Books I Want To Talk About discussion

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Thanks, Robbie!

Yes, thanks Robbie! The first chapter was so sad in terms of the number of young lives lost. It is very much a parallel to what is happening today overseas. A whole generation lost to fighting. When I read the second chapter, I really liked Ada. She is more of a thinker and can't cook or run a farm - unusual but not really a bad thing. I also think that the author does a great job of describing the settings, reading it I think I was sweating! What are your impressions?

Michelle, I'm on page 102. I don't know if you've read this far so I'm only going to give my comments up to page 71 in this post.

I really love this book! First, I think that Frazier is an excellent writer. His attention to detail is crisp and interesting. I really feel like I can see what it's like in this part of the South during this time. It's a shame at how much we destroyed our own country during the Civil War.

I like all of the characters so far, but Ruby is my favorite. Inman is an intelligent and brave man. I like that Frazier uses him to tell the perspective of the war from that of a soldier, while Aida and Ruby provide the perspective of the ancillary damage that the war causes. I like that Inman reads. I am looking forward to reading more about the backstory between he and Aida.

Aida is a very interesting Southern character. I love that she is learned, too, but her father did her a bit of disservice by not showing her how to do much of anything to take care of herself. He probably thought that nothing would ever happen to his money so he didn't think much about his daughter not ever having any. Like most things in life, sometimes the things that we take for granted can be taken away rather quickly.

I've never seen the movie, but I know that Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zeleger (sp?) played Inman, Aida and Ruby, respectively so I can't help but have their faces in my mind while reading it, which isn't a bad thing :)

COMMENTS UP TO PAGE 102




For me, Ruby continues to be the most fascinating character in the book. I thought it was great how much she took charge of the farm and how smart she was about running it, making sure that she and Aida had food, etc. I believe that she will have a transformative influence on Aida, who is still lazy, but learning how to do her fair share of the work.

Ruby's backstory is heart-breaking, but she has a spiritual breakthrough at a young age, which is what has helped her survive with very little. Have you noticed all of the spiritual themes that run through the novel? I like that Frazier interweaved spirituality in the story without hitting us over the head with it. I see it crop up in subtle ways, such as when the Indian boy that is friend's with Inman talks about the ability to take the soul of another human. Religion is an important aspect of Southern culture, and I like the way in which Frazier is able to capture it in the book.

Since Inman has a long walk to Cold Mountain, I'm thinking that his adventures on the road will continue or his story will become dull very quickly. What do you think about what he has been through so far? I've found the violent encounters to be quite frightening. Overall, I am enjoying Aida and Ruby's story better than Inman's, but the story as a whole so far has been excellent in my opinion.

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Sera,

We are at the same place reading-wise...I agree completely, Frazier's writng is spot-on and truly talented. Ruby is my favorite as well and she brings a down to earth practicality that Ada is certainly lacking. She is also much more in tune with folk beliefs using them as an explanation for things that she cannot intellectually account for. I love how she quizzes Ada on plants and location - Ruby is definately suited for survival.

There are a lot of spiritual themes in the book - and yes, I like how it is interweaved into the story very subtly. Ada and her father have a very traditional viewpoint of religion and I enjoyed the interplay with the 'locals' when they first arrive in Cold Mountain.

Inman's travels scare me too, it is almost medival in feeling with a sense of very little law and order.The Home Guard is a rogue band of soliders to be avoided at all costs.

Inman's interaction with the gypsies was very metaphoric for the temporary nature of all that is happening - with the war on-going and everyone unable to make definate plans for the future...the world seems to be on 'hold'.

Overall, I am starting to enjoy the flow of the story much more than I did initially. The first chapter worried me a bit.

MichelleCH wrote: "Sera,

We are at the same place reading-wise...I agree completely, Frazier's writng is spot-on and truly talented. Ruby is my favorite as well and she brings a down to earth practicality that Ada..."

Oh, medieval is such an appropriate word for what is going on in the South. It does remind me of the books that we read regarding those times. It also amazes me that those actions were taking place in the US. Interestingly, since the North wasn't decimated like the South was, I'm not aware of it being a similar "free for all" in that region of the country.

The open violence is making me worried for Aida and Ruby. Even though Ruby is a survivor, I'm afraid that they are going to be confronted at some point with dangerous people. I noticed that Frazier wrote that they were hidden in a cove, which helps, but I'm still nervous for them.

I like your observation about the gypsies as I hadn't thought of that. I also like your point about life being "on hold" for many people.

I am enjoying the book very much, although I agree that it did start off a bit bumpy.

If you like Frazier's writing, I would also recommend .

UP TO PAGE 202

There is so much I want to talk about: crows, Veasey, the old woman, etc.

Crows seem to appear everywhere: Ruby sees them as adaptable and clever, while Inman's experience feels very ominous- a dark foreshadowing of his future. Ada in her own interactions even begins to name them- I suppose the crows are an overall symbol of both good and evil in their current situations.

What did you think of Veasey? A very interesting sample of a preacher. Very quick to break the law and interestingly enough almost no conscious in terms of his choices.I did not like the experience with Junior and Inman's capture. I skimmed a little because I very much dislike violence, even in reading. It's like covering your eyes in a movie.

The old woman's story that Inman shared with Ada was such a parallell to his own upcoming experience " she could have been living in a better world, but she ended up a fugitive. " page 199. We always repeat history.

So much more I could say.

MichelleCH wrote: "UP TO PAGE 202

There is so much I want to talk about: crows, Veasey, the old woman, etc.

Crows seem to appear everywhere: Ruby sees them as adaptable and clever, while Inman's experience feels v..."

I'm a few pages ahead of you and looking forward to reading more but wanted to post first.

I agree that this last section had much to say about crows. I find them ominous, especially when they are circling above Inman in the tree where he is sleeping. I like the scarecrow that Aida made, too, as it sounded to be very fashionable. What do you think is stealing the corn from the barn - likely an animal or maybe a child since the hole sounded to be on the smaller side.

Veasey is disgusting. Oh, and Junior and his family are scary. I don't like violence either so I tend to skip over those parts as well. I'm not comfortable keeping those types of images in my head and I get it so it doesn't disrupt the story for me.

I am finding Inman and Aida's story to be interesting but quite old-fashioned, even Victorian, which would have been that time in England.

Ruby continues to both amaze me and entertain me. Her resourcefulness is incredible. I really enjoy Frazier's use of details on how she and Aida are running the farm. Burying the cabbages and using a barter system to fill the gaps in their meeting their needs are two things that come to mind.

Sera wrote: "MichelleCH wrote: "UP TO PAGE 202

There is so much I want to talk about: crows, Veasey, the old woman, etc.

Crows seem to appear everywhere: Ruby sees them as adaptable and clever, while Inman's..." Funny that we do find out who is stealing the corn - an unlikely person!

Sera wrote: "I am finding Inman and Aida's story to be interesting but quite old-fashioned, even Victorian, which would have been that time in England.

Ruby continues to both amaze me and entertain me. Her re..." Yes and Ada's thinking of eating a cabbage in the middle of winter is funny too. It is rather unappetizing.

So I finished the book last night. At first I wanted to throw it across the room and give it a three rating. But then I thought about it. A really good writer has the ability to draw out those kind of emotions. Without a talented writer I really would not have cared about the ending. It just was devasting to me that after all of the near-death experiences, Inman barely surviving hunger and capture, and the final renunion that it ended in the way that it did. What are you thinking?

It's funny because I finished the book last night, too, and I was really shocked (and disappointed) by the fact that after everything that Inman had survived that he ends up dying! I felt badly for Aida but then again, Frazier set up it early that she would likely end up unmarried.

I also think that Ruby ends up at the heart of the story by its end. In looking back, I realized that Frazier shifted the story to one of Ruby and her father and although Aida and Inman are still the main plot, Ruby has become a main character by that point. Recall that Aida says that Ruby can live with them as long as she wants if she and Inman marry and that she will be an equal in the household. Maybe Frazier liked Ruby as much as we did, which is why she became so important to how it all turned out?

I really wanted Inman and Aida to be together and to realize all of their dreams. What surprised me was how the "outlier" issue became such a big one for him, but not for the Georgia boy. I still can't reconcile the two. Do you have any ideas?

Besides Ruby, my favorite part of the book was the goat woman. I found her to be a fascinating character and I liked her attitude about things and her strength to live alone during such a difficult time.

I also can't believe that Stodard outlived Inman, too. What did you think of him? Would you have forgiven him if he were your father? It would have been hard, but I likely would have. Two wrongs don't make a right and all. Plus, Ruby makes a good point that he wasn't abusive physically or sexually with her - just neglectful, which is inexcusable in its own right, but lesser in degree, one might argue.

Overall, I really liked this book. I gave it 4 stars, too. Looks like we had similar reactions, as well, but no surprises there, right :)

Sera wrote:Ruby has become a main character by that point. Very tricky the way he did that! and clever..I suppose that Ruby was the one solid and continuous point in the story. Ada and Inman were a tragic parallel to the war. As a writer he must of at some point decided that Ruby would become the way to tell Ada's story. I still can't get over the fact that Inman dies.

MichelleCH wrote: "Sera wrote:Ruby has become a main character by that point. Very tricky the way he did that! and clever..I suppose that Ruby was the one solid and continuous point in the story. Ada and Inman were..."

I know - Inman's dying really took me for a loop. I really didn't like it but upon further reflection, they do consummate their relationship so poor Ada doesn't die a virgin. I felt sad that she didn't have any children though, because it was clear in the book that she wanted them.

Sera wrote: What surprised me was how the "outlier" issue became such a big one for him, but not for the Georgia boy. I still can't reconcile the two Not really, and the Georgia boy seemed so annoying and the opposite of Ruby. She was all about self-sufficiency and a no-holds-barred approach to life, he just wanted to run back home. It was a strange combination, even for love!

Agreed - I guess he had nowhere to go, but I wish that Frazier would have given us a little more backstory on how those two got together.

I think my favorite part of the novel was Ruby's work to get the farm back into production. The description around the hard work and transformation of Ada was really interesting. I too liked the goat woman...but I think that the experience that Inman had on the road with the young mother with the baby was beautiful. I almost wished that there was some follow up as to what happened to her.

Sera wrote: "I also can't believe that Stodard outlived Inman, too. What did you think of him? Would you have forgiven him if he were your father? It would have been hard, but I likely would have."> Yeah, I don't think that I could have been that forgiving..but it is hard to say because I do have such a soft heart. Even though he didn't abuse Ruby physically her neglect as a young child was frightening. But then again, Ruby would most likely have been a completely different person without those experiences. If it were my choice I would have let Inman live and Ruby's father die. Frazier is certainly a good writer to draw out such powerful emotions!

MichelleCH wrote: "I think my favorite part of the novel was Ruby's work to get the farm back into production. The description around the hard work and transformation of Ada was really interesting. I too liked the go..."

Oh, that was so good. I also liked how near the end, Ruby had mapped out a plan for all of the land. The story with the baby was good but heartbreaking, too. Inman was certainly the hero more than once in the story.

MichelleCH wrote: "Sera wrote: "I also can't believe that Stodard outlived Inman, too. What did you think of him? Would you have forgiven him if he were your father? It would have been hard, but I likely would have."..."

I would not have let my father die either. Frazier did so much by showing rather than telling, which is why I enjoy his writing. He really knows how to set a mood. I'm glad that you enjoyed the book. It was fun to do a buddy read with you :)

Likewise!