Tuesday, February 12, 2008
yay!!
(Van Meter) Check it out guys, i'm blogging!! I have only had time to grace A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime which is just so brilliant. I don't think there is a particular reason I heart it so much besides the fact that you get into the narrator's head perfectly. I started to believe I have bad days too when I pass a line of yellow cars (sorry Dia.) I promise to venture into the other books ASAP. An interesting note - I should call it a side note - I believe my copy of a curious incident is the same copy that has been passed from person to person and state to state - i want to say it's in Chicago currently. If I have this circuit correct, it started out as Shannon's original copy and she passed it to me, who passed it to Dia's Jeefy, then to Dia, who passed it to Abby, who then gave it to Miranda, which means it's hit the midwest! Sweet! I believe the next book I experience and want to share with the world will receive a stamp or place for initialing by every person in every state that gets a hold of it, not unlike the specific dollar bills with stamps and email addresses exploring a way to track the dollars and there intricate circulating pattern. I know it sounds like I have tracked some mulah in my day but I promise I am not that ridiculous. Besides, i'd rather get lost in a book that will occupy a large amount of my time anyway. And i'm going to stop typing now because I just keep talking about nothing! I promise to have something good next go!
Atonement - Ch. 6
--by Abby
Ahhh, the characters reveal themselves. Emily Tallis, the mother but not the matriarch. It seems she is plagued with migraines and is now living in constant fear of them so she is constantly in the safety of her cave bedroom, shielded against light, and sound and life.
Despite her invalidity, she seems to be quite on top of household events. Its possible this is how all mothers operate: with super-senses that can detect actions in distant wings of her homestead. Sharp.
I don't know. I didn't love this chapter, just because Emily Tallis is a depressing person. Her life appears to be minutia. Though her love for her children is nice. Still... I'm not sure how strong her influence can be in this story, I think she's just going to be victimized by the whims and disregard of her children.
Ahhh, the characters reveal themselves. Emily Tallis, the mother but not the matriarch. It seems she is plagued with migraines and is now living in constant fear of them so she is constantly in the safety of her cave bedroom, shielded against light, and sound and life.
Despite her invalidity, she seems to be quite on top of household events. Its possible this is how all mothers operate: with super-senses that can detect actions in distant wings of her homestead. Sharp.
I don't know. I didn't love this chapter, just because Emily Tallis is a depressing person. Her life appears to be minutia. Though her love for her children is nice. Still... I'm not sure how strong her influence can be in this story, I think she's just going to be victimized by the whims and disregard of her children.
Atonement - Ch. 5
--by Abby
Okay, previous speculation that every chapter would focus on Briony or Cecilia was wrong. We've found ourselves in a Lola chapter.
It seems that we are piling on the events of a few hours from the perspectives of many characters, so this is Lola just after Briony abandoned the play, while Cecilia, Leon and Paul are at the pool, and then after when Paul Marshall meets the Quincey children.
Paul Marshall seems like a creepy dude. I feel that there is a chance for pedophilia romance between him and Lola. Particularly because her name is Lola.
Other than that, the events of this chapter really just showed how screwed up the Quincey kids are about their parents divorce, and the cultural climate of the time. Not terribly exciting.
Okay, previous speculation that every chapter would focus on Briony or Cecilia was wrong. We've found ourselves in a Lola chapter.
It seems that we are piling on the events of a few hours from the perspectives of many characters, so this is Lola just after Briony abandoned the play, while Cecilia, Leon and Paul are at the pool, and then after when Paul Marshall meets the Quincey children.
Paul Marshall seems like a creepy dude. I feel that there is a chance for pedophilia romance between him and Lola. Particularly because her name is Lola.
Other than that, the events of this chapter really just showed how screwed up the Quincey kids are about their parents divorce, and the cultural climate of the time. Not terribly exciting.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Atonement - Ch. 4
--by Abby
Finally we have some interaction between the siblings. The chapter kicks off with Cecilia and Briony, struggling to redefine their relationship more as equals than nurturer and child. Briony is really in a state. I like that having discovered realism, Briony is disgusted with her tales of morality. How true that a great love can seem stupid when you discover something more sophisticated.
We also meet Leon, who seems a nice enough guy. His friend Marshall seems like a tool. I dunno. I love that both Tallis sisters seem to have a masochistic streak. They take a sick joy in self-destruction. Excellent.
It seems Briony is our view of the future and Cecilia is the window to the past. Her story is peppered with memories and flashbacks, not just to her own childhood, but the joint lives of her family.
Finally we have some interaction between the siblings. The chapter kicks off with Cecilia and Briony, struggling to redefine their relationship more as equals than nurturer and child. Briony is really in a state. I like that having discovered realism, Briony is disgusted with her tales of morality. How true that a great love can seem stupid when you discover something more sophisticated.
We also meet Leon, who seems a nice enough guy. His friend Marshall seems like a tool. I dunno. I love that both Tallis sisters seem to have a masochistic streak. They take a sick joy in self-destruction. Excellent.
It seems Briony is our view of the future and Cecilia is the window to the past. Her story is peppered with memories and flashbacks, not just to her own childhood, but the joint lives of her family.
Atonement - Ch. 3
--by Abby
So we're back to Briony. Her frustration mounts as the hours stream by without constructive rehearsal of what we can only assume is a masterpiece. She sees the whole Cecilia in the fountain scene from the window but can't hear it. Her imagination runs wild. And, with no knowledge of the world of adults, she assumes this is some sort of custom, a ritual, she's yet to learn about. Of course, she wants to write about it. That's almost definitely going to lead to trouble.
Interestingly, we get the "six decades later" in this chapter so we know absolutely that Briony lives to be an old lady, she's a successful writer, and her stories are amoral. I get the sense that the story (at least the Briony chapters) are written from the perspective of adult Briony, recalling the events. She's very self-analyzing and not a lot of credence is given to the factuality of the events or timeline.
On the other hand, Cecilia's chapter had an of-the-moment feel. She's not as reflective and more turmoil is lent to her thoughts and actions. There is no distancing or objectivity about the life of Cecilia. We are given no clues about her future or Robbie's. We don't even know if she later regrets her actions at the fountain.
So we're back to Briony. Her frustration mounts as the hours stream by without constructive rehearsal of what we can only assume is a masterpiece. She sees the whole Cecilia in the fountain scene from the window but can't hear it. Her imagination runs wild. And, with no knowledge of the world of adults, she assumes this is some sort of custom, a ritual, she's yet to learn about. Of course, she wants to write about it. That's almost definitely going to lead to trouble.
Interestingly, we get the "six decades later" in this chapter so we know absolutely that Briony lives to be an old lady, she's a successful writer, and her stories are amoral. I get the sense that the story (at least the Briony chapters) are written from the perspective of adult Briony, recalling the events. She's very self-analyzing and not a lot of credence is given to the factuality of the events or timeline.
On the other hand, Cecilia's chapter had an of-the-moment feel. She's not as reflective and more turmoil is lent to her thoughts and actions. There is no distancing or objectivity about the life of Cecilia. We are given no clues about her future or Robbie's. We don't even know if she later regrets her actions at the fountain.
Atonement - Ch. 2
--by Abby
Chapter 2 is all about Cecilia. Cecilia seems a bit like a man without a country. She's no longer needed at home, but hasn't found a satisfactory route to strike out on her own. So she's floundering, wasting time, bored but lazy. Seems like a situation in which one could start making some bad decisions. And she's even got a neighbor to help her.
Obviously, Cecilia and Robbie have a messed up relationship. Since we haven't been given too much background at this point, I'm assuming they used to be in love, or imagine they'd end up together. College confused everything and the phrase "could his first have gone to his head?" that makes it seem like Robbie had a lover in college. That tramp.
I am still trying to decide if all the background about Uncle Clem and the vase was just to add weight to the vase's breakage or if there are other reasons for hearing of Clem's heroics. Probably Cecilia's father's reaction will be terrible.
I'm also thinking that the ugliness of the house, the weakness of the fountain, and the wildflowers are all symbols or metaphors for the character of our characters. More on that in the chapters to come.
Chapter 2 is all about Cecilia. Cecilia seems a bit like a man without a country. She's no longer needed at home, but hasn't found a satisfactory route to strike out on her own. So she's floundering, wasting time, bored but lazy. Seems like a situation in which one could start making some bad decisions. And she's even got a neighbor to help her.
Obviously, Cecilia and Robbie have a messed up relationship. Since we haven't been given too much background at this point, I'm assuming they used to be in love, or imagine they'd end up together. College confused everything and the phrase "could his first have gone to his head?" that makes it seem like Robbie had a lover in college. That tramp.
I am still trying to decide if all the background about Uncle Clem and the vase was just to add weight to the vase's breakage or if there are other reasons for hearing of Clem's heroics. Probably Cecilia's father's reaction will be terrible.
I'm also thinking that the ugliness of the house, the weakness of the fountain, and the wildflowers are all symbols or metaphors for the character of our characters. More on that in the chapters to come.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Atonement – Ch. 1
-- by Abby
Trying out the new strategy.
Atonement starts out with descriptions of the young Briony and her life as a 13-yr-old writer, longing for the attention of her older brother, Leon, who we've yet to meet. Her quiet world is disrupted upon the arrival of three cousins, all much more accustomed to sibling squabbling and warfare. So Briony is finding out that it really is better to be an only child (despite the fact that she seems to have two older siblings.) The chapter is wrought with disaster as the author is blatantly foretelling the failure of Briony's stage production.
I'm not hating it all so far. I feel like the plot of the play may have some foreshadowing in it, but what story doesn't follow a theme like that. Also, the cousin's mom is named Hermione, which, quite frankly, I thought was a made up Harry Potter name. Must be British.
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