Mae’s Comments (group member since Jan 01, 2012)

Mae’s comments from the Classics for Beginners group.

I haven't followed this discussion very well.
Anyway, I really wanted to like Emma. I felt that she abused her husband who was devoted to her. She could have been happy if she could just be content with what she had. They weren't exactly a poor family just not wealthy.
I wonder if Emma would have been happy if she was wealthy. Can she be content with anything? Would she find out that she still can't have everything even with a lot of money? I think she has this unattainable fantasy. She has only had a glimpse of what it is like to be rich and I'm not sure she has a clear picture of it. I'm thinking her novels have poisoned her head into thinking life is something that it is not and it is impossible for her to be content with anything short of her fantasies.

I think Emma has Narcissistic Personality Disorder. If I had to put it all into one disease that's the one I found that fits to me.
The reason this book worked so well for me was the style of writing. Emma is so hard to like, maybe one of those love to hate characters?

I read this a few weeks ago so I'm glad we're doing it. I've been wanting to talk about it. I won't give anything away of course.
I'd say Emma is very materialistic and delusional about her class.

For some strange reason, I love Kilgore Trout. He's also in Breakfast of Champions (which I think is weirder than Slaughter House V).
He comes up with the strangest sci fi stories, yet the stories are all so perfect in their own way...if that makes sense.
I hear that Kilgore Trout is Vonnegut's alter ego but don't know if that's true.
I think the subject matter of Slaughter House V calls for the kind of writing that he does. If it was written in the traditional way it wouldn't have the same effect.

I read this one a few years back..I think you have to get his sense of humor. I'm actually reading Breakfast of Championsright now and its much more weird than Slaughter House V.
I'm thinking now that I get him more that I will go back and read Slaughter House V this month.
I really liked Cat's Cradle too...I'm becoming a big Vonnegut fan. He's very odd but interesting.