SixthStreetBookGroup

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell

Once you start analyzing a book in an objective way--does a book lose its power to move you?

When the sponsor of the book gave the background talk, it was clear that underlying the "text" she read, was the story of her formative year spent in Sweden--in the 1960s. How lucky to find a book that connects deeply with your personal history.

Others enjoyed the book; but were able to point out flaws in this story about a man, Fredrik Wellin, who slowly and fitfully reawakens to life. Some felt that the second half of the book was implausible...two major events even disturbing and unnecessary. We compared Fredrik to Kurt Wallander, Mankell's detective, and enjoyed noticing how similar they are. And we enjoyed speculating about why the author seemed to be drawn to writing about men who live in self-imposed isolation.

We got intellectual satisfaction from uncovering a possible connection between Mankell's mother's abandonment of him and Mankell's creation of a character who despised his mother. (Oh...perhaps the abandonment of his first love...his deepest love...was the author's way of trying to come to grips with his own loss? his father's loss? Fredrik, the abandoner in this novel says: "There is no abandonment that can be excused or explained. So I said nothing.")

Connecting this character to Julian Barnes' Tony in A Sense of an Ending, was a heady discovery. And, also enjoyable was sharing some of the clever ways Mankell created his characters, for example: using a few sentences to sum up Wellin's two marriages.

A good, fun discussion and mental exercise...

But, how much better if we all could have relived moving memories...

Hmmm...

Can anyone recommend a book set in Martha's Vineyard in the 1960s?

This comment from B.B.: In our discussion of "Italian Shoes," we forgot to talk of Caravaggio. The main character's daughter was very taken with the painter and mention of him kept coming into the story. He, I find in a history of art book, was an outsider and a rough sort whose paintings, as opposed to the fashionable ideal, were gritty and real--like Mankel's works?

Sunday, November 2, 2014

November 19th...Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell

Get your copy and start reading.

Italian Shoes

The Guardian Review

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Discussion of No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod

A member, J.B., played three Scottish Highland tunes on her violin setting the mood for the discussion of this novel that memorializes a small group of Cape Breton immigrants and the large clan of descendants. Members all loved the book and were moved by characters especially the grandparents and the narrator's older brother: Calum. Historic events give an outline to their story...but it is through the details about their interaction with the natural world of Cape Breton and each other that readers come to learn about and care for these people. Members remarked that the animal stories were particularly powerful.

Members also noted that the origin stories are passed down and retold and how they become myths that each successive generation shares. Red hair, first names, dark eyes, strength of character, can all be traced back to their Scottish Clan's great great great grandfather. Even the character traits of the author's childhood dog "caring too much and trying too hard" is said to be inherited from its Scottish ancestor.

The narrator reads a slogan on a T-shirt: "Living in the past is not living up to our potential." Yet all of the characters are attached to their past, their history, and to each other. Contrasting with modern isolation, the warmth of the past draws them back to Cape Breton in memory and, whenever they can, in reality. Potential? The narrator and his sister...the lucky/unlucky ones... reached success in the modern world...but whenever the reader glimpses that modern world it seems empty.

Although a British General James Wolf said that it was no great mischief if the Highlanders fell in battle; thus the title, each death, each disappearance in this novel feels a great loss to the reader.

Highly recommended by all.

Oh by the way: Margaret Laurence's book: The Diviners mentioned in No Great Mischief is highly recommended by a member: J.P.

And...we now are challenging ourselves to come up with musical intros to each book...glad it isn't food as some groups I have heard of do!

Found this book club review...