Fridlund Emily ; History of Wolves ; Informal Buddy Read ; Starts 18 July 2018

[Elena]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Chapters 6&7"

Yes, I had the same feeling as well!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Rachel wrote: "I agree with your last spoiler Eldarwen, took me by surprise as well"

Yes same here. That was wacky

[Eldarwen]

I'm reading this slowly as it doesn't really hold my interest. I'm somewhere in chapter 8 at the moment.

A whole chapter spent with Paul and then suddenly towards the end there is a paragraph about Lily before switching around to something else again. It's confusing and making me growl - not good ;-)

It just bugs me that there is no indication of what is going on inside Linda's head. Though it seems like she has a few major screws loose.

[Rachel]

Eldarwen wrote: "I'm reading this slowly as it doesn't really hold my interest. I'm somewhere in chapter 8 at the moment.

A whole chapter spent with Paul and then suddenly towards the end there is a paragraph abou..."

I honestly wasn't into the Lily subplot/her obsession with Lily. I didn't get it.

[Eldarwen]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Chapters 6&7

I'm still confused. Especially the behaviour of Madeline's mum. And the amount of time she is spending with her neighbours. I get the feeling that [spoilers removed]"

Totally getting that vibe as well. All the more in chapter 10 when Linda (view spoiler)[floats naked in the lake at night (nothing wrong with that per se) with repeated mentions that there is no light in the Gardner's house and that she's floating there for everyone who might look out a window to see - and then going home to masturbate. (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Elena wrote: "Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I don't know why, but I thought [spoilers removed] But some of the writing I find a bit confusin..."

I didn't even think of that! It makes a lot of sense considering the scene on ..."

Hmmm, seems like it! (view spoiler)[Sweating profusely when not exerting himself all that much, the red glow in his cheeks mentioned at the same time. Then when the dad is back on Memorial Day weekend.... Linda's short glimpses into the future regarding the trial may indeed hint at some sort of parental negligence, especially since she repetitively mentions how nice they've both been. (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Finished the "Science" part, so the first 11 chapters.

How odd. Very casually, like a stroll in the park, (view spoiler)[the author announces that Paul died. And then, fortunately for me, goes on to explain what he died from.

A very odd thing to happen for such a young child it seems. And I really do wonder what brought it on. (hide spoiler)]

What do you guys make of this??

(view spoiler)[It seems like there should have been very visible signs, at least towards the end of the illness. And from the way Paul is acting before and during their trip away, it seems clear that he is seriously ill, the kind of ill where you take your child to see a doctor, and it isn't just a stomach bug or something similar where you could say home medicine and distraction will do the trick. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny]

Eldarwen wrote: "Finished the "Science" part, so the first 11 chapters.

How odd. Very casually, like a stroll in the park, the author announces that Paul died. And then, fortunately for me, goes on to explain what..."

The way the author introduces big topics as a throwaway line is a bit disconcerting. I think that because we are seeing the world through a very sheltered, immature, confused mind, that when big, hard to understand things happen, we are experiencing them the way Madeline does.

I don't have children myself, but even I noticed that something isn't right with Paul. I kept mentally yelling at the pages as I was reading, but it didn't seem to make things go better.

Hmm. When I yell at the TV screen, it doesn't stop the character from going into the dark cellar where the killer is lurking either. Perhaps that method of trying to change the outcome doesn't work.

[Eldarwen]

Hahahahah :-))))

No, I think that's definitely not helping even though it is very freeing for the reader/viewer to (mentally) yell at the pages or the screen. It's satisfying, too. "I told you nothing good would come of it!!" ;-)

But yes, you might be right regarding the viewpoint of this. Madeline has trouble explaining things, even to herself, at times.

[Jenny]

I'm glad I am not the only one who does that!

[Elena]

Eldarwen wrote: "Finished the "Science" part, so the first 11 chapters.

How odd. Very casually, like a stroll in the park..."

Yes, I thought it was done very matter-of-factly, almost impassive too. It worked though - (view spoiler)[I knew that bad news was coming and I was still jolted. And then she went into all medical details which made my blood run cold.

I think Linda's detached way of relaying things could also be her way of coping, it appears Paul's death had a great impact on her and kept affecting her way into her adult years. (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Finished chapter 15.

I'm wondering if (view spoiler)[Leo isn't a little too dominant in this little family, and too strictly "religious". I get the impression that Christian Science isn't a very healthy religion, probably not accepting of medical attention, drugs and everything that goes with it. Their perfect little boy. How could anything possibly be wrong with him?

Later on, when Linda and Ann are walking through their city and stop in front of a storefront where there is a mention of Christian Science, both the girls' reactions hint strongly toward it. Linda doesn't clearly state anything about Leo's behaviour but the hints are definitely there. And Ann's statement of most of the reading rooms having been closed down suggests that it wasn't a voluntary decision on the religion's part. (hide spoiler)]

Patra - (view spoiler)[she seems stronger when Leo isn't around but as soon as he's there, she gives control over to him, letting him guide and lead the family, not only in their daily rituals but in everything.

The way she proof-reads his writing doesn't strike me as actual proof-reading but more as a show of support with suggestions. "Maybe do x, add y, but it's all great, really." To me it translates into: "Actually, I'm doing this as a favour to you though I don't really know what I'm doing because I bow down to your superiority and awesomeness."

And yet, they do seem to have a connection that steps away from teacher-student and admiration. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny]

Eldarwen, nice insight into Patra, and her editing skills. I hadn't thought of that. My stepmom is a technical editor, you'd think I would pick up on stuff like that.

[Rachel]

Yeah I like what you wrote, Eldarwen. Something seemed off about her editing but I couldn't put my finger on it but I think you captured what felt weird about it.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Elena wrote: "Also I just finished chapter 10 and it appears ..."

I just finished that chapter too. Something wacky is going on with these people!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Totally getting that vibe as well. All the more in chapter 10 when Linda"..."

Yeah. what is with that? And then (view spoiler)[ sleeping in the hotel in a suggestive way so they can see her (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Totally getting that vibe as well. All the more in chapter 10 when Linda"..."

Yeah. what is with that? And then [spoilers removed]"

And then when that doesn't work as planned (view spoiler)[she goes to spy on them when Patra is attempting to give Leo a blowjob. And then rubbing it in his face the next day that she was a witness to him being squeamish about it. She is one weird girl. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "And then when that doesn't work as planned..."

So true!!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Chapter 14

What is it about Minnesota? Every book and TV show I've read/watched based here is so totally wacky. Is the place really like that? Is it the cold that makes them crazy? :o

This whole chapter was so completely .... AH! I just want to scream. Urgh. Darn book. It is under my skin now and I really want to finish because I'm leaving at 4am tomorrow to go overseas and I don't want to take the paperback with me just for the last 60-ish pages ;)

[Eldarwen]

Go go go, you can do it!!

I have another 40 pages to go to finish up as well.

I found the second "Health" part to be faster to read and somewhat more engaging than the first "Science" part, though it's still choppy in places and annoying me. But things are becoming clearer in those pages.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Finished!
Yes I agree, the second half was much faster.

Gorgeous writing - really interesting ways to describe the 'everyday'.
However... I have no idea what on earth I just read. This was one odd tale full of BS crazy people..
3.5 stars for a book that got under my skin and had me desperate to finish.... but for which I have no idea what on earth the point was

Anyone else understand wtf we just read? LOL

[Eldarwen]

Nope, not at all!!

It's a book full of lovely writing and wacko people but other than that.... ??

[Jenny]

Like you guys, I was in turns mesmerized, angry and confused reading this book. I can't explain it.
Sort of glad I read it though. I think.

[Rachel]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Totally getting that vibe as well. All the more in chapter 10 when Linda"..."

Yeah. what is with that? And then [spoilers removed]"

yeah that made me very uncomfortable!

[Rachel]

Eldarwen wrote: "Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Totally getting that vibe as well. All the more in chapter 10 when Linda"..."

Yeah. what is with that? And then [spoilers removed]"

And then when that doesn't wo..."

omg that was awful. (view spoiler)[at that scene i thought he was going to do something really inappropriate to her. i'm glad that didn't happen! but when she repeated what Patra had said to him during oral sex, I was soo creeped out. (hide spoiler)]

i spent the whole book cringing over her behavior lol

[Rachel]

I definitely agree that the Health section was better.

[Eldarwen]

Rachel wrote: "omg that was awful. [spoilers removed]"

Same!

I was also waiting for (view spoiler)[something awful to happen. Like him forcing Patra into oral sex, or something along those lines but somehow it was all very uneventful, really. (hide spoiler)]

The odd thing about this book is (view spoiler)[that I kept expecting something absolutely terrible to happen. I was waiting for a veritable crime to happen, something shocking. But in the end, that didn't happen at all. Not in the sense I was expecting anyway. Don't get me wrong, it was terrible that the child was so neglected and could have been saved but the parents didn't do anything and for the most part, didn't even consider providing their child with medical help. But it was all so... I don't even know how to explain it, but it was like it was just a side effect of nothing happening in general.

Nothing is going on, nothing happens, and when something does, it's mentioned in passing and the whole book just feels like watching soap bubbles float away in the wind. (hide spoiler)]

[Elena]

Finished it too and having a tough time rating the book! (need half-stars!) I can't say I enjoyed it in a pure escapist sense of the word but the book stuck with me and some themes did resonate. And, well, the writing is gorgeous :)

[Elena]

Eldarwen wrote: "I was also waiting for [spoilers removed]"

I had a similar feeling. Only I was (view spoiler)[expecting a reveal of something bad happening to Madeline - like she was the girl in the boat with Grierson and not Lily, or something was done to her in the commune when she was little. Thankfully I was wrong, though extreme isolation and neglect were traumatic enough (hide spoiler)].

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Rachel wrote: "omg that was awful. [spoilers removed]"

Same!

I was also waiting for [spoilers removed]

The odd thing about this book is that I kept expecting something absolutely terrible to hap..."

That is to true E. It was almost anticlimactic

[Eldarwen]

Took me ages to read those last few pages of the book because I was barely home yesterday and only dragged through them when I finally fell into bed late. And of course those last few pages weren't exactly engaging but more of a "wtf?" than anything else.

I don't get the Lily thing. That last chapter was just weird. I thought Lily had gone away to have her child? I mean, over that summer. I didn't realise she had started the next school year? And then the letter and the canoe "dream"... creepy. Makes me wonder what else happened to Madeline that may never have been mentioned in this story.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Yes those last pages were wacky. But then a lot of the book was!!

[Eldarwen]

Haha, true!

[Eldarwen]

That letter towards the end made me wonder how long Madeline observed Patra and Leo that night.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I didn’t get that letter at all. I felt like I didn’t get half of this book! 😮

[Eldarwen]

Well that is true, too. There is a lot that has been left hanging or where the hints weren't clear and you're just left with a lot of ??.