Daily Diary discussion

Read a passage from the Tree of Smoke...the scene involved a buddhist monk during the vietnam war and an American soldier came to the town to show a movie concerning the life of JFK. No one in the town wanted to watch the film so the soldier watched the film by himself. The sound of his generator was so loud and as the film ended someone threw a grenade into the tent. No one was killed but the way the author showed the calm of the monk who ignored everything: the grenade, the movie as contrasted to the emotions of the american was very interesting and moving. You can sense the monk's resistence to the violence around him and yet his desire to separate himself from the american intruder. Throughout this whole scene however the monk was calm and agreeable in the words he spoke.

Haven't read much today-12/27/07 but saw a very moving film called the Great Debaters. The last scene at Harvard when the 14 year old Wiley College student made the final rebutal argument in favor of civil disobedience...what an incredible speech/argument. I hope many, many people see this movie. It was directed by Denzel Washington who also starred in it. Based on a true story.

I have really high hopes for that movie as a coach and ex high school and college debater. I think that it will really make an impact in showing school districts that debate is important and needed in schools.

Reading "Slow Man" by J.M. Coetzee. I am reading this for one of my face2face groups. I am liking it well enough but I am not yet "wowed" The book received glowing reviews.....I am hoping to hit the wow factor soon.

I am now reading several books at once. Still reading Tree of Smoke but also reading the Alchemist and another book by the guy who mapped the human genome about the existence of God.

Ed,
Are you finding "Tree of Smoke" as good as all the critics have ? I SO wanted to like that book. I was a child of the sixties, lost a boyfriend in Vietnam, protested in the streets of Milwaukee and whore lots of flowers in my hair.
I found the story to be O.K. but the characters, to me, were so flat. I didn't finish the book.

Jeannie - I agree with you on Slow Man. If this is your first Coetzee novel, I definitely recommend checking out Disgrace or The Life & Times of Michael K when you're done. For me, those two really helped me see why Coetzee is such a celebrated writer.

Anne,
I did read Disgrace several years ago for one of my face2face groups. I found it to be more to my liking than Slow Man. Although, the farther I get into the book, the more the story means. It isn't a "bad" book at all, just not riviting I guess. For some reason, during these dark,very cold days of winter, I want something more absorbing. Probably nothing to do with the author OR the novel.....just me.

I've enjoyed Tree of Smoke but....I've started a couple of other books..the Alchemist amongst them so I'll probably return to Tree of Smoke in a week or so.

Ed