Book-a-book of the Month Club discussion

Feel free to discuss the story here.

I am really enjoying the writing in this book so far!

This really is feeling a lot like The Goldfinch to me. Any others feeling that? I think I heard it compared to it somewhere . . .

Matthew wrote: "This really is feeling a lot like The Goldfinch to me. Any others feeling that? I think I heard it compared to it somewhere . . ."

Oh wow really? I did like a lot of The Goldfinch but at times I thought it dragged. Okay this should be interesting.

If it helps - I am liking it better than The Goldfinch and it makes more sense than The Goldfinch.

Okay, I really like the story at the beginning, but it kind of slowed down for me near the middle, though it's picking back up again --- I think it's because I enjoy reading one time period more than the other; I still think this is too long, and that some of the stuff aren't relevant to the overall story, like the parts about Pwnage, especially the section that I just read, which was about eight pages long with absolutely no paragraph breaks or a period stop except the first sentence, which I don't mind reading, except it really exhausted me, and I still don't know what that brings to the story, except for the fact that the author just wants to go on a tangential break and go on and on about a character like he did with Laura Potsdam, who I hope doesn't show up again in the story, and yes, that section about Pwnage about 3/4 of the way through the book is as painful as this post is.

Okay, seriously: I'm liking it, but barely. I think I'd enjoy it more if I liked more of the characters instead of just being indifferent about them. I like young Faye, but I can't quite connect to her to the older Faye of 2011. Same with Samuel - oddly enough, I liked his character better when he was a boy. Although... I do like the present storyline better. The past is more politically heavy, and I guess I don't like too much politics in fiction. I'm fine with (in fact, I enjoy) made-up politics or political intrigue as seen in historical fiction or fantasies.

Michelle - I am still waiting until I finish to read though your posts!

What I am finding interesting about the book is the time jumping of the storylines. I find myself getting into the current storyline and then trying to remember how I got there!

It's fine. I anticipate actually falling behind in the end, because I have so many other (mandatory) things to read. I'm pretty close to finishing it, but I haven't touched it all week.

I think I favor one timeline more than the other, that being the present. I totally understand what you mean by forgetting what happened in a storyline when the time shifts. For this book though, I was able to go with it because the timelines + the different characters make each section distinct, at least to me.

Peeps keep mentioning Laura Potsdam, but I've completely forgotten who she was. Who was she?

Michelle wrote: "For this book though, I was able to go with it because the timelines + the different characters make each section distinct, at least to me. "

This is how the book felt to me. Each section was a tiny book. Despite liking the attention to detail and the ultimately stagnant pages of description I probably would have enjoyed the overall arch of the book if a lot was cut out. Especially the ending. Also, the extra detail becomes an antithesis to itself. If the author knows when to stretch time and show you the individual elements of the past and present careening together to aid their story and moments with discretion if draws more attention and interest to what is revealed, I find. Otherwise it starts to become a wash and if it's not interesting I find it safe to lash a couple pages ahead. Which did happen a few times with this book.

Maybe Laura was in one of those pages.

Joe wrote: "Peeps keep mentioning Laura Potsdam, but I've completely forgotten who she was. Who was she?

Michelle wrote: "For this book though, I was able to go with it because the timelines + the different c..."

That's funny because I had forgotten I read about Laura too. I thought, oh I'll get to that character soon when I realized I already did. Isn't she the student? (I'm going from memory here because I had to return my book to the library already. I have to get it back this weekend.

Ah, oh yeah. The student. Totally unimportant side story. (view spoiler)[The only real substance it adds to the book is that Samuel can not go with his mother towards the end. Oh no wait, he couldn't go because he took pictures of the chemical plant. That side story was useless. (hide spoiler)]

Josen wrote: "That's funny because I had forgotten I read about Laura too. I thought, oh I'll get to that character soon when I realized I already did. Isn't she the student? (I'm going from memory here because I had to return my book to the library already. I have to get it back this weekend. "

Joe wrote: "Ah, oh yeah. The student. Totally unimportant side story. [spoilers removed]"

For me - the Laura Pottsdam character represented a beef with modern day millennials that the author wanted to share in the story. Probably also to contrast with the way people her age thought about life in the 60s vs now.

Matthew wrote: "Josen wrote: "That's funny because I had forgotten I read about Laura too. I thought, oh I'll get to that character soon when I realized I already did. Isn't she the student? (I'm going from memory..."

It's so funny when we talk about millenials because it's become more of a stigma now instead of identifying a group with their birth years. But sadly they do have quite a rep. Lol!

I see what you mean Mathew, but how does it wrap into the stuff about the 60s?

I don't get it. My wife and I actually have a very similar conversation all the time where she gets mad at millennials for spending so much time on their phones and not getting out and going camping, or finding a place to hang out with friends, or any number of other outdoor activities she enjoyed as a child. She was appalled that my niece made it to 17 years old without having really ridden a bike (She learned at one point, but it was never her thing). So much so that she practically wrote her off as a lost cause.

But the thing is there's nothing wrong with it. It's just different. Technology is a more integral part of our life. Every major technologic advancement has been met with this scrutiny. I still recall when the TV was seen as evil because parents didn't like their children watching so much of, but society didn't fall into an abyss because we could no longer socially interact with each other. Same thing here. And lazy people that will take short cuts to get ahead, even if it's detrimental to others, have existed since the dawn of humanity itself (pretty sure about this one, but I don't have proof).

Help me get it.

I think it is the difference between using technology in a positive way and using it questionably. Laura uses it to steal term papers and doesn't think that's wrong. She uses a social media app that gives her hollow encouragement. She thinks her life is so hard, but everything is getting handed to her on a silver platter. Contrast that to Faye and Alice in the 60s - her life is a piece of cake, but she doesn't want to do anything to earn it. She expects to be rewarded.

I definitely think technology is a good thing, but has many demons to it as well.

I loved this book! I don't know why, but the books I enjoy the most include perspectives from multiple characters and from multiple time periods, so this was right up my alley. The emotional release at the end was unexpected, but amazing! For whatever reason, I didn't think that Faye and Samuel would ever work out their relationship at all, and I for sure didn't expect Faye's tender care of her father at the end of his life. My own father has a son with a different woman--my older brother--whom he's never told me about and I've never met. My dad left my mom and me when I was thirteen years old, but he won't just simply go away. He's still hanging around and poking his nose into our lives even though we don't really have anything in common any more (besides blood). This book helped me to understand him in a way I don't think I ever have before. He realized that he screwed up when he walked away from my brother, and even though he's not doing it well, he's refusing to let history repeat itself with me. My dad is not a very pleasant person, so this little revelation (thanks to The Nix) has already helped me mentally, and I hope that it will help me approach my relationship with my father in a healing way. We both need that, and I'm happy to try before he's in his deathbed.

Wow, Annie! Thanks for sharing! I am so glad that this book was a therapeutic experience for you.