S.

[Jon]

Started reading this last night. Got through to Chapter 2. Some reviewers recommend reading it five times. Since our discussion is only a couple of weeks away, I'm opting for the full immersion once through. Other reviews have also noted disappointment in the ending which comes as no surprise to me (Abrams, Lost). I will give it my best shot and hope I don't drown in the fire hose of pseudo facts.

[Jon]

I found some helpful websites and Twitter feeds to follow that will help me decipher (pun intended) much of this novel. I'll share them here with the understanding that you read them at your own risk because they will contain spoilers:

S.FILES22 (http://sfiles22.blogspot.com/)

Thoughts on "S" (http://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/) including the Beginner's Guide to Reading "S" (http://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/the-...)

@MyTheseus (https://twitter.com/MyTheseus) - Tips for reading #S by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst along with thoughts on what clues may lead to the richest cache of treasure. #ShipOfTheseus #WhoIsStraka

[Marilyn]

I found Jon's web reference very worth while. Thank you for posting it.

http://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/the-...

[Marilyn]

Kaite Stover - Will books be available for purchase and signing the night of the author event?

[Kaite]

Marilyn wrote: "Kaite Stover - Will books be available for purchase and signing the night of the author event?"

Yes! We will have booksales on site and Doug will sign them. Looking forward to seeing you there!

[Jon]

I saw a Tweet yesterday between Kaite and the author (Doug Dorst) that prompted me to do some 'soul searching' with respect to my reading tastes.

I'm very analytical and work in a tech field. So I tend to prefer structured 'things' - stories, entertainment, games, puzzles, etc.

The Tweet mentioned above:

Questions for @dougdorst #88: Which storyline most demanding: SHIP OF THESEUS, Straka/Caldeira, Eric/Jen, footnotes/ephemera? #S @KCLibrary

— KaiteStover (@MarianLiberryan) May 5, 2014

@MarianLiberryan SOT, b/c it has to show Straka as worthy of serious study many decades later. The entire experience of S. depends upon it.

— Doug Dorst (@dougdorst) May 5, 2014

This prompted me to go research what would make a work of fiction worthy of study. Obviously, my college years were spent in engineering and math classes. I didn't do much with literature as art.

I have barely scratched the surface, but I begin to understand why I had so much trouble finishing Winter's Tale. I loved Helprin's writing style, but I grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of plot.

So far, The Ship of Theseus, the 'root' of S., has kept my interest piqued. I may even finish it before attending Thursday's evening's session with the author.

[Jon]

I wasn't able to attend in person, but thanks to the Library's YouTube channel (and live streaming) I was able to watch last night's talk featuring Doug Dorst and our very own Kaite Stover. You can watch it now via the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZGVPR...

[Jon]

Confirmed by the author last night (and last Thursday evening), an alternate ending (for S.) can be found here:

http://jenheyward.tumblr.com/

He also noted during the Q&A last night that he actually wrote everything you will find on the above web site.