The Next Best Book Club discussion
Author/Reader Discussions
>
HOW TO GET INTO THE TWIN PALMS author/reader discussion
date
newest »
newest »
message 51:
by
Chelsea
(new)
Nov 18, 2012 03:47AM
I found it very interesting how throught the book Anya is facinated by the ash and the fires. I found myself wondering- from the beginning, deep down in her heart did she feel the desire to destroy the city as an act of revenge for the her feeling of rejection? Did she see a parallel between the desruction in the fires' wake and the self destruction in her own life? The man from the pool (I can't remember his name) did she view him as a possible savior? As he put out the literal fires- he could put out the figurative fires in her life if only he wanted her.
reply
|
flag
Hi Rosanna,I grew up paging through my mother's cookbooks - always written in Polish - and looking at all the pictures of strange and magical food. Here is a recipe for stuffed cabbage - Polish stuffed cabbage
Rosanna wrote: "Hi Karolina,
I’m so glad to be a part of this discussion and a recipient of How to Get into the Twin Palms!! I’m fascinated by world cuisine and feel that through food we can gain insight into ot..."
Hi Kelly,Thanks so much for your comments! I'm so happy you enjoyed the book. It's interesting you mention Lev's line of work and refraining from turning the book into a thriller. I was actually told by an agent that I should turn it into a thriller! And I was really against the idea because I felt that would turn the book into something completely different. And something I did not want. I did get a lot of comments saying I needed to force a plot onto the book. I knew my publisher was the right publisher because he loved the book as is.
Kelly wrote: "Glad to finally join the discussion - I wanted to make sure to finish the book, so as to avoid any teeny spoilers.
I found this book to be such a unique reading experience, for so many reasons. A..."
I'm glad someone brought up the fireman Greg. The mysterious and beautiful man in room 214. He's really the only outsider Anya makes contact with during the book. Karolina, what are your thoughts on this character? I thought he made the connection between Anya and the fires much closer prior to her starting the brushfire and burning Lev's things.
The real question I have, Karolina, is if you were ever a brunette or redhead while living in LA???
I do feel as though she felt the fires would cleanse Los Angeles, so she and everyone else could start over and tying it to the last chapter where the farmers burn the potato fields so they can start fresh in the spring. I do feel like there are parallels between her own life feeling claustrophobic and the fires surrounding the city. And Anya certainly begins to think so as well.
The firefighter! He is an American. The possibility of a future for Anya, really. And he's also an outsider of the city who can come in and out as he wishes - something I think the other characters in the book do not have the option to do. Especially Anya.
Chelsea wrote: "I found it very interesting how throught the book Anya is facinated by the ash and the fires. I found myself wondering- from the beginning, deep down in her heart did she feel the desire to destroy..."
The firefighter was actually an addition in a later draft. I wanted someone to stand in for the all American, and initially it was the front desk clerk at the motel, however it just wasn't working. The firefighter idea came later in my revisions and he was mysterious, but also the only person really doing good in the book.
It's interesting to me how people have really become taken with him as he's only on the page a few times.
I am curious what the appeal is. For a man who has so few lines, it does seem as though readers see him as a savior. What does it?
Karly wrote: "I'm glad someone brought up the fireman Greg. The mysterious and beautiful man in room 214. He's really the only outsider Anya makes contact with during the book.
Karolina, what are your thought..."
Ha! My hair has probably been every color of the rainbow, at some point.Don't you think hair color change is the easiest and quickest way to make someone feel like they've made a big change in their life? Especially if it's a drastic change.
I've been blonde now for 7 years. My longest hair color commitment!
Kelly wrote: "The real question I have, Karolina, is if you were ever a brunette or redhead while living in LA???"
Karolina wrote: "I have a question! If a reader has never been to Los Angeles, do you think it's a difficult book to relate to because the locations are so specific? Does the city specificity detract from the readi..."I don't think it's difficult to relate to a book set in a location I've never been. I've never been to LA, but could still relate to the book. I think at some point in our lives we have experienced some of Anya does, in that we just want to fit in, feelings of lonliness, etc.
I think what made the fire fighter so interesting was that he wasn't mentioned or described too much-that's what made him so mysterously sexy...plus what women doesn't love fire fighters! haha! But more than that, because to Anya, I think he represented that unobtainable goal...and I loved how she snuck to his room and left the note. I'm so glad you made him a fire fighter and not a clerk. It's much more ironic that way since she was so facinated by the fires themselves.
You're absolutely right! I wanted to find a way to link Anya to the fires well before the end. I think he was exactly what was missing in the earlier drafts.Chelsea wrote: "I think what made the fire fighter so interesting was that he wasn't mentioned or described too much-that's what made him so mysterously sexy...plus what women doesn't love fire fighters! haha! But..."
Could you ever see this book on the screen? And if so, what elements would you want to see in the film version?
I could see it as a film, yeah. Probably some of Lev's visits would have to be condensed, and hopefully the firefighter element wouldn't be lost since it thematically goes with the fire she ends up setting. (I can see someone trying to make that argument since it's a small part in terms of pages.)
I think it's possible to take small characters on the page and explode them into very important characters on the screen. Trying to think of where that's the case in other adaptations...Sara wrote: "I could see it as a film, yeah. Probably some of Lev's visits would have to be condensed, and hopefully the firefighter element wouldn't be lost since it thematically goes with the fire she ends up..."
For a brief moment, I almost thought the fire fighter was going to end up as her way out of L.A. I find it interesting that she wanted to cleanse L.A., but then couldn't come to terms with the damage her "cleansing" ended up causing by burning the home of the one person outside of her neighborhood she had contact with, Mary. But, if she does end up leaving L.A. and starts over somewhere new, what will she do so that those feelings of loneliness don't manifest themselves in the same way?
Do you plan on continuing her story in another book? What other projects/ books do you have planned for the future?
Mod
I went back through the thread just to make sure this wasn't asked before... Who would you cast as Anya and Lev, if this were to go to the big screen?
Also, with Thanksgiving approaching, I'm curious to know how you and your family celebrate the holidays. Do you have any that are nearer and dearer to your heart than others?
Karolina wrote: "Could you ever see this book on the screen? And if so, what elements would you want to see in the film version?"I don't know if I'd want to see it as a film, actually. I mean, if it were done WELL, for sure! I worry that some of the things that people suggested about injecting plot would happen when trying to translate it to film . . . or worse, that they'd make Anya some female leading role stereotype :( an independent film, maybe!
I don't really have a question (I'm so bad at questions!), but I did want to address the LA discussion, too. I've been to LA a bit, not extensively . . but I feel like you captured the spirit of the area very keenly. I used to live in Orange County--I lived there when Irvine caught fire, in fact--and the whole time I was reading, I was rolling around in those memories. It felt very real to me. I imagine that, for someone who hadn't been, details that vivid would bring the setting to life for them, too.
Hi Nicolle,As far as Anya escaping her loneliness, I'm not sure she can the way she's going about it now. Am I the only one who thinks it's incredibly difficult to make friends as an adult? Maybe it's just me!
If you're not a natural joiner, and if you can't find anyone interesting at your job, where do you go?
I'm not going to continue Anya's story in another book, at least not just yet. I finished a book recently that has another female narrator and I'm exploring more issues that are somewhat uniquely female.
In the next book, Invaders, my narrator is an ageing trophy wife who is coming to terms with becoming invisible to the opposite sex. She develops a relationship with her would-be attacker.
I'm really fascinated by male/female relationships and power struggles, in general. So we'll see what happens with that one!
Nicolle wrote: "For a brief moment, I almost thought the fire fighter was going to end up as her way out of L.A.
I find it interesting that she wanted to cleanse L.A., but then couldn't come to terms with the da..."
Lori! Initially, I had said Peter Sarsgaard for Lev after seeing An Education. And Mia Wisakowska for Anya. I could also see Elizabeth Olson as Anya.
But really, I'm not sure. Who comes to mind for you?
Lori wrote: "Karolina,
I went back through the thread just to make sure this wasn't asked before... Who would you cast as Anya and Lev, if this were to go to the big screen?
Also, with Thanksgiving approachi..."
As for Thanksgiving, we're pretty by the book. I just made a pumpkin pie and we're going to my parents for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, my brother and sister live in Austin and Los Angeles so I won't get to see them. It's always difficult getting all of us together because we're so spread out. We've never been ones for large family gatherings though because we only have one set of cousins/aunt/uncle in the US. All the stories of gigantic Thanksgiving family gatherings make me quite envious.Lori wrote: "Karolina,
I went back through the thread just to make sure this wasn't asked before... Who would you cast as Anya and Lev, if this were to go to the big screen?
Also, with Thanksgiving approachi..."
Hi Susie!I'm glad you joined in!
I could imagine a very bad espionage film version of Twin Palms, with Anya hanging off the edge of a building in Downtown LA and yelling in Polish on her cell phone for help. Played by Angelina Jolie, of course.
Susie wrote: "Karolina wrote: "Could you ever see this book on the screen? And if so, what elements would you want to see in the film version?"
I don't know if I'd want to see it as a film, actually. I mean, if..."
Yes, and then Lev's mob buddies would show up at her door.. the one in the back thumping a baseball bat into his hand...I'm very glad you did not decide to turn it into a thriller. >.<
Karolina wrote: "Hi Susie!
I'm glad you joined in!
I could imagine a very bad espionage film version of Twin Palms, with Anya hanging off the edge of a building in Downtown LA and yelling in Polish on her cell phon..."
Mod
Initially, I had said Peter Sarsgaard for Lev after seeing An Education. And Mia Wisakowska for Anya. I could also see Elizabeth Olson as Anya.
But really, I'm not sure. Who comes to mind ..."
How sad is it that I had to google each one of those actors? I am horrible with today's hot names.
Which also means I am horrible at cast-picking :)
Karolina wrote: "Hi Nicolle,As far as Anya escaping her loneliness, I'm not sure she can the way she's going about it now. Am I the only one who thinks it's incredibly difficult to make friends as an adult? Maybe ..."
I agree, as we get older it can be harder to make new friends, especially if you move to a new place and don't know anyone.
Mod
Karolina, do you brave the crowds for great deals on Black Friday? Or are you more of a Cyber Monday shopper?
I'm definitely a stay at home and shop online kind of person. Although I did hit the local shops today!Lori wrote: "Welcome back from Turkey overload everyone. Hope you enjoyed your holiday and survived Black Friday shopping!
Karolina, do you brave the crowds for great deals on Black Friday? Or are you more of ..."
I was curious what other books about the immigrant experience you all have read and what you find compelling about those stories.
Karolina wrote: "I was curious what other books about the immigrant experience you all have read and what you find compelling about those stories."I've read Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich, Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, My Antonia by Willa Cather and some other local genealogy stuff. I just found their food, customs, traditions, lifestyle fascinating and a window into a whole different way of life. I also like their descriptions of the new place and how the cope or not cope with the transition and try to recreate a little bit of home.
Quarantine by Rahul Mehta had quite a few immigrant experience stories, and I enjoyed the book a lot, especially since it dealt with not straight characters.The Girl Below by Bianca Zander, I didn't like as much (it was fine, but I didn't love it) concerned a woman who moved from England to Australia and then back again a decade later, who is startled to find how the place she grew up in has moved on without her.
Those are the two in recent memory, at least.
Those books sound great. I'm going to have to check them out. I love the idea of going back to a place and being startled to find that it has moved on without you. It's almost as if the immigrant's memory of the place is stuck on the moment they left, and so any progression of time in that place is jarring. That might just be me.
I really enjoyed The Joy Luck Club, especially the focus on the relationship between parents and children. It's been years since I've read it, but I found it very moving.
Mod
Two more days to get your questions and comments in to Karolina before we wrap up this month's discussion....
It's not exactly an immigrant story as a main narrative (but maybe it is; I'm only 88 pages in) by The Thing About Thugs by Tabish Kahair features an Indian man living in Victorian London. There are a bunch of different points of view, so I'm still sort of acclimating, but I'm enjoying it so far.
I really enjoyed The Ruins of Us as well. It's about an American woman living in Saudi Arabia. It explores the difficulties and challenges of a woman living in another culture and her rights within they culture. More importantly it explores the ideas of family and home.
Karolina, I really enjoyed participating in this discussion with you! When can we expect your next book?
Mod
It was such a pleasure to host you here on TNBBC and I'm so happy we were able to get your book into the hands of people who loved it as much as I did.
I hope you had as much fun hanging with us as we had having you here!
Hi Rosanna! I had a great time with this discussion too! I finished my book a few weeks ago, so I hope it gets picked up. Fingers crossed!I'll keep you posted.
Rosanna wrote: "Karolina, I really enjoyed participating in this discussion with you! When can we expect your next book?"
Lori! It was my pleasure. Everyone asked such great questions and I had a lot of fun. Love this group!Thank you so much.
Lori wrote: "Karolina, I work tomorrow, on your last day with us, so I just wanted to reach out and thank you SO MUCH for hanging with us this month and being such a fabulous discussionist (yup, I just made tha..."
I love these recommendations for other books that deal with the immigrant experience. I'm going to have to check them out. It's always interesting to read about other experiences.
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat (other topics)How to Get into the Twin Palms (other topics)
