November 2017 - The Shell Collector

[Sarah]

One of the group reads for November is The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr. Please discuss the book in this thread.

Lilisa will be leading the discussion.

In order to receive a badge you must:
1. have completed the book before or during November 2017.
2. discussed it in this thread. Discussion must be more than "I read the book and I liked it". Discussion requires something more substantial and analytical of what you read, for example, thoughts, opinions, impact it had on you, what was your favourite part, was it what you expected it to be like etc. You may also like to review the book and post a link to the review in this thread. Please refer to our group spoiler policy for further information.
3. Report that you have read AND discussed the book in the reporting thread (include a brief summary of what you thought of the book).

General Rules:
1. Please mark your spoilers with the spoiler tags along with mentioning what stage of the book you are at so other's don't get a nasty shock. Chapter numbers/titles are generally best as they are the same across all formats and editions.
2. The book may be combined with the Year Long Challenge, Topplers, and Monthly Challenges.

Happy reading!

[Sarah]

As we will be discussing short stories, please list which story you are discussing before any spoilers (in tags). If the stories are long and you wish to discuss midway through one, please state that before your spoiler.

[Lilisa]

Looking forward to reading/discussing TSC - it's been on my TBR list since 2014. I loved Anthony Doerr's Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World but unlike most folks didn't care for All the Light We Cannot See. Just started the first story - The Shell Collector - but probably won't get too far into it until this evening...happy reading!

[Lilisa]

Finished the first story - The Shell Collector - it was really interesting - I had to look stuff up a ton of stuff, particularly cone snails, had no idea - thanks Google! Story wise, I am wowed by how much was packed into 30 pages - well done! I'm rusty on spoilers - got to look it up again so won't say anything about the storyline and characters yet.

[Sarah]

If you type < spoiler > ahead of your spoiler and end it with < /spoiler > (minus the spaces I added in otherwise it would act like a spoiler and you wouldn't see the code) that should work.

[Cherie]

I had this book slotted into my Geo Challenge, Lilisa. I am going to see if my library has a copy. I have never read any of Dorerr's work, but I have several titles listed in my TBR listing.

[Trudy]

I’ll be starting this book in the next day or two.

[Lilisa]

Thanks Sarah. Sounds good, Cherie - this is my third of his, didn't like one (fiction), loved the other (nonfiction) and now short stories -- I liked the first story. (view spoiler)[I so who's really like that we don't know the name of the shell collector. I did find the fact that he was blind, but was a marine biologist and knew all the marine creatures a bit unrealistic (hide spoiler)] would do you think? I loved Tumaini and Seema.

[Lilisa]

Great TrudyAn - looking forward to your thoughts.

[Tejas Janet]

I loved Four Seasons in Rome. Have avoided

[Tejas Janet]

Have avoided All the Light for various reasons.

[Tejas Janet]

Looking forward to Shell

[Tejas Janet]

Collector

[Tejas Janet]

I think I must be in Travis posting mode 😀

[Sarah]

Tejas Janet wrote: "I think I must be in Travis posting mode 😀"

Hmm. Exactly what I was thinking. What happened there?! lol

[Lilisa]

Tejas Janet wrote: "I loved Four Seasons in Rome. Have avoided"

Me too!

[Lilisa]

Tejas Janet wrote: "Have avoided All the Light for various reasons."

Keep doing that! :-)

[Lilisa]

Sarah wrote: "Tejas Janet wrote: "I think I must be in Travis posting mode 😀"

Hmm. Exactly what I was thinking. What happened there?! lol"

Lol!

[Saar The Book owl]

I've ordered my copy of The Shell Collector in the library. Hopefully I'll receive it next week.

[Eliestal]

I am currently reading The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria, Vol. 1 but as soon as I am finished I'll will start The Shell Collector since I already have my copy of the book!

[Lilisa]

Saar and Clemente - looking forward to you both joining the discussion. Maybe one of the short stories will be about cannabilism for Clemente! :-)

[Lilisa]

Finished the second story - The Hunter's Wife - all I can say is "beautiful!" I did a road trip last fall and was in Montana for a couple of days - gorgeous and can only imagine the beauty of the summers and winters and nature's world. That juxtapositioned (view spoiler)[against the in-between world makes the story so magically beautiful! While everything that led up to the reunion of the hunter aka Mr. Dumas and Mary Roberts was well done, I didn't care for the caskets stuff in the house. I felt it was jarring and didn't fit with all the other scenes throughout the story - just that part felt a bit crass. (hide spoiler)] I found the relationship between (view spoiler)[the hunter and Mary interesting. They never divorced, just lived apart for more than 20 years. It's left to our imagination whether they get together. I think even if they did, it would be temporarily (hide spoiler)] I'm going to have to pace myself on the rest of the stories!

[[deleted user]]

I started The Shell Collector this evening and I've read the first story, The Shell Collector. Like you Lilisa I had to google pretty much every type of species that was mentioned apart from those that were in the film Finding Nemo!! I also found it hard to believe that (view spoiler)[ the shell collector was a marine biologist and blind but there you go. Pretty amazing really. (hide spoiler)].

I've not read any of Anthony Doerr's other books yet but if his other short stories are written as well as the first, I think I just might.

[Trudy]

I am a bit more than half-way though The Shell Collector, and have read to the end of The Caretaker. All of the stories have been very good, and I’m enjoying the character development and imagery.

One of the reasons I tend to avoid short stories is that the endings often seemed rushed or incomplete, leaving me wanting something more. But the ending of July Fourth (my favourite, so far, of the collection), was perfect.

[Lilisa]

Anna wrote: "I started The Shell Collector this evening and I've read the first story, The Shell Collector. Like you Lilisa I had to google pretty much every type of species that was mentioned apa..."

What did you think of The Shell Collector - the story - Anna? Did you enjoy it? Apart from your comment in your spoiler, what did you think of the main character? Yes, there were tons of marine-related stuff. I'm glad I own the book. For sure I'm going to read the stories I've read so far again.

[Lilisa]

TrudyAn wrote: "I am a bit more than half-way though The Shell Collector, and have read to the end of The Caretaker. All of the stories have been very good, and I’m enjoying the character development..."

You're clipping through the stories - great going TrudyAn! I'm pacing myself and I'm on the third story - So Many Chances. What do you particularly like about the character development and imagery of the stories so far? (view spoiler)[I love the characters in the first two stories - they're kind of self sufficient, communing with nature type of folks, hardy and survivors. (hide spoiler)] Can't wait to get to July Fourth. What about the ending made it perfect?

[Lilisa]

Just finished For a Long Time This Was Griselda's Story, hmm (view spoiler)[did not like - wierd. I did not get what the story is supposed to convey. Should I just take it at face value or is there a deeper strain I missed??? Metal eater - willing suspension of disbelief? Deeper thread - about family relationships and personal impulses? Hmm(view spoiler)[/. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Saar The Book owl]

I've got my copy today and will start to read now.

[Lilisa]

Saar wrote: "I've got my copy today and will start to read now."

Great Saar - looking forward to your thoughts!

[Debra]

I've read the first story, The Shell Collector (book title by the same name). I don't tend to enjoy short stories for the same reason TrudyAn mentioned; they don't usually give me the sense of having been on a satisfying journey. I like to get fully immersed for 100s of pages, not far less. However, if all the stories in this book are as good as the first, then I won't be disappointed.

(view spoiler)[ Like Anna, I had a hard believing a blind man could be a successful marine biologist, and able to identify mollusks by touch alone. And how does he avoid being stung by all the dangerous creatures lurking in the coral reefs he wades through? Also, he avoids damaging the fragile ecology, and we see that visitors aren't nearly as careful of the ecology or environmentally conscious of the damage they cause, and the loss/death of the natural wildlife they inflict in their search for the miracle cure of the deadly cone shell.

So, this story read a bit like some magical realism I've encountered. You suspend belief and let the story just unfold. I didn't have trouble with that, and enjoyed the tale. It was very well-written, which was a definite plus. (hide spoiler)]

I'm deliberately putting down the book before continuing to the next story, hoping I'd be able to comment on each one before beginning the next while they are fresher in my mind. My memory just isn't the greatest these days!

[Lilisa]

Debra wrote: "I've read the first story, The Shell Collector (book title by the same name). I don't tend to enjoy short stories for the same reason TrudyAn mentioned; they don't usually give me the sense of havi..."

Glad you enjoyed the first story Debra. Yep, I'm in total agreement with your spoiler comments. I think short stories are more difficult to write than a novel because of the length or lack thereof.

[Eliestal]

I finished the book I was reading so I will start reading The Shell Collector today. I am looking forward to discussing it with all of you!

[Lilisa]

Clément wrote: "I finished the book I was reading so I will start reading The Shell Collector today. I am looking forward to discussing it with all of you!"

Great Clement - likewise!

[Lilisa]

Finished July Fourth. (view spoiler)[poking fun at Americans - loved that! Potato chips served on fine china :-) Doritos :-) the quest for bigger is better :-) then the comical inability to take a photo of the prize takes the cake. But all is not lost - they spare the carp! Nice. I loved that the teacher translated the Americans as "fools" to the schoolkids - hilarious! So much was packed into this story - this one might rival The Hunter's Wife and The Shell Collector as my favs so far. It's going to be tough to land on THE favorite story. (hide spoiler)]

[Debra]

Lilisa wrote: "Glad you enjoyed the first story Debra. Yep, I'm in total agreement with your spoiler comments. I think short stories are more difficult to write than a novel because of the length or lack thereof. "

I like when folks agree with me. lol Thanks!

It's nice to see others joining in, too!

[[deleted user]]

Lilisa wrote: "Anna wrote: "I started The Shell Collector this evening and I've read the first story, The Shell Collector. Like you Lilisa I had to google pretty much every type of species that was ..."

I did enjoy the story but more so the writing itself. I loved the descriptive writing and the setting. I would love to live on the beach, with the water and sand at my fingertips.

The Shell Collector as a character frustrated me. (view spoiler)[He was far to passive. He clearly did not like having people pitch-up at his kibanda but did nothing to deter them. It was like he just accepted it. (hide spoiler)]

I did, however, love the relationship between the Shell Collector an Tumaini.

[[deleted user]]

Debra wrote: "I've read the first story, The Shell Collector (book title by the same name). I don't tend to enjoy short stories for the same reason TrudyAn mentioned; they don't usually give me the sense of havi..."

Looks like I am agreeing with you too Debra! You hit the nail on the head - (view spoiler)[by suspending belief and just going with the flow, makes the story very enjoyable (hide spoiler)].

[Debra]

Anna wrote: "Looks like I am agreeing with you too Debra! You hit the nail on the head ."

Anne, I agree with your previous spoiler about how frustrating the shell collector was as a character. And thanks to you, too, for agreeing with me. Now my head's getting big! lol I don't usually have the most profound comments; others do, though. It's cool because I learn things and perspectives that would have never occurred to me.

[Silver]

I had to wait for a copy of the book to be available at my library so I only recently started reading.

Just finished The Shell Collector ( the first story)

(view spoiler)[I had some mixed feelings about this story. In many ways I sympathized with and related to the main character. I did feel badly for the way he had his home and privacy invaded upon by those who all flocked seeking the miracle cure.

His son Josh annoyed me in the way he acted toward his father. Though at the same time while I did not agree with the way Josh and the miracle seekers behaved as they did not truly know what they were doing, I was surprised by the shell collectors ignorance of the actual medicinal benefits of the venom.

Josh was accurate about there being scientific precedent behind the healing properties of the venom but the shell collector dismisses the idea as stupid.

Even when he witnesses the healing properties at work he denies it.

In regards to his blindness, as someone who lives with a blind individual I did not find it as far fetched or hard to believe as many others.

While it would not be easy, it is within the realm of possibility. Between different species there would be differences (though sometimes very subtle) in size, shape, texture. It would take a lot of training and practice to recognize the differences.

I have to say the character I felt most sympathetic toward was Tumaini. (hide spoiler)]

[Debra]

I finished The Hunter's Wife, and it was equally as good as the first story; perhaps better. I have to say anything with the word "hunter" in the title will turn me off, initially. I don't like to read about hunters and killing game. I understand it can be an honorable hobby, if the hunting is for meat (or survival) and not for trophies or the thrill of the kill. In any case, although there were parts of the hunter's character/job I didn't like, I found I really enjoyed this tale.

(view spoiler)[ Here we find magic again, in the wife's supernatural abilities. I found I really wanted the hunter to succeed in understanding his wife, and to get her to truly appreciate his world and vocation.

When they found the frozen heron, my heart broke a little. As some of you know, the heron represents my spirit guide, of sorts. However, I doubt a heron would find himself frozen in a river and unable to escape. But, the details in the story were somewhat horrific. I had expected/hoped the wife had the power to bring it back to life, but that wasn't her gift. But, this is not a predictable story.

I knew the wife would leave the hunter; that she'd get more and more wrapped up in testing the range of her gift, needing to explore the whole world, and wanting to help others.

I really like that the hunter came to see her after twenty years, and they seem to have reached an understanding of each other... they held hands... and perhaps she returns with him to the woods... perhaps not. That is left to our imaginations. (hide spoiler)]

[Debra]

Silver:

(view spoiler)[ You made great points about the son, and the shell collector's naivety about the venom's medicinal properties. Certainly, a well-studied marine biologist would know such things.

I'm pleased to hear that you believe a blind individual might very well be able to work in this field. I've read stories where blind folks navigate the world exceptionally well, but never knew how realistic the stories were.

And I felt most empathy for Tumaini, and feared something bad would happen to her/him (can't remember the gender). I'm always worried about animals in any story. (hide spoiler)]

[Trudy]

I finished this book a couple of days ago. I don’t have a favourite story, and thinking back, I am already having difficulty remembering some of them. The characters that easily come to mind are (view spoiler)[ the metal eater, because it was such a strange tale, and the caretaker, because of his life story and interesting relationship with the deaf girl. (hide spoiler)]

I enjoyed the lyrical writing style and the way the natural world was incorporated into most of the stories. For the most part, I didn’t find the characters to be believable, but I am okay with that.

It is undoubtedly difficult for a writer to develop a character and storyline within only a few pages. These stories were interesting enough to keep me reading, but I much prefer a full-length book with deeper character and plot development.

[Silver]

Debra wrote: "Silver:.."

(view spoiler)[I was also struck by the irony that the miraculous healing powers of the cone shells did not heal the shell collector when he was bitten as it seemed to heal all others. In a way it makes one wonder if miracle healings are a matter of faith. Not necessarily religious faith but the faith the person has in the person/object to heal them. The shell collector was never a believer.

I cannot recall the title off the top of my head but there is a work of non-fiction about the achievements of a blind explorer. <\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Lilisa wrote: "Finished the first story - The Shell Collector - it was really interesting - I had to look stuff up a ton of stuff, particularly cone snails, had no idea - thanks Google! Story wise, I am wowed by ..."

While reading the first story, I also had to do some research online. (view spoiler)[I wasn't aware that different types of cone snail venom had medicinal value, although I am sure Doerr must have got the idea for the story through his own research. The blindness of the main character initially didn't cause any concerns but I could see why it would be very difficult for him to continue with his collecting, even with the help of his dog. An interesting story but it probably won't be my favorite. (hide spoiler)]

[Lilisa]

Finished the last three stories - The Caretaker, A Tangle by The Rapid River and Mkondo (view spoiler)[There seems to be a pattern of Doerr's main characters being loners, not necessarily anti-social, just not needing much external interaction and/or experience intense inner turmoil. In the case of the caretaker being haunted for the rest of his life by the horrific and tragic events of war - no amount of burning the whales' hearts could assuage his horrible memory of what he experienced, saw and did - poor tormented Joseph. in the Rapid River story, did I miss what happened to the letter that was tucked into the newspaper that Mulligan inadvertently gave to his wife's niece??? Mkondo was another interesting story - Ward feeling a magnetic pull toward Naima - knowing nothing about her. All the relationships in his stories seem to have this odd attractive draw - with not much in common, not surprising mist seem to fall apart or at least end up with the reader wondering if they'll get back together like the The Hunter's Wife (hide spoiler)] My favorite's a tie - The Hunter's Wife and The Shell Collector, followed closely by July Fourth.

[Cherie]

I downloaded an ebook copy from my library today and started the first story until my tablet ran out of juice. I left it in wifi mode and did not realize it.

[[deleted user]]

Debra wrote: "Anna wrote: "Looks like I am agreeing with you too Debra! You hit the nail on the head ."

Anne, I agree with your previous spoiler about how frustrating the shell collector was as a character. And..."

I very rarely have profound things to say about books!! I often think I miss a lot of what an author is try to say.

[[deleted user]]

Silver & Debra,

Re The Shell Collector, I wonder if he (view spoiler)[ wasn't as naive about the venom as we were being led to believe - I wonder if he new full well but did not want his home invaded. He may also have had concerns that the coral and other shells etc. would be damaged as a result of those who would come to harvest the venom. That said, I think there is also merit in what Silver has said regarding believing in the venom. The Shell collector was not a believer, therefore it did not work for him (hide spoiler)].

[[deleted user]]

The Hunter was a bit hit and miss for me. Again, the writing is really good. I loved the imagery and the flow of the story itself. I love the setting of the cabin in the winter. However, (view spoiler)[I am not a lover of magical realism and I find it hard to let logic take a backseat, which you do need to do with this story. (hide spoiler)].

The third story, So Many Chances, I didn't like. I didn't enjoy the story itself or the characters - it just felt a bit flat.

For a Long Time This Was Griselda's Story - This was better, but not a favorite. I thought Griselda was (view spoiler)[ very selfish to just run off and leave her mother and sister Rosemary. I felt sorry for Rosemary who had to deal with the aftermath - their mother becoming to ill to work and living in Griselda's shadow. I am glad that it turned out OK in the end for Rosemary and would like to think that she and Duck and their beagle were happy for the rest of their lives. (I also love beagles ;-)). (hide spoiler)]

[Debra]

Silver: If you think of the name of the book about the blind explorer, I'd be interested.

(view spoiler)[You make a great point about what we believe (have faith in) may have a direct effect on reported miraculous healing events. Mind over matter, as they say. There is a LOT of information out there (mostly self-help) about that. I have always found it interesting, and have wished I could apply it to myself! Perhaps I'll get it right one of these days! (hide spoiler)]

Lisa: Thanks for your input. I enjoy how we often learn something new/factual when reading fiction. I'm constantly looking up stuff on the internet to check this out.

Anna, three comments:

1. Thanks for validating me! I find I only GET IT when I read others's comments. It's like: "Wow, I never thought of THAT!" It's the one thing I enjoy about discussing books with others. I find I remember those books (good or bad) much better than those I don't discuss.

2. The Shell Collector: (view spoiler)[You also make a great point that the shell collector could have known about the venom, but didn't want his pristine environment invaded and destroyed. And that is pretty much what happens, and surely what happens often whenever man interacts with nature in an aggressive way. Even the most careful people leave their marks on the environment and ecosystems. (hide spoiler)]

3. The Hunter's Wife: (view spoiler)[ I treat magical realism like fantasy. That's the only way I can wrap my head around impossible abilities and events. I know it's sometimes hard for me to suspend disbelief, but I usually manage. Then I can rate the merit of a tale based on the writing, plot, character-development, etc. To be quite honest, I've enjoyed most magical realism books I've read. I was skeptical at first, but now I have the hang of it. Some, though, I don't get and keep saying: "Awww, come on! Really?" So, I can see why you don't care for that genre. (hide spoiler)]