It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, May 14th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The Book of Salt by Monique Truong
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:
A little history of French colonization of Vietnam
Another short history of French colonization in Vietnam
A history of French colonization (with pictures!)
Some interesting background on Gertrude Stein
If you’re really interested, a play of Gertrude Stein’s is being produced in SF this month.
As always, refreshments will be served. Since we’re discussing Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, it might be appropriate to think about serving Toklas’ famous Haschich Fudge.
Coming up next: On Thursday, June 11th, we’ll discuss To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
And on Thursday, July 9th, we’ll discuss The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
New books chosen for discussion
The Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group has chosen the books we’ll read and discuss together in the next three months. Our meetings for the next three months will be on the second Thursday of the month at 7 pm in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library.
On Thursday, May 14th, we’ll discuss The Book of Salt by Monique Truong.
Set in Paris during the late 1920s and early 1930s, this uniquely told tale by debut novelist Truong features Binh, the fictionalized Vietnamese cook to literary figures Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Early in the novel, readers are whisked inside 27 rue de Fleurus, the real-life residence of the two women, as Binh judiciously describes the daily nuances of his life as well as his own equally intriguing biography. The novel portrays varying dimensions of love as readers observe the relationships between Stein and Toklas, Binh and his lover Sweet Sunday Man, and the Old Man and Binh's mother. From a culinary perspective, this work is a sensual treat .
On Thursday, June 11th, we’ll discuss To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic, Puliter Prize-winning novel--a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through the eyes of Atticus's children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930's.
On Thursday, July 9th, we’ll discuss The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
Beautiful, Ivy League–educated, and the daughter of a renowned journalist, Marina Thwaite lives in New York City along with two close friends from Brown. All three are just barely 30 and making their way into adulthood. The group orbits around the post September 11 city with disconcerting entitlement. Messud’s comedy of manners is extremely well written and features characters that come alive. This wonderful read is an insightful look at our time and the decisions people make.
Thanks for reading with us!
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
On Thursday, May 14th, we’ll discuss The Book of Salt by Monique Truong.
Set in Paris during the late 1920s and early 1930s, this uniquely told tale by debut novelist Truong features Binh, the fictionalized Vietnamese cook to literary figures Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Early in the novel, readers are whisked inside 27 rue de Fleurus, the real-life residence of the two women, as Binh judiciously describes the daily nuances of his life as well as his own equally intriguing biography. The novel portrays varying dimensions of love as readers observe the relationships between Stein and Toklas, Binh and his lover Sweet Sunday Man, and the Old Man and Binh's mother. From a culinary perspective, this work is a sensual treat .
On Thursday, June 11th, we’ll discuss To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic, Puliter Prize-winning novel--a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through the eyes of Atticus's children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930's.
On Thursday, July 9th, we’ll discuss The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
Beautiful, Ivy League–educated, and the daughter of a renowned journalist, Marina Thwaite lives in New York City along with two close friends from Brown. All three are just barely 30 and making their way into adulthood. The group orbits around the post September 11 city with disconcerting entitlement. Messud’s comedy of manners is extremely well written and features characters that come alive. This wonderful read is an insightful look at our time and the decisions people make.
Thanks for reading with us!
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
March discussion - A Bend in the River
It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, March 5th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
Discussion questions are below and check out these links for more background info
The Enigma of V. S. Naipaul
Colonial Desire and Disappointment in V. S. Naipaul
V.S. Naipaul, Nikolai Gogol, and the illumination of darkness
Civilization and V. S. Naipaul
Our next book selection is the One Book/One Marin selection, What is the What by Dave Eggers which we’ll discuss on Thursday, April 2nd.
A shameless plug – All month long in March, Bookbeat offers you a free tea or espresso every time you buy a book. Bookbeat is also featuring live acoustic music every morning. Stop by and ask Gary for one of his book recommendations.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
1. "The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it."Salim says, “For people like myself…the world was really quite a simple place…the less educated we were, the more at peace we were, the more easily we were carried along by our civilization…” (p. 54) Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Is Salim describing an unexamined life? Are these philosophies complimentary or contrasting?
2. The motto of Ferdinand’s lycee was Semper Aliquid Novi – always something new. Father Huisman’s masks lived up to the motto since masks were made for specific religious purposes. Pliny, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, first said, Semper aliquid novi Africam adferre. Africa always brings [us] something new. Has the truth of Pliny’s statement been proved over the centuries?
3. Are there comparisons to be made between Salim’s experience in a newly independent African country with soldiers and tribal warfare and the experiences of Alexandra Fuller’s family as described in her memoir, Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight?
4. On p. 21, “For Europe it was one little probe. For the Arabs of central Africa it was their all; the Arabian energy that had pushed them into Africa had died down at its source… Arab power had vanished.” On p. 76, “slave peoples are physically wretches, half-men in everything except their capacity to breed the next generation” Naipaul makes some very provocative statements in his book. Do these statements advance the story? Are they distracting in their provocation? Is Naipaul racist?
5. What were the differences between the Africa of the “Domain” and the Africa of Salim’s village? Were either the real Africa?
6. A reviewer in The Nation wrote, “In the last reckoning, A Bend in the River is about homelessness.” What does he mean by this? Would you agree that the novel is essentially about homelessness?
7. Speaking about leaving his hometown and family to go to England, Indar says, "It isn't easy to turn your back on the past. It is something you have to arm yourself for, or grief will ambush and destroy you. That is why I hold onto the image of the garden trampled to the ground--it is a small thing, but it helps" (141). Does Naipaul mourn the lost past of Africa or look forward to a new and better Africa?
8. Many writers wax poetic about the purity of the simple life of natives like those of the Bush country in Africa. How does Naipaul describe the African natives such as Zabeth?
9. How does Naipaul describe “the Big Man”? Is he a good ruler of his country? Does he offer hope for a better future in Africa?
10. When Salim first meets Raymond, Raymond says, “I began to wonder…whether the truth ever gets known…Time, the discoverer of truth. I know. It’s the classical idea, the religious idea. But there are times when you begin to wonder. Do we really know the history of the Roman Empire? Do we really know what went on during the conquest of Gaul? I was sitting in my room and thinking with sadness about all the things that have gone unrecorded. Do you think we will ever get to know the truth about what has happened in Africa in the last hundred or even fifty years?” In the beginning of the novel, Salim noted that all he knew about the world was from European history books. What does this say about African history or even world history? Is it important to know the truth of history? Are some things in history better forgotten?
11. What kind of man was Raymond - educated and married to a much younger woman and working as the “Big Man’s white man” and the town cuckold?
12. The description of Salim beating Yvette is very violent and graphic. How does the fictional beating compare to the reality of Naipaul’s confession of beating the women in his life in his new biography?
When? Thursday, March 5th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
Discussion questions are below and check out these links for more background info
The Enigma of V. S. Naipaul
Colonial Desire and Disappointment in V. S. Naipaul
V.S. Naipaul, Nikolai Gogol, and the illumination of darkness
Civilization and V. S. Naipaul
Our next book selection is the One Book/One Marin selection, What is the What by Dave Eggers which we’ll discuss on Thursday, April 2nd.
A shameless plug – All month long in March, Bookbeat offers you a free tea or espresso every time you buy a book. Bookbeat is also featuring live acoustic music every morning. Stop by and ask Gary for one of his book recommendations.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
1. "The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it."Salim says, “For people like myself…the world was really quite a simple place…the less educated we were, the more at peace we were, the more easily we were carried along by our civilization…” (p. 54) Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Is Salim describing an unexamined life? Are these philosophies complimentary or contrasting?
2. The motto of Ferdinand’s lycee was Semper Aliquid Novi – always something new. Father Huisman’s masks lived up to the motto since masks were made for specific religious purposes. Pliny, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, first said, Semper aliquid novi Africam adferre. Africa always brings [us] something new. Has the truth of Pliny’s statement been proved over the centuries?
3. Are there comparisons to be made between Salim’s experience in a newly independent African country with soldiers and tribal warfare and the experiences of Alexandra Fuller’s family as described in her memoir, Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight?
4. On p. 21, “For Europe it was one little probe. For the Arabs of central Africa it was their all; the Arabian energy that had pushed them into Africa had died down at its source… Arab power had vanished.” On p. 76, “slave peoples are physically wretches, half-men in everything except their capacity to breed the next generation” Naipaul makes some very provocative statements in his book. Do these statements advance the story? Are they distracting in their provocation? Is Naipaul racist?
5. What were the differences between the Africa of the “Domain” and the Africa of Salim’s village? Were either the real Africa?
6. A reviewer in The Nation wrote, “In the last reckoning, A Bend in the River is about homelessness.” What does he mean by this? Would you agree that the novel is essentially about homelessness?
7. Speaking about leaving his hometown and family to go to England, Indar says, "It isn't easy to turn your back on the past. It is something you have to arm yourself for, or grief will ambush and destroy you. That is why I hold onto the image of the garden trampled to the ground--it is a small thing, but it helps" (141). Does Naipaul mourn the lost past of Africa or look forward to a new and better Africa?
8. Many writers wax poetic about the purity of the simple life of natives like those of the Bush country in Africa. How does Naipaul describe the African natives such as Zabeth?
9. How does Naipaul describe “the Big Man”? Is he a good ruler of his country? Does he offer hope for a better future in Africa?
10. When Salim first meets Raymond, Raymond says, “I began to wonder…whether the truth ever gets known…Time, the discoverer of truth. I know. It’s the classical idea, the religious idea. But there are times when you begin to wonder. Do we really know the history of the Roman Empire? Do we really know what went on during the conquest of Gaul? I was sitting in my room and thinking with sadness about all the things that have gone unrecorded. Do you think we will ever get to know the truth about what has happened in Africa in the last hundred or even fifty years?” In the beginning of the novel, Salim noted that all he knew about the world was from European history books. What does this say about African history or even world history? Is it important to know the truth of history? Are some things in history better forgotten?
11. What kind of man was Raymond - educated and married to a much younger woman and working as the “Big Man’s white man” and the town cuckold?
12. The description of Salim beating Yvette is very violent and graphic. How does the fictional beating compare to the reality of Naipaul’s confession of beating the women in his life in his new biography?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, February 5th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
(Our next book selection is A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul which we’ll discuss on Thursday, March 5th.)
Check out these links for background information about Trujillo and the Dominican Republic:
Info about Trujillo http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/people_history-Trujillo.html
History of Dominican Republic http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Dominican-Republic.html
Lonely Planet travel guide http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic
Discussion Questions provided by the publisher for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao are below:
1. Throughout the novel, Spanish words and phrases appear unaccompanied by their English translations. What is the effect of this seamless blending of Spanish and English? How would the novel have been different if Díaz had stopped to provide English translations at every turn? Why does Díaz not italicize the Spanish words (the way foreign words are usually italicized in English-language text)?
2. The book centers on the story of Oscar and his family—and yet the majority of the book is narrated by Yunior, who is not part of the family, and only plays a relatively minor role in the events of the story. Yunior even calls himself “The Watcher,” underscoring his outsider status in the story. What is the effect of having a relative outsider tell the story of Oscar and his family, rather than having someone in the family tell it? And why do you think Díaz waits for so long at the beginning of the book to reveal who the narrator is?
3. Díaz, in the voice of the narrator, often employs footnotes to explain the history or context of a certain passage or sentence in the main text. Why do you think he chose to convey historical facts and anecdotes in footnote form? How would the novel have read differently if the content of the footnotes had been integrated into the main text? What if the footnotes (and the information in them) had been eliminated altogether?
4. In many ways, Yunior and Oscar are polar opposites. While Yunior can get as many women as he wants, he seems to have little capacity for fidelity or true love. Oscar, by contrast, holds love above all else—and yet cannot find a girlfriend no matter how hard he tries. Is it fair to say that Yunior is Oscar’s foil—underscoring everything Oscar is not—and vice versa? Or are they actually more alike than they seem on the surface?
5. The narrator says “Dominicans are Caribbean and therefore have an extraordinary tolerance for extreme phenomena. How else could we have survived what we survived?” (p. 149). What does he mean by that? Could Oscar’s obsession with science fiction and the “speculative genres” be seen as a kind of extension of his ancestors’ belief in “extreme phenomena”? Was that his method of coping?
6. Yunior characterizes himself as a super macho, womanizing jock-type—and yet in narrating the book, his writing is riddled with reference to nerdy topics like the Fantastic Four and Lord of the Rings. In other words, there seems to be a schism between Yunior the character and Yunior the writer. Why do you think that is? What could Díaz be trying to say by making Yunior’s character so seemingly contradictory?
7. For Oscar, his obsession with fantasy and science fiction becomes isolating, separating him from his peers so much so that he almost cannot communicate with them—as if he speaks a different language (and at one point he actually speaks in Elvish). How are other characters in the book—for instance, Belicia growing up in the Dominican Republic, or Abelard under the dictatorship of Trujillo, similarly isolated? And how are their forms of isolation different?
8. We know from the start that Oscar is destined to die in the course of the book—the title suggests as much, and there are references to his death throughout the book (“Mister. Later [Lola would] want to put that on his gravestone but no one would let her, not even me.” (p. 36)). Why do you think Díaz chose to reveal this from the start? How does Díaz manage to create suspense and hold the reader’s attention even though we already know the final outcome for Oscar? Did it actually make the book more suspenseful, knowing that Oscar was going to die?
9. In one of the footnotes the narrator posits that writers and dictators are not simply natural antagonists, as Salman Rushdie has said, but are actually in competition with one another because they are essentially in the same business (p. 97). What does he mean by that? How can a writer be a kind of dictator? Is the telling of a story somehow inherently tyrannical? Do you think Díaz actually believes that he is in some way comparable to Trujillo? If so, does Díaz try to avoid or subvert that in any way?
10. The author, the primary narrator, and the protagonist of the book are all male, but some of the strongest characters and voices in the book (La Inca, Belicia, Lola) are female. Who do you think makes the strongest, boldest decisions in the book? Given the machismo and swagger of the narrative voice, how does the author express the strength of the female characters? Do you think there is an intentional comment in the contrast between that masculine voice and the strong female characters?
11. There are a few chapters in the book in which Lola takes over the narration and tells her story in her own words. Why do you think it is important to the novel to let Lola have a chance to speak for herself? Do you think Díaz is as successful in creating a female narrative voice as he is the male one?
12. How much of her own story do you think Belicia shared with her children? How much do you think Belicia knew about her father Abelard’s story?
13. The image of a mongoose with golden eyes and the a man without a face appear at critical moments and to various characters throughout the book. What do these images represent? Why do you think Díaz chose these images in particular? When they do appear, do you think you are supposed to take them literally? For instance, did you believe that a mongoose appeared to Belicia and spoke to her? Did she believe it?
14. While Oscar’s story is central to the novel, the book is not told in his voice, and there are many chapters in which Oscar does not figure at all, and others in which he only plays a fairly minor role. Who do you consider the true protagonist of the novel? Oscar? Yunior? Belicia? The entire de Leon and Cabral family? The fukú?
15. Oscar is very far from the traditional model of a “hero.” Other characters in the book are more traditionally heroic, making bold decisions on behalf of others to protect them—for instance, La Inca rescuing young Belicia, or Abelard trying to protect his daughters. In the end, do you think Oscar is heroic or foolish? And are those other characters—La Inca, Abelard—more or less heroic than Oscar?
16. During the course of the book, many of the characters try to teach Oscar many things—especially Yunior, who tries to teach him how to lose weight, how to attract women, how to behave in social situations. Do any characters not try to teach Oscar anything, and just accept him as who he is? How much does Oscar actually learn from anyone? And in the end, what does Oscar teach Yunior, and the other characters if anything?
When? Thursday, February 5th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
(Our next book selection is A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul which we’ll discuss on Thursday, March 5th.)
Check out these links for background information about Trujillo and the Dominican Republic:
Info about Trujillo http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/people_history-Trujillo.html
History of Dominican Republic http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Dominican-Republic.html
Lonely Planet travel guide http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic
Discussion Questions provided by the publisher for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao are below:
1. Throughout the novel, Spanish words and phrases appear unaccompanied by their English translations. What is the effect of this seamless blending of Spanish and English? How would the novel have been different if Díaz had stopped to provide English translations at every turn? Why does Díaz not italicize the Spanish words (the way foreign words are usually italicized in English-language text)?
2. The book centers on the story of Oscar and his family—and yet the majority of the book is narrated by Yunior, who is not part of the family, and only plays a relatively minor role in the events of the story. Yunior even calls himself “The Watcher,” underscoring his outsider status in the story. What is the effect of having a relative outsider tell the story of Oscar and his family, rather than having someone in the family tell it? And why do you think Díaz waits for so long at the beginning of the book to reveal who the narrator is?
3. Díaz, in the voice of the narrator, often employs footnotes to explain the history or context of a certain passage or sentence in the main text. Why do you think he chose to convey historical facts and anecdotes in footnote form? How would the novel have read differently if the content of the footnotes had been integrated into the main text? What if the footnotes (and the information in them) had been eliminated altogether?
4. In many ways, Yunior and Oscar are polar opposites. While Yunior can get as many women as he wants, he seems to have little capacity for fidelity or true love. Oscar, by contrast, holds love above all else—and yet cannot find a girlfriend no matter how hard he tries. Is it fair to say that Yunior is Oscar’s foil—underscoring everything Oscar is not—and vice versa? Or are they actually more alike than they seem on the surface?
5. The narrator says “Dominicans are Caribbean and therefore have an extraordinary tolerance for extreme phenomena. How else could we have survived what we survived?” (p. 149). What does he mean by that? Could Oscar’s obsession with science fiction and the “speculative genres” be seen as a kind of extension of his ancestors’ belief in “extreme phenomena”? Was that his method of coping?
6. Yunior characterizes himself as a super macho, womanizing jock-type—and yet in narrating the book, his writing is riddled with reference to nerdy topics like the Fantastic Four and Lord of the Rings. In other words, there seems to be a schism between Yunior the character and Yunior the writer. Why do you think that is? What could Díaz be trying to say by making Yunior’s character so seemingly contradictory?
7. For Oscar, his obsession with fantasy and science fiction becomes isolating, separating him from his peers so much so that he almost cannot communicate with them—as if he speaks a different language (and at one point he actually speaks in Elvish). How are other characters in the book—for instance, Belicia growing up in the Dominican Republic, or Abelard under the dictatorship of Trujillo, similarly isolated? And how are their forms of isolation different?
8. We know from the start that Oscar is destined to die in the course of the book—the title suggests as much, and there are references to his death throughout the book (“Mister. Later [Lola would] want to put that on his gravestone but no one would let her, not even me.” (p. 36)). Why do you think Díaz chose to reveal this from the start? How does Díaz manage to create suspense and hold the reader’s attention even though we already know the final outcome for Oscar? Did it actually make the book more suspenseful, knowing that Oscar was going to die?
9. In one of the footnotes the narrator posits that writers and dictators are not simply natural antagonists, as Salman Rushdie has said, but are actually in competition with one another because they are essentially in the same business (p. 97). What does he mean by that? How can a writer be a kind of dictator? Is the telling of a story somehow inherently tyrannical? Do you think Díaz actually believes that he is in some way comparable to Trujillo? If so, does Díaz try to avoid or subvert that in any way?
10. The author, the primary narrator, and the protagonist of the book are all male, but some of the strongest characters and voices in the book (La Inca, Belicia, Lola) are female. Who do you think makes the strongest, boldest decisions in the book? Given the machismo and swagger of the narrative voice, how does the author express the strength of the female characters? Do you think there is an intentional comment in the contrast between that masculine voice and the strong female characters?
11. There are a few chapters in the book in which Lola takes over the narration and tells her story in her own words. Why do you think it is important to the novel to let Lola have a chance to speak for herself? Do you think Díaz is as successful in creating a female narrative voice as he is the male one?
12. How much of her own story do you think Belicia shared with her children? How much do you think Belicia knew about her father Abelard’s story?
13. The image of a mongoose with golden eyes and the a man without a face appear at critical moments and to various characters throughout the book. What do these images represent? Why do you think Díaz chose these images in particular? When they do appear, do you think you are supposed to take them literally? For instance, did you believe that a mongoose appeared to Belicia and spoke to her? Did she believe it?
14. While Oscar’s story is central to the novel, the book is not told in his voice, and there are many chapters in which Oscar does not figure at all, and others in which he only plays a fairly minor role. Who do you consider the true protagonist of the novel? Oscar? Yunior? Belicia? The entire de Leon and Cabral family? The fukú?
15. Oscar is very far from the traditional model of a “hero.” Other characters in the book are more traditionally heroic, making bold decisions on behalf of others to protect them—for instance, La Inca rescuing young Belicia, or Abelard trying to protect his daughters. In the end, do you think Oscar is heroic or foolish? And are those other characters—La Inca, Abelard—more or less heroic than Oscar?
16. During the course of the book, many of the characters try to teach Oscar many things—especially Yunior, who tries to teach him how to lose weight, how to attract women, how to behave in social situations. Do any characters not try to teach Oscar anything, and just accept him as who he is? How much does Oscar actually learn from anyone? And in the end, what does Oscar teach Yunior, and the other characters if anything?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Thursday meeting, People of the Book
Our next discussion will be this Thursday, January 8th at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Check out this link for photos of the actual Sarajevo Haggadah.
And check out this link for the article Brooks wrote for The New Yorker detailing the history of the Sarajevo Haggadah.
Discussion questions for the book are below.
FEBRUARY, 2009
Our February 5th choice for discussion is
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz.
(From Publisher’s Weekly) "This dark and exuberant first novel makes a compelling case for the multiperspectival view of a life, wherein an individual cannot be known or understood in isolation from the history of his family and his nation. The various nationalities and generations are subtended by the recurring motif of fukú, the Curse and Doom of the New World, whose midwife and... victim was a historical personage Diaz will only call the Admiral, in deference to the belief that uttering his name brings bad luck (hint: he arrived in the New World in 1492 and his initials are CC). By the prologue's end, it's clear that this story of one poor guy's cursed life will also be the story of how 500 years of historical and familial bad luck shape the destiny of its fat, sad, smart, lovable and short-lived protagonist."
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
1. When Hanna implores Ozren to solicit a second opinion on Alia’s condition, he becomes angry and tells her, “Not every story has a happy ending.” (p. 37). To what extent do you believe that their perspectives on tragedy and death are cultural? To what extent are they personal?
2. Isak tells Mordechai, “At least the pigeon does no harm. The hawk lives at the expense of other creatures that dwell in the desert.” (p.50). If you were Lola, would you have left the safety of your known life and gone to Palestine? Is it better to live as a pigeon or a hawk? Or is there an alternative?
3. When Father Vistorni asks Rabbi Judah Ayreh to warn the printer that the Church disapproves of one of their recently published texts, Ayreh tells him, “better you do it than to have us so intellectually enslaved that we do it for you.” (p.156). Do you agree or disagree with his argument? With the way he handled Vistorni’s request?
4. What was it, ultimately, that made Father Vistorini approve the Haggadah? Since Brooks leaves this part of the story unclear, how do you imagine it made its way from his rooms to Sarajevo?
5. Several of the novel’s female characters lived in the pre-feminist era and certainly fared poorly at the hands of men. Does the fact that she was pushing for gender equality—not to mention saving lives—justify Sarah Heath’s poor parenting skills? Would women’s rights be where they are today if it weren’t for women like her?
7. Have you ever been in a position where your professional judgment has been called into question? How did you react?
8. Was Hanna being fair to suspect only Amitai of the theft? Do you think charges should have been pressed against the culprits?
9. How did Hanna change after discovering the truth about her father? Would the person she was before her mother’s accident have realized that she loved Ozren? Or risked the dangers involved in returning the codex?
10. The Haggadah's fate illuminates the prejudice and mindless persecution that fills the history of the world. Ozren wonders why more people do not realize "that to be a human being matters more than to be Jew or a Muslim, [or a] Catholic." Does this novel illustrate the necessity of diversity and tolerance in the world for you? Or is it a story of individuals valuing history and art more than religious differences?
11. When do we consider loss in our own lives? What cost and what effect does loss have on our everyday existence? Is it traumatic only when a loved one passes or is there more of a sense of collective loss when looking at centuries of war, loss of life or needless destruction of towns and cities? How do we measure that loss compared to a loss of love or even when a beloved object goes missing?
12. There is an amazing array of “people of the book”—both base and noble—whose lifetimes span some remarkable periods in human history. Who is your favorite and why?
13. People of the Book details time periods through history when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together in harmony and also describes uglier times when they warred. The survival of the book is a testament to tolerance. Does that history have any relevance for today’s current events?
14. People of the Book tells several stories in the present day and 5 historical periods, Sarajevo in 1940, Vienna in 1894, Venice in 1609, Barcelona in 1492 and Seville 1480. Did any of those historical time periods strike a chord with you?
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Check out this link for photos of the actual Sarajevo Haggadah.
And check out this link for the article Brooks wrote for The New Yorker detailing the history of the Sarajevo Haggadah.
Discussion questions for the book are below.
FEBRUARY, 2009
Our February 5th choice for discussion is
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz.
(From Publisher’s Weekly) "This dark and exuberant first novel makes a compelling case for the multiperspectival view of a life, wherein an individual cannot be known or understood in isolation from the history of his family and his nation. The various nationalities and generations are subtended by the recurring motif of fukú, the Curse and Doom of the New World, whose midwife and... victim was a historical personage Diaz will only call the Admiral, in deference to the belief that uttering his name brings bad luck (hint: he arrived in the New World in 1492 and his initials are CC). By the prologue's end, it's clear that this story of one poor guy's cursed life will also be the story of how 500 years of historical and familial bad luck shape the destiny of its fat, sad, smart, lovable and short-lived protagonist."
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
1. When Hanna implores Ozren to solicit a second opinion on Alia’s condition, he becomes angry and tells her, “Not every story has a happy ending.” (p. 37). To what extent do you believe that their perspectives on tragedy and death are cultural? To what extent are they personal?
2. Isak tells Mordechai, “At least the pigeon does no harm. The hawk lives at the expense of other creatures that dwell in the desert.” (p.50). If you were Lola, would you have left the safety of your known life and gone to Palestine? Is it better to live as a pigeon or a hawk? Or is there an alternative?
3. When Father Vistorni asks Rabbi Judah Ayreh to warn the printer that the Church disapproves of one of their recently published texts, Ayreh tells him, “better you do it than to have us so intellectually enslaved that we do it for you.” (p.156). Do you agree or disagree with his argument? With the way he handled Vistorni’s request?
4. What was it, ultimately, that made Father Vistorini approve the Haggadah? Since Brooks leaves this part of the story unclear, how do you imagine it made its way from his rooms to Sarajevo?
5. Several of the novel’s female characters lived in the pre-feminist era and certainly fared poorly at the hands of men. Does the fact that she was pushing for gender equality—not to mention saving lives—justify Sarah Heath’s poor parenting skills? Would women’s rights be where they are today if it weren’t for women like her?
7. Have you ever been in a position where your professional judgment has been called into question? How did you react?
8. Was Hanna being fair to suspect only Amitai of the theft? Do you think charges should have been pressed against the culprits?
9. How did Hanna change after discovering the truth about her father? Would the person she was before her mother’s accident have realized that she loved Ozren? Or risked the dangers involved in returning the codex?
10. The Haggadah's fate illuminates the prejudice and mindless persecution that fills the history of the world. Ozren wonders why more people do not realize "that to be a human being matters more than to be Jew or a Muslim, [or a] Catholic." Does this novel illustrate the necessity of diversity and tolerance in the world for you? Or is it a story of individuals valuing history and art more than religious differences?
11. When do we consider loss in our own lives? What cost and what effect does loss have on our everyday existence? Is it traumatic only when a loved one passes or is there more of a sense of collective loss when looking at centuries of war, loss of life or needless destruction of towns and cities? How do we measure that loss compared to a loss of love or even when a beloved object goes missing?
12. There is an amazing array of “people of the book”—both base and noble—whose lifetimes span some remarkable periods in human history. Who is your favorite and why?
13. People of the Book details time periods through history when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together in harmony and also describes uglier times when they warred. The survival of the book is a testament to tolerance. Does that history have any relevance for today’s current events?
14. People of the Book tells several stories in the present day and 5 historical periods, Sarajevo in 1940, Vienna in 1894, Venice in 1609, Barcelona in 1492 and Seville 1480. Did any of those historical time periods strike a chord with you?
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Dec. 4th Confessions of a Pagan Nun
It's time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
Confessions of a Pagan Nun
When? Thursday,December 4th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley
Discussion questions for the book are below.
Our next book selection (for January 8th) is People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
Late one night in the city of Sydney, Hanna Heath, a rare book conservator, gets a phone call. The Sarajevo Haggadah , which disappeared during the siege in 1992, has been found, and Hanna has been invited by the U.N. to report on its condition. Missing documents and art works are endlessly appealing, and from this inviting premise Brooks spins her story in two directions. In the present, we follow the resolutely independent Hanna through her thrilling first encounter with the beautifully illustrated codex and her discovery of the tiny signs that will help her to discover its provenance. In the other strand of the narrative we learn, moving backward through time, how the codex came to be lost and found, and made. From Publishers Weekly Review.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Confessions of a Pagan Nun
1. How much of this novel is a true story?
2. Is the novel an attack on Christianity?
3. Does the novel reflect a post-modern sensibility that all native traditions are superior to the Western/Invader culture?
4. Does the novel present a feminist’s story and perspective?
5. How are marriage and male/female relations presented in the novel?
6. How do the Pelagians and Druids differ from the Christians in the novel?
7. What is the significance of words and writing? Of education?
8. What purposes do chastity and celibacy serve in the story?
9. What is the significance of the various incidents of mutilation in the book?
10. What was the relationship like between Giannon and Gwynneve? Why did Giannon hide his identity from Gwynneve in the monastery?
Confessions of a Pagan Nun
When? Thursday,December 4th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley
Discussion questions for the book are below.
Our next book selection (for January 8th) is People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
Late one night in the city of Sydney, Hanna Heath, a rare book conservator, gets a phone call. The Sarajevo Haggadah , which disappeared during the siege in 1992, has been found, and Hanna has been invited by the U.N. to report on its condition. Missing documents and art works are endlessly appealing, and from this inviting premise Brooks spins her story in two directions. In the present, we follow the resolutely independent Hanna through her thrilling first encounter with the beautifully illustrated codex and her discovery of the tiny signs that will help her to discover its provenance. In the other strand of the narrative we learn, moving backward through time, how the codex came to be lost and found, and made. From Publishers Weekly Review.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Confessions of a Pagan Nun
1. How much of this novel is a true story?
2. Is the novel an attack on Christianity?
3. Does the novel reflect a post-modern sensibility that all native traditions are superior to the Western/Invader culture?
4. Does the novel present a feminist’s story and perspective?
5. How are marriage and male/female relations presented in the novel?
6. How do the Pelagians and Druids differ from the Christians in the novel?
7. What is the significance of words and writing? Of education?
8. What purposes do chastity and celibacy serve in the story?
9. What is the significance of the various incidents of mutilation in the book?
10. What was the relationship like between Giannon and Gwynneve? Why did Giannon hide his identity from Gwynneve in the monastery?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
November 6th Hannah Coulter discussion
It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, November 6th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
(Our next discussion will take place on Thursday, December 4th. We’ll be discussing Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley)
Wendell Berry is a distinguished and respected novelist and essayist. He has written several novels and short stories about the residents of Port William, Kentucky. His first novel was, Nathan Coulter, published in 1960. His latest is Hannah Coulter.
Check out these links to some of his essays:
Thoughts in the Presence of Fear
The Pleasures of Eating
Compromise, Hell!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
1. Hannah Coulter is a story of a woman’s life and lifetime told by a man, Wendell Berry. Does the author do a credible job of writing from a woman’s perspective and with a woman’s language?
2. Consider Hannah’s Grandmam, Mrs. Feltner and the other women of Port William. What are the women described in Hannah Coulter like? Would you call them “liberated”? Realistic?
3. Describe the concept of “the membership.” Do you have a reliable person or group you can go to for help when you need it? Do you offer your services to anyone?
4. How does Hannah describe her marriages? Does her description of marriage seem modern or old-fashioned? Realistic?
5. Hannah says in the book,"The stream and the woods don't care if you love them. The place doesn't care if you love it. But for your own sake you had better love it. For the sake of all else you love, you had better love it. " Place is very important in all of Wendell Berry’s novels. His characters are very grounded in their community. Does this lifestyle still exist anywhere in our country? Has our community lost anything by being so mobile and disconnected?
6. Hannah describes her sadness that each of her children left the farm and community. She largely blames their education for taking them away. Do you agree? Were there other forces at work?
7. Why does Nathan refuse to talk about the war? What did Hannah learn in her research about the Battle of Okinawa and the war in the Pacific?
What role does religion play in the novel?
8. Why does Burley refuse to buy a tractor? Are the old ways better or is he being foolish?
9. Is Berry overly sentimental about a disappearing way of life?
10. How accepting of illegal immigrants or drug dealers would the Port William community be?
11. Several recent bestselling non-fiction books such as Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle encourage readers to consider a more sustainable lifestyle, including sustainable farming. Is the lifestyle described in Hannah Coulter more morally defensible than suburban or urban living? Do Berry’s writings describe a lifestyle of the past or a lifestyle of the future?
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