I would say that was where she learned that her gifts could be traded for financial security. Her own view of her character seems revealed to me in this quote:

“Never love a wild thing, Mr. Bell,” Holly advised him. “That was Doc’s mistake. He was always bringing home wild things. A hawk with a hurt wing. One time it was a full grown bobcat with a broken leg. But you can’t give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they’re strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That’s how you’ll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You’ll end up looking at the sky.”
“…it’s better to look at the sky then live there. Such an empty place; so vague. Just a country where the thunder goes and things disappear.”

I have to say I was not excited when I saw this book picked for our club, but boy am I glad other people were voting. I thought the writing was beautiful. Now I'm going to have to watch one of those movies about Truman Capote.

The Holly character is interesting, and hopefully I'll come back with some thoughts about her.

Really? You guys didn't like The Bridge of San Luis Rey? I loved it. Although I confess it's somewhat vague in my mind at this point.

No harm done. Congratulations on going through the hard work of writing a book and getting it published. Good luck out there.

I read 'Farenheit 451' and really enjoyed it. Even if you don't, it's short. I caught the end of the movie version on TV once and was intrigued.