Matthew’s Comments (group member since Mar 08, 2015)

Matthew’s comments from the Reading List Completists group.

Looks like I will be starting this one up tomorrow!

I am still torn on this one . . . sometimes I find myself liking it (never really loving it) and then it starts to get all weird and spastic and I suddenly realize I am not sure what is going on.

I think the reason for this is that Morrison is writing from a dark, gritty, personal place for the characters - and while that is really interesting - it causes me to lose the story for a bit and I have to go back and summarize the last few pages in my head.

Anyone else out there reading this or who has read it before that has some thoughts?

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry. I've been slacking. I will have it read soon. I promise!"

Ha! No worries, Rachel! We all have so many books we are working on it is sometimes hard to keep it all straight!

We are currently reading/discussing

May 17 to May 23 - Chapter 6



If you are referencing things ahead of this section, be sure to use a spoiler tag. If it is a discussion of something in this section (or, later on, a section prior to what we are reading), I don't think a spoiler tag is necessary.

Have fun and happy reading!

Just hit a section all about tennis practice drills. The book is mostly going back and forth between the tennis academy and Boston AA for several pages now.

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "Don't read this messages until you've read all the section of September 15th.

September 15th

SPOILER:
The raping scene. Well boys. Welcome to the world of the fears of being a woman. I thought..."

When my wife saw that I was reading this book, this scene is what she thought the whole thing was. I was surprised that the hillbilly encounter was only about 3 or 4 pages.

She asked me if it was scary - I guess it is a bit scary. I think if I was reading it while I was camping it would be. Now it is more shocking than anything, and then suspenseful when they are trying to figure out what to do and then everything really falls apart.

Comparing this to movies (other than the actual Deliverance movie) - she asked me if it was like The Hills Have Eyes - I think this is a fairly decent comparison. People on vacation encountering twisted, inbred freaks who have different plans for them (which, much to their dismay, includes rape) and then trying to survive/seek revenge.

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "Don't read this messages until you've read all the section of September 14th.

September 14th.

SPOILER:
The story Lewis is telling Ed about how he and Shad went off on a canoe trip without his bow..."

Yes - lots of foreshadowing in this section. Also, you make a great point about asking why are they still going. Lewis claims to be this man's man who is prepared to live in the woods, but it really seems like he is all talk. He doesn't know anything about where they are going and he allows the majority of their supplies to be beer. Also, it doesn't sound like he really helped the others prepare for an outdoor trip; he just expected to be their savior if there was trouble, thus stroking his ego.

Even camping and hiking trips into well known areas need decent preparation!

I hate to say this, but they are setting themselves up for disaster and I am not surprised that they have trouble.

There is lots of timeline jumping in this book - seems like I have been reading lots of books lately with timeline jumping. Unfortunately, the ones I have been reading are not always clear as to when the time is jumping so suddenly I am like "Oh! This is 15 years ago and the main character is a kid now . . . okay, refocus!"

Sponsorship everywhere! That sounds familiar . . .

Greetings,

The poll for our June read is now available on the main group page (in case you didn't see them yet!).

Click for the BBC Poll

Kirsten - just wait for the what you learn in Boston AA part of Part III!

The pirate comic backstory is interesting - especially since one of the storylines is being read at the newsstand throughout the previous few chapters.

I look forward to finding out if the backstory is important to the main story or if it was just a side story that the authors thought would be fun to include since they are drawing the parallel to the "raft of dead bodies" storyline.

Janina wrote: "I also really enjoy how we don't get a detailed introduction to anything .. we're just thrown right into the story and with each chapter we (or I at least) get to understand who is whom and how they all relate a little better."

I like this too - the back and forth between the past and present . . . mysteries all around . . . the story as it combines with history to create an alternate history - all great stuff!

About 50 pages in - slow going for me so far. Still a bit hard to get into the writing style and not much seems to be happening. It's not bad, it is just not "moving" me yet.

Just coming home from the carnival and a mysterious woman in black is showing up, so maybe something new is happening to draw me in.

Finally got my copy from the library - hope to add some comments (and review the messages above for commentary) as I get more into it.

I just finished the "Before" section. The planning and intro to characters was expected. The long description of the marketing agency was not - interesting to see how that will end up applying.

Janina wrote: "I'm a little behind .. just finished chapter iv which I find highly interesting. I totally understand why this graphic novel is placed in a list of books one must read now.
I like the reading sch..."

Janina - thanks for the feedback! Luckily, my library allows enough renewals for this reading schedule. I can see how some might not.

I believe each chapter represents one issue as it was originally released, so it does seem to lend itself to breaks between each.

FYI - I am still very new to the buddy read thing and I got the impression from another one I did that I may be drawing out the schedule too much on these. If so, my apologies.

Any thoughts on scheduling from Buddy Reads professionals?

We are currently reading/discussing

May 10 to May 16 - Chapter 5



If you are referencing things ahead of this section, be sure to use a spoiler tag. If it is a discussion of something in this section (or, later on, a section prior to what we are reading), I don't think a spoiler tag is necessary.

Have fun and happy reading!

Lots of commentary on politics, environmental disasters, commercialism, and technology. Some of it humorous, some of it scary!

Sorry to lose you, but completely understandable! Good luck! See you on a future Buddy Read!