Call Me Zebra

[Alison]

C wrote: "I thought maybe part of the point of the book is that some "characters" can't/won't develop..."

Then why choose that segment of her life to write about? I'm not sure that "how Zebra stole a parrot and started a really unhealthy relationship" is enough. I'm going to think about this book. I think I did it a disservice by reading it alongside the brilliant Milkman.

[C]

Alison wrote: "C wrote: "I thought maybe part of the point of the book is that some "characters" can't/won't develop..."

Then why choose that segment of her life to write about? I'm not sure that "how Zebra stol..."

Possibly her "development" was that she could even be close to Ludo Bembo in that unhealthy relationship... as it's really only mentioned her being close with her parents. I don't need to say that not every character (or actual real person) will be a completely different and changed person by the end of the book.

[Alison]

C wrote: "I don't need to say that not every character (or actual real person) will be a completely different and changed person by the end of the book. ..."

No, of course not. But some movement is usual in literary fiction.

It will be very interesting to see how this does in the Tournament.

[C]

Alison wrote: "C wrote: "I don't need to say that not every character (or actual real person) will be a completely different and changed person by the end of the book. ..."

No, of course not. But some movement i..."

Zebra reminds me a bit of Bartleby though. And I think the no character development was also part of the point there. I will be reading Milkman soon and looking forward to it!

[Mindy]

I could only take half an hour of the audio. I might pick up the print if I finish everything else but I doubt it. I loved Stephen Florida and am enjoying Don Quixote so I don’t know what gives here. I feel like I did about Sudden Death...just get this awful book away from me right now.

I’m sad because I was hoping to be a completist this year and now it seems really unlikely.

[Lauren]

I finally finished this. I listened to the audio, which was probably a slightly better experience than trying to read the book in print. I went into it expecting Zebra to be annoying and pretentious, so I was able to find the beginning funny. I also enjoyed the history and geography weaved in, since I've been to Spain and Dali has always been my favorite artist. I'm also interested in Iranian/Persian history and refugee stories. I thought the end was decent but the middle 70% was not very enjoyable. Her relationship with Ludo was just not as interesting as other things that could have taken over the plot. Oh well, I tried.

[Tim]

Congratulations to Azareen Van der Vliet for her PEN/Faulkner win! (Over =The Overstory=, among others.)

[C]

YEAH Zebra for the win. I'm cool with this, as my other ToB favorite, The Overstory, just won the Pulitzer. Now hopefully Milkman will win the Women's Prize because My Sister the Serial Killer won the ToB. :D Thanks for the news, Tim!

[Ellen]

Well, I'm gobsmacked. IMO, Call Me Zebra was -- by far -- the weakest entrant in an overall weak ToB field.