Becks’s Comments (group member since Jan 11, 2016)

Becks’s comments from the The Last Day of the Month Book Club group.

How are the four novellas connected? Are there any links between them?

‘The only reason anyone writes stories is so they can understand the past and get ready for some future mortality’ writes Gordon in ‘The Body’. What do you think about this statement?

Why does Stephen King include Gordon’s story ‘Stud City’ in ‘The Body’? What does it tell you about Gordon?

Do you feel sympathy for any of the characters in ‘Apt Pupil’?

What is the significance of the title of the first novella, ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’?

And why?

I found a tiny door in the eaves of my university when going to hand in some essay or other. The door didn't lead anywhere special but I think the magic was in its tiny state and the fact it let you pass though the roof.
Although I only ever saw it once...

I really hope one day 'the pulled pork of the fantasy world' gets quoted on the front of a book. If I ever get a book published I demand it goes on there!
I think best I like urban fantasy - stuff that in a strange way could sort of happen. I sometimes find it hard to get my head into high fantasy even though I love the concepts of them. I love me some game of thrones but that was a real tough cookie to get my head inside.

What did you think of the book? Did you enjoy it, struggle, find out ti wasn't at all what you had expected? Share your thoughts!

Have you ever found anywhere at work to sneak down, or perhaps hidden places else - any adventures ensue?

This book is described as fantasy with a small f, but how did you find it - and what sort of fantasy do you prefer?

As usual, anything else you'd like to discuss - stick it here!

How did you find the style and topic of the book? Was it what you thought it would be?

What was the most interesting thing that you learnt from reading this book?

Anything we haven't covered that you'd like to give your two penneth about? Start it here!

I never thought I would struggle so much as I did reading this. I felt I need to be told how to read the poems to get their true meaning. Dean mentioned something that perhaps was true that poetry is meant to be read aloud and not in your head. Did anyone else find this?

Haworth was my favourite poem. It was the one I felt the most true connection between writer and subject in -true emotion. I felt I read it in a way that was poetic and beautiful rather than the feeling of loneliness and disgust that some of the other poems felt like.

It was a short collection which in a way did lend it self to being read continously. I read it in two sittings. Once on the bus ride home after collecting the book and the second as I ate my wheatabix on my day off. whilst reading the poems one after another I wondered whether they were all written about the same love. it was also interesting to see how much the outside world and environment goes hand in hand with the poets feelings of love and the connection of relationship. I don't feel as though it read like a piece of prose with a story to it but it definitely made sense as a collection.

I had in my head going into it a collection of love poetry. I did not expect happiness throughout but I also did not expect the continuous darkness either. the love/obsession of the poems found inside is not a love that I know, which I think made it hard to enjoy and relate to.

Anything else you'd like to discuss or comment on please start here!