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Here are some discussion points for our February book, The Lovely Bones:
1) How does the family deal with their grief? Do you agree with the way they handle the realization that their daughter is not coming home?
2)Is there a character that you identify with? Why? Is there one that you dislike? Why?
3)Was it easy to read the omnipresent/first person point of view? Meaning the way that Susie narrated the story, she was everywhere and spoke in 3rd person when she was watching Earth, but in 1st person when she was in her Heaven or recalling the past details of her life.
4)Did you agree with the end of the book? Why or why not?
5)Would you recommend the book?
6)Will you see the movie?
Feel free to discuss anything you like about the book. Anything goes!
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Cherie: test
ReplyDeleteSo wow, I loved the book after I got through the traumatizing murder and rape. I honestly don't think I can see the movie just because of that scene. Okay not just because of that, I also don't want to see the movie because I have a very set cast of characters in my head now and I don't see the movie characters giving justice to the roles.
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time with Buckley surprisingly. I kept imagining myself having to tell my youngest of a death or loss. I think the author did a great job of keeping his thoughts and reactions in sync with his age and the way a child that age would actually react and comprehend a tragedy. He seemed so lost most the time. It was so sad that the dad was so busy mourning and the mom was so busy with herself that no one seemed really there for Lindsay or Buckley. But at the same time it would be so easy to fall into that as a parent who has to deal with such a horrible loss. I thinking reading this book as a parent has affected me so much differently than it would have if I read it 10 years ago.
I also love that Susie's heaven wasn't the typical dogmatic heaven people imagine it to be. I liked that she could control her heaven to a point, that those things she loves on Earth like the gazebo. It seems like even though she was the narrator and main character, she didn't come off as the main character to me. I felt like each character got their dues and the book was almost written as several smaller books of each persons lives which is not what I expected at all when I read the reviews.
I had a hard time when she was looking at Harvey's life. I didn't want to see him as the victim or be empathetic towards him. I wanted to be only disgusted and hate his character. Apparently I have issues, lol. Yes, I did like the ending. I wish he would have been brought to justice so the family could have closure but at the same time I like that it was more a closure for Susie and that it was such a quiet non-fanfare way for him to die. There was no mourning for him or sweet eulogy, he was just gone. Deserving.
Last I loved some of the things Susie said so here they are :
When talking about her kiss: "like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow."
"Had my brother really seen me somehow, or he was he merely a little boy telling beautiful lies?"
“How to commit the perfect murder was an old game in heaven. I always chose the icicle: the weapon melts away.”
Apparently everyone else loved these quotes too, they are all over the internet.
I'm with you, Amber. I had an extremely hard time with the book in the beginning. I kept looking at Josie and thinking, "She is NEVER walking to school or anywhere!". Scott thought I was insane. I had to set the book down for a few days to deal with that and then I picked it back up and kept reading.
ReplyDelete-I liked Ruth. I think she was my favorite character. She was just so weird but I think she was weird and an outcast because she was so aware of the world, yet clueless about herself. The entire cast of characters were lost and she was no exception.
Something I found interesting was the way that each person dealt with their grief.
-Abigail pretty much lost her damn mind. I want to say that I hated her, which at first, I did. And the funny thing is, I didn't hate her because she cheated. In some twisted way, I understand that she was trying to escape her grief. What I was appalled by, was that she would leave her living children. Yeah, maybe she didn't want to be a mother in the first place, but why have more children? But then I thought about how she must have seen Susie in both their faces, like Jack did when he looked at Lindsey. And how she probably felt horrible guilt for resenting being a mother and to as Susie said, had the ultimate punishment handed to her.
-I also thought it was interesting that Jack assumed the strong role. So many times, in fil especially, we see that it's the women that end up being the strong ones. Like in Steel Magnolias, when Shelby dies, M'Lynn says that Drum had to leave. He couldn't take it. She says, "Men are supposed to be made of steel or somethin'". In this case, Jack internalized the grief of the death of his daughter, the death of his marraige as he knew it, and the death of his family as a whole piece. It took it's toll on him physically, but somewhat mentally he stayed and raised his kids. Now maybe we could argue that crazy Grandma Lynn was his crutch, which maybe she was, but he didn't leave his family the way Abigail did.
-Lindsey internalized her grief also, but she used it as a way to become stronger. She pushed herself to excel at everything she did. She was probably the one person who truly came out better for the experience.
-I was really sad for Buckley. I felt bad for him. His world fell apart and he had no idea the magnitude of what had happened. I did feel justified for him when he said "F!@# you" to his mom. It was like a much needed exhale.
It's amazing that traumatic events in life really can destroy families.
Don't worry! It wouldn't let me post because my comment was too long! HILARIOUS!
ReplyDeleteThe narration of the story was hard to get used to. Every time she would switch POV, I would have to adjust. I agree that it was an ensemble piece. Which are, as a writer, REALLY hard to do! You have to give each character their time in the sun, but keep everyone tied in and relevent in the story. So that was impressive to me.
I agree that Harvey's death was done perfectly. The icicle death and the heaven murder game were a nice touch. I almost felt sorry for him when she talked about how he would kill neighborhood animals so that he wouldn't kill a child. But it was a sick in the stomach sorry for him. He deserved a much worse death, but the fact that he died alone, and no one would find him until the thaw, seemed to parallel his sad, ghost-like life.
One thing that I absolutely did NOT like was when Ruth and Susie traded places. I think that it was a nice thought, that she could experience physical and emotional love, but I think that it was so different than the rest of the book that it didn't really compliment the rest of the story. It was indulgent and rushed, I think. If she had been able to slip in and out of human form the entire book, then fine, that would have fit nicely.
I kind of want to see the movie because I am a movie freak and I like to see if the movie in my head matches what they actually made. That way I can rip it apart and know that I could do better! HAHAHA!
I don't think I would recommend this book just because it was so depressing that I kinda was in a funk for a few days afterward. But if the person I was to recommend it to wasn't a parent, then I probably would be ok giving a recommend. :D
I didn't agree with the way that Abigail handled her grief, but maybe it was the right way for her to do it. I think she should have been there more for her family and helping them through it, try to do more to help everyone else find the killer, etc. I felt bad for the siblings. I guess I can also say that I identified with Abigail too though. Not that I would have had an affair, but the way she withdraws and everything, I wanted to do that when McKay was abused by my ex. I didn't want to do anything at all, but decided to fight in the end. But I can understand how she did what she did. So I identify with her that way. I really hated Harvey. I had such trouble after the first chapter even, wanting to finish it was hard. I cried and cried. I haven't ever read a book that even after just the first couple of chapters was so powerful, disturbing, etc, that I had a really hard time. I was the same way Cherie, I was like my kids are never walking outside alone! I hated Harvey for what he did. I kept seeing my ex (again, a lot of anger for me still!)in his character. Had my son died from the injuries he recieved, I think this book would have been way to difficult for me to finish. I hate people that prey on little kids. I liked how Suzie talked about her heaven and what it was like for her. That is what I think heaven is going to be like when we die, each of us will have our own heaven. It was a little hard to get used to (how she talked, how the book was written...) but overall, I liked it. I loved the end of the book. I was glad that Harvey died. It was justice for Suzie. While it wasn't a prison sentence or anything like that, he got what he deserved in the end. I didn't feel sorry for him one bit. I would recommend the book, but I would just tell them that it is a poweful, graphic and disturbing novel, but so worth it to read. I do want to see the movie. I agree that I already have the characters in my head, but I think that seeing the movie and the characters played out will help in visualizing things in the book even better. I really want to see how they portray her heaven in the movie. Overall I really enjoyed the book. It will be one of those that I will remember for a long time, very moving. Makes you appreciate things and your kids especially so much more. I am excited to read the next book choice. Awesome suggestions Cherie. :D
ReplyDeleteI had someone ask me if I liked this book. I really had to think about it, and in trying to articulate a response, I managed to realize that this book does exactly what a good story is supposed to do. It evoked an emotional response. Sounds like it did that for you guys as well. Love or hate it, it does its job. :) Thanks for taking the time to respond!
ReplyDeleteLovely Bones...first and foremost, for me, this was a really depressing kind of book.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I will say I like what she tried to do with it. It's interesting how different people deal with grief...how some run away, some confront it head on, and some simply try to ignore it. I don't really agree with what Abigail did, running to California. Because in the end, it was still there waiting for her. And I also think that she shouldn't have left her living children behind. What a slap in the face that must have been--first the sister, then the mother. Instead of helping her kids understand and cope, she showed them that you can't cope. Lindsey was the only one who seemed to keep moving forward. And Buckley too, for as young as he was, it was probably easier for him to do so.
This is all opinion on my part--I don't have kids of my own so I can't really relate. But I would like to think that I would be one of the ones who faces it head on. I hope I never find out.
I really liked her style of writing. That kind of omnipresence is challenging to write, but it makes for an interesting read. It's almost as if she was trying to emulate the attention span of a child--Susie bounces from one place to another at seemingly random. It was also interesting the ideas of heaven...how her personal heaven was merely a tiny personalized version of the larger heaven but both allowed her to keep an eye on Earth. I didn't really like the part where she returns in Ruth's body, it was kind of left field. After all the watching and how she seemed unable to really affect anything on Earth up to that point, it was very sudden.
As for the ending...the icicle was a nice touch. There would be only one thing I would have added...that he saw every one he'd hurt as they dropped the icicle on him. I also would have liked the closure of finding her body, but it wasn't that important. I don't know if I'd recommend this book. It was well written, but left you with a bad feeling. But like Cherie said, that's what good books are supposed to do...make you feel and think. I would like to see the movie, just to see what spin they put on it, and if they changed it to a happier ending--and of course because I'm a visual effects junkie!
Thanks for reading!
This is Donna :D
ReplyDeleteFor me, the book was very sad. The time period of the book was in the '70's, around the time that I was thirteen. It was the time of the serial killer Ted Bundy, and girls were disappearing and some where found and some weren't. I remember the Kodak Instamatic camera, wow, that brought back memories! I think I would have preferred that they had found the killer and brought him to justice, rather than him dying invisibly in a ditch. I think that would have brought the family more closure.
I didn't like Susie's heaven. There wasn't anything that was really happy or joyous in her heaven...it all seemed to point to the fact that she had died in such a horrible manner.
I don't think I would recommend this book to anyone, but I think I would rent the movie on DVD.