Dani’s Comments (group member since Nov 11, 2015)

Dani’s comments from the Return of the Rogue Readers group.

A week or so should be fine.

Jordan, for the sake of discussion, do you think that the time table of how quickly things changed in the book is realistic? Or does anyone else have thoughts on this? His theories state that it could take a long time to change certain behaviors depending on how deeply rooted the custom, yet this book's world views on women seemed to change rather quickly. It was a slow progression but it still felt like it all changed quicker than I imagine to be realistic. That, in and of itself, is a disturbing thought. Do we think that something like that would happen at a slow enough pace to have the chance to stop it, or is it possible that it could happen so quickly that there is no real chance of halting it? Of course, extreme threats of violence can help force along these kinds of changes.

I JUST downloaded the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft about 30 minutes ago. Fantastic timing! haha

I must apologize for my VERY delayed response about this book. I just finished it yesterday. It has been an insane few months that didn't allow me any time to read. I am happy that I was finally able to get to The Handmaid's Tale. This book was fantastic. It was very well written and I found it poetic at times as well, which I really appreciate.

This book was not a pleasant read at all, and I mean that in a good way. It didn't allow me to get comfortable, in fact, it accomplished the opposite by angering me at times......most of the time.

I was angry at how the men treated the women. I was angry at how the aunts treated the handmaids. I was angry that the women were resigning to their new fate. My instinct was to think that they should have done more, they should have fought harder. My thoughts go to Moira. She was a beacon but when Offred finds her at Jezebel's, and finds that even her fiery spirit had been beaten into submission, that was a very real moment. The lines, "She is frightening me now, because what I hear in her voice is indifference, a lack of volition. Have they really done it to her then, taken away something—what?—that used to be so central to her? And how can I expect her to go on, with my idea of her courage, live it through, act it out, when I myself do not?" Then I imagined myself in that position, and I realized that I don't know what I would actually do in a situation like that. My instinct to fight comes from the security of my rights. These women don't have that security. That angered me.

One of the most unsettling thoughts I had was regarding how things had changed for the people in that world. It was a slow but progressive manner in which things changed. Little by little but strictly and aggressively enforced. This is how something like this could actually happen. That thought is terrifying. Another thing that struck me was the regular mention from the aunts, I believe, that "Things will be much smoother for the women to come." The idea that it was so difficult for these current handmaids because they could still recall their past lives. The future women wouldn't have that problem because they wouldn't know any better having never experienced life any other way.

I think all of you mentioned the ending, and for good reason. It was not at all what I expected, but I appreciated that. It felt more real and didn't allow for the idea of "It will all work out in the end" to creep into our brains. Things don't always work out and this ending kept me thinking. I didn't feel comforted and that lack of resolve keeps it on my mind. It reminds me that problems that we are actually facing shouldn't be ignored because "it will all work out in the end"; that they need to be addressed now before it is too late.

Once again, my apologies for my late response. I look forward to the next book!

I JUST downloaded this book a few days ago, and then Jordan mentioned it today. We're all on the same page, it seems! :)

Hello everyone!

I, too, enjoyed this book. It had it's strong points as well as a couple of weak ones, but overall it was an engaging story. I was also surprised by the copilot and his sudden major role in the story line. It was such a sudden turn that came out of nowhere that it threw me for a minute. It wasn't where I thought the story was going at all. I am not sure it was the strongest possible story line to go with, but it did add a surprising element to the book.

To answer the question you posed, Jordan, I wasn't completely sure where it was going. A few possible scenarios played in my head. The strongest possibility in my mind at the time was that it had to do with the money laundering, as Kila also mentioned. They kept going back to it throughout the story and then when Kipling was threatened by some of his clients it gave validity to that idea. The suspense of the threat and of the pending trial added a bit more excitement to the story.

Ryan, I have to agree with Jordan and Kila that Bill Cunningham was quite horrible with his O'Reilly-esque antics. He was not at all concerned with the truth, although that is what he preached. He was focused, instead on getting the most interesting 'breaking news' to drive his ratings. The deceased were supposed to be friends of his and he used their death, their story, and their son to make himself more famous or noteworthy in his line of business.

Welcome everyone! :)

This looks great! I must finish the series asap.

Amy, I meant that perhaps it's a combination of both Wednesday being cruel and not understanding his culture. I was curious as to your thoughts on that.

Ryan, I haven't read the Anansi Boys yet, but it is on my list. Going back to the con, it does seem fitting of the character, Wednesday. I'm not sure how things would have played out had he not orchestrated the war. I feel like something would have happened regardless of his plan, since the new gods weren't happy with the old ones 'sticking around'. Then again, I feel like I might be missing something here but I'm not sure what, exactly. I may need to read it again. Perhaps the old gods would have just faded away, maybe the new gods would have killed them off one by one, maybe they would have found a way to coexist. I'm not sure about this. Any other thoughts on this?

Welcome, Ryan! What did you think of the book?

Amy, I think it may be a combination of both with Wednesday. What do you think?

Jordan, that's a good way to put it. The feeling that we were supposed to root for the old gods, but they left it vague as to why until the end. What were your thoughts on the two man con that we learned had been playing in the background throughout it all?

This was my second time reading American Gods. The first time around, I must have been very distracted because the story was much more exciting this time. I get the feeling that this book is one that would reveal new pieces every time it is reread, no matter how many times you go through it. I had also just finished his new book, Norse Mythology, so it was a little like visiting with old friends. As usual, Neil Gaiman did not disappoint. I really love his writing style. He has mastered character development and layered story telling. I listened to the 'author's preferred text' version that includes 12,000 additional words. I haven't read the original version, but would be interested in what the differences are. Has anyone read the original version, or both, and is able to comment on it?

There was so much going on in this book, I am not sure where to start. The story is an interesting mix of conflicting feelings. Amusing, yet depressing. Familiar, but then completely unfamiliar and strange. There were moments of sympathy and compassion and moments of cruel and merciless murder.

I am curious about everyone's thoughts on Shadow. What did you all think of his character? I noticed that they never actually told us his real name. He even gives up his name at the end because of a deal he made with Zorya Polunochnaya (speaking of names!) I didn't know enough about the mythology to figure it out, so I had to look it up. Gaiman let's us know that he is a reincarnation of Baldur.

One other thing I enjoyed while reading this book, were the multiple allusions to familiar ideas/places. Gaiman did well as an Englishman to try and keep the book 'American'. I noticed that we got to revisit the Chicago slaughterhouse once again with Czernobog's character. (He was actually one of my favorite characters in the book.) For those familiar with Chi-Chi's restaurant, the reference to Laura getting 'margaritas at Chi-Chi's' was nostalgic and fun.

Amy, I am not sure why he didn't kill Roland. He did say that the death card was not for him, but I don't know if or why that would prevent him from killing him. These are good questions, Amy. I suppose we will have to continue on in the series to get the answers. Does anyone else have a theory on this?

Amy, the whole exchange between the two drew me in. The writing style changed a bit, I felt. The tarot card reading and the vision that took Roland through space was probably my favorite part. It was an attempt to scare him away from his quest and I found it almost poetic.

Once, again, my apologies for the major delay in responding.

As for the Roland/Jake relationship, Jordan, it was interesting to me how quickly they attached themselves to one another. I enjoyed their learning about the differences of their worlds. I recall Roland being puzzled by certain words Jake would use, and vice versa. It was subtle but fun. Roland's decision to choose getting answers over saving Jake was disturbing but not surprising. As you said, Mike, he has an iron will and is focused only on his pursuit of the tower.

After listening for the second time, I am really looking forward to continuing the series. The last 30 minutes of the book convinced me that I must go on. The interaction between the Man in Black and the Gunslinger at the end of the book changed the feel of the book and hooked me. After their conversation, when Roland woke up 10 years older, it was such an interesting and unexpected twist that I need to continue. I need to see what happens next. What did you guys think about their exchange?

A western is definitely a better description.

Sorry for the delayed response. I listened to the audio book for this one as well. I must admit, however, that I found myself distracted throughout most of the book. (It's been a busy month) I don't feel like I was able to fully take it in, so I have started from the beginning. I hope to be able to contribute more to the discussion soon. This was my first Stephen King experience and it wasn't exactly as I had expected. He is known for his horror and I typically avoid the horror genre. Since this series was spoken so highly of, I wanted to branch out of my comfort zone and experience something completely new to me. This book wasn't as 'horrific' as I thought it would be. It was dark, yes, but not terrifying.

I look forward to both discussions, Amy.

I assume I will understand the meaning of that after reading the book, Jordan?

:)

I have the kindle version of the English edition. I plan to still read the book, and will post a discussion with anyone else who would like to read it in Other Topics or Other Things thread in the group. It'll be an 'at your leisure' discussion if anyone is interested.

With that, since most of us rely on audio books, or at least prefer them, I have decided to change the book for this month. The new book for Book 19 will be The Gunslinger (Dark Tower 1). Jordan said that, since it is book 19, it would be an appropriate choice.

Happy Holidays to everyone! :)

It has been on my list for awhile but I've never read it, or any of Flaubert's work for that matter. The Monday after Christmas gives us plenty of time!