The Elegance of the Hedgehog May 13th

It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!

When? Thursday, May 13th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Check out these links for more background info:

Learn the real rules of the game of Go
Who was William of Ockham?
The life and death of Roland Barthes
Book Review site

Thursday, June 10th – we’ll discuss A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts
"He was known simply as the Blind Traveler -- a solitary, sightless adventurer who, astonishingly, fought the slave trade in Africa, survived a frozen captivity in Siberia, hunted rogue elephants in Ceylon, and helped chart the Australian outback. James Holman (1786-1857) became "one of the greatest wonders of the world he so sagaciously explored," triumphing not only over blindness but crippling pain, poverty, and the interference of well-meaning authorities (his greatest feat, a circumnavigation of the globe, had to be launched in secret). Once a celebrity, a bestselling author, and an inspiration to Charles Darwin and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the charismatic, witty Holman outlived his fame, dying in an obscurity that has endured -- until now. A Sense of the World is a spellbinding and moving rediscovery of one of history's most epic lives.. "

I look forward to seeing you at the library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library

Discussion Questions
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

1. True life is elsewhere…
One French critic called The Elegance of the Hedgehog “the ultimate celebration of every person’s invisible part.” How common is the feeling that a part of oneself is invisible to or ignored by others? How much does this “message” contribute to the book’s popularity? Why is it sometimes difficult to show people what we really are and to have them appreciate us for it?

2. This book will save your life…
The Elegance of the Hedgehog has been described as “a toolbox one can look into to resolve life’s problems,” a “life-transforming read,” and a “life-affirming book.” Do you feel this is an accurate characterization of the novel? If so, what makes it thus: the story told, the characters and their ruminations, something else? Can things like style, handsome prose, well-turned phrases, etc. add up to a life-affirming book independently of the story told? To put it another way—Renée Michel’s way—can an encounter with pure beauty change our lives?

3. —a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet. Both Renée and Paloma use stereotypes to their benefit, hiding behind the perceptions others have of their roles. Our understanding and appreciation of people is often limited to a superficial acknowledgement of their assigned roles, their social monikers—single mother, used car salesman, jock, investment banker, senior citizen, cashier… While we are accustomed to thinking of people as victims of stereotypes, is it possible that sometimes stereotypes can be useful? When, under what circumstances, and why, might we welcome an interpretation based on stereotypes of our actions or of who we are? Have you ever created a mise en place that conforms to some stereotype in order to hide a part of yourself?

4. “One of the strengths I derive from my class background is that I am accustomed to contempt.” (Dorothy Allison)
Some critics call this novel a book about class. Barbery herself called Renée Michel, among other things, a vehicle for social criticism. Yet for many other readers and reviewers this aspect is marginal. In your reading, how integral is social critique to the novel? What kind of critique is made? Many pundits were doubtful about the book’s prospects in the US for this very reason: a critique of French class-based society, however charming it may be, cannot succeed in a classless society. Is the US really a classless society? Are class prejudices and class boundaries less pronounced in the US than in other countries? Are the social critique elements in the book relevant to American society?

5. Hope I die before I get old…
Paloma, the book’s young protagonist, tells us that she plans to commit suicide on the day of her thirteenth birthday. She cannot tolerate the idea of becoming an adult, when, she feels, one inevitably renounces ideals and subjugates passions and principles to pragmatism. Must we make compromises, renounce our ideals, and betray our youthful principles when we become adults? If so, why? Do these compromises and apostasies necessarily make us hypocrites? At the end of the book, has Paloma re-evaluated her opinion of the adult world or confirmed it?

6. Kigo: the 500 season words…
Famously, the Japanese language counts twelve distinct seasons during the year, and in traditional Japanese poetry there are five hundred words to characterize different stages and attributes assigned to the seasons. As evidenced in its literature, art, and film, Japanese culture gives great attention to detail, subtle changes, and nuances. How essential is Kakuro’s being Japanese to his role as the character that reveals others’ hidden affinities? Or is it simply his fact of being an outsider that matters? Could he hail from Tasmania and have the same impact on the story?

7. Circumstances maketh the woman…
Adolescent children and the poor are perhaps those social groups most prone to feel themselves trapped in situations that they cannot get out of, that they did not choose, and that condition their entire outlook. Some readers have baulked at the inverse snobbery with which the main characters in The Elegance of the Hedgehog initially seem to view the world around them and the people who inhabit it. Is this disdain genuine or a well-honed defence mechanism provoked by their circumstances? If the later, can it therefore be justified? Do Renée’s and Paloma’s views of the world and the people who surround them change throughout the book? Would Paloma and Renée be more prone to fraternal feelings if their circumstances were different?

8. “Unprovided with original learning, unformed in the habits of thinking, unskilled in the arts of composition, I resolved to write a book.” (Edward Gibbon)
In one of the book’s early chapters, Renée describes what it is like to be an autodidact. “There are days when I feel I have been able to grasp all there is to know in one single gaze, as if invisible branches suddenly spring out of nowhere, weaving together all the disparate strands of my reading—and then suddenly the meaning escapes, the essence evaporates, and no matter how often I reread the same lines, they seem to flee ever further with each subsequent reading, and I see myself as some mad old fool who thinks her stomach is full because she’s been attentively reading the menu. Apparently this combination of ability and blindness is a symptom exclusive to the autodidact.” How accurately does this describe sensations common to autodidacts? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being self-taught?

9. The Philosopher’s Stone…
Much has been made of the book’s philosophical bent. Some feel that the author’s taste for philosophy and her having woven philosophical musings into her characters’ ruminations, particularly those of Renée, hampers the plot; others seem to feel that it is one of the book’s most appealing attributes. What effect did the philosophical elements in this book have on you and your reading? Can you think of other novels that make such overt philosophical references? Which, and how does Hedgehog resemble or differ from them?

10. A Bridge across Generations…
Renée is fifty-four years old. Paloma, the book’s other main character, is twelve. Yet much of the book deals with these two ostensibly different people discovering their elective affinities. How much is this book about the possibilities of communication across generations? And what significance might the fact that Renée is slightly too old to be Paloma’s mother, and slightly too young to be her grandmother have on this question of intergenerational communication?

11. Some stories are universal…
The Elegance of the Hedgehog has been published in thirty-five languages, in over twenty-five countries. It has been a bestseller in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and America. In many other countries, while it may not have made the bestseller lists, it nonetheless has enjoyed considerable success. In the majority of these cases, success has come despite modest marketing, despite the author’s reticence to appear too often in public, and her refusal to appear in television, and despite relatively limited critical response. The novel has reached millions of readers largely thanks to word-of-mouth. What, in your opinion, makes this book so appealing to people? And why, even when compared to other beloved and successful books, is this one a book that people so frequently talk about, recommend to their friends, and give as gifts? And what, if anything, does the book’s international success say about the universality of fictional stories today?

12. “…a text written above all to be read and to arouse emotions in the reader.”
In a related question, The Elegance of the Hedgehog has been described as a “book for readers” as opposed to a book for critics, reviewers, and professors. What do you think is meant by this? And, if the idea is that it is a book that pleases readers but not critics, do you think this could be true? If so, why?

April 8 choice - The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!

When? Thursday, April 8th at 7 p.m.
What Book? The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

Send me an e-mail if you'd like to see Discussion Questions, Reviews and Author Interviews.

Upcoming Book Choices:

On Thursday, May 13th we’ll read The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.

“Renee Michel, 54 and widowed, is the stolid concierge in an elegant Paris hotel particulier. Though "short, ugly, and plump," Meanwhile, "supersmart" 12-year-old Paloma Josse, who switches off narration with Renee, lives in the building with her wealthy, liberal family. Having grasped life's futility early on, Paloma plans to commit suicide on her 13th birthday. The arrival of a new tenant, Kakuro Ozu, who befriends both the young pessimist and the concierge alike, sets up their possible transformations. By turns very funny (particularly in Paloma's sections) and heartbreaking, Barbery never allows either of her dour narrators to get too cerebral or too sentimental. Her simple plot and sudden denouement add up to a great deal more than the sum of their parts in this dark but redemptive novel.” (Publishers Weekly)

(Please note you may have to place a request at the library for a copy of The Elegance of the Hedgehog.)


On Thursday, June 10th, we’ll read A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts. (The book can be found in Biography under Holman)

“Roberts offers a biography of a British wanderer renowned in his day--James Holman (1786-1857), a Royal Navy lieutenant who went blind at age 25. Roberts seizes readers immediately with scenes of Holman daring the summit of an erupting Vesuvius in 1821. Such encounters with wild nature, so appealing to the period's Romantic sensibility, contribute to Roberts' account of Holman's popularity. Blindness itself was the vital condition in Holman's adventures and the public's eventual attention, which briefly included that of a young Queen Victoria. Combining reflections on blindness with the particulars of Holman's career and travels, Roberts reveals thorough research through a perceptive, expressive narrative. (Booklist)

I look forward to seeing you at the Fairfax Library.

Thanks for reading with us!

Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library

Mister Pip - February 11 choice

It's time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group

When: Thursday, February 11th at 7 p.m.
Where: Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book: Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

IMPORTANT - A change of plans for March:

One Book One Marin has reserved the meeting room at the Fairfax Library at our usual time on March 11th for a presentation. They are reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and invite you to join them that evening for:

The Supergirls: A Slide Show Presentation by Author Mike Madrid
The recently published book, The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, by Mike Madrid, is a cultural history of female superheroes in American comic books. This one-hour presentation traces the evolution of these fantasy characters from the 1930’s to the present day and discusses how their roles and personas often reflected the lives of American women in the “real world.” Touching on issues such as male/female relationships, empowerment and heroines’ costumes, Mr. Madrid combines history with a touch of humor. This program will appeal to all audiences with an interest in comic books and cultural history.

We'll pick up again in April:

Thursday, April 8th - The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

Mister Pip - February 11 choice

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It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!

When? Thursday, February 11th at 7 p.m.

Where? Fairfax Library meeting room

What Book? Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

A change in plans for March…

OneBook One Marin (which is reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay) has reserved the meeting at the Fairfax Library at our usual meeting time on March 11^th. You are welcome to join the fun with their presentation:

The Supergirls: A Slide Show Presentation by Author Mike Madrid

The recently published book, The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, by Mike Madrid, is a cultural history of female superheroes in American comic books. This one-hour presentation traces the evolution of these fantasy characters from the 1930’s to the present day and discusses how their roles and personas often reflected the lives of American women in the “real world.” Touching on issues such as male/female relationships, empowerment and heroines’ costumes, Mr. Madrid combines history with a touch of humor. This program will appeal to all audiences with an interest in comic books and cultural history.

We’ll pick up again in April:

Thursday, April 8^th – we’ll discuss The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

Baker's brilliant debut is infused with vibrant language and quirky, original characters. Narrator Truly Plaice is unusually large and considered ugly. Growing up in rural Aberdeen in upstate New York in the 1950s, Truly finds shelter with the Dyersons, hard-luck people living on a farm at the outskirts of town. There, Truly and best friend Amelia Dyerson do their best to grow up. This book is both a work of literature and an easy read. Truly may struggle for love in the novel, but she will find no such trouble among readers; she is an unforgettable heroine with a story that begs to be read and read again.

I look forward to seeing you at the library.

Beth Bailey-Gates

Friends of the Fairfax Library

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Please join us on January 14th as we discuss The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer.

"Winding up her book tour promoting her collection of lighthearted wartime newspaper columns, Juliet Ashton casts about for a more serious project. Opportunity comes in the form of a letter she receives from Mr. Dawsey Adams, who happens to possess a book that Julia once owned. Adams is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-no ordinary book club. Rather, it was formed as a ruse and became a way for people to get together without raising the suspicions of Guernsey's Nazi occupiers. Written in the form of letters (a lost art), this novel by an aunt-and-niece team has loads of charm."

The History of Love - December 10th choice

It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, December 10th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Going Green: Instead of printing copies of background material for the meeting, it’s attached to this e-mail for you to read before or after our discussion or check out these links for more background info
Blog, blog, blog: Be sure to bookmark our book blog which has information about upcoming meeting dates and the books we've chosen: http://fairfaxbookgroup.blogspot.com/
Book Swap: If you’d like, please feel free to bring a wrapped book (it MUST be used) to exchange with others at our meeting.
Upcoming book selections:

Thursday, January 14th – we’ll discuss The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society By Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
Winding up her book tour promoting her collection of lighthearted wartime newspaper columns, Juliet Ashton casts about for a more serious project. Opportunity comes in the form of a letter she receives from Mr. Dawsey Adams, who happens to possess a book that Julia once owned. Adams is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-no ordinary book club. Rather, it was formed as a ruse and became a way for people to get together without raising the suspicions of Guernsey's Nazi occupiers. Written in the form of letters (a lost art), this novel by an aunt-and-niece team has loads of charm.

Thursday, February 11th – we’ll discuss Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
When the conflict between the natives and the invading soldiers erupts on an unnamed tropical island in the early 1990s, 13-year-old Matilda and her mother, Dolores, are unified with the rest of their village in their efforts for survival. Amid the chaos, Mr. Watts, the only white local, offers to fill in as the children's schoolteacher and teaches from Dickens's Great Expectations. The precocious Matilda, who forms a strong attachment to the novel's hero, Pip, discovers independent thought. Jones's prose is faultless, and the story is innovative.

Thursday, March 11th – we’ll discuss The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Baker's brilliant debut is infused with vibrant language and quirky, original characters. Narrator Truly Plaice is unusually large and considered ugly. Growing up in rural Aberdeen in upstate New York in the 1950s, Truly finds shelter with the Dyersons, hard-luck people living on a farm at the outskirts of town. There, Truly and best friend Amelia Dyerson do their best to grow up. This book is both a work of literature and an easy read. Truly may struggle for love in the novel, but she will find no such trouble among readers; she is an unforgettable heroine with a story that begs to be read and read again.

I look forward to seeing you at the library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library

Into the Beautiful North Nov. 12th

It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!

When? Thursday, November 12th at 7 p.m.

Where? Fairfax Library meeting room

What Book? Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

Our December 10th book selection is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

I look forward to seeing you at the library.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH by Luis Alberto Urrea

1. Into the Beautiful North tells the exceptional story of a small group’s successful mission to save their village in its bleakest hour. What are some of the other themes that Luis Alberto Urrea unpacks along the way?

2. Language and dialect play an integral role in the novel’s style. Spanish words and phonetic spellings are laced throughout, and Spanglish and slang are used on both sides of the border. What does Urrea achieve by mixing language in this way? What does it say about the ability of language to bridge --- or not to bridge --- cultural gaps?

3. Into the Beautiful North is divided into two parts—Sur and Norte. References to American pop culture abound in the first half as Nayeli and her friends speak of life across the border with unwavering certainty. Where do their ideas of America come from? How does the reality of their time in the U.S. compare to their initial ideas of it? Are they surprised or disappointed?

4. Nayeli tells García-García, “Perhaps it is time for a new kind of femininity?” What does she mean? Given the homage to The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai in the novel, how has Urrea played with gender stereotypes?

5. Into the Beautiful North examines physical and psychological borders. Urrea repeatedly shows that while the physical borders can be crossed, some that are culturally defined appear unbridgeable. What are those culturally defined differences, and do you think it’s possible to eradicate such invisible borders?

6. After traveling thousands of miles in search of her father, Nayeli is unable to confront him. In your opinion, does she make the right decision to heed his words at this time—“all things must pass”—or should she have approached him?

7. What do you make of the overwhelming turnout produced by Aunt Irma’s interviews? Why do so many men want to return to Mexico, and does this strike you as ironic?

8. Nayeli and her friends are inspired by the movie The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the Japanese film Seven Samurai. Both films climax with the showdown between good guys and bad guys, but Urrea ends his novel before such a clash. Why do you think he did so?

9. Were you surprised to find the Mexican characters so knowledgeable about American pop culture? If you were surprised, did it change how you think about Mexico?

10. The road travelled by immigrants intent on sneaking across the border is perilous. Were you surprised by how dangerous it was for immigrants in Mexico before they crossed the border?

11. Where did your family emigrate from? Did you recognize any parallels between your family stories and this one?