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1. HOUSE OF STONE ~ APRIL 1-APRIL 7 ~ ~ INTRODUCTION, PART 1 and CHAPTER 1 (SPOILER THREAD)
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Chapter Overviews and SummariesIntroduction:(Bayt) pp. xiii-xviii
The author introduces his great grandfather, Isber and the stone house that he built in Maryjayoun, Lebanon. But the town is fading and no road runs through it anymore. But the house that Isber built still stands and reminds the author of these words...."remember the past, remember Marjayoun, remember who you are".
Part 1: Chapter 1 (What Silence Knows) pp 3-13
The author is covering the Middle East as a journalist when he enters the Lebanese town of Qana which has been bombed by Israel. He thinks of his family when he hears that the Israelis entered Marjayoun and wonders if the family home is still standing. After a long and dangerous journey, he arrives and finds an Israeli rocket had crashed into the second floor and burst into flame. He borrows a shovel and plants an olive tree next to the old ones still standing and makes a commitment to himself.
As the author describes the town of Marjayoun as it was during his great-grandfather's time, it is sad to note the differences between the "then" and "now". A thriving trading center, it was home to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The fall of the Ottoman Empire and WWI was a disaster for the town and its people and the emigration started. The author feels that his heritage has been left behind. What are your thoughts on his decision to return to the home of his ancestors in a country which is rife with war and discontent?
Mod
Mod
I loved the introduction with the life that his Great-grandfather lived. In my lifetime, the Middle East brings to mind war, war, and more war. It makes the past there seem to be a completely different world somehow unrelated to the future. But then he begins to bring the past and future together. Nicely done. I like the writing style and believe I will enjoy this book.
Mod
I also was touched by how he blended identity with family and to him they were one and the same. I wonder how all of us view our families - are they our identity or are they something else?
The Arabic word "bayt" has, I think, a somewhat different shade of meaning than our English word "home".....or at least some different levels. To return to his home although he was neither born there nor lived there appears to fit perfectly with the quote from the Introduction......"remember the past, remember Marjayoun, remember who you are".
Mod
I also liked the way he said: "Everyday places say much - quietly."
I also was interested in the word "bayt". It is also used like our word house in the sense of the House of Shadid as shown in the genological tables at the front.I'm curious to see whether the Christianity of the family has any impact on their story.
Mod
I was rather surprised to find that the family was Christian; however, there were many religious faiths in the town prior to WWI, that I guess it is not unusual.
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I was also taken with his honesty, Bentley. I am hoping that as the book proceeds, his wife and daughter may come back into the narrative, albeit briefly.
Do you think, that as an American of Lebanese descent, the author will be accepted in Marajayoun or will the "ugly American" issue override his family connections to the town's people.
Mod
Yes, though I fear he may have been speaking about his first wife but I am not sure.
Mod
That may be up to him I think in terms of how he handles things and also how the town viewed his family - hard to tell at this point.
I totally understand it. As a genealogist, I completely understand wanting to see the home of my ancestors, however close or far their generation is from mine. I think it would be hard to go back under unsafe conditions, but I still understand the want or need to go. It's a completely personal decision and some may not care to know about the troubles and hardships (or the victories) of their ancestors. For others it seems to fill some kind of void and can put their own life in perspective. I am assuming we'll find out that it will be the case for Shadid. Jill wrote: "As the author describes the town of Marjayoun as it was during his great-grandfather's time, it is sad to note the differences between the "then" and "now". A thriving trading center, it was home t..."
I think you are right, Teri....in Shadid's case, I believe he was trying to not only learn about his ancestors but absorb the feeling of the place, regardless of the changes that have taken place over the generations however painful they may be.
I think Shadid's first view of Qana during and after the Israeli attack and the reaction of the population, especially the women, explains the appropriate title of Chapter 1, "What Silence Knows"......it was faith of these people that did not seek the sorrow of other regarding their fate. Is this silence particular to the Middle East in general or to those of the Muslim faith?
Mod
I wonder if here in America - we lost that inner silence and introspectiveness. I watch young people tethered to their iPhones and their iPads and they absolutely cannot be a minute without this technology; and I wonder where the inner peace is any more.
On Shadid's drive to Marjayoun, he muses on the loss of old traditions and values as war has changed Lebanon. He recalls the words of an Israeli novelist whose son was lost in battle...."that when something like this happens to you, you feel exiled from every part of your life. Nothing is home again, not even your body." Shadid feels that Isber's home is the catalyst that drives him forward through the destruction...the true meaning of bayt. Do you think that Western people understand this pull to return "home"? Americans, for example, are more exploreres.....go forward and find new experiences and places rather than stay at "home".
I'm not sure I am interpreting your question properly, Jill, but I think many people - including and maybe even especially Americans - have a desire at some time in their lives to go back to their "roots." It may not be a specific building as in Shadid's case but rather a place of origin. I'm a third generation American, as was Shadid, and I am drawn to travel to the village in Europe from which my grandfather emigrated. I think I would feel a sense of returning home.
DonnaR wrote: "I'm not sure I am interpreting your question properly, Jill, but I think many people - including and maybe even especially Americans - have a desire at some time in their lives to go back to their ..."You interpreted correctly, Donna. But as I read this book I see such a passion for the return to "home" that seems different from those that we, as Westerners experience. I think what I was trying to express was that the culture of the Middle East may put more emphasis on this type of journey.
Quite possibly so, Jill, and an interesting idea.
I was surprised that Isber's house, although badly damaged by rocket fire, was still salvageable. And I thought that the planting of the small olive tree among the older trees was a fitting tribute. He had come home and once more the word bayt becomes important.
Mod
One quote which troubled me a bit was one that Shadid made about himself:
Never been the type of man to stay home. I have never been a man who kept his promises.
What did you make of that?
Just based upon his profession, he is a traveler so was never home.....a wanderer. The fact that he never kept promises leaves me puzzled.....maybe we will find out more about this statement later but there is no clue in the Introduction or Chapter One to indicate a reason for that particular weakness.
Perhaps because of the traveling
Mod
Bentley wrote: "Yes, the traveling as a reporter - I can understand and maybe too much of a risk taker. But the part about promises - I did not understand."Ahh, but is that part of the allure to keep reading? What is the mystery of the broken promises?
Mod
I'm also curious about his wife and child that are no longer in his life.......wondering if we will hear anything about them later?
Mod
Please join in the conversations as you proceed with the book Mhoira.
Jill wrote: "Do you think that Western people understand this pull to return "home"? Americans, for example, are more exploreres.....go forward and find new experiences and places rather than stay at "home". ..."
Sorry I'm late to the party, but I wanted to add to this discussion about "home."
I have always had a deep attachment to my grandmother's house, which is located in a very small rural town in Nebraska. I've had dreams about it all my life, and to this day I can conjure up the feeling of being in the different rooms of that house.
I associate my mother's family with that house (there were twelve children raised in it, eight of them females), and while I'm not close to my aunts & uncles and cousins, that house represents some kind of connection and continuity that seems profoundly important to me even tho' I probably only spent a few summer months of my life there. I think it was the stories my mother told me about growing up in that house, in that town, with all those sisters and brothers, that has made that house a "home" of legacy and history for me.
You are never late to the party, Janice......the threads are open for comments to all, no matter where you are in your reading progress. We are glad you joined us.Lovely story about your grandmother's house. I think most of us can relate to it. There is always someplace special that we feel is "home".
Jill wrote: "I think most of us can relate to it. There is always someplace special that we feel is "home"..."Actually, the place I feel is "home" is Hawaii, but we were talking about the role of a specific building somehow representing the concept of bayt, which is where my grandmother's house fits, and which might also qualify as the building that houses my American roots, as Donna mentioned.
Right now, neither place is accessible to me. Best case scenario, I would transport my grandmother's house to one of the islands, and I'd have a win-win :)
Our concept of bayt really isn't much different from that of the Lebanese, as noted by your story of your grandmother's house...... a connection to the past and to family even though you may have never lived there. It is a feeling in the heart of the importance of roots.
For the week of April 1, 2013 - April 7, 201, we are reading the Introduction,and Chapter One of House of Stone.
The first week's reading assignment is:
WEEK ONE: April 1, 2013 - April, 2013 (p xiii - xviii and 3 - 13)
Introduction: (Bayt); and Chapter One (What Silence Knows).
We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers. We will also open up supplemental threads as we did for other spotlighted books.
This book is being kicked off on April 1,2013.. We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, or on your Kindle. This weekly thread will be opened up today, April 1, 2013.
There is no rush and we are thrilled to have you join us. It is never too late to get started and/or to post.
Jill will be moderating this discussion.
Welcome,
~Bentley
TO ALWAYS SEE ALL WEEKS' THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL
REMEMBER NO SPOILERS ON THE WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREADS - ON EACH WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREAD - WE ONLY DISCUSS THE PAGES ASSIGNED OR THE PAGES WHICH WERE COVERED IN PREVIOUS WEEKS. IF YOU GO AHEAD OR WANT TO ENGAGE IN MORE EXPANSIVE DISCUSSION - POST THOSE COMMENTS IN ONE OF THE SPOILER THREADS. THESE CHAPTERS ARE EXTREMELY DENSE SO WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK WITH THE CHAPTER OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY TO RECALL WHETHER YOUR COMMENTS ARE ASSIGNMENT SPECIFIC. EXAMPLES OF SPOILER THREADS ARE THE GLOSSARY, THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE INTRODUCTION AND THE BOOK AS A WHOLE THREADS.
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