All About Books discussion

When should we start Gill? I know you are still traveling so maybe mid-December?

If anyone else would like to join: feel free to!

I have to find the book; I'll see...

LauraT wrote: "I have to find the book; I'll see..."

Would be lovely!

I can start when it suits, Jenny. I've got a 9 hour flight this evening so might start listening to it then.

I won't be able to start for another 3 or 4 days, but if you go slowly I can catch up! Hope you had a wonderful vacation!!

Found the book, but won't be able of starting it before monday. Will it suit you both?

Monday is fine with me.

Would like to join in with this one. Will pick up the book tomorrow.

That's nice, Diane, that you are joining us. I'm starting listening to it today.

Great Diane S.
Started - just the first chapter - yesterday. I didn't know ANYTHING about it, I trusted Jenny and Gill! I didn't expect it a book on elderly people!!! INteresting so far

starting today as well!

LauraT wrote: "Great Diane S.
Started - just the first chapter - yesterday. I didn't know ANYTHING about it, I trusted Jenny and Gill! I didn't expect it a book on elderly people!!! INteresting so far"

I'm pleased to read a book with characters of my sort of age!!!

They are a little oldre than I am, but not too much: I'm sort of seeing what wil possibly be my feelings in 10/15 years time

I've finished chapter 2. I have to say I feel the narrator is a lot older than me in attitude, if not in years. (view spoiler)[ It was a shock to me when he said about his son having died in an accident. That's close to home for me. The difficulty with audio is you can't skip through anything you want to. I've a feeling that theme is going to carry on interpreting with the rest of the story. Anyway, I'm gritting my teeth and carrying on reading.

I do like Stegner/The Narrator's rather black sense of humour. I also like how the story has skipped back 20 years, and how Stegner is using the diaries to link the past and present narrative. I'm intrigued as to how the woman he has just had post from, fits into the story. (hide spoiler)]

You're right Gill (view spoiler)[I have not understood why this postcard moved him so much. What's the story behind it? I hope that the diaries will tell it ... (hide spoiler)]

Midway through chapter three. I agree Gil, he does talk like he much older than his actual age. Curious about his past as well. Do like his humorous, self- deprecating tone though.

I've just finished Part 2, Chapter 2 (which, a bit confusingly, is also called chapter 5 in the audio version).

I like the writing style and am looking forward to finding out how the story unfolds,

I had to laugh at my mental image of him trying to take a swim as the boat and the water sloshed side to side. Finished part 2 chapter I, but this part was in chapter 3.

I am.still at the very beginning but I too agree. my mother has just turned 70 and she is far off sounding as old as the narrator. I like stegners writing style. curious to see how this unfolds though it will unfold very slowly.for me, much less time for reading than I would want to have at the moment.

sorry for punctuation being a bit off, my phone seems to throw them in sort of randomly.

As Italian I was a bit annoyed by the character of Cesare Rulli. A part from some mistakes on the Italian bits - that can be excused - I didn't like the boisterous writer.
And a notation: when waiting for him Joe immagine that Cesare will be bewildered by the sun of California if compared to the place where he usually live, the "Botteghe Oscure" in Rome. It is true that Botteghe Oscure means Shady shops, but it was actualy the site of the former Comunist Party of Italy. I found it strange the mention of it in that way ...

I wondered what you would think of the Italian, Laura. I thought he was a bit of a stereotype.I really enjoyed the description of the preparation for his visit though.

I think there is a problem with knowing the location of a story well. You can tell which bits are wrong. I wonder if Stegner knew about it being the CP location?

I can't immagine him not knowing Gill. If you write "Botteghe Oscure" on google the first thing that comes out is this information about the Comunist Party. Sometimes the party itself was called "Il Bottegone" on news papers etch.
And yes, he is definitly a stereotype! To call the best contemporary Italian writer someone who clearly reminds of D'Annunzio - one of the worst Poet and novelist we had in the XIX Century!

One funny thing is that he repetedly compared California to Umbria, the Region where I live. I can't agree also in that. We have to sea - one of the few Italia Region without sea, the only one in central Italy. And so narrow in landscape: the thing I remeber best of California is the broadness of its landscape! I'm not saying Umbria is not beautiful - a bit for pensioneer, but that's a matter of taste! But I'd never compare it to California! More to some parts of England, been so green and rainy!!!

Just finished Part 2. Gosh, I really want to shake the narrator and tell him to get on living life, instead of thinking that it's nearly over.

I guess that shows how well Stegner has characterised him!

I have finished part two chapter three and I agree Gil. He sure does a lot of soul searching and complaining to himself.

Laura you are probable getting more out of this as far as setting. I live in the states and have never been to Italy. I find your comments very interesting as to place.

I think this link is probably better to read at the end of the book. I started reading it, but have decided to leave this till I finish the book.

http://constantreader.com/discussions...

Re how elderly the narrator seems, I wonder whether that is connected to the book not being contemporary? (Written in the 1970s and set in the 1950s and 1970s?)

I was wondering when it was set. Being middle aged int he 50s I thought something like that. I thought though it was a contemporary book, only set some years previously.
Tomorrow I'll give a look at your link Gill; I've finished it and things sort of were set into place

I'm more than half way through now. Joe is such a grouch. I would be happy to be friends with Ruth, but I'd beat a quick exit if Joe turned up.

Have you gotten to the dinner party at the. Castle part yet? I am finding it very amusing.

Diane S. wrote: "Have you gotten to the dinner party at the. Castle part yet? I am finding it very amusing."

No, sounds good.

Diane S. wrote: "Have you gotten to the dinner party at the. Castle part yet? I am finding it very amusing."

That was funny!

It is the first part where I actually like Joe,

Just finished Part 4. Yes, I enjoyed the dinner party. The book, and the characters are growing on me. Hope to finish it in the next couple of days.

After the dinner party I started liking the characters too. Just like when you meet a person you do not immediately take to, but grows on one over time.

Diane S. wrote: "After the dinner party I started liking the characters too. Just like when you meet a person you do not immediately take to, but grows on one over time."

Yes, I had much more patience with Joe in the jacuzzi than I have had previously. I wonder how much he reflects Stegner?

I was thinkung the same Gill. It looks like an autobiographical nivel, at least to some extent

I've finished now. I've given the book 4 stars, but am a bit unsure what I actually think of it. I love so much of Stegner' s writing and descriptions in this book. I also became attached to both Ruth and Joe. But I don't understand why Stegner chose to throw so many massive issues into what was essentially a story about the personal relationship between two people.

For example (view spoiler)[* Why does Stegner include Karen Blixen? I don't see how it adds much to the plot. Why not use a fictionalized person?Was Blixen well known in the US at this time?
*Why is the death of Joe and Ruth's son included? You would expect that to be a massive issue, but it only seems to play a minor bit part in the story.
*Ditto re the Countess' husband being a quisling. Isn't this a story in itself?
*Mendel, genetics, inbreeding, incest, etc etc. These are such big big issues, are they really all needed? Do they add much/anything to the general plot? (hide spoiler)]

I think Stegner could have written a much more effective story by leaving most of these out.

A question (view spoiler)[ I lost track of the connection between Joe's mother and the Countess' family. Can anyone explain this? (hide spoiler)]

I've done a bit of burrowing and found that

A/ there's a short story that is about Joe, here's an article about it: http://beatrice.com/wordpress/2006/02...

B/ All the Little Live Things is a novel about Joe, Ruth and their son.

I agrre with all your observations Gill: a bit too much in a single book, at least some of the things introduced were in the end not fully developed
(view spoiler)[ for all the tragedy of the loss of their son, or the whole issue of their relationship with him (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ the genetics was the necessary for the countess;s story as itmwas the reason she was estranged from her brother. Apparently Joe's mother was a young woman in the way, staying with the family the old Baron want4ed to schupp, so he gave her money to go to America. (hide spoiler)]

I read Crossing to Safety, last year for another group's read. Didn't even realize it was the same two people until I read your article, Gil. Liked this one much better than Crossing. This one at least was a bit intriguing, Crossing I found to be well written but a bit boring.

I've actually changed my mind to 3 stars not 4 stars. I'm too irritated by the overkill of issues to give it 4!

I gave it three stars

Although I can't quite see why the countess's husband was included I think the genetics and selective breeding was an important part of the story. I liked it more than I thought I would and gave it 4 stars.

Oh dear, I am sooooo far behind you guys;) I will do my best to catch up, now that I finally have some time for reading again.