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We Need to Talk About Kevin
We Need to Talk About Kevin Initial Thoughts
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Emily
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May 05, 2020 09:57AM
For this month's Tuesday Book Group meeting, we are discussing We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. Winner of the 2005 Orange Prize, this book is about a fictional school shooting written in the perspective of the teenage killer's mother, Eva Khatchadourian. Eva tries to figure why her son did this and what made him that way through a series of letters to her husband. In 2011, it was made into a movie starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reily, and Ezra Miller; it gained nominations from the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild. So, before we get started, what are your initial thoughts about the novel?
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I have been reading so much and this book seems so long ago. I remember feeling that Eva was so self -centered , self congratulatory about her accomplishments and disdainful of others and a backstabbing friend that I felt I didn't much care what happened to her and would have probably have not finished the book if I had picked it up on my own.
I can completely understand your view about Eva. There are certain instances where I thought that she overreacted towards Kevin's behavior like in the restaurant. At the same time, it makes one wonder where Kevin got his demeanor from.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is not what I was expecting. I expected a good book. It was way better than that.I expected a book written from the parents' perspective about a boy who commits a school shooting. But I found that WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is more about life with an evil child.
This is the mother’s tale (not the father’s) told from the beginning, the very beginning, of that child. She writes it as a series of letters to her husband. So, throughout the book, the reader is kept guessing about where her husband is now.
But the mother’s story isn’t just descriptions of life with Kevin. Each of her letters is long on psychology and philosophy, too.
The mother’s big question: whose fault was it? Certainly, the reader has to wonder whether the mother’s own attitude contributed to Kevin’s evil nature. But it seems to me that the father was even more at fault. I think, as a matter of fact, he was a big part of the problem.
And then there’s Celia. She doesn’t appear until later in the book, but she serves to emphasize Kevin's God-awful evil.
I thought this book was very well written and presented, but it was frustrating to read. So I had to put it down often, and it took me too long to read it.
Great review Beth! I wish Franklin would have taken Eva's concerns about Kevin more seriously.
Hello. It's very interesting how people have varying opinions about books and art, and all things creative. My thoughts about this month's book club selection are, unfortunately, negative. I began by reading the physical book, but couldn't handle the writing style, so I decided to switch to the audiobook. That didn't help. But, I persevered and finished the book. I wish I could say I liked it. But I wouldn't be writing my truth. I felt that the book was overall too negative for me. I hesitate to use the word, evil, but that is the feeling this book gave me. I'm sorry to say that it was just too disturbing for me. I am, however, looking forward to future reads with the book club!
It is understandable that you feel that way. This book is not everyone's cup of tea.
Jeanine wrote: "Hello. It's very interesting how people have varying opinions about books and art, and all things creative. My thoughts about this month's book club selection are, unfortunately, negative. I began ..."I agree that it was disturbing. I had to keep putting the book down because of that.
