Mic Breaks Only discussion

***Open discussion of chapters 31 - 40 below, no spoilers needed. Be sure you have read through chapter 40 before reading! Note: if this is your first visit to this topic I recommend you read this post about discussion ideas, then skip down and post your initial response, then read and respond to other people's posts.***

At the very least check in here when you finish chapter 40 and tell us if you are enjoying the book. I'll post specific discussion ideas below, along with some general topics we'll see repeated throughout the book. If you have additional ideas post them and I'll add them to this post.

Chapter 31 - 40 discussions:

1) What do you think Fegan's original motivations were for killing the 12?

2) Post your ideas!

General Discussions:

1) Share your favorite quote(s) from this section.

2) Do you have a favorite or most intriguing character at this point in the novel?

Location reminder

If you are returning to this topic after having continued past chapter 40, here is a plot reminder:

Fegan kills (view spoiler)[Anderson (hide spoiler)].

GO!

The plot feels predictable right now, and I hope I'm wrong (view spoiler)[Finale at the dog-farm, Fegan kills all the other major players then commits suicide as he is either re-haunted by the 12 after the last revenge killing OR he is now haunted by his new victims. Lennon turns up and saves Marie and Ellen. (hide spoiler)] I applaud Neville for keeping the pace brisk while having to work through the mechanics of moving his characters all around Northern Ireland.

Motivations? This question was inspired by Fegan's deep emotions during the flashback sequences. For example this commentary, while Fegan was interrogating the "UFF boys": Fegan's face was carved from stone, and something deeper than hate or anger burned behind his eyes.

My prediction is that Fegan's original motivation will turn out to be something about his father's death (or his alcoholism). That would bring the story full circle with his haunting ultimately being motivated by guilt over his mother's displeasure with his (Fegan's) actions.

Quotes: Maybe I missed something, but I've been trying to figure out what year the story takes place since about chapter 2. It's answered here: It was dated the fourteenth of December 1997. A little over nine and a half years ago. OK. It's Summer of 2007.

My favorite quote was Fegan's response when Anderson says "You're insane." "I know. But I'm getting better all the time." Best part of this section!

Character: Fegan's parents. See my discussion response.

Overall: This section had so much going on it felt very mechanical to me. Campbell should be more intriguing but I'm completely unsympathetic to him. In building the minor character Hargreaves I found it interesting that the author gave him a mistress. I wonder if the sole point of that exposition is to prevent the reader from feeling sympathetic towards him later in the story?

I think that originally Fegan began killing to fit in and he found an outlet for his rage he felt because his father was a drunk and died. After his mother turned her back on him I can't really say because he seemed generally hurt by that as shown in his letter to her. So maybe at that point he felt like he had nothing more to lose.

My struggle with understanding the language used still continues but I had to chuckle when Campell told
Coyle "Well observed, Sherlock" at last I understand them as that is one of my sarcastic phrases I use also!

My character I am interested in is Toner, I think he possibly plays a bigger role in all this. He says he works for McGinty but does he have more control than we know?

Moving on again!

I think Fegan found an identity by being associated with McKenna et al at a young age. His family life (alcoholic dad) and surroundings (my thoughts go to the story Gerry relays about a neighborhood girl Julie who was beat up by her father for associating with Gerry) were tumultuous which made the alternate lifestyle somewhat attractive. He gained respect from peers early on by associated with McKenna. I do feel like he was easily indoctrinated and then subsequently acting on orders in terms of the killings.

My second question would be "How do you see the role of mother played out in this book's theme and/or Gerry's decisions?" I think the "ghost" mother/baby are given a lot of focus. Gerry seems to interact with them frequently, almost to the point of communicating or having an emotional bond. Gerry and his mother's fragmented relationship is a source of major guilt for Gerry and he tried to mend things by writing to her and asking for forgiveness and a chance to see her when she was ill. I was sad to read segments from Gerry's mother such as "May God forgive me for giving birth to you." Gerry also develops strong feelings for a mother and her young daughter during the story. I definitely feel like there is a "mommy issues" theme that plays out during this section of the book.

My favorite quotes related to Neville's description of the coast, I have to admit I was longing for a weekend getaway after reading certain chapters. "Peaceful, like the rest of the world doesn't exist." and "...silver shimmer in the bay below, the North Atlantic meeting the Irish Sea to make a looking-glass for the moon. Then it was gone, the brilliant disc hiding, and the road cut downward between the slopes" were two of my favorites.

My favorite character during this section of the book was Mrs. Taylor who hosted Marie, Ellen and Gerry during their stay on the coast. I loved her feisty attitude, her good cooking and her honest conversations with Marie.

There are a few things that were not my favorite. I wish Gerry's weird sex dream/nightmare at the beginning of Chapter 31 had never happened. I still feel like the ghost comments are too frequent "The old ways were dead and gone, but still their ghosts might come to haunt the political process." I am SUPER mad that hotel owner Hopkirk was the one to phone in Marie and Ellen. I did not like the Patsy Toner torture scene in the car, I felt like the bad cop certainly deserved torture after beating Gerry, not Patsy.

I liked Marie's diversion tactics at the airport, it was the best of cat-and-mouse played out. I was pleasantly surprised by Coyle, who up until this point was completely detestable, standing up and refusing to be any part of Ellen's demise. I felt like Hopkirk had a certain amount of redemption by standing up to Campbell who was obviously not law enforcement when he arrived for Marie and Ellen.