Ryan’s Comments (group member since Apr 17, 2017)

Ryan’s comments from the Return of the Rogue Readers group.

I apologize for being late to the party.

This book has been recommended my several of my peers on account of its historical significance in the fantasy genre and the Catholic theological themes within the story itself. I enjoyed it and I will certainly be finishing the series.

Danielle, the songs had a different effect on me as I read the book, but after reading your thoughts I found some examples of the audiobook on Youtube and I can agree that the the singing was a little awkward. The songs, as presented in the films, are much more melodic. I don't know if the fault lies in the narrator or if my untrained ears are simply not familiar with this style of music.

Gretchen, do you frequently listen to audiobooks? I am curious to hear about your experience switching from paper to audio. Did it have an impact on your imagination? When I read I have a particular sound in mind for each character. I had seen the films long prior to reading this book, so some of that carried over, but it was long enough in the past that I forgot many of the characters and what they sounded like. I would worry that switching to audio might break the suspension of disbelief, it might be a jarring transition. What was it like for you?

I have not read any other books in this series, but I have no doubt that I will finish it before long.

I apologize for my absence. I was preparing for midterms, which took up much of my time, and then this pandemic hit. My school has moved all classes online and I have since returned home to be with my family. I did live in the Steubenville area, but I would prefer not to say where precisely.

I am already 100+ pages into the book and will be able to finish in time.

Hello Gretchen, glad you are interested. Have you read The Fellowship of the Ring? That is what I would like to suggest for book 31.

If nobody objects, I'd like to make a suggestion for a book. I don't know if I am allowed to do this, but there hasn't been any activity lately.

I finished the book a few days ahead of schedule, but I know you treat deadlines as flexible, Jordan

I enjoyed this book and wasn't the least bit turned off by the writing style. I found the unconventional structure refreshing and a pleasant challenge. Some books make it too easy to go into an auto-pilot mode. Their narrative structures are mundane, their plot simple and predictable, or they are just plain boring. Blindness was none of that.

The characters felt real to me; none of them stylized archetypes created for the sake of drama. The action felt natural, not forced.

I have not read any other works by Saramago, but I likely will.

I read the printed version of this book, but hearing the descriptions you have given makes me want to check out the audiobook. I have been a fan of Robin Williams all my life. He had his issues, but he was a Christian and when he was making childrens movies he could be relied on to be wholesome. My family and I would see all of his family-friendly movies together, it was almost tradition for us.

I knew going in that this story would have a sad ending, as we all did I am sure. I was most interested in learning about Robin's formative years; what made him into the monsoon of comedic energy I grew up with? I feel like the book answered that, but only on a general, fly-over basis. I want a more detalailed look at his childhook and early, pre-career life. I'll have to keep an eye out for other biographies that might have this focus.

Gretchen, I agree with your interpretation of Robin's reaction to the negative reviews. Either that was a major part of his character, or the author was trying to paint a picture of an unstable, shallow man. I didn't like that very much.

Jordan, the family dispute at the end is all too common when it comes to the wealthy. I recall hearing about a similar fate for Michael Jackson's estate after his passing. I don't understand the process, but it seems people can contest a will and they win often enough that it is a known phenomenon. I've heard a story of a man, a farmer, who was working in the field with his tractor when the tractor slipped and ended up crushing him. He lived for several hours before his injuries took him. He wasn't found until after he was well beyond medical care, but they discovered that he had used a pocket knife to scrawl something to the effect of "I leave everything to my wife..." in the paint of his tractor. It held up in court and has become a sort of legal precedent. I find the convoluted nature of law very difficult to navigate.

Danielle, I think there were two sides to Robin: the try-hard, always-on entertainer who would do anything for a laugh, and the quiet, introspective, insecure human behind him. I think that is mostly a product of his upbringing. Likely due to trying to win the attention of his parents or caregivers, and it carried over into his life. In the parts Gretchen and I were discussing where the author repeatedly points out Robin's insecurities over bad reviews I think we are seeing the result of a man who found a path to validation and attention and almost became addicted...or did become addicted.

You called it, Gretchen. I was, in fact, making an April Fools joke. I didn't mean to wait so long to declare "April Fools!" I was under the weather this week and had to play catch-up on my obligations.

I admit, I didn't think the club would permit this book since it seems everyone else is on the other side of the aisle. I've already read it, and it's my least favorite of the President's books, but it's the one everyone recognizes.

Thanks for playing along and I do genuinely appreciate that you were willing to give it a chance.

My actual selection is: Robin: The Definitive Biography of Robin Williams by Dave Itzkoff.

Yes, thank you. I select The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump

That interview gave me some perspective. I didn't really know what the author's goal was in writing this. As I mentioned, I worried it would be to promote an agenda, but now I understand that he was trying to give the world a glimpse into a culture that he felt hadn't been represented before.

I read the synopsis of this book and prepared to hate it. Much of the subject matter doesn't fall in line with my beliefs and I expected a preachy, shove-it-down-your-throat narrative. I was surprised that I didn't find it tremendously distasteful. I am a Catholic and I take the tenants of my religion seriously. Adultery, drug abuse, and homosexuality are sins in my religion and I was worried this novel was written to push an agenda. I was mistaken.

What I found instead was a story of flawed, troubled people living their lives. Like you, Gretchen, I didn't feel like this story tried to preach anything to me. I didn't feel like I was being sold anything.I was uncomfortable in parts, but I made it through.

I think Amy and Gretchen have the right idea that this would be a good TV show. I don't think I would watch it, but I think it would be very successful.

Amy, I understand what you mean. This time/place isn't new to me, but this subculture in that time/setting is. In fact, one of the club books was Sleepers, set 20 minutes north and 5-7 years in the future.

As far as reception of this novel goes, I wasn't able to find much other than it had mixed reviews.

I hate to be the holdup, but can we start Saturday or Sunday? I only have a little left to read.

Welcome Amal. I haven't been able to get a copy of the book yet and I'm a little behind. I could use a little more time as well. Maybe another week or two?

I didn't say I didn't find any racism, I said I didn't find it overdone to the point of being offensive. Offensive to me. The "outrage culture" in America has grown to a fever pitch. We can't do or say anything anymore without someone getting all worked up and offended.

People pick apart decades or centuries old books looking for signs of racism, sexism, or whatever -ism is the new fad. We used to just read something for what is was without trying to apply whatever modern opinions are currently in vogue to it. It was a different time, they were different people, get over it!

Gretchen and Jordan, I did a little reading after I saw your current exchange. It turns out the author was gay and died of aids. I mention this because it would be my guess that he would be on the liberal side and thus probably not "casually racist" as Jordan suggested.

I didn't find the character of Odessa racist to the point of being offensive. After all, Big Barbara wasn't exactly a beacon of higher thought. It could also be argued that she is a stereotype attributed to obese, southern women.

I will agree that the relationship between Luker and India would likely result in CPS being called today.

Overall, I'd not look too deeply for themes and hidden meanings in this book.

This club has been my gateway into the horror genre and The Elementals has probably been my favorite so far.

Like Gretchen, I enjoyed the settings. The idea of a secluded southern victorian mini-villiage where phones don't work might be enough to keep me coming, ghosts or not!

The characters were nicely developed too, although I think Dauphin needed a little polishing. He wasn't involved enough in the story for his death to be meaningful to me. The death of Odessa had much more impact than Dauphin's death.

Luker's dad, who's name escapes me at the moment, seemed a bit of a wasted character. I'd of cut his storyline entirely and given more focus on Dauphin and his wife (who I forgot was even there until her name was mentioned).

I particularly enjoyed the lack of a clear explanation to what the elementals were, why they were there, and what they wanted. It left a lot to the imagination and I think that really worked in this story.

Gretchen, that's interesting trivia about the porpoises. Do you live near the gulf?

Hello Garret and welcome back. When I first joined I was instructed that I could reply to any discussion at any time, regardless of how long ago the book was read. In fact, I've been meaning to dip into a couple of this club's previous reads.

I agree with you and Gretchen that the moth was a sign that Eve was still there, or at least still existed. I hope it wasn't the setup for a sequel, though.

As an avid reader of King, what are your favorites? What are better examples of his style of horror?

This is another departure from what I usually read, but that's why I come to this club. This club helps me broaden my horizons.

With that being said, I wasn't a fan of this book. I didn't hate it, but it took effort for me to finish. The story felt too formulaic and obvious, I could see the general structure a mile down the road. There were few, if any surprises and none of the characters felt fleshed out and real. Can anyone relate to that?

I suppose my criticism parallels Danielle's praise in the realness of the story. I expect horror to be wild and crazy, something that is very far removed from the day to day. This felt too normal and mundane. I'm not as well versed in horror as other members of this club, and perhaps I too had different expectations.

Amy, you touched on another issue I had with the characters. The only unity amongst them was watery and bland. It didn't make sense overall and felt very forced. Suddenly this character or that character is willing to die for nothing.

Jordan, loathful is indeed a word!

Gretchen, I took just as long as you did to finish so I can't cast the first stone. I think this is a good discussion and I am glad we all read the book.

After reading your comment, Gretchen, I think you made a really good point. The King's didn't necessarily paint a totally anti-male picture. In fact, in the end, Lila and Clint split over their differences (another "too real and too boring" detail, but I already made my peace about that)

I am torn too about the idea of staying in Our Place. Assuming I was female and even had the option I would be inclined to stay. I have my parents, but I have not yet started a family of my own. I wouldn't be leaving much behind, but I certainly understand your hesitation.

If you could bring your children with you, would you go?

I agree with Gretchen. The book was enjoyable enough that I wasn't really concerned with whether or not it was true. It felt realistic and that was good enough for me. Good selection, Gretchen!

Amy, I had a final as well. Sounds like we have the same excuse this time around. ;)

I quite enjoyed this read. It was not a pleasant tale or something that I looked forward to diving into at the end of the day, but I was very eager to see where the story went. Leaving the questions of veracity aside, it was real enough to seem plausible given the fact that it was set in a time and place where legal accountability for violent crimes wasn't exactly front-page news. It kept my attention and in contrast to Jordan's experience, I didn't feel like I was reading wish-fulfillment fiction.

I found the characters of Fat Mancho and King Benny added a nice flavor to the tale. At times they almost felt like the characters in a fantasy story that helped the hero prepare for his epic voyage.

Amy, I found this article from around the time the movie came out:

https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/22/mo...

It seems like the church from Hell's Kitchen and the DA's office both publically said the story was made up, but the author himself stated he changed some names and places for what I believe are obvious reasons. After all, what kind of friend would he be if he ratted out not only his murderous buddies, but the prosecutor who helped them escape justice and a priest who lied under oath?

Jordan, I think I will eventually read another of Agatha Christie's Poirot books, but not in the immediate future. I enjoyed this, but it wasn't really my style.

To answer your question, I suspected the doctor because he was in a place of authority. It would be easy for him, as the only medical expert, to alter the findings. Indeed that's how it turned out, except he wasn't alone.