What do you
do when you haven’t finished reading your book group book? Do you skip it so
you can finish the book, and talk to members after to create your own
discussion? Or do you go to the group anyway and try not to listen when they talk
about the ending?
I faced
this situation tonight. Our book was A God in Ruins, by Kate Atkinson. I got
started
on it late because my other book group was supposed to meet last
Sunday, and I was late starting that book, Manhattan Beach, by Jennifer Egan
(it’s extremely good, BTW), and managed to finish it before our meeting day,
although it was canceled at the last minute.
A
God in Ruins is also very good, and I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t finished it. There
was some talk of exiling us non-finishers to the bathroom while the end was
discussed, but we refused.
Am I sorry
I now know something about the ending when I’m only halfway through the book?
Only a little bit. It would have been a shock, for sure, and I would then have
felt tempted to reread the book to see if there were any hints to that twist
that I missed. But since I now know, I can be looking for those hints as I read
the second half of A God in Ruins, and I won’t feel tricked. And that twist
also explains one of my questions on pages 143-144.
-------------------------------------
I’m
participating in the 12th annual Slice of Life Challenge over at Two
Writing Teachers. This is day 1 of the 31-day
challenge. It’s not too late to make space for daily writing in a
community that is encouraging, enthusiastic, and eager to read what you have to
slice about. Join in!
Looks like you came up with a solution that you didn't list in your opening questions. I think you made a good choice. You can read now with an astute eye as to how the plot leads to the conclusion. Glad you weren't the only one. Thanks for the books tips in your post!
ReplyDeletethanks. I can feel my reading mind on a slightly different level, less eager to "find out what happens," less seeking the linear chronology (which is already subverted by the back and forth of time on almost every page anyway), and more looking for clues and reading on many levels at once. It's different, but kind of fun.
Delete(I still haven't finished Manhattan Beach!)
ReplyDeletekeep going. It's really good. I'm not sure I quite agree with how it ends, but it fits together really well.
Delete