Sunday, January 14, 2007

2007's First Book Discussion Was Small

Yes, the first book discussion of the year was small and cozy. Only Teresa, myself and Amanda showed. We had a lovely meal at Moonshine and a lovely discussion about our latest book finds, New Year's resolutions and Christmas time tramas.
Amanda...remind me what the title of the two books were that you suggested... Sophie's Find..maybe..??
Teresa suggested Water for Elephants which I had thrown in the hat for the last round of book choosing but it did not get pulled. I suggested Night Fall by Nelson Demille. It is fanstastic. I have also just finished reading Eldest which is second behind Eragon, just out in the theatre. It is a wonderful book and I have had a hard time putting it down.
Both Amanda and Teresa agreed that our next round we should choose books that from folks that have not had a book read, yet. So, if you had a book read this last time- Amy, Sara, Ellen and Amanda don't worry bout coming up with a book. =)
However, myself, Sheri, Teresa and whomever else decides to join in on our merry little band of book clubbers should bring book ideas for future reading.
Our next book, which I have already taken up, is Kafka on the Shore. Amanda said she thinks we will have our get together sometime in March. She will let us know the exact date as the time approaches.
(about Kafka On The Shore from Wikipedia)
Kafka Tamura: Clearly named in honor of the Czech writer Franz Kafka, Kafka is a "cool, tall, fifteen-year-old boy lugging a backpack and a bunch of obsessions" and the son of the famous sculptor Koichi Tamura. His mother and sister left the family almost before he became conscious of them. He occasionally interacts with a hectoring, exhortative alter ego named Crow, which is approximately what "kafka" means in Czech (a closer translation is jackdaw). Kafka tells himself throughout the novel that he must be "the toughest fifteen-year-old in the world."
Satoru Nakata: A "mentally defective sexagenarian" as John Updike calls him, Nakata lost many of his mental faculties when, as one of sixteen fourth-graders out on a mushroom-gathering field-trip toward the end of World War II, a strange silver light was seen in the sky and the entire class fell into a deep sleep. Unlike the other children, who woke up in a few hours, Nakata remained unconscious for many weeks, and, upon finally awakening, found that his memory and his ability to read had disappeared, as well as his higher intellectual functions. In their place, Nakata found he was able to communicate with cats.

[edit] Plot
Comprising two distinct but interrelated plots, the narrative runs back and forth between the two, taking up each plotline in alternating chapters.
The odd chapters tell Kafka's story as he runs away from his father's house to escape an Oedipal curse and to embark upon a quest to find his mother and sister. After a series of adventures, he finds shelter in a quiet, private library in Takamatsu, run by the distant and aloof Miss Saeki and the androgynous Oshima. There he spends his days reading the unabridged edition of A Thousand and One Nights and the collected works of Natsume Soseki until the police begin inquiring after him in connection with a brutal murder.
The even chapters tell Nakata's story. Due to his uncanny abilities, he has found part-time work in his old age as a finder of lost cats (a clear reference to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle). The case of one particular lost cat puts him on a path that ultimately takes him far away from his home, ending up on the road for the first time in his life. He befriends a truck-driver named Hoshino. Hoshino takes him on as a passenger in his truck and soon becomes very attached to the old man.
Nakata and Kafka are on a collision course throughout the novel, but their convergence takes place as much on a metaphysical plane as it does in reality and, in fact, that can be said of the novel itself. Due to the Oedipal theme running through much of the novel, Kafka on the Shore has been called a modern Greek tragedy, though with Murakami, it is never just one thing, but many.

Take care and keep warm.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Seventh Heaven...A Book or a TV Show

Honestly, I have not read the book, yet, but really really want to so if anyone wants to loan me their copy (but don't expect it back for about 6 mos) I'd appreciate it. I tried to google the book so that I could come up with questions for tonights bookclub meeting. Seeing that Sara will be out of town and has elected me to be her stand in, I thought I should come up with questions to get the discussion started before we break out in to talks of Christmas and New Year's Eve exploits.
There is not a reading guide, to be found, for this book so I have pulled up some generic questions for producing a fiction reading guide.

For the person who chose this book: What made you want to read it? What made you suggest it to the group for discussion? Did it live up to your expectations? Why or why not? Are you sorry/glad that you suggested it to the group (ask again after the discussion)? (that would be for Sara...and if she gets a chance, maybe she will chime in)

Did you think the characters and their problems/decisions/relationships were believable or realistic? If not, was the author trying to make them realistic, and why did he or she fail? Did the male/female author draw realistic male and female characters? Which character could you relate to best and why? Talk about the secondary characters. Were they important to the story? Did any stand out for you?

How was the book structured? Did the author use any structural or narrative devices like flashbacks or multiple voices in telling the story? How did this affect the story and your appreciation of the book? Do you think the author did a good job with it? Whose voice was the story told in (from whose point of view is the story told)? How do you think it might have been different if another character was telling the story?

Talk about the author's use of language/writing style. Have each member read their favorite couple of passages out loud. (You might want to warn them ahead of time that they'll be doing this so they'll be prepared.) Was the language appropriate to the story? Was it more poetic or vernacular? Did it stand in the way of your appreciation of the story, or enhance your enjoyment of the book? If poetic, did the characters speak in vernacular language, or in the poetic language of the author? Was the dialogue realistic sounding? Was there a rhythm to the authors style, or anything else that might be considered unique about it?

Was the author fairly descriptive? Was he or she better at describing the concrete or the abstract? Was the author clear about what he or she was trying to say, or were you confused by some of what you read? How did this affect your reading of the book?

Talk about the plot. What was more important, the characters or the plot? Was the plot moved forward by decisions of the characters, or were the characters at the mercy of the plot? Was the action believable? What events in the story stand out for you as memorable? Was the story chronological? Was there foreshadowing and suspense or did the author give things away at the beginning of the book? Was this effective? How did it affect your enjoyment of the book?
What were some of the major themes of the book? Are they relevant in your life? Did the author effectively develop these themes? If so, how? If not, why not? Was there redemption in the book? For any of the characters? Is this important to you when reading a book? Did you think the story was funny, sad, touching, disturbing, moving? Why or why not?

Compare this book to others your group has read. Is it similar to any of them? Did you like it more or less than other books you've read? What do you think will be your lasting impression of the book? What will be your most vivid memories of it a year from now? Or will it just leave a vague impression, and what will that be? Or will you not think of it at all in a year's time?
Talk about the location. Was it important to the story? Was the author's description of the landscape/community a good one? Talk about the time period of the story (if appropriate). Was it important to the story? Did the author convey the era well? Did the author provide enough background information for you to understand the events in the story? Why or why not for all of the above? Was pertinent information lumped altogether, or integrated into the story? How did this affect your appreciation of the book?
Finally, what else struck you about the book as good or bad? What did you like or dislike about it that we haven't discussed already? Were you glad you read this book? Would you recommend it to a friend? Did this book make you want to read more work by this author?If you need further assistance in leading your discussions, keep the following in mind: Questions that allow your members to express their opinions work better than those that simply have them pull answers from the book (like a high school exam). Ask your group to back up their comments with specific examples from the book. Sometimes it might even help to play devil's advocate with the group. Take a stance that's different from the consensus of the group (if there is one) and force the members of your group to defend their opinions of the book.Another option is to go through the book, chapter by chapter, pointing out scenes or passages that were especially touching/memorable/interesting to you, and then asking the group what their reaction to these selections are. And don't be afraid to let the discussion go where it will --- if one particular aspect of the book really captures your group member's attention, allow them to stay on this theme, rather than rushing them through all the questions you have prepared.Finally, if all else fails, you may want to ask each member to bring a couple of questions of their own to the discussion.

We won't go through all of them, and I won't be able to answer any of them since I did not read the book. If you want to bring a couple of questions yourself, as suggested above, please feel free.
Last but not least...who have you told about "Reading Btw The Wines"? Our New Years challenge is to invite someone to join in our little reading group. I have actually invited at least 4 people, in the last year, all whom have expressed great interest but demonstrated having very little time. I believe that is the case for every single one of us. So, in understanding that, I have to say that I am very happy and excited that those of us who can make it tonight, will be there and that I will get a chance to spend an evening with you all.

See you tonight,
Marla