"It's probably fair to say that in all the years of Hitler's reign, no person was able to serve the Fuhrer as loyally as me. A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequence of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both. Still, they have one thing I envy. Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die."
-Death, from the novel
Wow! The Book Thief is a powerful story! Historical fiction, as my readers know, is my favorite genre and I have read quite a few set at the time of WWII in Europe. Most have centered on the Holocaust, which is fascinating to me---both the unbelievable horror inflicted on so many innocent people and the beautifully inspiring stories of rescue and survival. This novel hints at the Holocaust but centers on the daily life of German folk in a small town. The reader feels emotionally drawn to a number of characters, especially the "book thief" Liesel, her foster father, Hans, her friend and neighbor, Rudy and Max, a Jewish friend the family hides in their basement. Death is the omniscient narrator but does not seem scary or threatening. He foreshadows often, perhaps to prepare the reader for what is coming.
The author's style is very unique. He gives contents at the beginning of each part and interrupts the story at times to ask or answer questions, give definitions, descriptions or explanations. Zusak's writing is very poetic, appealing to the senses in very unusual ways. I always begin my entry with a quote and there were so many creative descriptions and thought-provoking passages, it was hard to choose just one.
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When the Page Turners Book Club met to discuss The Book Thief, we were furnished book-themed refreshments by two members: Jewish Apple Cake, pea soup, pretzels and apple cider to name a few. A lovely feast! The thirteen attendees had copies of discussion questions from the book publisher which were very wordy and complex. As it turned out we used some of the 12 questions as jumping-off points and spent the hour discussing whatever came to mind. Everyone liked the novel; our group rating was 4.7. There were 8 members who voted 5 and I was one of those. One of our members who is also a published author, recommended this book at our November sharing session. We are thankful for the suggestion! Now we just need to see if we can find the movie still showing somewhere or get the DVD when it is released. Perhaps we can view it as a group, probably with the expectation that it will not be as good as the book!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
"House Rules:
This was another good book by Jodi Picoult, not as good as the last one I read, The Storyteller, but definitely a page-turner! I rate it a solid 4. The story involves Jacob, a high school senior with Asperger's. Jacob has many idiosyncrasies stemming from his disability, all rather eye-opening for me since I have no real experience with this syndrome. It was apparent that the author had researched extensively because the characterizations of Jacob and his mother and brother as they related to him were quite believable. One of Jacob's quirks was the singing of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" as a calming effect. He frequently quotes lines from movies and he is a stickler for following rules. Jacob is totally obsessed with criminal forensics and after he is accused of murdering his social skills tutor, this "hobby" points to his guilt. Jacob's brother, Theo, has his own emotional problems which leaves one wondering through most of the book: Just what was his involvement in the death of this young woman, Jess? Jess's boyfriend is the early suspect, and not a very likeable sort himself.
This novel brings up the possible link between childhood vaccines and autism. I'm still not sure what to think about that controversy. I probably did learn a great deal about Asperger's, that it is a high-functioning level of autism and that individuals with this syndrome can be extremely intelligent, and in Jacob's case, even profound. For example, he says "It is hard for me to explain why it is so difficult to look into people's eyes. Imagine what it would be like if someone sliced your chest with a scalpel and rummaged around inside you, squeezing your heart and lungs and kidneys. That level of complete invasion is what it feels like when I make eye contact. The reason I choose not to look at people is that I don't think it's polite to rifle through someone's thoughts, and the eyes might as well be glass windows, they're that transparent."
The plot of House Rules moves quickly, being told by 5 characters alternating chapters. So 532 pages are read before you know it. The publisher includes discussion questions at the end of the novel and a conversation with the author which is very enlightening.
- Clean up your own messes.
- Tell the truth.
- Brush you teeth twice a day.
- Don't be late for school.
- Take care of your brother; he's the only one you've got."
This was another good book by Jodi Picoult, not as good as the last one I read, The Storyteller, but definitely a page-turner! I rate it a solid 4. The story involves Jacob, a high school senior with Asperger's. Jacob has many idiosyncrasies stemming from his disability, all rather eye-opening for me since I have no real experience with this syndrome. It was apparent that the author had researched extensively because the characterizations of Jacob and his mother and brother as they related to him were quite believable. One of Jacob's quirks was the singing of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" as a calming effect. He frequently quotes lines from movies and he is a stickler for following rules. Jacob is totally obsessed with criminal forensics and after he is accused of murdering his social skills tutor, this "hobby" points to his guilt. Jacob's brother, Theo, has his own emotional problems which leaves one wondering through most of the book: Just what was his involvement in the death of this young woman, Jess? Jess's boyfriend is the early suspect, and not a very likeable sort himself.
This novel brings up the possible link between childhood vaccines and autism. I'm still not sure what to think about that controversy. I probably did learn a great deal about Asperger's, that it is a high-functioning level of autism and that individuals with this syndrome can be extremely intelligent, and in Jacob's case, even profound. For example, he says "It is hard for me to explain why it is so difficult to look into people's eyes. Imagine what it would be like if someone sliced your chest with a scalpel and rummaged around inside you, squeezing your heart and lungs and kidneys. That level of complete invasion is what it feels like when I make eye contact. The reason I choose not to look at people is that I don't think it's polite to rifle through someone's thoughts, and the eyes might as well be glass windows, they're that transparent."
The plot of House Rules moves quickly, being told by 5 characters alternating chapters. So 532 pages are read before you know it. The publisher includes discussion questions at the end of the novel and a conversation with the author which is very enlightening.
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