"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

As far as first lines go, it's not as famous as, say, Leo Tolstoy's "All happy families are alike; all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way," or Jane Austen's, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." But it's still a good first line.

(And by the way, if you're a sucker for a good first line, you can find plenty more here.)

But why is "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" a good first line?
I can think of at least two reasons. First, because it sets the tone for the novel—one of nostalgia and mystery. And second, because it establishes the frame of the story.

We've already read one book with a frame this year: The Catcher in the Rye. Unlike Holden Caulfield, however, who doesn't really break into the story he is recounting again until the end, the unnamed narrator of Rebecca continually interrupts her narrative in the early chapters, making us very aware of the interweaving of the past and the present in the story, which just happens to be one of many interesting themes in this novel.

Assignments:
As always, be on the lookout for anything you'd like to discuss when we meet next, on December 4th. And please complete one of the following activities, to the best of your ability.

1. Complete the following sentence with either a, b, or c, whichever you feel is most apt, and come to our discussion with some evidence to back it up. Rebecca is a novel about a) the effects of the past upon the present, b) the balance of power in marriage, or c) the fantasies of a jealous, insecure woman.
2. Decide which character you find most compelling and why. Support your choice with a brief explanation, quotes from the book, illustrations, a personal story arc for that character, or anything else you think does the trick. 
3. Imagine what happens next. Take us ten years down the road from the end of the book and let us know what's going on with each of the characters, what their lives are like, where they are, and what they're up to. 

"Epitome of Simplicity"

That phrase is a frequent clue in the NY Times Sunday crossword.

The answer? "ABC," of course. But American Born Chinese, which is often abbreviated ABC, is anything but simplistic.

More than "Just a Comic Book"

This novel by Gene Luen Yang interweaves three seemingly separate stories in a book that was the first graphic novel ever to be nominated for a National Book Award.

ABC was also the first graphic to win the Michael L. Printz award, an award which is given annually by the American Library Association and which "honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit." So yeah, it's a graphic novel, but it's also a pretty big deal.

That said, it will probably be a pretty quick read for most of you, but you know what that means. 



You'll have time to read this book more than once! 

And when you read a book more than once, you often catch things the second time through that you didn't notice during your first reading. So please, do it. Read this book twice. Or three times. Or more. And then do one of the assignments below and bring it with you to our next discussion on Thursday, November 13th. 

Assignments: 
Lots of possibilities here ... but you only need to do one. 

1. Set a timer and write for 10 minutes about a time when you felt like you didn't fit in somewhere. What was it like? How did it feel? How did you handle it and how was the situation ultimately resolved (or not resolved)? 
2. Relate a significant experience, story, or memory from your childhood, a la Jin Wang's memory of his mother telling his the Chinese parable during their car ride to their new home. You can relate it in graphic format, prose, poetry, or whatever format works best.
3. There are several allusions to historical, philosophical, or religious figures, as well as pop culture and literary references in this novel. Choose one (or more) and do a little research. Figure out exactly who/what is being referenced and then explain why you think Yang chose to include this particular allusion in his novel. 
4. Read Gene Luen Yang’s essay, “Comics, Then and Now,”  and write your own essay about the graphic novel genre and its place in the study of literature. Is there literary value in reading and studying graphic novels? Why or why not?
5. We have a hero’s journey here… decide who it is that embarks on this journey and map the journey out according to the Hero's Journey graphic included on our Links, etc. page.  

Happy reading + assignment doing. See you on the 13th. 

Who's in the Rye?

The catcher, of course.

As in The Catcher in the Rye.

J.D. Salinger's novel gets its name from the Robert Burns poem, "Comin' Thro' the Rye," but if you read the poem, you'll see that there is, in fact, no mention of a "catcher" of any sort. At all. Keep that in mind as you read, because as it turns out, a huge (H-U-G-E) clue to a major theme of the novel hinges on the fact that our protagonist, Holden Caulfield, has misheard a key line of the poem.

You (and Holden) will get more on that in Chapter 22, and you can ponder Holden's interpretation of the poem then. Of course, you can also choose not to ponder the poem, it's meaning, or Holden's interpretation of it while you're reading if it's all too darned confusing, but rest assured we'll certainly be discussing the poem and its relevance to the novel when we meet on October 23rd. So... you might want to at least give it a quick read through in advance.

You can also listen to a few musical versions of the poem, which run the gamut from this traditional version courtesy of Education Scotland, to a family sing-a-long version (with cartoon animals!) by Muffin Tunes and this Celtic punk version by The Real McKenzies'.

The Burns poem aside, we'll also be discussing the various themes and symbols of The Catcher in the Rye, so I'm basing this month's assignment options around those two literary devices.

This Month's Assignment Options
As you get ready for our next discussion, I'd like to tackle either a symbol or a theme from The Catcher in the Rye, either #1 or #2 below--you don't need to do both.

1. SYMBOLS
A symbol is, simply put, something that stands for something else. That's pretty vague, I know, but if you think back to The Odyssey, an excellent example of symbolism is the bed of Penelope and Odysseus.

Carved from an olive tree, around which their bedroom was constructed, this huge, magnificent piece of furniture has roots--literal roots--that extend into the earth. It cannot be moved, and thus it's symbolic of Penelope and Odysseus's enduring, unwavering relationship.

With that in mind, and this further definition of symbols, see if you can spot a symbol in The Catcher in the Rye. When you think you have one, do one of the following:

• Create a visual representation of the symbol (a drawing, sculpture, painting, photograph, or illustration of any kind in any medium) and write a brief sentence or two describing its significance.
• Make a piece of word art to convey the significance of the symbol. You can use a program like Wordle or just cut and paste words from magazines, newspapers, and the like. 
• Write a paragraph (or two, or three) that identifies the symbol and explains its significance. Try to use quotes from the book to support your ideas.

2. THEMES

A theme is a central idea in a piece of literature. If you're reading a book, and you notice that it seems to have a lot to say about love, death, or family, then those are probably themes of the book. In fact, love, death, and family are super common themes in literature, as are things like wealth, class, power, and loyalty.  

When it comes to identifying a theme in a novel, however (and most novels have multiple themes--not just one), you need to be prepared to go a little further than just throwing out key words like love, death, family, and the like. Why? Because that's way too easy. 

Most books have something to say about one or more of those themes, but what we want to know is what is this particular book trying to communicate about this idea? 

So, let's go back to The Odyssey again for a minute, and let's consider how it handles the theme of family. First and foremost, from the way characters are introduced all the time (son of Laertes, daughter of Zeus), it's pretty clear that one's lineage matters. Thus, we might describe one theme of The Odyssey as "the importance of family heritage." See how that works? Not just "family," but something about how family is viewed in the book. 

With that in mind, try to spot a theme in The Catcher in the Rye and express it in a phrase or sentence that gives us an idea of the book's take on that theme. Then, go back up to the SYMBOLS section above, and complete one of those three options (visual representation, Word art, or bit of writing) for your theme.

Let me know if you have any questions. Happy reading!

Let's Take a Little Trip

An odyssey, if you will, since The Odyssey, by Homer, will be our first title this year. 

This is a relatively new edition of The
Odyssey, translated by Stephen Mitchell. 

First, A Little Background

The Odyssey is a sequel of sorts to The Iliad, also by Homer. The Iliad tells the story of the war between the Greeks (or Achaeans) and the Trojans. 

The war begins when Helen, the wife of a Greek king (Agamemnon) is "kidnapped" and taken to Troy. The Greeks sail over to Troy, lay siege to the city for 10 years, and eventually win the war (and get Helen back) thanks in part to the clever strategies of Odysseus. 

You've probably heard the story of the Trojan Horse, right? Yeah, well that was Odysseus's idea. So he's a pretty big hero in The Iliad, but he's even more of a hero in The Odyssey, which tells the tale of his difficult journey back from Troy after the war. 

And Now A Little Foreground

When you flip your copy open to Book I, I'm pretty sure that one of the first things you'll notice is that The Odyssey is a poem. An epic poem, to be precise, and it's about 400 pages long. 

DON'T FREAK OUT. 

For one thing, The Odyssey tells a story, and a pretty compelling one at that. And for another, the wording is relatively straightforward. You can ignore the line breaks and read the sentences the way you would read any other sentences—without pausing until you hit a period or other punctuation mark. 

That said, I understand that if you're not familiar with the story of Odysseus, or if this is your first time tackling an epic poem or an Ancient Greek text, there may be times when you find yourself wondering if you've really understood the section you've just read. 

If you do find yourself in that situation, do two things:

1. Go back to the advice above. (Don't freak out.) 
2. Click on over to Shmoop.com and check out their Book by Book summary of The Odyssey. 

The nice thing about Shmoop's summaries is that they tell you straight up what happens with no in-depth analysis. That can be a big help when you just need some reassurance that you're getting it. And the more you read, the more you'll find that you are getting it, and that will feel good.

Poseidon plays a significant role in The
Odyssey, as the cover of this graphic
novel version of the story suggests. 

Hey—I Know that Guy!

One thing that will help you "get" The Odyssey is that you probably already know some of the tales of Odysseus and his cohort. Greek and Roman (and Egyptian and Norse) mythology have made their way into many children’s and young adult novels, not to mention the Marvel Universe (any Thor fans out there?), so you're probably going to recognize some of the gods and goddesses in The Odyssey. 

And if you're familiar with books like the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, or if you just remember some of the fairy tales, folk tales, and picture books you may have read earlier in life, you'll likely recognize some of the stories, too, which is great. 

In reading The Odyssey, you're getting a chance to explore a piece of literature that has served as the source material for many modern stories. It’s kind of like reading a work of fiction that’s set in your hometown: there’s so much that’s familiar, and there are so many opportunities to say, “Hey—I know that guy,” or “I’ve been to that place!”

Three Thousand Years Young

As old as The Odyssey is, all of its stories, which were likely well-loved in their own era, have held up over time. You won't have to get to far into it before you notice that:

1. you actually recognize—and like—a lot of the characters and plot elements from Odysseus’s adventure; and 
2. there’s some seriously entertaining storytelling going on here.

All of which means that reading an epic poem doesn’t have to be an epic fail.

Your Assignment

In addition to reading the book, please complete one of the following assignments for our discussion:

1. Write a response to the following question: Considering the role the gods play in the lives of humans in The Odyssey, just how responsible are the human characters for their actions? To what extent do the humans have free will? How much do the choices that humans make ultimately matter? Use examples from the book to support your opinions.  

2. Illustrate your favorite scene from the book using the medium of your choice (pen and paper, charcoal, watercolor, collage, a graphic design program of some sort, photography, etc.).

3. Choose a short section of The Odyssey (shoot for at least ten lines) to memorize and recite for the group.

And Finally ... 

Bring your book, whatever edition you have, to our meeting on September 25th. See you then!

May 27th: Papa Martel

"The survival of any culture depends

in great part on the stories its members tell."

I found this quote in an article developed by Kathleen M. Ashley of the University of Maine for the Maine Humanities Council. The article, Making a Life, Shaping an Identity: Ethnic Americans in Maine, addresses the fact that while we tend to view New Englanders, and Mainers in particular, as a somewhat insular group of "crusty Yankees ... a closer look at history reveals a diverse mix of natives and immigrants from many backgrounds."

Indeed, the 19^th century population of Maine comprised many diverse cultures, including various native groups (such as the Maliseet, Abenaki, Penobscot, Micmac, or Passamaquoddy people) as well as immigrants from Canada, Ireland, Finland, Italy, and Sweden.

In the 20^th century, that population was joined by immigrants from Armenia, Somalia, Sudan, and many other countries.

Sure, Maine’s population is still largely white and European, but there’s no denying that many different cultures live and thrive here. And to some extent, the survival of those individual cultures depends upon the telling of their stories.

That’s why Papa Martel, which had been out of print for several years was re-published in 2003 by the University of Maine Press after the book wound up on the Baxter Society’s list of 100 books that reveal the history of Maine and the life of its people. And that’s why we’re reading it.*

*That, and the fact that Desmond highly recommended it.

Although it is not a true story, Papa Martel is based in large part on the life of Gerard Robichaud and the stories he told to his army buddies and his wife about his French-Canadian upbringing in Lewiston, Maine. Most of its material is based in fact, and in that way Robichaud managed to capture much of the essence of the Franco-American lifestyle in the early 20^th century.

As You Read

I’d like you to consider the following assignment options and come to group with one of them completed and ready to share.

1.   Papa Martel is, first and foremost, the story of a family. Write a short story relating an episode or event from the life of your family. It can be completely factual, as a true autobiography would be, or semi-autobiographical, like Papa Martel.  

2.   As I mentioned, Papa Martel is semi-autobiographical. Do a little research and see what you can find out about Gerard Robichaud. Then put together a list of all the similarities you see between the novel’s characters and events and Robichaud’s life.

3.   We’ve talked a bit about universal themes over the course of this year, specifically the big four:

a.     Individual v. Society

b.     Individual v. Self

c.     Individual v. Individual

d.     Individual v. Nature

Choose two of these themes and explain how you see each of them playing out in Papa Martel.

4.   Although Louis Martel is not traditionally educated and is, in fact, functionally illiterate, he displays great wisdom at many points in the novel. Find at least three examples of Louis’ wisdom. Use quotes from the book (with chapter & page numbers) to reference each of these instances, and then explain why you find Louis’ actions or advice in each situation to be wise.

All right. That’s it for now. Enjoy the book, and I’ll see you on Tuesday, May 27^th for our last lit group discussion of the year.

Happy reading!

Where is the fault, anyway?

Is it in our stars, as the title of the book suggests? And if so, what does that mean? 

Here's the Shakespeare quote from which the book gets its title:

The fault, dear Brutus is not in our stars,But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

- from Julius Caesar, I, ii, 140-141

It's Cassius (a fellow underling) who speaks these words to Brutus, and he's saying ... well, I'll leave the interpretation up to you.

What is he saying? Why, exactly, are Brutus and Cassius underlings and not kings (in Cassius' humble opinion)? And what does that have to do with the title of John Green's book and the story within its pages?

And while we're on the topic of extracting meaning from quotes, let's take a minute to examine the epigraph:

As the tide washed in, the Dutch Tulip Man faced the ocean:"Conjoiner rejoinder poisoner concealer revelator. Look at it, rising up and rising down, taking everything with it."
"What's that?" I asked.
"Water," the Dutchman said. "Well, and time."

– PETER VAN HOUTEN, An Imperial Affliction

Why do you think Green decided to include this quote at the beginning of the book as an epigraph? What significance does it have? How does it relate to the story? 

A Mission in Three Parts 

That's the second part of your mission--to come to group next week with your thoughts on the epigraph. The first part of your mission is to come with your thoughts on the title. And the third part of your mission? Ha ha! That's to arrive with something of your own to contemplate.

As we did with Homeland, please come with two of the following: 

• a theme from The Fault in Our Stars, and what the author seems to be saying about that theme
• a symbol you noticed and how it is used
• a motif from the book and what purpose you think it serves
• a discussion question to ask the group
• a quote you found particularly interesting, meaningful, or puzzling

Got it? Thoughts on the title, thoughts on the epigraph, and two items from the list above. If we all do that, we should have a rousing discussion on this thoughtful book. (I'll bring the tissues.)

Happy reading.

Literature. It can be a snooty word.

Especially when it's pronounced LIT-tra-chuh (check out the first pronunciation here). 

But what is literature? And does our next book, Homeland by R.A. Salvatore, fit the bill?

That's what we'll be discussing (that, and the plot, characters, themes, and symbolism of Homeland—as well as its relationship to King Lear), at our next meeting on April 1st.

Yes, really. It's April Fool's Day, but this is not a prank. We will be meeting. For reals.

To make sure you're prepared for the discussion, you'll need to do two things. 

Okay, three, if you count reading the book, but that's a given.

ONE: COME TO GROUP WITH YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF "LITERATURE"

Feel free to research it and see what other people think on the subject before you pen your description, but ultimately, try to come up with your own solid explanation of what is, and what isn't, literature—including whether or not our current title qualifies.

Here are some points you might want to consider:

1. Are there particular genres of writing that cannot be considered literature? 
2. Can works of non-fiction be literature? What about poetry or biographies?
3. Can a title be classified as literature immediately upon publication, or does it have to be around for a while to earn the distinction?  

TWO: ENGAGE IN A BIT OF ANALYSIS

Come to group with two* of the following ready to go:

• a theme from Homeland, and what the author seems to be saying about that theme
• a symbol you noticed and how it is used
• a motif from the book and what purpose you think it serves
• a discussion question to ask the group
• a quote you found particularly interesting, meaningful, or puzzling

*You can use two different items (a theme and a symbol, a discussion question and a quote), or two of any one item (two themes, two symbols, two questions) to satisfy this requirement.

All right. Happy reading! See you on April 1st. Really.