January 11th: New Year, New Book

At our next meeting, on January 11, 2013, we'll be discussing The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Some of you have read this one before, so this will be great opportunity to see what you pick up the second (or third, or fourth) time through that you may have missed during a previous reading.

The story of our eponymous protagonist (how's that for a fun phrase?) weaves itself around ten titles that help to define portions of her life. With that in mind, here's your assignment:

Choose ten titles to represent your life to date. They can be fiction, non-fiction, mass market, self-published, handmade--whatever. Any and all books that have played a role in your life are game.

It will be hard to narrow the field to just ten titles, I'm sure, but try to keep it in that ballpark. And once you have your ten titles, use them to create your Ideal Bookshelf. Check here and here for a few examples--all of which have around twenty titles, I'm noticing, so let's say shoot for ten (for the sake of parity with this month's book) and don't exceed twenty (for the sake of parity with the examples). Somewhere in there I'm sure you'll find the right number.

Bring these Ideal Bookshelf illustrations (which can be done freehand, collage style, or with software, by the way) to our next meeting so we can all share them.

Happy holidays, happy reading, and happy illustrating. See you on the 11th!

December 7th: Black Boy

Yes, December 7th is also National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, but we'll be meeting to discuss Black Boy by Richard Wright.

Black Boy differs from all of the texts we've read before in one important way: it's a true story. If you look for it in the bookstore or at the library, you'll find it in the Autobiography section--not in Fiction. But Black Boy is different from a lot of autobiographies, too, in that it reads like literature, hence its place in our Literature Discussion Group.

What is Literature?
So maybe this is a good time to talk about what it is, exactly, that qualifies something as "literature." What are the requirements a novel has to meet before it can earn that lofty distinction and be declared to have literary merit? Is the Twilight Saga literature? Does The Chocolate War count? What about Harry Potter?

Think this over for the 7th, and . . .

Do a Little Writing
Peruse the questions below--which are more specific to Black Boy--as well. Address your favorite topic below (or a topic of your own) in something between a paragraph and a page or so. Be ready to discuss the others, too.

1. Richard Wright lived in poverty for much of his childhood and was often hungry. Aside from physical hunger, what other kinds of hunger did Wright experience throughout his life?

2. In the beginning of Chapter Three, Wright shows how dialogue worked between he and his friends, using quotations followed by the group's reaction to the spoken words. Why do you think he presents this interaction this way? What effect does this technique achieve?

3. As a young child, Wright is beaten. A lot. How does this form of violence affect his relationship with his mother? How does it affect his relationships with others? His world view? Do you think his mother is justified in her treatment of him? Why or why not?

4. Books and words have great meaning for Wright throughout the course of this narrative. Why do you think literature becomes so important for him? What risks does he take to gain access to literature and learning? Why does he take these risks? What kinds of things would you be willing to put yourself at risk in order to obtain or achieve?

5. How is Wright's attitude toward white people shaped during his childhood? How--and at what points--does it alter throughout his life? Point to specific passages in the book to support your statements

6. Remember the Heinz Dilemma? Lawrence Kohlberg's anecdote about the man whose wife was dying and needed medicine that he couldn't afford? What do you think Richard Wright would choose to do if faced with this scenario? Explain why you believe as you do.

7. Wright grew up in what is referred to as the "Jim Crow South." Find the origin of this phrase and explain some of the "Jim Crow" laws that existed in the south in the 20th Century. What finally put an end--at least in legal terms--to the Jim Crow Era?

Happy Reading! See you on the 7th.

Change is in the Air . . .

. . . both out of doors and in our Lit Group.

Big Differences
Our first two books this year focused on young adults coming of age in 20th century America, which makes this month's book--The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck--a dramatic departure.

We'll be discussing The Good Earth at our next meeting on November 2nd.

While we're still dealing with the 20th century (for the most part: the action of the book takes place between the 1890s and the 1930s), we're shifting from contemporary U.S. settings to pre-revolutionary China. We're also shifting from the American middle class, where teenagers have cars and carpeted bedrooms, to a rural Chinese farming life where thatch huts and dirt floors are the norm, and a family's circumstances can shift from abundance to poverty with one bad harvest.

The point of view in The Good Earth is different as well, with a somewhat detached 3rd person narrator relating the details of Wang Lung's life--whether they involve fortune or famine, success or failure--in an even, fairly unemotional tone and with simple language reminiscent of a fable or parable. (This style of writing is common in much of the Chinese literature Buck would have read growing up, and it has inspired comparisons between Buck's novel and the Bible.)

So, prepare yourself for something completely different this time around . . . and enjoy it. I think the thing that amazes me the most about this book each time I read it is its timelessness. Though it was published in 1931 (and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932, incidentally), it is still relevant today--more than 80 years later. That's most likely due to the themes it addresses, which brings us to your assignment.

Your Assignment: Working with Themes
We've talked a bit about themes this year, and I always say that while things like "love," "money," or "freedom" can be the basis for themes, in order to figure out the themes of a specific book, we have to figure out what the author seems to be communicating about these ideas. For instance, while "love" was definitely addressed in Red Ruby Heart, I would say the overall theme with regard to love is: "Love endures."

Similarly, in The Chocolate War, there's plenty of fear to go around, but instead of saying fear is a theme, I'd be more inclined to express it in one of the following ways:

Fear can motivate people to do things they otherwise might not. 

OR 

When people allow themselves to be ruled by fear, they become paralyzed. 

See what I mean? You could probably come up with more fear-based theme statements regarding the boys of Trinity, but that would be soooo September. Instead, take a look below at some of the topics that I think are the basis for themes in The Good Earth.

• the earth
• wealth
• women
• morality

Choose one of these and do two things with it:

1. Make a statement that reflects what the author seems to be communicating about that topic, thereby expressing it as a true theme.

AND 

2. List several instances in the book (write down page numbers, too!) that demonstrate that theme. 

If this makes sense, great--go for it. If you're not sure what I'm asking you to do, comment on this post, and I (or someone else) will attempt to clarify.


If you come up with another theme topic, feel free to use it, and remember--there is no one right answer for any of these. Just make sure you can provide evidence to demonstrate your theme at work in the book.

Good luck, and I'll see you on the 2nd!

October 12th: Red Ruby Heart

From The Chocolate War, we're moving on to Morgan Callan Rogers' Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea, which will be the focus of our next discussion on October 12th.

Compare and Contrast

While Red Ruby Heart covers a longer time span than The Chocolate War, features a female protagonist, and has a much more diverse cast of characters, the two books do share a few similarities. For one thing, both deal with the loss of a parent, and for another, both address the difficulties associated with coming of age, so to speak. 

As you read, consider the similarities (and differences) between Florine Gilham and Jerry Renault and between the novels overall. This will be one aspect of our group discussion.

Sense of Time and Place

One thing book reviewers consistently say about Red Ruby Heart is that Rogers has done a wonderful job establishing a "sense of place." So another thing I'd like you to think about as you read is the representation of Maine in Red Ruby Heart. Yes, I know, the novel is set in Maine in the 1960s, and none of you were around then. Believe it or not, neither was I, but--we are all currently living in Maine and many of us were born here. How does the sense of Maine in this novel compare with your sense of Maine today? What has changed? What's still the same?

Assignment

Finally, in order to prepare in advance for the discussion, please respond (in writing) to one of the following prompts:

1. Both Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea and The Chocolate War feature characters who have to deal with growing up and finding their place in the world following the death of a parent. With which character were you able to identify more and why?

2. We see Florine navigate many ups and downs over the course of the novel. Plot out a "story arc" for Florine--which doesn't have to be an arc at all--using Kurt Vonnegut's arc for Cinderella (left) as a model. Be sure to label her various highs, lows, and in-betweens. Note: Since RRH in a CBS is a novel and Cinderella is a short story, Florine's "arc" will likely be more complex.

3. As mentioned above, Rogers is credited with creating a great sense of place in this novel, but how has she done it? Find specific passages and images in Red Ruby Heart that help to establish the sense of place that is uniquely Maine and explain what each of these passages communicates about our great state and/or the novel's time period.

Enjoy reading, and I'll see you all on the 12th (if not before)!

A War? Over Chocolate? Really?

Yep. More or less. 

On September 14th we'll be meeting to discuss our first book for the 2012-2013 session: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. 

Mmm . . . chocolate.

It sounds yummy, but don't be fooled by this book's sweet sounding title. Okay, I guess it's not that sweet, since along with CHOCOLATE it also includes WAR, but still, it's important to realize that we're starting right out with a controversial one. 

The Chocolate War has been featured regularly on the American Library Association's annual list of the Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books for reasons including: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit material, unsuitability for age group, and violence.

So . . . why are we reading it? 

Well, as Cormier himself said in this AP article (after 26 years of defending the book), "I feel like I must have done something right. . . . There wouldn't be all these concerns about an ineffective book."

So that's the question I'm asking you. Is this an effective book? And what does that even mean? How can a book be effective or ineffective? To help you think it through, consider the following questions:

1. Are all books supposed to accomplish something? If so, what? If not, why read them?
2. What do you think Cormier was trying to accomplish (if anything) with The Chocolate War? Does he accomplish it? Why or why not?
3. Is the ending of this book satisfactory? Could it end differently? Should it end differently? If so, how? If not, why not?
4. Is all of the material that people have objected to (language, sexual content, violence, religion) necessary to the plot and message of the book? Do you think Cormier could have left some of it out and still achieved the same effect?

These questions will be a big part of our discussion, so be sure to give them some thought. And after you've given them all some thought, choose one of the questions above (#1-4) and write a response (one paragraph to one page or so) to bring with you to our discussion. 

Happy reading! See you on the 14th,

Belinda

Have a great summer everybody!!!

May 7th: Heart of Darkness

Our next meeting will be on Monday, May 7th at 1pm, and we will be discussing the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

Like Things Fall Apart, Heart of Darkness addresses the colonization of Africa in the late 1800s, but even with this similarity, they are very different stories indeed.

Some things to consider as you read:

FIRST
We have a double narrator, here--first an unidentified sailor aboard the Nellie, a ship currently anchored at the mouth of the Thames River, and then Marlow, a fellow sailor who recalls his time in the Belgian Congo. Marlow's tale becomes the central storyline with only occasional interruptions to remind us of the frame. How does this "double narration" affect the story? Why do you think Conrad created this type of frame structure?

SECOND
In an essay about Heart of Darkness, Chinua Achebe says it is "an offensive and deplorable book," which "depersonalizes a portion of the human race." He adds that Conrad does not provide enough of an outside frame of reference to allow the novel to be read as ironic or critical of imperialism and colonization.

On the other hand . . .

A review by Phil Mongredien states that Heart of Darkness is "as powerful a condemnation of imperialism as has ever been written," and "an invaluable historical document offering a glimpse into the horrific human consequences of the imperial powers' scramble for Africa."

• Which point of view do you think is more accurate and why? Find evidence in the book to support your opinion. We will be debating this. Come prepared to argue either Achebe or Mongredien's point of view.

FINALLY
If you have questions, thoughts, or ideas as you read, post them here!