Our book group just finished reading Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert; also the author of Eat Pray Love. My recommendation is to not waste your time and money reading Committed.
Many of our book club members had mixed opinions about Eat Pray Love; and since some of us really enjoyed it, we decided to give her new book a try. The results were that everyone in our group despised it. The author's story just didn't seem to go anywhere. She seemed to keep circling back to the same question "shoud I get married?" over and over again.
She tried a creative approach by seeking out women from different cultures to gain an understanding about their views, opinions and customs of marriage. Even still, as a reader you didn't come away with any deep, thought provoking ideas.
Throughout the entire story the author wondered about getting married and why to do it. I expected some grand epiphany on Elizabeth Gilbert's part and held out hope that she would have learned to appreciate something about marriage. But it never happened.
She still leaves you with the question of why she bothered to marry again. And basically leaves you frustrated and annoyed as a reader.
I looked forward to reading this book at night. I would definitely recommend it as a book to read.
You know the saying "You never know what goes on behind closed doors"; well this is exactly what this story is all about. The author slowly brings you into the intimate world of a well-to-do family's darkest secrets. The details are divulged slowly. They become more and more tragic and haunting as you step through the story. The characters are mysterious and eerie and yet you can't wait to find out more about them.
I enjoyed the book to its end. The ending kept true to the mood of the story and was not over the top. The postscriptum? Not sure about that though. But I suppose the author had to close that part of the story because of all the references that were made throughout the book. I don't want to give anything away.
I do think that this book would be a great story to tear apart in book club. Especially to figure out who knew what and when. This book also used a lot of symbolism to tell the story. It would be interesting to hear the varied interpretations and perspectives from other book club members. I think it would spark some intriguing conversation.
I searched the web and it's seems as if the author's website (www.thethirteenthtale.com) is currently unavailable. I did however find an interview with Diane Setterfield if you are interested in finding out more about her and The Thirteenth Tale.
Much of the novel takes place in two grand estates -- Angelfield and then Miss Winter's. How are the houses reflections of their inhabitants?
As the story unfolds, we learn that Margaret and Miss Winter are both twins. What else do they have in common?
Margaret and her mother are bound by a singular loss -- the death of Margaret's twin sister. How has each woman dealt with this loss, and how has it affected her life? If her parents had told her the truth about her twin, would Margaret still be haunted?
Books play a major role in this novel. Margaret, for example, sells books for a living. Miss Winter writes them. Most of the important action of the story takes place in libraries. There are stories within stories, all inextricably intertwined. Discuss the various roles of books, stories, and writing in this novel.
Miss Winter asks Margaret if she'd like to hear a ghost story -- in fact, there seem to be several ghost stories weaving their way through. In what ways is The Thirteenth Tale a classic, gothic novel?
Miss Winter frequently changes points of view from third to first person, from "they" to "we" to "I," in telling Margaret her story. The first time she uses "I" is in the recounting of Isabelle's death and Charlie's disappearance. What did you make of this shifting when Margaret points it out on page 204?
Compare and contrast Margaret, Miss Winter, and Aurelius -- the three "ghosts" of the novel who are also each haunted by their pasts.
It is a classic writer's axiom that a symbol must appear at least three times in a story so that the reader knows that you meant it as a symbol. In The Thirteenth Tale, the novel Jane Eyre appears several times. Discuss the appearances and allusions to Jane Eyre and how this novel echoes that one.
The story shifts significantly after the death of Mrs. Dunne and John Digence. Adeline steps forward as intelligent, well-spoken, and confident -- the "girl in the mists" emerges. Did you believe this miraculous transformation? If not, what did you suspect was really going on?
Dr. Clifton tells Margaret that she is "suffering from an ailment that afflicts ladies of romantic imagination" when he learns that she is an avid reader of novels such as Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Sense and Sensibility. What do you think he means by drawing such a parallel? What other parallels exist between The Thirteenth Tale and classic 19th century literature?
When did you first suspect Miss Winter's true identity? Whether you knew or not, looking back, what clues did she give to Margaret (and what clues did the author give to you)?
Margaret tells Aurelius that her mother preferred telling "weightless" stories in place of heavy ones, and that sometimes it's better "not to know." Do you agree or disagree?
The title of this novel is taken from the title of Miss Winter's first book, Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation, a collection of twelve stories with a mysterious thirteenth left out at the last minute before publication. How is this symbolic of the novel? What is the thirteenth tale?
When do you think The Thirteenth Tale takes place? The narrator gives some hints, but never tells the exact date. Which aspects of the book gave you a sense of time, and which seemed timeless? Did the question of time affect your experience with the novel?
Overall, I would say that The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a solid read. However you have to get through the very slow moving first half of the book to figure this out. If you can go into this book knowing that you have to be extremely patient before it really picks up, then I think the long wait will be worth it.
The plot was intense and very well contrived. There were many characters in the book and were difficult to follow in the beginning since so many were being introduced. The relationships between all of the characters were extremely complex, intertwined and suspensful. Such dynamics made for interesting complications and twists within the story.
I think I can relate my lack of interest with the book to the fact that the author seemed to give description upon description of mundane, day to day happenings which made it hard for me to keep my mind on the story itself. I ended up skipping around a lot to get to the more interesting points of the story, well into pgs. 200. I did like the way that Stieg Larsson ended the book. I thought the author did a great job envisioning the entire course of events right through to the end of the story. It read like it was well thought out and planned, despite the long stalled beginning.
Stieg Larsson follows the ending with an excerpt from his follow up book, The Girl Who Played With Fire and it is just jaw dropping. A friend of mine has already read The Girl Who Played With Fire and says that from the beginning it is gripping and way better than The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Despite the slow moving beginnings of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I would read The Girl Who Played With Fire.
I finished Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson and I wouldn't recommend the book at all. It was one of the worst books I have read so far.
I was browsing for new books at the book store and saw the cover and title of this book and gravitated toward it immediately. What convinced me to buy it was the small round New York Times "One of the 10 best books of the year" symbol. I don't know why it received this honor. I would be very interested to know what the reviewers based their criteria on to give this book that kind of award.
While reading, I kept thinking that at any moment the book was going to "get" really good. I kept waiting and waiting for the book to make it's point. Nope. Never did. The ending was just as plain and boring as the rest of the book. I am so aggravated that I wasted my money on Out Stealing Horses.
If anyone has read Out Stealing Horses and enjoyed it can you please let me know why? I would like hearing about this book from another perspective.
This book was surprising! I was apprehensive about even picking this book up to read in the first place. But it was highly recommended by friends and so I went with it. I enjoyed reading the Lovely Bones after all.
I assumed that the plot of the story would upset me too much since it was about a child (14 year old Susie Salmon) whom was brutally murdered. Despite my assumptions, the author guided me through an inexplicably dark and viscious experience and showed me that out of such darkness and despair, love and forgiveness can prevail. Reading parts of the book I noticed my breathing was heavy from anticipation while other times I was actually holding my breath.Alice Sebold made me feel like I could reason and understand the actions, feelings and heartache that this family lived with during this tragedy and the years that followed.
I enjoyed being told the story through the victim's words. As grotesque as the crime was having Susie tell the story seemed to lessen the violence in the sense that you knew she was OK since she was talking to you the whole time. I realized that when I had questions about Susie's well being while reading , she would explain all of her thoughts and emotions at the same time. Susie was growing wise and learning from her tragedy just as we were. It felt eerily personal. And I wanted to save Susie.
Towards the end of the book though there was one particular instance that was very far-fetched and almost ruined the book for me. Almost. I don't feel this particular part needed to be spun into the story since up until that point the reactions and life choices from Susie and her family were enough to make the story powerful. I'm guessing here, but I think that Alice Sebold felt she needed to give some lightness to the book in order to not completely devastate her fans with a story that was so overwhelmingly ominous. Despite my displeasure for the end of the book, overall I would recommend The Lovely Bones.
In case you haven't heard, The Lovely Bones has been made into a movie and it is scheduled to premier in theaters January 15, 2010. If you plan on reading the book before watching the movie then I would recommend you not watch the trailer since it does contain spoilers.
You always remember the books you can't put down! These books are the kind where you have a deep need to tell everyone about it when you're done. This is the whole goal at CantPutDown.com. Come here and tell everyone about the books you can't put down and share that excitement with others so that maybe they will enjoy the book as much as you did.
As of now my all time number one book that you can't put down is:
Now these four books are SO different from one another. The two things that were so unforgettable with these novels were the story telling and uniqueness of the plots. Each author had such a distinct technique in the way that they told the story to the reader that you felt like you were actually walking along with the characters as you read. You came to know each character and felt like you could understand their thoughts and emotions with such vivid detail. The plots in each of these books were exceptionally unique. Just when you think you've heard and seen it all before, these plots were surprisingly and refreshingly unpredictable. And when you read books like these you have to tell someone else about it. You can't keep it all to yourself.
And you always wonder if someone else will have the same reaction to the book that you did. I know New Moon is a book like that. Many people liked New Moon the least when compared to the other books in the Twilight series. For me New Moon set up such intensity and suspense right to the very end that it was unbearable to have to wait and turn page by page. I just couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen at the end. And the love that was missing/building between characters was described with such intensity that you felt the agony and power through Stephenie Meyer's words. Her ability to tell the story was SO impressive and is why I couldn't put New Moon down.
Do you have a book you can't put down and need to tell someone about it?!
Suggest a Book now and tell everyone about it because we're listening! ;)
Ken Follet created this World Without End characters map and it will help you become familiar with all of the characters and their relationship with one another. Also, below is a breakdown by the author for 5 particular characters you can expect to get to know in World Without End:
Caris is the feisty daughter of wool dealer Edmund Wooler. She is a direct descendant of Tom Builder, the hero of the first half of The Pillars of the Earth. As a child, she announces that she is going to be a doctor – but girls cannot study medicine in medieval Europe. However, she refuses to accept this prohibition. Her determination brings her into conflict with the church, and blights her relationship with the man she loves.
Merthin is descended from Jack Builder, the stepson of Tom and the architect of Kingsbridge Cathedral. He has inherited Jack’s genius. But for the conservative citizens who rule Kingsbridge he is too much of a rule-breaker, and like Jack he is forced to leave.
Ralph is Merthin’s brother, but a very different character – strong, aggressive, impatient of books, an accomplished rider and hunter. He will use his warlike skills to rise to the very top of medieval society.
Gwenda is the daughter of a dirt-poor laborer and one of five starving children. She is plain-looking, but determined to marry Wulfric – the handsomest, wealthiest boy in the village. Wulfric is engaged to the coquettish Annet, daughter of a prosperous peasant. But Gwenda refuses to believe she cannot win his heart.
Brother Godwyn, also a descendant of Tom Builder, is a cousin of Caris. He becomes a monk at a young age and is determined to become prior of Kingsbridge – and he is not particular about the means he will use to get there.
I would have to say that Pope Joan is a book you can't put down! I read it every free minute I could find. I loved it!
The author, Donna Woolfolk Cross, spent several years researching the story of Pope Joan. I would highly recommend that AFTER you read the book that you read the Author's note. She presents incredible detail about her research findings and makes substantial arguments for the existence of Pope Joan. I really feel that by reading the Author's note, you will have a far better appreciation for the story itself.
I'm not sure if many of you tend to skip the Prologue for most books. If you do, PLEASE don't skip the Prologue in this book. The Prologue will help set the tone for the first chapter and also will introduce you to characters that will be re-visited later throughout the book.
I was absorbed into the writing abilities of the author. She has a gift in being able to setup the scenes, characters and emotions of the story while providing enough detail to keep you captivated but not so much that you tire of listening. Even the smallest details that she introduced would be seamlessly woven into later chapters. No detail was left unanswered. And mostly I appreciated the lack of predictability in the story. The author will keep you guessing and hoping right to the end. The element of surprise will be gratifying in the end for you.
The ending was not the ending I had anticipated nor expected (you'll understand what I mean--no spoilers here). I thought the ending was phenomenal. For me it felt like the book had two endings. The first was with Joan and ended at the last chapter. The second ending being the Epilogue and leaving the legacy of Pope Joan. The Epilogue gives the reader closure with Pope Joan which I think becomes very necessary.
Without a doubt, the story of Pope Joan is enthralling and Donna Woolfolk Cross tells her story masterfully. I couldn't put the book down!
Don't forget to read the Author's note at the end of the book. It will be well worth your time!
In case you haven't heard or don't know already, Pope Joan has been made into a major motion picture and premiered in Berlin, Germany on October 19th! The movie was filmed in English and dubbed into German for the benefit of German and Austrian viewers. It is still unclear as to the date for the United States premiere. Donna Woolfolk Cross is currently working on obtaining permissions from the movie Producers for the English version of the movie trailer. (Note--the movie trailer below has English subtitles.)
For more information about the book or the author you can visit the author's web site at Pope Joan.
I would love to hear what your thoughts are about the book Pope Joan!
The story of the Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent is based on the life of Martha Carrier and her family.
Martha Carrier was among the first women ever to be accused, found guilty and hung for being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials. The story is narrated by Martha Carrier's 10 year old daughter Sarah and reads as if it were her autobiography.
I love these types of stories and was ready to dig into it. The details and the plot of the story were good but overall it left me disappointed and unsatisfied, and ready to start my next book.
The pace in the beginning was slow and it took quite some time before the story would actually keep my interest up. Also, throughout the book the author would go into great detail that would catch my attention and get me excited, but then would quite often give away the cliffhanger by revealing too much information too early. And when I expected her to, or needed her to delve more into a character, she only supplied brief details and explanations and left you wondering even at the end. The storytelling just was not consistent.
The Heretic's Daughter was definitely a book to put down. If you felt otherwise write a comment and tell everyone what you thought.
If you would like to learn more about the author Kathleen Kent you can visit her web site.
Jodie Picoult is without a doubt a very gifted writer. Although I have to say that her book Keeping Faith, was not my favorite.
Most people know Jodi Picoult's books tend to involve difficult moral conflicts and true to life accounts. In Keeping Faith, the author focuses on the controversial issues of spirituality; a topic that most people take extremely seriously, and often personally. When you read this book, you will no doubt ponder where your beliefs interweave among the gray area of believers and non-believers. This book raises a lot of questions and would be the cause of a lot of heated debates in any book club. But, if your just looking for a book to read for pleasure, I would recommend you find something else.
Each character that the author created played a very particular role within the story but without a lot of information or reasons as to why. I would have appreciated more background information about each character.
I found that the story was easy to get into, but was laden with predictability. The summary on the back cover gave away too much information and ultimately was a spoiler for me. It would have been nice to have been left with some surprises while reading. Not much was left to the imagination.
The most frustrating part for me was the ending. My initial reaction was complete bewilderment. I've read the last page over and over again and I still cannot come up with an definitive conclusion. I am unsure as to where the author wanted to take me in the ending of the story. If you have read this book and have ANY thoughts on what the ending means, please share your thoughts at CantPutDown.com
So! I would not recommend this book for leisure reading. But as a book club pick, definitely; you'll find yourselves debating for hours.
