fiction files redux discussion

Maureen and I are reading the Last Samurai, and I'm starting this thread for discussion. I hope others who have already read it, or who read it in the future, will feel free to chime in.

Mo, so far I'm thinking the best way to talk about this might be in loose sections, like pre-Ludo, Early-Ludo, Circle Line, Concert, Pre-teen Ludo, etc. Right now, in my reading, Ludo just turned 11. Have you read any more? Once L starts keeping his own journal the book starts to move pretty quickly. I sort of want to wait for you, but I am not good at slowing down!

I am trying to catch up... things are a bit insane here. I am up to the yamamoto concert. did you want to talk about the first two sections now?

I guess we could actually talk about the first four in your breakdown?

I totally adored that concert! But yeah, let's start with the pre-Ludo stuff.

Personally, not having read the dust jacket, the opening caused me to fear that this was going to be a coming of age novel about Sybilla; about how she made the choices that she made because both of her parents were denied opportunities to do what they loved. I was dreading it a little. And then the book took a turn, and I was incredibly relieved.

i haven't quite finished up with the concert yet. she's just being fascinated by yamamoto. :)

the introductory chapter, what with the seminary and all that sort of reminded of the wheat springeth green, and i was worried about being stuck in the seminary, but then when the father decided to start making bets i got excited, and hoped he do some grifting, so i was kind of disappointed when we left him and moved into pre-Ludo. i am very interested in linguistics, but i'm not sure i'm enjoying the way she writes about it. once she started explaining how she taught ludo greek on the circle line i was a little more engaged. i also found it hilarious the way she got pregnant: i've obviously never been that bored before. :P

obviously! that scene, wow! i think that might have been the most honest one-night-stand scene i've ever read. now that she's gotten me to think about it, i'd wager that most one-night stands occur out of boredom and politeness.

one thing that threw me a little, and i didn't really grasp what was happening until later, was the whole buisness of not calling people by their names, but calling them by names that seem more suitable (based exclusively on her opinions of them) instead.

i liked riding the circle line, but honestly do people really talk to each other that much on the tube? i mean, in new york the subways are largely silent during my commute. people only really pay attention to each other if they are annoyed. i can't imagine anyone engaging anyone else in a real conversation. nut jobs occasionally try to get you to come to jesus, but otherwise, no.

Oh man. I was running super late this morning. Then I almost finished the book on the subway. When I got to the pool, I thought, I can just finish these last few pages, I'm going to be late to work anyway. So I finished it in the locker room. Then I thought Hurry up, get in the pool, no one will be able to tell you are crying. But actually, it's really hard to exercise and cry at the same time, so I didn't cry in the pool. As soon as I was out on the street, fast-walking to work, though. Boom!

I loved this novel. I think everyone should read it immediately.

hi lovely! well, you whipped through pretty fast. i'm glad you loved it, and i am forewarned that it could get emotional by the end. i am now with hc and the silent tribe... i'm not clear if that's the group he was looking for or not, but hey!

about the circle line: i got the sense that sybilla is one of the note jobs that tries to get people into conversation. when he describes all the arguments she ends up in! i'd like to also suggest that ludo was being annoying which also got their attention. :P

should we go back and discuss sections when i'm done?

i really feel for ludo about his dad... when i think of all the outside sleeping he did!