Peacejanz’s Comments (group member since Jul 08, 2021)

Peacejanz’s comments from the Talk Wordy To Me group.

Thanks, Matilda - and peace and joy in everything (little and big) to you. I am going for big joy this afternoon by cleaning off my desk and sending notes to the folks I love. peace, janz

I love this comment. Hooray for you for posting it. We need to be reminded of this. Life IS warmth. peace, janz

I agree with you, Vanessa - it is not gripping me. I dropped it. Go on with out me. What is next discussion book? peace, janz

I have read several other books on the Women's Prize for Fiction list. I think The Vanishing Half is one of the best books I have ever read. It is important to read it to better understand racism in the US.
I Thought Piranisi was too weird - could get the point but a reviewer pointed out that it was fantasy. And I never understood fantasy until it was explained to me. Many liked Luster but I disliked it. It portrayed the female as silly,dumb, being taken advantage of, etc. The last half tries to redeem the earlier part but did not in my mind. She is the type of girl we do not want our daughters to be. Weak, infatuated, can not get over her romantic notions of "love." I rated Vanishing Half as a 5 where Trans Kingdom got a 4. Otherwise a 1 or 2.

I am new to this list. If this is not what you want me to answer - please tell me. I do not want to offend and I have strong opinions. If you want me to shut up, just tell me. peace, janz

This is my review from last month of Transcendent Kingdom,. I rated it a 4. It is not quite an overwhelming book that would get a 5 but is well worth reading to learn about immigrants, fatherless strong girls, taking care of a parent when no one else will/can do it. Girls getting educated. Lots of good stuff.
This book reminded me of myself. I was born in Alabama on the other side of the mountain where Giffy's immigrant family moved. I know the poverty, the racism, etc. Yet, she persists and will graduate with a Ph.D. and get a good job.

This is a beautiful book and I will read it again some day. A smart young woman, Ph.D. candidate at Stanford Med School, takes in her mother who, for the second time, seems to be having a complete mental breakdown. She will not get out of bed. Giffy does not have funds to pay for someone to care for her mother, her brother is dead from an overdose of heroin, and her father abandoned them years ago, went back to Ghana and remarried. Giffy is the only one left. Her mother comes to Giffy's and is almost comatose, just stays in bed, will not get up, will not eat much -- meanwhile Giffy must run back and forth to her lab to care for her mice and perform certain tests at exact times to produce valid research data. At the beginning, Giffy is struggling, not getting enough sleep, sleeping on the couch or in the lab and trying to get her mother to eat. Others try to interact with Giffy but she is not very aware of them. Giffy's family emigrated to Huntsville, Alabama and she has experienced racism, drug abuse in her family, abandonment, her mother's mental illness all of her life. This is her chance - finish the doctorate and gain status in the world (and maybe money to live on). The last half of the book is Giffy remembering her childhood church experiences. Not just the simplistic Southern protestant religion, but deeper meanings and values that she did not understand as a child. The writing is beautiful. I did not enjoy the earlier part but I loved that Giffy was able to become a philosophical young woman and begin to understand the meaning of life for herself. Should be read and discussed by every book club. A beautiful book.

peace, janz

Amy - thanks. For so many reasons -most of all the explanations. I am going to try to figure out how to follow you. You will help me with other books, I am certain. Thanks so much. peace, janz

Amy wrote: "Sorry for such long break between my reply here.
Peacejanz, the way it spoke to me is something like this: Piranesi is the subconscious that is innocent in many ways. Child like. It has forgotten a..."

Oh, Amy - thank you! thank you! Some of this makes sense to me now. I thank you for taking the time to explain - I never got the child like feeling or realized that he was going back to an easier time. I did understand at the end, he wanted to go back to the house with all the memories. This book now makes sense to me and thank you for your intelligent explanation for me. Wish we were in an actual face-to-face book group for this because I would have questions and you have the answers. You are wonderful. Thank you for taking the time to explain a book to me. I still don't like it - I am a control freak and work to be in control all the time. Drives my family crazy. But I do understand those who wish to live sometime in a dream world. I love good memories of family and friends but do not lose myself in them. You are wonderful, Amy, for seeing deeper than I did and for taking the time to explain it. Thank you so much. I owe you one. peace, janz

OK - Matilda - in one sentence - tell me the plot of the book. Examples are: this is a story about pain; so many people suffer great gory death; justice. One sentence. I don't know why I keep bothering with this book - I did not like it and I have forgotten most of it by now but you are bringing up new ideas. What a book discussion is about! peace, janz

Thank you, Matilda, for some insight. I meant wandering around in general - the plot (was there one?), the guy wandering the house, the story line once he was "rescued". It was just a mismash for me. Your insight about the traditional mystery in the last part was helpful. What about the actual rescue? What did that mean? Especially after he had been lost for so long. I did get that he was comfortable in the house after inspecting all of it - that is true of all of us and most animals. Thanks for the insight. And I appreciate that your gave it. That's what sharing in book groups is about, or friendship, or marriage - we learn that our's is not the only view. peace, janz
p.s. - please keep informing me so I learn. jz

Amy wrote: "I think I mostly liked it, to the point of recommending it to others. Although, I definitely do not read fantasy genre, save real few exceptions. But this one was good. There is definitely no actio..."

Amy - what stuck with you? I am still trying to find purpose in this book. peace, janz

I am glad that you got some benefit from this book. I did not. All the wandering around, no focus - was that the point? Was it to just see lovely l=things and move on, avoid the bad guy?, once he decided who the bad guy was? I need more focus, more organization, etc. What did you learn? I saw the same thing you did, but I can see beauty in a tree in my yard. Again, what was the point? peace, janz

Thanks. peace, janz

Overall, I did not like it. I do not like magic or weird stuff. Give me a plain old mystery anytime. I was very irritated by the author's use of labyrinth when she was talking about a maze. A maze is just a puzzle without an end. You can stay there all day - you can figure out parts but there is no plan to a puzzle except to keep you going. On the other hand, a labyrinth is a spiritual medium to use when trying to focus on God, Higher Power, Bhudda, or whatever religious figure you choose. A labyrinth is not a puzzle. One walks or traces a labyrinth that often goes in a circular manner and ends up in the very center of the design. One pauses there, perhaps prays, sits, cries, tries to work our major issues - then returns the way one came. It is a definite pattern - I have walked a labyrinth many times and felt spiritually uplifted. It is meditation - focus only on the walk or the tracing - think of your problem, clear your mind of other things. The boy/man in the maze did use moving around to think of the house and places in it, ete. The endings were only in his mind. I just felt abused by the author and had a hard time reading the book. I asked myself - what was the purpose of the book? Yes, she is a lovely , peaceful writer but what am I to learn? To get from the book? It is a loser for me. I cannot recommend it to anyone.

What is BST? I am a dumb American - they never taught me what the B would stand for. I got Standard Time. Yes, I plan to be there - it it on Zoom or do we just post out thoughts here? peace, janz

I am about half way through and I think the book is weird, too. But I have more to read and I keep hoping it will make sense. No comment so far except weird reading. peace, janz

Did not read it yet but I moved it to the top of the list. I have read nothing by Susanna Clark before. I plan to start reading it tomorrow. Thanks for contacting me. peace, janz