Bender, Aimee - The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake Jan 16 2011

[Sashana]

This topic is open for discussion on The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. Be prepared for SPOILERS.

[Rachel]

So. Let's see. My thoughts through chapter six:

-this book is interesting and nothing like I expected. (I don't read the blurbs or summaries of books--totally ruins it for me)
-Bender's writing is awkward. However, I beleive this is her intention. It definitely fits the story!

[Sashana]

Rachel, I'm behind but I'll get to chapter 6 by tonight. I definitely agree with you about Bender's writing style. I'm still in the early stages and I can't say if I like it or not yet.

[Rachel]

There's no hurry! I was going to try and read PSoLC and Halfway to the Grave together, but when it came to doing it, I just couldn't. That is the only reason I am as far as I am. Read when you can. I will still be here and if you decide you just can't go on, that is cool too. I won't be hurt or offended. :)

[Sashana]

I'm trying to finish Reign or Shine for the Sign of Time Reading Challenge (which ends today). I'm almost done so I'll be able to concentrate on The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. What chapter are you on, I can catch up tomorrow since I have no school (yay!)?

[Rachel]

No school??? What the hell?! I have school! Lol. ;D

Chapter 28, page 181 in my edition.

[Sashana]

Rachel wrote: "No school??? What the hell?! I have school! Lol. ;D

Chapter 28, page 181 in my edition."

:D Teacher's planning day (do you guys get those?). Okay...slow it down a bit and I'll catch up by tomorrow. Speaking of teaching how are things going? Have the kiddies forced you to drink hard liquor yet?

[Rachel]

How how lucky! No we don't. Teachers use their conference periods once a week for that. So lame. They forced me to drink the first week. Hahaha. No, it hasn't been that bad. I have been stressing myself out more than I need to about the whole thing. I teach my first full lesson on Monday. So nervous and scared it is already making me sick. Once I start I will be ok for the most part though. It is just GETTING there that is scary!

Ok. I will slow down. Going to bed very soon anyways. Only had a four day week, but man it has been long. can't imagine how five days will feel!

[Sashana]

Rachel, I'm sure you'll do great. I pretty sure you already have a lesson plan that you've went over a hundred times (am I right or am I right?). Will someone be evaluating you while you're teaching? My only advice (which you don't have to take since I have no experience teaching whatsoever) is to keep them entertained; not in a comedian sort of way- just in a way that will make learning something interesting and fun for them. In my experience, those are the best and most effective teachers.

[Sashana]

I did some early morning reading and I am now on chapter 13 (I should be in the 20s tonight). The book is growing on me but it's still a very peculiar writing style. I guess it would have to be strange though being that it's such a strange thing to write about.

Rose certainly has a dysfunctional family which seems perfect from the outside looking in; two kid family, stay at home mom (who can cook her ass off), lawyer dad, genius older brother, and adorable little sister. I thought the mom was the only normal one until Rose got into explaining why she thought Joseph was her mother's favorite. Also in chapter 12 after the pie incident when this conversation took place between mother and daughter: : "You said—Oh, never mind. Let’s just get you home."
"What?"
"You said I was feeling bad, that I’m so unhappy, that I’m hardly there," she said.
"I did?" I said, although I remembered the whole conversation like it had been recorded.
From the open window, fresh air sifted through the car. It was almost four o’clock by now, and
the sunlight was gold and streamy.
"I’m fine," she said. "I just want you to know, baby girl. I don’t want you to be worrying so
much about me." She said it, and she looked over, and her eyes were big and limpid, a dark-blue color like
late-day ocean water. But in the look was still that same yearning. Please worry about me, I
saw in there. Her voice not matching her eyes. I knew if I ate anything of hers again, it would
likely tell me the same message: Help me, I am not happy, help me—like a message in a
bottle sent in each meal to the eater, and I got it. I got the message.
And now my job was to pretend I did not get the message.

I hate that the story will be told from Joseph's pov now when Rose was starting to grow on me.

[Rachel]

Actually, I do not have a lesson mapped out yet. Have the idea, but I like them to stew for a long time before I become committed to it.

I wish I could cook like her mother, but I do not want the infidelity and weirdness she offers!

Her brother is a genius and I thought that eventually Bender was going to say that he was autistic or had Asperger's. It hasn't happened yet, but I think it should. Something interesting does happen with her brother soon.

It switches back to Rose's POV later.

[Sashana]

Her brother is seriously creeping me out. Asperger or autism would be a good reason for why he's so strange, cold, uncommunicative, and weird. I didn't understand chapter 28 at all, Rachel. What exactly was happening with the chair? Like I said earlier, what a dysfunctional family! I think I should be done with the book between tonight and tomorrow, Rachel.


Questions I have so far:
Feel free to jump in if you know the answers, Rachel
*Why doesn't Joseph's parents notice how strange he is and do something about it?
*What the hell is Joesph's problem?
What's up with the chair thing?
Does Joesph have super powers too?
What is the significance of the absentee grandmother?

[Rachel]

Ok, well let's see... I finished the book this morning and some of those questions are still left unanswered for me. Keep reading and some of them will be fleshed out slightly...remember, I said slightly...lol.

I think when your whole family is weird you do not realize just how weird you or your children are.

Have no clue why Joseph is so mean. However, the ending betweeen Rose and Joseph is sweet.

See the two comments below for the chair thing.

Joseph does have superpowers.

Even after finishing the book I am still not EXACTLY sure what it is.

Absentee grandmother...page filler?

My answers probably didn't help much, but I tried. Did not want to give anything a way and some I still do not have an answer for. Grrr.

[Sashana]

I hate cliffhangers! I hope too many things aren't left unsaid though. I'm still on chapter 29, I got slowed because I started 2 others books for some reading challenges (got to stay on pace).

[Rachel]

I hate cliffhangers too and the sad thing is I don't think this is/would/could be a series.

[Sashana]

I'm finished, Rachel. I really don't know what I think about this books and I have no idea how to rate it. I found myself wishing that my teacher would make us read this in AP Lit because even though she's really annoying, the woman can analyze poetry and literature like no other.

I feel like this book went to the dogs after chapter 28. I mean the whole Joseph and the chair thing seemed like a whole other story to me. It's like Aimee did a 180 while writing this. I wonder what was going through her mind when she wrote this book.

[Rachel]

I have no idea what she was thinking. I thought the story was about Rose, but then it seemed it was about Joseph. I wish it would have been about Joseph. I would like to know his side of the story more than Rose's. Where does he "disappear" to???? What exactly is his 'ability"???

[Sashana]

I think his "special ability" is to disappear into furniture. I don't see the usefulness or that skill though. I also hated that George got married to another person, Rose's mother never got a divorce (why is she even with her husband anymore?!), Rose's complete disregard for her mom's affair, her father never facing his fear of hospitals and consequently never reveling what his "special skill" is.

[Rachel]

I think his "special ability" is to disappear into furniture. I don't see the usefulness or that skill though. For some reason that comment made me laugh really, really hard...

You said it. Took the words right out of my head. I think Bender was on a bender when she wrote this novel.

[Sashana]

Lol