Ruth’s Comments (group member since Mar 07, 2013)

Ruth’s comments from the L.E.a D.s Book Club group.

A month to read and a month to discuss makes sense.

Ruth

Lanelle,

The only reason that I'm not seconding the nomination is that I'm not sure I'll get around to reading it, so I feel as if I shouldn't have a vote. But if no one else has a suggestion, then, yes — I'm seconding the nomination!

Ruth

Melanie’s suggestion sounds really interesting.

I read ages ago and couldn't remember whether anyone but the titular character wrote. Obviously the book didn't make a lasting impression on me. It seems to me that one of the joys of an epistolary novels is reading the exchanges of letters. I'm not sure I'd like reading a monologic novel.

I just got Floating Worlds: The Letters of Edward Gorey and Peter F. Neumeyer, but I haven't read enough to have formed any opinion yet. Has anyone else read it?

Ruth

Brilliant! Thank you, Lanelle. This kind of offering is one of the reasons you'll do a great job moderating this discussion.

Ruth

Those are useful terms to have. I’m trying to remember a monologic novel. _Clarissa_ maybe?

Ruth

Lanelle,

It depends on what people want to read, I think. I’d ditch the “LetterMo” part of the appellation and add “Collage” or whatever else people want to read. How do you see the group growing?

Ruth

I'll just warn you that _Dracula_ is a genuinely scary story : ). When I was assigned it in grad school, I would only read it when my husband was home.

It is a great story though.

Ruth

It may be time to change the name of the group to let people who might interested in collage novels and other such books that there's a group reading them.

Lanelle, what do you think?

Ruth

Hey Ashely,

Those are good ideas, but I suggest you start a group devoted to those kinds of books. There of course could be overlap, and if you have in mind some books that have letters and other other documents, that might fit here. About what were you thinking?

Ruth

Hi, Lanelle.

It sounds like an interesting book. If we can get at least four or five people interested in reading and really conversing about it, then I would be game.

Ruth

Lanelle,

Let's extend it. I have a ton of stuff to do left from my trip to visit my daughter (it must be mother-daughter season!) And maybe if we wait we can some more people to participate in the discussion.

Let me know when you're back and we'll evaluate our options. Meanwhile, have a great visit and a safe trip home!

Ruth

Dear Group,

Did anyone get around to reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette?. Thoughts? Questions?

How did people like the e-mails?
Do e-mails count as epistles?
How much did people find the book funny and how much was mean?
What do you think was going on with Bernadette? The book implies her "madness" was due to suppressed creativity. Do we buy that explanation?

Please chime in!

Ruth

Gina,

Sorry for the delayed response. I think we're going to read Where'd You Go, Bernadette? next (join us!), but then I'll propose your book. It would, indeed, be a boost to have an author available for a chat!

Ruth

Lanelle,

I agree that it's not an epistolary novel, though Cassandra does copy some letters into her journal. But I do think the book offers some interesting commentary on reading and writing. Cassandra and her father are both writers, but Cassandra doesn't "get" her father's work. Yet she is supposed to be the clever child. Thomas, who is more detached, does seem to understand his father's novels.

How does his emotional disengagement help him to see the point of his father's work?

Although Thomas is the child who appreciates Mortmain's work, it is Cassandra who gives their father the phrase that leads to his being able to write again.

Is the link between these two writers stronger than the surface of the story might lead us to believe?

And what about the way poor Topaz' literary understanding is consistently denigrated?

The names interest me: "Mortmain" hints at a "dead hand," but also could mean "a plenitude of hands" or "an abundance of [or death of] the essential." All these meanings fit Mortmain and his own poetic, metaphorical approach to writing.

What do we make of the layers of his name? How are the others also Mortmains?

"Rose" and "Thomas" are good, solid, British names. "Rose" conjures up the type of English country beauty that we might associate with Jane Bennett. The exoticism of "Topaz" sets the character up as a slight outsider, a lesser jewel, but a creature of beauty. But "Cassandra" was the seer of Troy, gifted with prophecy by Apollo and then cursed by him so that no one would believe her predictions.

How is our protagonist a Cassandra? What are we to glean from the names in this novel?

I have other questions too, but must flit for now. What did everyone else think of the novel? Of the characters? Of the Cottons? Of the chain of disappointed loves? Of the style of the writing? Of the relationships between the men and the women?

Ruth

Lanelle et alia,

My apologies: I had some unexpected and time consuming vicissitudes crop up that kept me away. I'm willing to start Bernadette, but it will take me a while since I am now behind on work.

In the meanwhile, if anyone is interested, I wouldn't mind discussing Castle a bit.

Ruth

Gina,

I have your book sitting on my to-read shelf. I had forgotten it's an epistolary novel. Thank you for reminding us!

And GLM is a fantastic charity. I try to send letters in a couple times a year.

I'd love to read your story and will send you my e-mail address.

Many thanks again,

Ruth

Lanelle,

Let's set a date to start the I Capture the Castle discussion and then I'll broadcast a message. How about the 2oth? That should give folks time to find books and read. And are we still thinking to read
Where'd You Go, Bernadette after?

Ruth

P. S. I didn't realize there were so many members! I thought it was the recent four of us and Helene and Cassie. I hope we can get more people next time.

Lanelle,

That's a laudable goal, but it depends on what we're reading (some books take longer than others, some ask for longer discussions) and how busy people are.

I suggest this: why don't we give ourselves a little time to read Castle, but also decide *now* the book to read after that? That way, we can start discussing our current book without having to hide spoilers or have some people feel behind, and we will have time to obtain the post-Castle tome, and we can start reading THAT one as we begin discussing Castle. If we keep choosing books in advance, we might be able to achieve a book a month or so.

What do you think? What does everyone think?

Ruth