December 11, 2008: Page Turners 7 p.m.

Book: Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen

Discussion:

We had several new faces at this month’s meeting; whether this was due to the particular book we read, Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen, or our meeting earlier in the month remains be seen, but we certainly hope our new group members will return!

Our total number of attendees this month was twelve, and the majority liked the book. Ten Page Turners voted thumbs up, one thumbs sideways, and one abstained from voting, pending completion of the book. Two members unable to attend the meeting sent in emails saying that they would give it a thumbs up as well.

We began by discussing the names associated with the book. A few of the names, including the author’s, gave us pause in their pronunciation. After several members chimed in we decided we would pronounce the author’s name, High-a-sin, and the main character of Bode as if it rhymed with toad. We agreed that the names Bode and Chub sounded particularly apt for a pair of rednecks and laughed over the irony of Judge Battenkill’s appellation.

Several of the Page Turners remarked that they did not care for any of the characters especially; pointing out that all but the newspaper’s managing editor appeared crazy or strange in some way.

We also discussed the presence of religion in the book. With all the religious oddities in Grange it seemed like the religious kitsch capital of Florida. We agreed that Hiaasen’s incorporation of this religiousness to the point of absurdity was intended as a humorous device, which must have succeeded as we all found the book funny.

We mentioned other books by Hiaasen as well, several members having read his other work, but the rest of our discussion focused on the hostage situation in the novel. One Page Turner said she really admired how even though Amber was being held against her will by Chub and Bode, she had no problem keeping them in their places. This led to a debate over whether or not a person should take action and try to fight back or just give an attacker what they want in a violent situation. A few members told stories of what they had done themselves had done in such positions, the most notable being a member who escaped from an attacker by biting him, and another who was held up at her place of employment so many times that she began keeping a bag in the office for the robbers to take the money away in!

After a few more similar stories we adjourned for the evening having distributed books for next month and flyers for upcoming programming.

November 20, 2008: Page Turners 7 p.m.

Book: Hard Truth by Nevada Barr

Discussion:

Our group met early this month, on the third Thursday of the month instead of the fourth, due to the Thanksgiving holidays. We discussed one of Nevada Barr’s mysteries, Hard Truth, which is set in Rocky Mountain National Park. Most of the Page Turners seemed to like the book; six readers voted thumbs up for it, one thumbs down, and three sideways.

A few of our members had read other books in this series and really enjoyed them. Each is set in a different national park and features park ranger Anna Pigeon. We discussed how this character and her family members figure in to each book and how Anna often acquires pets on the job. In this book she found a kitten.

Barr’s description was one of the things the Page Turners liked most about the novel. They characterized it as descriptive, but not overtly so. They felt as if they were in the park with the characters but not bogged down by excessive details.

Conversely, what the readers disliked the most about the book was that its events were very graphic. One Page Turner said that of all the Nevada Barr books she has read this was the most extreme, particularly the instances of torture. Another reader remarked that she had a hard time with the book since it involved the abuse of children, which led her to vote sideways. I mentioned that I found the torturing of the mice disturbing, despite the fact that I am not a fan of that species to any extent.

We also discussed the character of Heath, a former rock climber, now a paraplegic. Several group members admired her perseverance in rescuing the girls and were relieved to see her overcome her depression and improve her outlook.

We were pleased with the ending. Anna caught her killer, and Heath was reunited with the young girl she had taken under her wing. We might have liked it more were it not so gruesome, but the bad guy got his just rewards in the end so we were satisfied.

Next month’s selection, Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen, was made available, and flyers for upcoming programs were distributed.

October 23, 2008: Page Turners 7p.m.

Book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Discussion:

Several of our members returned this month for the discussion of Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. Many Page Turners had read the book before and enjoyed it, as the voting proved. Ten readers voted thumbs up, one thumbs down, and one thumbs sideways. To begin the discussion I asked those who did not vote up if they would like to share their opinions on the book. One found the narrative a bit implausible. She wondered why Jacob ran away after his parents died and their house was repossessed instead of staying with friends in his hometown. She also thought it was very convenient that he would find veterinary work straight out of school during the Depression, and it seemed even more fantastic that this work was with the circus. Some Page Turners liked this stretch of implausibility, thinking that it fit in well with the circus atmosphere.

It was also suggested that some of the circus history was inaccurate. One Page Turner worked for the publication Billboard in the 1950s, which covered the country’s circuses. The head of her department was an expert on circus history and imparted some of it to our fellow member. Another Page Turner revealed that she is from Hugo, Oklahoma, which shelters many circuses during the winter because of the relatively mild climate and profusion of open spaces for hosting circus animals. Having lived there for many years, this Page Turner told us of various friends of hers who were performers and of circus companies still in business today. We definitely had no lack of knowledgeable Page Turners at this meeting!

Another topic receiving much discussion was that of elephant temperament. Apparently it is not uncommon for mistreated elephants under stress to maim or kill their trainers. According to some of our experts, trainers in the past continued to use elephants until they had engaged in two or three acts of violence, and only employed female elephants. Now, companies have both male and female elephants, though they only take the females on tour, and retire an animal from performing after one violent incident. Conversely, elephants can also be extremely affectionate and gentle. One Page Turner shared a story of how an elephant once nuzzled her face, an endearing, albeit a hairy gesture. Apparently their temperaments can vary as much as a human’s can.

We also discussed circus movies such as The Greatest Show on Earth and Toby Tyler. According to the New York Times, Water for Elephants should be made into a movie in 2009. We also commented on the 2009 reading list and the book for next month. Copies of that novel, Hard Truth by Nevada Barr were made available, and flyers for upcoming programming were also distributed.

September 25, 2008: PageTurners 7 p.m.

Book: Pére Goriot by Honoré de Balzac

Discussion:

We had a smaller group this month, several members having scheduling conflicts, but we did have two new faces and an interesting discussion. This month we read Pére Goriot by Honorè de Balzac. At our August meeting one member envisioned that this book would generate many thumbs down votes. Her prediction proved correct as four Page Turners voted down and only one voted up. However, there were three sideways voters, one of which convinced another who had yet to finish to continue plugging away.

The main detractors of the book seemed to be that it was a bit boring, a little depressing, and that the French names were hard to remember and differentiate. One reader made a list of the characters in order to help keep them straight. We also decided that the main character, Goriot, was too melodramatic, at least where his daughters were concerned. The book discusses how he would wait in the park all morning to catch a glimpse of one of them as her carriage drove by. This, combined with his total deterioration for their sake, seemed a bit over the top, yet we disliked the daughters for their lack of appreciation as well. One Page Turner poised the question of whether Goriot’s deterioration was the cause or effect of his son-in-laws’ rejection of him. We decided the two events were probably simultaneous. Goriot was already lacking in money from helping his daughters in arranging their marriages. His financial deterioration probably began then and had some physical decline associated with it. His sons’ denunciation may have just exacerbated his state.

We also spoke about the amount of detail in the book. Some found that it was too much, while others enjoyed Balzac’s style and use of language. One critic praised the author as one of the greatest novelists of all time, yet said his writing of French, the grammar, syntax, etc., was not excellent. This same critic disparaged Dostoevsky and Tolstoy’s Russian, in addition to Dickens’ English. This led us to discuss the translations of the book. Together, we had about five copies of the book, each translated by a different individual. One Page Turner recommended her translation, which included our novel and another, Eugénie Grandet. Due to the similarity between the second book’s title character’s name and our other main character Eugene Rastignac we thought the two novels might be related, as Balzac’s characters frequently reappeared in other books. This was not this case with these two, but as the Page Turner with this edition read both stories, she was able to give us her comparison between Père Goriot and another of the author’s works, which is always interesting.

The meeting ended with a discussion of the upcoming 2009 reading list. Several members turned in their votes, and I am now hard at work on finalizing the list. Flyers for upcoming programs were also distributed, and an announcement about the blog was made.

August 28, 2008: Page Turners 7 pm

Book: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Discussion:

The majority of the members of Page Turners liked the book this month. Eight people voted thumbs up, two thumbs down, one sideways, and one member abstained from voting, having not quite finished the book. Of those who voted down, one suggested that Bryson was not truly interested in hiking, that he only hiked the Appalachian Trail in order to write a book about it. Others disagreed, saying he started off not knowing much about hiking but that he then underwent a transformation into a genuine enthusiast.

We also talked a bit about the defense measures Bryson and his friend Katz took in preparing for their trek. Basically they took none, equipping themselves with only a small knife and a pair of nail clippers, a fact they lamented when Bryson suspected a bear was roaming near their camp.

The talked turned to Katz in general after that. Several readers pitied the poor guy. I remarked that I missed him during Bryson’s solo hiking excursions and the single trip he took with another friend. Another Page Turner remarked that there was a chemistry lacking on the trips not involving Katz.

The major point of discussion concerning the book was about the food. I commented that my favorite parts were the ones where Bryson and Katz made it to a town with a restaurant, and were able to eat something besides noodles and Snicker bars. Another member enjoyed the part when Katz listed the foodstuffs he tossed out of his backpack the first day and Bryson counters with the items he left in New Hampshire. One member revealed that our hikers did not have to subsist on noodles, Snickers, coffee, and trail mix by describing travel food which only requires boiling water to prepare.

From this point on we shared personal camp stories. One Page Turner actually spent a weekend on the Appalachian Trail and said it was as Bryson described it, not at all a clear walking trail, but a collection of blazes which one must follow by climbing over rocks, trees, and water. Another had a friend who wanted to walk the Trail so she subscribed to the Trail’s news publication, although after receiving it she thought twice about accompanying him.

We also discussed books for next year, several members turned in their ballots a month early, and we had a few new suggestions as well.

July 24, 2008: Page Turners 7 p.m.

Book: 1776 by David McCullough

Attendance: 11

Discussion:

Almost everyone liked the book this month; nine people voted thumbs up, one thumbs down, and one abstained from voting. The main complaints about the book were that it had a kind of “required reading” feel and that there were too many characters to keep straight. On the other hand, with so many people involved in the narrative, it seemed obvious to us that McCullough conducted a great amount of research while writing.

We discussed other McCullough books, John Adams, having been recently made into a miniseries by HBO, and Mornings on Horseback, a biography of Teddy Roosevelt. Both interested the group.

The talk then turned to the Revolutionary War in general, including battles not recounted in 1776. Several of us mentioned being surprised that the book didn’t take us to the end of the war, before realizing it was just going to describe the events of the title year, eventually leading up to a year-end victory which changed the course of the war.

We also commented on how George Washington was portrayed in the book. I was surprised that his mistakes were pointed out so directly, since most discussion of the General usually consists solely of praise. Another Page Turner reminded me that even the most brilliant military strategists make mistakes in the beginning. We also talked about the letters George Washington sent home. These often included detailed descriptions of what he wanted done to his house, which was being constructed at the time. One group member wondered if this was integrated into the book in order to make Washington seem frivolous or if this was his way of escaping from the war. Other members believed it was his method of escape.

We then began speaking of letter writing, a lost art these days. Some members recalled receiving letters from loved ones in World War II, including V-Mail letters. This led to several anecdotes concerning American wars and military ventures over the past century. One Page Turner told the rest of us about the Battle of Toledo, in which the territories of Ohio and Michigan were poised to fight over that city. The fight ended, the only causality being a pig, with Ohio keeping the city and Michigan securing the northern peninsula.

The meeting thus ended on a humorous note, ballots and suggestion lists for next year’s reading list having been distributed along with flyers for upcoming programs.

June 26, 2008: Page Turners 7 p.m.

Book: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Attendance: 13

Discussion:

We began the meeting with a few housekeeping details. I told the members that there had been a request for a public contact list (public among group members) and invited them to join it by putting a check next to their names my personal contact list or leaving it blank if they did not want to be included. I typed up the list the following day. We also discussed next year’s reading list. Our publicity person had told me that she would need the new list in September. As my voting procedure takes a few meetings I asked the group to bring suggestions for the list to the next meeting in addition to the suggestions I would be bringing. Fortunately, two Page Turners have been thinking ahead, and had recommendations for me already.

Next we got down to business by voting on the book. The opinions were more varied this month, with four voting thumbs up, three thumbs down, and four sideways. Two members refrained from voting, having not finished the book.

The main complaint about the novel was that its still was somewhat stilted and that the author tended to write in circles. One member asked if any of our upcoming books would be lighter reads than this one, to which the answer was a hopeful yes. We discussed a couple of Wharton’s other books, mainly The Age of Innocence, which I personally found more accessible than this one, and debated over whether or not The House of Mirth was a tragedy. I think most of us agreed that it was, and that the title was quite ironic.

We also talked about money and how those in the privileged class in the novel obtained their wealth. It seemed that many of the characters inherited their fortunes, but these legacies may have had their origins in railroading, banking, business, steel and iron, or the Stock Market.

For the remainder of the meeting we talked about the role of women in society and how that role has changed. Several members contributed stories of their college days in the forties and fifties and others talked about how it was expected that working women quit their jobs as soon as they got married or pregnant, which made for a very interesting end to the meeting. Flyers for upcoming programs and books for next month were also distributed.

May 22, 2008: Page Turners 7 pm

Book: The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

Attendance: 11

Discussion:

Almost the whole group disliked the book this month. When we voted only two members voted thumbs up, five were thumbs down, and four were sideways. The foremost topic of discussion was the murder at the end. I had read some reviews on Amazon in which readers wrote that they anticipated that happening, but the group members and I were completely shocked. Some kept hoping that things would improve for Ruth and that the book would end on an optimistic note, while others thought the story was optimistic and hopeful in spite of the tragedy at the end because Ruth did not seem to let her difficulties get her down. Needless to say those who believed the latter were the two readers who voted up.

One member brought up the fact that after regaining consciousness in the hospital Ruth did not ask about her son Justin, and that readers did not know his fate for a few chapters. She thought this showed a lack of characterization as one of Ruth’s roles was as a mother. Another Page Turner suggested that Ruth had sustained brain damage as a result of her husband’s beating and may have forgotten that she even had a child. We debated these two points of view, eventually deciding that while Ruth probably did have some trauma done to her brain, Hamilton could have addresses the fate of her son sooner than she did.

We also debated the mental stability of Ruth’s husband Ruby. We discussed the possibility that he may have always been deranged, he did after all jump off a bridge into a frozen river in December and later stood in front of a passing car waiting for it to hit him. Ruby had been in trouble with the law previously, accounting for the character of Sherry, his counselor, and was what one member blatantly termed “a loser”, but we all agreed he was pushed to his mental breaking point by May’s harassment.

Surprisingly, we did not discuss the character of May too much, even thought she was one of the main characters. We talked about her son, Ruth’s brother, Matt more. Some members wondered why he did not return home once he went away to college, or even call or write. Others asked why Ruth’s discovery that he too had been writing to their Aunt Sid felt like such a betrayal to her. From his letters we learn that he felt abused not only by his mother’s overwhelming and suffocating affection, his experience was quite different from his sister’s in that regard, but that he saw Ruth’s physical bullying of him when they were children as abuse too. This casts both his character and Ruth’s into different lights. Personally, I felt this revelation concerning Ruth was inconsistent with the way her character had been portrayed in the rest of the book. She seemed like a nice, meek person, and his claims of prolonged abuse, just do not jive with that characterization.

An observation that this month’s selection was yet another Oprah book, and that she seems to like books about dysfunction and familial abuse since she keeps choosing such books for her club, rounded out the evening. Flyers for upcoming programs and books for next month were also distributed.