Some questions to follow the interesting discussion already started with Jorge's post and the comments from Kristen and Rocio - and even Nayra's! if we want to extract conclusions from her statement...
Did you got annoyed by the book or did you enjoy it?
Did you feel the characters were not interesting, boring, not redeeming, or did you like them? Even if you did not like them, did any of them arose any feelings in you that make it attractive to keep reading?
What about the end? Do you think it is a happy end or a tragic end?
If Walter had written a memoir, what might he have said about his victories and his suffering?
What character do you think is the least free? And the most free?
How is Lalitha different from the other characters? How does her motivation for working with the Cerulean Mountain Trust compare to Walter's?
Too many questions! and still, there is much more we want to hear from you.
THE last one: As Rocio said, do you think you will read another Franzen?
Dear All!
ReplyDeleteI finished the book on Monday! Although I already knew that Lalitha was going to die, I managed to push myself finish it. I guess I wanted to find out how she would die! :-)
I have to agree with Jorge that I don't know who decided this was a masterpiece. The reviews I read had nothing to do with the actual book I read! I am not sure there might be cultural differences here that give us very different points of view. U.S. readers may have a different perception.
I have to admit that I struggled through most of the book. I found the characters uninteresting, empty and even absurd sometimes. Their stories and concerns didn't make sense to me most of the time. Are people really so stupid? Maybe they are and I am not aware.
I hate not finishing books and I always hope that the story will hook me. I think that is why I finished it. If it was not for the book club, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have finished it.
As for reading Franzen again, maybe, why not? Every author has better and worse books. I would give him another chance.
Arantxa, you're such a nice person! I'm not going to read a Franzen again in my life! (at least until I'll forget that he perpetrated this one! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, J! How did you know I am a nice person? :-)
ReplyDeleteI must admit it will be a while before I try him again...
Contrary to other members, I did find some of the characters interesting. That doesn’t mean that I liked them, but I though some of them were depicted quite realistically. I also found real - and nicely put together - the mix of absurdity and drama.
ReplyDeleteThe first pages of the book were some how boring. The second part was more interesting. However, by the end of the book again it took me some effort to grab it to keep reading.
Regarding the end, I don’t think is a typical happy end. I actually think it is what often happens in real life: maybe there could be better, happier options for them, but they settled with what they are use to. Or maybe not, maybe they love each other deeply. Maybe they just loved, fancied or were attracted to other people at a certain point in their lives. I think that happens in real life too.
When I finish a book I tend to conclude that, overall, I like it. It is the same with this one. However, would I read another Frandsen? Perhaps, but it is certainly not in my short-term to-read list.