Sandra’s Comments (group member since Jan 21, 2020)

Sandra’s comments from the The Obscure Reading Group group.

“Or perhaps the author still has not made up his mind, just as you, reader, for that matter, are not sure what you would most like to read....”

I find just as the stories start to interest me, our author ends them. To begin another. I’m guessing we could debate whether or not this device has the effect our author intended.

I appreciate the helpful suggestions pertaining to a reading of this book. It suddenly became fascinating in the chapter “Leaning from the steep slope.”

Thanks. I will get on it ... tomorrow. The beginning reminded me of Kafka and I wasn’t ready to be totally frustrated.

I need some encouragement. I am procrastinating.

Welcome Laura. You will meet a few other English teachers (retired) on here!!

Yes, thanks everyone! I generally avoid humor in literature—with a few exceptions. I love Twain and find myself laughing a great deal whenever I read The Catcher in the Rye. I will fo my best to enjoy this book.

Thanks, Carol. I may warm up to it!

All I have to offer is that after being ecstatic to find the book at my local library, I can only take so much at a time. I feel a migraine coming from this succession of word upon word upon word. Not sure if I am up to this task. I will try again tomorrow.

Welcome, all new members. I can’t believe you haven’t seen The Dead Poets Society, Ken. I showed it in my high school poetry class each year and then we read our feeble attempts at poetry writing. It was great fun. The new book is sure to create an outstanding discussion!

Well, this one will certainly be worth an in-depth discussion! Sounds like something to avoid in the wee hours of the day!!

Ken, I must admit that I do like some of Hemingway, a few of his short stories worked well for my students to use as a piece of prose reading in Forensics. And now I appreciate his writing style more than when I was younger. I like his clarity.

The high school principal where I taught loved Hemingway. We used to have heated “discussions” because like you Dianne, I didn’t care for the macho persona. I told the principal to try Sarah Orne Jewett instead if he liked reading about nature. I’m reading “Migrations” right now.

Oh! Love D.H. Lawrence! I should read “Sons and Lovers” again. I remember walking around my college campus with it and quoting passages(and Dylan Thomas’s verses) to friends.

I reread Mockingbird every year for twenty years. I never grew tired of it. I know teachers don’t read each novel every time they teach it, but I did. That was hours of reading as well as hours of correcting essays. I didn’t have time to read other books. I’ve enjoyed retirement.

Yes, Steinbeck and Dickens are two of my favorite authors. And some were very accessible to students. Oliver Twist and Of Mice and Men frequently made it to the “best-loved books” list. To Kill a Mockingbird was at the top all twenty years I taught it.

I’m still recovering from Brontë’s use of dialogue and exclamation points.

Excellent stories, Diane and Ken. I have more than a few too. Yes, there should be a required education course for future English teachers titled “The Psychology of Teaching Literature.”

My teacher didn’t hand out Catcher in the Rye or Of Mice and Men. I borrowed both from University of Wisconsin professors. Luckily I babysat back in the early 1960s. My mother didn’t approve of me reading after my 9 p.m. bedtime, but I read Salinger by flashlight under my blankets.

May I be so bold as to say that this book is one I am glad to be finished with? It was nice to read so many helpful links and posts on this page. But I wouldn’t recommend this one to my friends or family.

Yes! Thanks, Jean, for all your helpful information! I do think we’ve judged Anne rather harshly. But like Kathleen, I couldn’t help but compare Tenant to the other well-loved books by the Brontë sisters.

I’ve enjoyed, as always, all the time our members give to this discussion. Thanks to all!