GRASS: roll call and initial impressions (*NO SPOILERS*)

[Candiss]

Please let us know if you're reading, planning to read, or have read Grass by Sheri S. Tepper.

No spoilers in this topic please!

[Sandra]

I'm going to give this try.

[Candiss]

I'll be starting this in a day or three. I'm excited, as this will be my first Tepper, and I've been meaning to read something by her for ages.

[carol.]

I haven't read this one for year, but I remember liking it. It's from her phase of enviro- message and almost horror writing.

[Jon]

I requested the book from the library and should get it in a day or so. I've got several other books to squeeze in this month, but I really want to read Stepper's work. I loved The Gate to Women's Country, which I read years and years ago. I need an excuse to pick up another Stepper novel, and this is it.

[Nick]

I also read The Gate to Women's Country eons ago. I'm going to try for "Grass" also.

[Oni]

My first Tepper novel.

[Maggie]

I started it last night...not very far along yet, but looking forward to it!

[Nikita]

I've started the book, hopefully, I will finish it before the end of the month.

[Daniel]

I'm on board for Grass! Strangely, I've never heard of Tepper before now, and reading about her, I think her books should be right up my alley. Glad to get going on Grass; the reviews make it sound real good!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Never knew this was part of a trilogy. I'm not reading this but am following the discussion. I think I've only read one book by Tepper, Beauty.

[Oni]

I really like the cover. The color somehow give you some feeling that is difficult to describe.

[Anna]

I've read lots of Tepper over the years. Grass remains my favorite.

[Marty]

I have read it and will see if I can glance through and contribute.

[Viv]

I've just started this. Intrigued so far, although it has a scary claustrophobic feel that I wasn't expecting. Hope to finish in time to join in with the discussion this month!

[Daniel]

I'm past the halfway point and this is a really good book. I'm hooked. And to think I had never heard of Tepper before now!!

[Jon]

I started this tonight. Read the first chapter. Struggling with the font size in this trade paperback edition I checked out from the library. Makes me think they didn't bother to reset the type because there's a good inch or two of white space around each printed page and the font size could have been just a tad larger.

First impressions of the text? Not sure what to think, except that I feel like I'm re-living Flambards.

[Chris, Moderator]

I had never heard of Tepper before this book selection, but I'm ready for more. I thought that "Grass" has a definite sense of place -- wholly unique, alien but somewhat familiar, and a bit creepy.

[Candiss]

I finally got my copy and started in on this tonight. So far, so good!

[Trinity]

This was the first Sheri Tepper book I ever read. And probably still my favorite, the world building is so intricate.

[Maggie]

I am enjoying it so far too, there is a definite presence of Grass everywhere

[Jon]

Starting chapter five now, and very intrigued by this world and universe. I can hardly put the book down now.

[mark]

read the first 100 pages or so this weekend... impressive! solemn but not painfully so. and as Carol mentions above, there is a strong thread of horror running through what i've read so far - both on Terra with the bizarre Sanctity and of course on Grass. Tepper has a great skill at making this world eerie, threatening, and full of fascinating mysteries. i also like her use of multiple perspectives. including a horse!

[Nick]

Jon wrote: "Starting chapter five now, and very intrigued by this world and universe. I can hardly put the book down now."

I know what you mean. Right about chapter five you get hooked, or maybe mesmerized. I zipped through it this weekend.

[Jon]

Nick wrote: "Jon wrote: "Starting chapter five now, and very intrigued by this world and universe. I can hardly put the book down now."

I know what you mean. Right about chapter five you get hooked, or maybe ..."

If it hadn't been for a garage door hanging project yesterday, I probably would have finished Grass in one sitting. As it is, I'll have to piece it out throughout the week in bite-size chunks. I need to retire ... so I can read full-time. :)

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Jon wrote: "I need to retire ... so I can read full-time. :) "

Hasn't quite worked out that way for me... I definitely read more than I did when I worked, but still not as much as I would like to. Darn real life keeps getting in the way!

[Sandra]

I'm on p. 128 and have to say this is seriously spooky so far! At first I thought it was going to be a bunch of religious crap about subjugating women, but fortunately it got beyond that.

[carol.]

Tepper has a number of themes throughout her books, particularly female-empowering and environment-promoting ones. Never fear--if there is subjugation--and there often is--it is only so it can be turned on its head later.

[Renee]

I am a bit late in starting but I am loving the book. I have read one other Tepper. It was the Family Tree. It was an amazing book. I wish I knew what took me so long to get back to this author