So, I agree with Melissa so far that this book is sad. I don't know how far you have gotten Nicole, but I don't see anything very uplifting yet. I still like it, but it doesn't radiate happiness for me.
okay. I just finished part 1 about 5 minutes ago. I am not seeing the "looking up" part yet either. I think I need a pair of the rose colored glasses Nicole has. And, I totally didn't see the Elspeth's ghost part coming. It makes sense having read The Time Traveler's Wife that the author would have some supernatural sci-fi aspect I guess. I'm interested to see how this ghost thing pans out. It is just SO sad. Watching Robert miss her. ugh.
So, I enjoyed "meeting" the twins. I suspect that Valentina will eventually exert her independence from Julia once they have moved into Elspeth's flat. I'll be interested to see how they intertwine with Robert and Martin, since it is obvious that the four lives are going to become connected to one another.
When Robert spends the night in the graveyard, it brought back so many memories from high school. Our XC team used to play manhunt games (older kid version of hide-and -seek) in our town's major graveyard. I used to rollerblade through the cemetery as well, so peaceful and beautiful with all of the flowers and wispy trees. Not creepy at all. I also liked how Robert compared how the people he worked with treated his mourning and Elspeth's death vs. people in his everyday life. I always feel so awkward when faced with news of someone that has died - how to comfort them and acknowledge the death without making things harder for that person. His coworkers just treat it as a natural thing and don't tiptoe around it. I thought it was interesting and so true.
When he was talking about the people he would "sit with" in the cemetery, it reminded me of the Existentialist thought that we make ourselves immortal through our work/art. I feel as though we are all immortal, so long as, there is someone to think about us and keep our memories alive. Robert does that when he examines the lives of all of these people, when he remembers Elspeth. His "visit" with Elspeth reminded me when I used to visit my friend Derrick's grave. Whenever I would travel up North to visit Chad over the summers, or when we would visit his family throughout the year, I would stop at his gravesite (he lived up North). I remember how frustrating it was that I didn't know if he could hear me, how I hated that I couldn't just talk to him face-to-face. I felt silly, but I didn't feel that "emptiness" that Robert refers to on page 55. I felt Derrick in the air around me. I often do. But I feel as though it is his memory floating around me, not him, not a ghost of him or anything. I wonder if it was someone closer to me, if it would feel the same. I think I would be too full of anger at them being taken away, so-to-speak. With Derrick, I missed him, still do, and we were close, and it certainly felt unfair the way he was killed, but I was able to move past those feelings. Don't know if it would be different were it someone in my immediate family perhaps.
Something that I was wondering about at first was how Edie and Jack could talk so terribly about Elspeth when she seemed actually pretty likable to me, but when Jack mentioned quickly about Elspeth running off with Edie's fiance, it made sense. I suppose that is enough to make anyone turn on you, not to mention when it is your sister's man. That could make holidays tense. Jesh.
I don't know how I feel about the whole being a "ghost" perspective we are given with the chapter from Elspeth's point of view. It's not that I don't believe in ghosts or spirits floating around, but books seem to feel hokey to me when the author takes a guess as to what it is like - the afterlife. Too predictable, cliche. I don't know what it is that I don't like about it. We'll see how it develops.
So....you know that you are too verbose when the blog won't let you make a post because it is too long. Jesh. I feel bad for you two having to read my crap all of the time. Sorry. Here is the last of my thoughts on this part of the book so far...
The last chapter was what really struck me. Once again, I couldn't help relating it to my own life. Jack and Edie seem to be entering back into the "what's left after your kids leave" phenomenon - ugh. I wouldn't call it "empty nest" because I feel as though that is a milder version of what this is. That is why it is important to nurture your relationship with your sig. other while the kids are growing up so that once they're gone it is not like you are left with a stranger and there is nothing left there between you. It scares me. I put sooooo much of myself into the girls, once they leave I would not know what to do at this point. When Chad and I go out together it is great and I am able to focus on just him and be with him in the moment, but our common interests seem to be lacking lately. Just more to work on. Important though. I see Jack and Edie drifting further apart once the girls leave. I hope I am wrong, for their sakes and as hope for my own future. Perhaps they will reaffirm their love for one another.
okay. I just finished part 1 about 5 minutes ago. I am not seeing the "looking up" part yet either. I think I need a pair of the rose colored glasses Nicole has. And, I totally didn't see the Elspeth's ghost part coming. It makes sense having read The Time Traveler's Wife that the author would have some supernatural sci-fi aspect I guess. I'm interested to see how this ghost thing pans out.
ReplyDeleteIt is just SO sad. Watching Robert miss her. ugh.
So, I enjoyed "meeting" the twins. I suspect that Valentina will eventually exert her independence from Julia once they have moved into Elspeth's flat. I'll be interested to see how they intertwine with Robert and Martin, since it is obvious that the four lives are going to become connected to one another.
ReplyDeleteWhen Robert spends the night in the graveyard, it brought back so many memories from high school. Our XC team used to play manhunt games (older kid version of hide-and -seek) in our town's major graveyard. I used to rollerblade through the cemetery as well, so peaceful and beautiful with all of the flowers and wispy trees. Not creepy at all. I also liked how Robert compared how the people he worked with treated his mourning and Elspeth's death vs. people in his everyday life. I always feel so awkward when faced with news of someone that has died - how to comfort them and acknowledge the death without making things harder for that person. His coworkers just treat it as a natural thing and don't tiptoe around it. I thought it was interesting and so true.
When he was talking about the people he would "sit with" in the cemetery, it reminded me of the Existentialist thought that we make ourselves immortal through our work/art. I feel as though we are all immortal, so long as, there is someone to think about us and keep our memories alive. Robert does that when he examines the lives of all of these people, when he remembers Elspeth. His "visit" with Elspeth reminded me when I used to visit my friend Derrick's grave. Whenever I would travel up North to visit Chad over the summers, or when we would visit his family throughout the year, I would stop at his gravesite (he lived up North). I remember how frustrating it was that I didn't know if he could hear me, how I hated that I couldn't just talk to him face-to-face. I felt silly, but I didn't feel that "emptiness" that Robert refers to on page 55. I felt Derrick in the air around me. I often do. But I feel as though it is his memory floating around me, not him, not a ghost of him or anything. I wonder if it was someone closer to me, if it would feel the same. I think I would be too full of anger at them being taken away, so-to-speak. With Derrick, I missed him, still do, and we were close, and it certainly felt unfair the way he was killed, but I was able to move past those feelings. Don't know if it would be different were it someone in my immediate family perhaps.
Something that I was wondering about at first was how Edie and Jack could talk so terribly about Elspeth when she seemed actually pretty likable to me, but when Jack mentioned quickly about Elspeth running off with Edie's fiance, it made sense. I suppose that is enough to make anyone turn on you, not to mention when it is your sister's man. That could make holidays tense. Jesh.
I don't know how I feel about the whole being a "ghost" perspective we are given with the chapter from Elspeth's point of view. It's not that I don't believe in ghosts or spirits floating around, but books seem to feel hokey to me when the author takes a guess as to what it is like - the afterlife. Too predictable, cliche. I don't know what it is that I don't like about it. We'll see how it develops.
So....you know that you are too verbose when the blog won't let you make a post because it is too long. Jesh. I feel bad for you two having to read my crap all of the time. Sorry. Here is the last of my thoughts on this part of the book so far...
ReplyDeleteThe last chapter was what really struck me. Once again, I couldn't help relating it to my own life. Jack and Edie seem to be entering back into the "what's left after your kids leave" phenomenon - ugh. I wouldn't call it "empty nest" because I feel as though that is a milder version of what this is. That is why it is important to nurture your relationship with your sig. other while the kids are growing up so that once they're gone it is not like you are left with a stranger and there is nothing left there between you. It scares me. I put sooooo much of myself into the girls, once they leave I would not know what to do at this point. When Chad and I go out together it is great and I am able to focus on just him and be with him in the moment, but our common interests seem to be lacking lately. Just more to work on. Important though. I see Jack and Edie drifting further apart once the girls leave. I hope I am wrong, for their sakes and as hope for my own future. Perhaps they will reaffirm their love for one another.
That would be something uplifting at least.