Spoiler Discussion (Apr 2018) Group Read - The Chalk Man, by C.J. Tudor

[Beth]

Who gave Fat Gav the chalk for his birthday? And how did Hoppo know where to find Mickey

[Beth]

So was it mr. halloran who gave the box of chalk to Fat Gav?

Who else guessed that the missing head was another collectible?

And how did Hoppo know where & when to find Mickey after his visit to Ed? Leaving it as "sometimes it's better not to know all the answers" (page 273) just doesn't work for me. I think the author couldn't come up with a plausible scenario so she just left it hanging.

[AngryGreyCat]

I am glad that this book won because I felt left hanging by some of it. I discussed it with someone in another group I belonged to and they said that you are "supposed to be left wondering"....

The biggest questions, I had was that i felt some scenes had a fantastical feel to them, almost like magical realism or that there was some supernatural element. I think though it was just supposed to be that the author was creating this "dream like" atmosphere and that was what made it seem "unreal" to me in places.

The biggest criticisms I keep seeing now of the book, is that the author is trying too hard to emulate Stephen King's style. I guess I can see some truth in that, but for me that added to the nostalgia feel because I was reading King in the 70s and 80s. :) Overall I enjoyed the read, it seemed very Stand by Me- ish.

[Erunyauve]

The question of who drew the angel wings on the reverend (if, as Eddie's mom thinks, it wasn't PC Thomas and his gang) and the chalk men all over the church was never resolved, either, I think. (I'm thinking Nicky for the former, especially since Eddie saw her cutting herself with her crucifix, but did Eddie draw the chalk men? But then, why did neither of them know who attacked the reverend?)

Eddie's sort of fascinating - there is definitely a Stephen King feel, but his kids aren't generally so dark. I did like the psychological aspect of the book. The 'collecting' starts well before any of the tragedies in the book, but I can understand his need to preserve a piece of the past, especially as he loses so much in that one year.

I worked at an Alzheimer's facility in my starving student days, and early-onset really does go that fast, and it's just devastating for the kids. As Eddie states more than once, it would have been better to lose his father all at once, or to something that destroyed his body, than to watch his mind deteriorate. I think the collectibles become something of a safety-deposit box for his memory and for the past - if he can hang on to something physical, it remains with him.

I didn't guess at the head, but it made sense in the end. And the chalk men, I think, was a representation of the importance of Mr Halloran in his life.

[Beth]

I did not connect me halloran and the chalk men at all!

Actually, the chalk men, to me, were superfluous

[Clare]

I enjoyed this book it did leave some unanswered questions as others have said. I did suspect that the Reverent may have been faking his symptoms though. Did anyone else think Ed may have pushed Metal Mickey into the river and not remembered? I loved the twist at the end I would never have guessed he would have such a creepy souvenir.

[Beth]

That's interesting Claire because as soon as he identified his passion for collecting stuff, I figured that's where the head had gone. For me, the collection was over-emphasized and was too big a clue

[Beth]

Interesting how we read the same book but come away with different interpretations! Never a boring moment when we all have different views.

[Carla]

Way late to the party on this one, but I believe Mr. Halloran gave Fat Gav the chalk because of how he reacted to Gav thinking the chalk was a dumb gift.