by Sue
Another well reviewed book
that the members of my writing group have enjoyed enormously and I have
not found time to read. Its central concern is family relationships, so
we should all be able to identify with something here. The main
character, Rosemary, is at college looking back at traumas in her
earlier life that she feels she must understand before she can move on.
My copy has Topics for Reading Group Discussion at the back. DO NOT READ
THEM UNTIL YOU’VE FINISHED THE BOOK. There are plot spoilers there. But
the points for discussion do look interesting, so perhaps we might want
to refer to them once we’ve finished. Looking forward to a novel that
promises much.
Hello Ladies!
ReplyDeleteHope you are both doing well. Things are good here. Unfortunately I start back to work at the beginning of June. While I've missed my professional life to a degree, I think I will miss spending every day with my munchkins more! Sue, my copy does not have any discussion questions. I will happy respond to any you and Nancy pick.
As for the book without specific questions to answer, it was very well written. I was very pulled in by it. Another great pick Sue! Here we have another family novel that is deeply affected by lack of communication. (Spoiler here) Being unable to talk about Fern ultimately caused them to lose Lowell. We learn that young Rosemary was unable to handle any discussion but Lowell wanted to talk about her. I wonder how the family dynamic would have been if Mr. and Mrs. Cooke had taken Lowell aside any time he wanted to talk about Fern and just let him talk. This way neither Rosemary nor Lowell would be upset. In addition they should have periodically checked on Rosemary. I firmly believe sometimes we are not ready for certain things. After Fern's departure from the family, Rosemary wasn't ready to discuss her but eventually Rosemary becomes ready to talk about Fern. Maybe Rosemary's phase of blocking Fern out was over much sooner than her college years. Maybe the family would have been able to return Fern to everyday conversation when Rosemary started elementary school or high school.
How much do you feel Rosemary "moved on" after she learned everything that happened? Yes, Rosemary gets a career and to an extent has Fern back in her life but I don't feel she gained much from coming to terms with her past. Rosemary and her mother develop a new and stronger relationship. The two have a successful novel, but Rosemary doesn't sound satisfied to me. This is not to say that Rosemary is completely unhappy. I guess I feel that there was something more that would have ultimately made everything perfect for her. Maybe the lack of satisfaction I feel she implies is due to the loss of her father before Fern's return to their lives and the undetermined outcome with Lowell.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Much love,
Katie
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteHope you’ve had a great time in New Zealand, Nancy. Don’t worry about the kids. If the pattern in U.K. is being repeated in Australia, they’ll probably come home to live. Speaking as an onlooker, what worries me is how quickly the time has gone –seems like yesterday when they were beginning their courses. So pleased you’ve enjoyed the last two books, Katie. How you’ve found the time and energy to read them I can’t begin to imagine. I wish you lots of luck and energy on your return to work. I find retirement difficult to manage. On current performance, I’d never cope with a career never mind children as well.
On to the novel: loved it. What a story. Amazing characters, the reader’s perception of them constantly moving as the narrator’s understanding develops and as time and events impact on lives. I thought the non-chronological approach worked well. So many issues to think about - not least the uncertainty of memory, the relationship between human and animals, between family members, friends . . .
My copy has discussion topics like: “Rosemary’s mother says to her: ‘I wanted you to have an extraordinary life.” To what extent is that a legitimate desire of a parent for a child? To what extent is it fair to a child to enact it? Is the choice that Rosemary’s parents made for her, to give her a chimp sister, acceptable?”
Speaking as a non-parent, I don’t think that having Fern as part of the family in the way Rosemary’s family did was at all acceptable. Way too ambitious. It’s difficult enough living a so-called ‘ordinary’ life. There again, perhaps I lack ambition as well as energy. You’ll have more relevant things to say about this, ladies.
In the example we have here, though, as you’ve pointed out Katie, the outcome of trying to give two children an extraordinary life has been to put one in prison and leave the other dis-satisfied with her life.
I can more confidently address the more mundane question: “Does knowing a plot detail spoil the story or enhance it?” because I often read the end of a book first. Here, I did not get chance to make that decision. Whilst writing the introductory bit for us, I looked at the back for a glossary because I’d been told there were lots of difficult/scientific words. No glossary, but I found the discussion topics. The second point told me Fern was a chimpanzee. Now, having read the book, I wish I hadn’t known that. Obviously that knowledge informed my reading and made clear to me the writer’s skill. But I never saw Fern as human, so I think I missed a whole dimension of Rosemary’s relationship with Fern.
Generally, when I read the end first, it’s a who-dunnit, or something similar, and wanting to know the answer is making me read too fast to appreciate the writing. Finding out who-dunnit gives me peace of mind and I can enjoy the skillful laying of clues, assuming clues have been skillfully laid.
I wish I knew what happened to Lowell. What did we think of Lowell? Crazy? Badly served by his parents? A hero? Is having “empathy, compassion, loyalty and love” at all useful if there is no moderation? Do we need revolutionaries? Wonderfully drawn character. Someone I’d like to have dinner with.
Finally - sadly, lazily, I did not look up all the difficult words in a dictionary because I wanted to rush onwards. Missed a lot, I feel, so must read the book again, slowly. Really good book.
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteWell done Sue, another great pick. I utilised my flight time to NZ and back by reading our story. I enjoyed it and found it so well written with so many differing subjects touch on.
I agree Katie, it is a novel of family dynamics and miscommunication and perhaps if the communication between the family members was better a lot of heartache would have been avoided. Sadly, though this seems to be a common thread running through most families even though I believe generationally we are getting better at expressing ourselves to each other. I know the topics and discussions I have with my children would have been unthinkable with my own parents.
Sue, your discussion question about Rosemary’s mother wanting to give her children an "extraordinary life" raises a lot of issues for me. Firstly, I must question the judgement of parents who believe it is acceptable behaviour to make their child a science experiment and to believe it is also acceptable to treat a wild animal as a human being.
I felt very sorry for both Fern and Rosemary, by tying their lives together so tightly, they became unable to function well when back amongst their own kind. Poor Fern would have suffered such loss and bewilderment at being torn from such security into a world of cages and other chimps when she was completely unaware of the social norms required of her. Likewise poor Rosemary, when she began kindergarten and came from a life of no boundaries , being surrounded by the interns who hung on her every word and action was placed in a situation that is all about structure and rules and behaviour. Perhaps parental scientific glory may have clouded the judgement of the Cookes. As you can probably tell I was not too impressed with their parenting style,
I feel Lowell was the hero of this story. His passion and commitment to the plight of animals used for scientific testing was unquestionable. He found his calling as a protestor, activist, revolutionary, or as the authorities would like us to believe an urban terrorist, because of his close bond with Fern and by being able to see her as a sister and part of his family. The world needs more Lowells, I often feel inadequate at my lack of action to the wrongs I see in the world when faced with these amazing people who put their lives and freedoms on the line for what they believe in.
Thank you Sue, for introducing us to this story, there are so many different threads we could discuss.
In the beginning I didn’t know Fern was a chimp and I’m glad for that, a little personification was helpful to the message of the story.
Ivars and I had a wonderful time in NZ. It is amazingly beautiful. We got our adventure on and climbed mountains, went black water rafting and even visited Hobbiton. Super keen to be so much fitter so we can do more of the same!!
Katie, I hope the transition to work isn’t too stressful, it is never easy leaving your babies, but it is a beautiful moment when their eyes light up as you walk in the door at the end of the day.
Sue, I’m glad your back garden is summer ready, I have heaps of vegetarian BBQ recipes if you need them, super easy and tasty. Just a quick share
sliced aubergines rubbed with a mix of garlic, turmeric,cumin and olive oil. a quick grill on the plate and served with some garlic yoghurt, very delicious. We have had an excess of aubergines this season so lucky for me!! Happy BBqing, hope the weather holds out for you.
Love to you both and to Jay, Franklin and the children.
Sue, I remember specifically reading that part about the extraordinary life and I didn't even think about it the way you pointed it out. I think it is acceptable to want something amazing for your child. However, I think "extraordinary" is very subjective. In addition, maybe the Cooke parents could have found a way to make their children's lives extraordinary without endangering and socially stunting them. Turning them into science experiments may have been a poor choice too. I'm sure they could have considered some world travel to make Rosemary's life more extraordinary. Then there is the fact that they
ReplyDeletewent from making her life "extraordinary" to completely mundane. Nancy, you are spot on! Rosemary's every word
was doted on by the research students and then everything she said was mocked by her peers. What a complete and terrible
change of life for poor young Rosemary. One would think that as smart as the Cookes were, they'd notice Rosemary's
descent into silence and assess it as evidence that Rosemary's school life wasn't going well.
I'm not sure how I feel about Lowell as a "hero". I suppose I feel that there shouldn't be any need for animal
activist because mankind should not be doing cruel things to animals. If you have no animal experimentation, then you have no need for activists like Lowell. But I suppose that would only happen in a perfect world.
The back of my copy spoils the surprise of Fern. Like you Sue, I wish I hadn't known that Fern was a chimp before I had started. It would definitely have changed my outlook on Fern and Rosemary's dynamic. I guess I couldn't accept the idea of Fern as another member of the family. This I find very odd for myself. I had a dog growing up whom I still consider a brother despite his being long since deceased. I also refer to our cat as my "furry son". Strange that I cannot mentally accept this fictitious family having a simian child. Not sure what this says about me.
Nancy I'm glad your trip went so well. Loved the pictures! Sue, I also did not look up much of Rosemary's wonderful vocabulary. I only had so much time and energy in that regard! haha! I've already picked up my copy of On Canaan's Side. Hopefully another enjoyable read.