Week 1: Chapter 1-9

[Tracey]

Post thoughts, comments, quotes and questions here.

[Tracey]

Chapter 1:
1. 'Magnificence, like the size of a fortune, is comparative.'

2. 'During the earlier years of this period elegance of personal appearance was believed to rest more upon the texture of garments than upon their shaping.'

When shape replaced 'aristocracy of texture' what happened?

3. ' the houses ...were of a pleasant architecture. They lacked style, but also lacked pretentiousness, and whatever does not pretend at all has style enough.' Comment.

4. 'In the days before deathly contrivances hustled them through their lives, and when they had no telephones- they had time for everything: time to think, time to talk, time to read,time to wait for a lady!' Comment

Chapter 2:
Thoughts on Isabel Amberson and her choice of husband.

Chapter 3:
We meet George Amberson Minafer.
Thoughts on his character and behaviour. Who is responsible for training this child this way?
Who are they who look forward to George getting it?

[Tracey]

Chapter 4:
Georgie perceives that his mother is a beautiful woman and had 'an uncomfortable feeling...becoming suddenly a vague resentment, as if she had done something unmotherly to him.' Comments
Chapter 5:
Lucy Morgan meets Georgie. Thoughts on this and the differences between young and old; 'age is everlastingly enquiring,' age wants to know and thinks and plans. Youth 'goes to a dance an sits with a stranger...feels peculiar, thinks nothing and becomes incapable of any plan whatever.'
Chapter 6:
Thoughts on how Georgie views others and Mr Eugene Morgan.
Chapter 7 & 8:
Does Georgie understand what is happening with the appearance of Eugene Morgan in the midst of his family?
Does Lucy understand Georgie?
Lucy's comment about her father's view of his past: 'It seems tome the gold-dust he thinks was here is just his being young that he remembers. I think it was just youth.'
Is it true that we remember the past fondly because of how we felt at being alive at that age?
Chapter 9:
Does Georgie understand himself?

So far I am enjoying the story.

[Rosemarie]

This section is very nostalgic and fun, but Georgie is a pill (to use slang) and his mother Isabel is totally unaware of how obnoxious her son is. I really do hope he gets his comeuppance- he deserves it.
I like Lucy because she has a sense of humour and intelligence.

[Tracey]

Rosemarie wrote: "This section is very nostalgic and fun, but Georgie is a pill (to use slang) and his mother Isabel is totally unaware of how obnoxious her son is. I really do hope he gets his comeuppance- he deser..."

Are mothers in general guilty of not seeing the truth of their children if they have only 1 child?

[Rosemarie]

I think Tarkington has exaggerated it somewhat. My six-year old grandson is an only child and my daughter is fully aware that he is a bad loser, but hopefully that will improve with time.
Georgie is 19 and has always had his own way. The fact the family are wealthy plays a big role in this.

[Tracey]

Rosemarie wrote: "I think Tarkington has exaggerated it somewhat. My six-year old grandson is an only child and my daughter is fully aware that he is a bad loser, but hopefully that will improve with time.
Georgie ..."

I wonder if part of has to do with how the mother herself was raised and the fact that she did not have a deep love for her husband and so projected all her affections on her son,