Weeks 4 & 5: The Generator, One Last Christmas, and The Corrections

[Becki]

I have so much to say about both chapters. More than any of the other chapters in the book. So I'll start with The Generator.

Denise is a disaster. I struggle to understand what goes on in her head. I didn't think it was possible to be even more self-destructive than Chip, but I think she is. And the whole lesbian thing seemed weird to me. I had trouble deciding if she was actually a lesbian, or if she turned to those women as a means of self-destruction. Chip picked women (not consciously) that most outsiders would see from a mile away would end in catastrophe. I think that Denise does the same thing. Except I think Denise took it to a whole new level by including women. And every person that she did date or have sex with, she didn't even find attractive, or even really like.

I know I have more to say, but I will wait to see what everyone else thinks.

[JudgyK]

I love Denise. I love how hard she works, I love how she ends up in situations that she probably should have avoided but still just sort of goes with it. I love love LOVE her.

Also? I loved the ending. Totally redeemed Enid in my mind. I hated her for so long and hated so much about her. Turns out that all these horrid awful people we've been reading about are actually pretty great and all really do care about each other, even though they still are deeply wounded from how they've all been, but they're going to be okay.

[Becki]

I totally hated Enid in the end of the book. On Christmas I started to hate her a little less. When she was so obsessed with Chip coming that she was almost delusional about it, it made me feel bad for her. I understood that she wanted so desperately for her whole family to be together that she didn't even realize she was ignoring and insulting the family that was there. In that very brief moment, I felt for her. I could see how that could happen. But when she showed up to Alfred's nursing home (or hospital or whatever) just to feel superior to him, I just wanted to smack her. And the way she was happy when he died... I can understand being happy your husband is not in pain anymore, or not living in a manner that he hated anymore. But just to be happy to be able to start over again seemed cruel and heartless to me.

I was happy that Chip was redeemed in the end. I almost wish the same had happened to the rest of the kids.

I was devastated to find out that Alfred had left his job because of Denise's affair with that guy with the blue face. I felt so terrible for him. And I loved that he chose not to tell anyone. But at the same time, it made me very sad for him. What a lonely life he must have lived that he couldn't tell the people closest to him things like that. If Enid had been a better person, he could have shared it with her and maybe things would have been different.