In the Distance

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This thread is to discuss In the Distance by Hernan Diaz.

Pages: 256 pages

Length: 1 month (May)

Participants: Valerie, Lorraine

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Here are some questions to help get the conversation started! Feel free to look up discussion questions specific to this book or come up with your own. Just make sure any questions that contain spoilers are under spoiler tags.
Discussion questions are not required but may be a fun way to talk about the book and get to know each other!

Prior to starting:
What prompted you to join this buddy read?
Have you read this author before? What do you think of their other books?

Mid-read:
What character or ideas do you relate to the most and why?
Do you have any favorite quotes or scenes?

After reading:
What was enjoyable or not-so-enjoyable about this book?
Did this book change your perception about anything, either within the book (character development) or in real life?

[Lorraine]

Hello Valerie. I got my copy from the library yesterday. I will start the book either today or tomorrow. Looking for books that will change me from all the classics I am reading right now 😁

[Lorraine]

I have read Trust from this author and cannot say I was impressed. I think there was a lot I did not understand but mostly what was the author goal in writing it. I hope this book will change my opinion of him. I have chosen to read it in English. Let see if this will work. I’ll take notes along the way.

[Valerie]

Ok I’ll start this weekend. I wasn’t that impressed by Trust either but this one sounds very different so we’ll see how it goes.

[Lorraine]

I've read the first six chapters of the book, but my comments will focus on Chapters 1 to 5. I'll keep Chapter 6 for a later update.

(view spoiler)[ I was curious about the meaning of the character's surname, Hawk, in Celtic mythology. I discovered that the hawk was considered the first animal to come into being. It possesses an immense memory and is said to live for a very long time. In various cultures, hawks are seen as symbols of wisdom, clarity, and strength. This seems like a meaningful setup for the story we're about to read.

My impression after the first five chapters is that we might be witnessing either an individual’s quest to become the mythological Hawk or a tale about the creation of the world itself.

One small regret: I didn’t listen to Riders on the Storm by The Doors while reading those chapters! I’m not even a big fan of Morrison—quite the opposite—but the atmosphere of the song kept coming to mind.

By the way, the main character is from Sweden. I happened to look up the World Happiness Report rankings, and did you know Sweden is number 4 on the list? With that kind of happiness rating, you’d think there wouldn’t be many Swedes eager to move to the States anymore! (hide spoiler)]

[Lorraine]

Chapters 6 to 8 felt like Håkan's second adventure—or perhaps his second quest. (view spoiler)[ After crossing the desert (a symbol of innocence? ignorance?), he meets Lorimer, a character who becomes a kind of mentor. Lorimer teaches him English, biology, Darwinian theory, and much more. He’s essentially feeding Håkan’s mind, and we learn that although Håkan isn’t very talkative, he’s a quick and capable learner.

I couldn’t help but think of Frankenstein while reading these chapters. There’s a similar sense of a creature learning to read and study in order to become someone—or maybe to become themselves, though I’m not quite sure which. The story feels very intellectual, and because of that, I’m finding it hard to connect emotionally with Håkan.

Still, I’m curious to see what comes next. Maybe the reader is also on a quest? (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

Lorraine wrote: "I've read the first six chapters of the book, but my comments will focus on Chapters 1 to 5. I'll keep Chapter 6 for a later update.

I was curious about the meaning of the character's surname, Ha..."
It definitely has a dreamlike (or nightmare like) atmosphere to it and it feels like a quest involving some kind of transformation (he doesn’t seem very hawklike so far but the prelude suggests that he will grow into his name). I like the sense of alienation that the writer creates as Hakan stumbles through a world he doesn’t understand.

[Lorraine]

I read Chapters 9 to 16 yesterday and wasn’t quite sure what to say about them—until I saw your comment:(view spoiler)[ "I like the sense of alienation that the writer creates as Hakan stumbles through a world he doesn’t understand." That perfectly captures what’s going on in these chapters. I’d even add that the feeling of alienation extends to the reader—or at least to me!

I’m not entirely sure what the author is trying to tell me, or maybe I just don’t enjoy reading a book that makes me feel like I don’t understand what’s happening. Either way, I’m hoping the next chapters will bring some clarity. (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

Lorraine wrote: "Chapters 6 to 8 felt like Håkan's second adventure—or perhaps his second quest. After crossing the desert (a symbol of innocence? ignorance?), he meets Lorimer, a character who becomes a kind of m..."
Yes I agree that Lorimer is very much the classic teacher figure who facilitates Hakan’s growth and to some extent moulds him both philosophically/spiritually and by teaching him a practical skill. I also agree that,so far, Hakan feels more like a vehicle for an intellectual concept than a fully rounded character. I’m interested to see if this changes as we progress.

[Valerie]

Lorraine wrote: "I read Chapters 9 to 16 yesterday and wasn’t quite sure what to say about them—until I saw your comment: "I like the sense of alienation that the writer creates as Hakan stumbles through a world he..."
For me it’s about how legends are born, creating heroes/antiheroes when truth becomes distorted in the retelling of events. Certainly true for many of the famous/infamous of history. On the surface it’s a classic adventure story of survival against the odds but underneath I think it’s about the growth of identity. I’m interested to see how he gets from the plains to that hole in the ice, and if he finds what he is looking for.

[Valerie]

Finished. I enjoyed this twist on a Western. Its treatment of the contrast between the identity of a complex human and the legendary antihero of the Wild West reminded me a bit of The Sisters Brothers (although that book is more dark comedy whilst this one more philosophical and quest like). The ending is enigmatic
An interesting take on real and perceived identity.

[Lorraine]

Sorry for the delay—these past few weeks have been incredibly busy! I agree with your observation that the book has the feel of a western. In the final chapters, I actually found myself thinking of the movie Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood. Not that the stories are the same—I barely remember the movie—but the atmosphere felt similar. The ending definitely leaves us with questions: Will he make it to Sweden? How old is he, really? I also had the sense that the author was exploring the loss of identity that can come with moving to another country. With so many people being displaced by war and hunger, I wonder if the novel is meant as a reflection on that. In the end, I liked the book more than I expected, though I think I’ll wait a while before reading another one of his.