52 weeks, 52 books discussion
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The Storyteller
Week 11: The Storyteller
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I've read a lot of Jodi Picoult, and I've enjoyed almost all of the ones I've read. I'm on the hold list at the library for this one, so it'll be a while before I get to it - but I'm definitely planning on reading it.
I'm reading it now! I love her books!
I wasn't interested in this one but I downloaded the sample (in for a penny... I am still committed to the experiment!) and I must say I am delightfully surprised that my impressions were all wrong. Being so popular creates a prejudice for me I guess? Well, now I know that about myself and it's a good lesson. (Watch out nicholas sparks, you may be next lol) I didn't hesitate to hit the buy now button.
Mod
A good lesson for all of us Taughnee :)
About 33% in and really enjoying it so far. Anybody else reading it this week?
Mod
I am, of course :) 10% in and curious.
Me three :) Also about 30% in. So far so good!
Hi Guys! After a few weeks not reading the club books, I’ve decided to read this one. Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors and I loved her book Nineteen Minutes. Let’s just see if I can keep up reading 3 books at the same time cause I´m also listening to Book 2 of 1Q84 and also reading The Book Thief.
Painfully, hauntingly,beautiful! This was an amazing story. However, when the story ended, I was thinking, "Now what?" (Did anyone else feel like that?) However... there is a line in the book which states, "If you end your story, it's a static work of art, a finite circle. But if you don't, it belongs to anyone's imagination." So eventhough, I did not get the closure I was seeking, there is no way I could rate this story less than 5 stars.
Mod
That's some eclectic reading! Loved the Book Thief; some similar themes there and with this book, actually, now that I've read it.
Part two and really struggling.
This is such a good book. Again I'm surprised. I was afraid this would be melodramatic because--the Holocaust!--so horrible and yet....? However it is excellent reading. As a BAKER and CHEF I was pleasantly surprised how Picoult got the whole secret pleasure of night baking. By myself I like to listen to Delilah or John Tesh on the radio and really enjoy myself. But we can't be hermits forever. xxoocf
Now I'm at the whole "Chain-of-Function" w/ Leo&Sage. I think I have a problem w/Leo's support of that 1981 Supreme Court ruling. I GET IT--big picture-wise. I struggle w/ the smaller picture. Another book called "Everyday Germans" (Ithink) pointed out how little control many Germans++had over the Nazi involvment. Just like today if "TeaParty"policies, viewed by the majority as fairly harmless political extremists, suddenly became LAW and forced EVERYONE to comply or.....die. How could ALLofus be condemned for the VIEWSofsomeofus? xxoocf
Mod
I'll be honest, I have some big problems with this book, but that's not one of them.
Cherylanne wrote: "Now I'm at the whole "Chain-of-Function" w/ Leo&Sage. I think I have a problem w/Leo's support of that 1981 Supreme Court ruling. I GET IT--big picture-wise. I struggle w/ the smaller picture. Anot..."Catherine wrote: "Cherylanne wrote: "Now I'm at the whole "Chain-of-Function" w/ Leo&Sage. I think I have a problem w/Leo's support of that 1981 Supreme Court ruling. I GET IT--big picture-wise. I struggle w/ the sm..."
Catherine wrote: "Cherylanne wrote: "Now I'm at the whole "Chain-of-Function" w/ Leo&Sage. I think I have a problem w/Leo's support of that 1981 Supreme Court ruling. I GET IT--big picture-wise. I struggle w/ the sm..."
Great gobs of goggly-eyes! Can't wait to see some additional big problems. And just think--many reviewers think this is her best book yet. xxoocf
(sigh) Had some tech problems OBV with above post. Sorri. xxoocf
Finished the book. I have a BA in History so this is prolly my 6-7th book I've read on this topic. I think Picoult is trying to do some BIG THINGS with this novel. Even the main characters name--SAGE--an herb and someone WISE. However, I am quite sad after reading. Def worth the effort because I know many people don't have a lot of knowledge about the topic. xxoocf
Cherylanne wrote: "Finished the book. I have a BA in History so this is prolly my 6-7th book I've read on this topic. I think Picoult is trying to do some BIG THINGS with this novel. Even the main characters name--SA..."Are you sad because the story made you sad? Do you think Picoult pulled it off? I have read many books on this subject as well, in fact two of my favorite books are about the holocaust (Sophie's Choice and an unpublished work).
I can see how it would be a good book for people who, say, have never seen Shindler's List, or ever read a book about the concentration camps. But I think a better introduction to someone unfamiliar is the Diary of Anne Frank. Just my 2 cents. I am almost finished, my review is going to be quite mixed.
That's my thoughts too. Its an important topic and I can see a reader without a lot of background really becoming more informed. I needed to go back and reread the ending because I got a little confused. The German words identifying who was who were a little hard to follow. I would say more good than bad. Prollyput it above "Silver Linings Playbook" and below "The Fault is in Our Stars" and "Gone GIrl" xxoocf
Hi Taughnee and Cherylanne, I am new to the group and I enjoyed reading your comments. As you can see, I was very satisfied with the book. I understand this is a very complex, muti layered, and extreemly painful issue (much like black slavery), however for me, Ms Picoult did a good job in presenting her story. Sometimes, I need an account which is not so very painfilled to read. I think she does that without being disrespectful to the subject matter. I fully understand this was not the full picture of the horrors of this period.Also, what did you guys think of the substory of "the vampire"? I have never read any of these new "romantic monster" books (had NO desire), but I was strangely drawn to this one. Maybe it was the correlation between imagined and real life monsters.
I've read a lot of the "romantic monster" books and I had two diff feelings.SPOILER ALERT It was a nice touch to use the old "Schzeraheade" twist where she told her story to save her life. How it reflected another pair of "brothers". But I also thought the author used it as a "marketing" gimmick BECAUSE those type of stories are so popular now. I dont really think that is cynical thinking because having a NYT bestseller is a career maker and a good goal. I just felt a little MORE manipulated.But she is still very good at what she does. The ending bothered me a lot too.
Cherylanne, I totally agree about "marketing gimmick". Did you know it was part of the book before you read it? I was totally surprised. Here is a funny and not so funny story about the "new monsters": (My daughter is a preschool teacher and she asked the kids who Abraham Lincoln was. One child replied, "He killed the monsters." After, I laughed hysterically, I said, "Oh, shoot. That's terrible.") I was also not happy with the ending. Did you feel like you needed more? I tend to enjoy books which give me closure (one of my quirks).lol
Mod
Things I don't get about this book: SPOILER ALERT: as noted above, vampires ... why does someone have to kill him? I mean, he's 95 year's old. He's not a vampire. The whole premise is, frankly, absurd, in my opinion. Plus, vampires.
Yep. And SPOILER ALERT!! At first she can't "murder" him because she would be just like him. She hears Minkas story and SUDDENLY it becomes OK?Because a "good story" always justifies murder. Hiding the info from her future husband? Involving Mary in a murder plot? Plus the brother switch-er-roo? Just so the "most" evil one was killed? I know, I know--her job is to first entertain, second, to inform. xxoocf
this is going to be full of spoilers because i just finished and need to unload about this book...ive read about 6-7 books about the holocaust. some of what happened was a bit predictable...
leo and sage romance
minkas death... it was very notebookish to me i had a feeling that was going to happen...
as a jodi fan i was happy to read a book that didnt end up in a courtroom, but i was very unsatisfied with the ending... i wonder how sage felt knowing she killed one of the few people who showed her grandmother comfort during that difficult part of her life....my heart broke when sage found the pictures in his book. i feel that although he was a soldier he never wanted to do what he did. even though he did horrible things just by being a part of the problem, even as a youngster he sympathized with hi jewish friends, and i think he really enjoyed minkas company when they worked together.
Can someone tell me--did Minka and Josef live in the same town in New Hampshire?
Cherylanne wrote: "Yep. And SPOILER ALERT!! At first she can't "murder" him because she would be just like him. She hears Minkas story and SUDDENLY it becomes OK?Because a "good story" always justifies murder. Hiding the info from her future husband? Involving Mary in a murder plot? Plus the brother switch-er-roo? Just so the "most" evil one was killed? I know, I know--her job is to first entertain, second, to inform.(view spoiler)
Trudy wrote: "Sometimes, I need an account which is not so very painfilled to read. I think she does that without being disrespectful to the subject matter. I fully understand this was not the full picture of the horrors of this period.Also, what did you guys think of the substory of "the vampire"? I have never read any of these new "romantic monster" books (had NO desire), but I was strangely drawn to this one. Maybe it was the correlation between imagined and real life monsters.
HI Trudy! Welcome to the group! And thanks! :)
I understand, especially after reading reviews for this book, that sometimes people want to be presented with content about this subject that isn't gut-wrenchingly horrifying. As I understand it, books about the holocaust are rarely "best seller" fare. We know we're in for a very difficult emotional journey. I was really looking forward to Picoult's handling.
I agree she walked that line and treated the subject with respect. I wanted something different, but what fun is a reading club if we all have the same opinion anyway? :)
I didn't mind the storyteller's vampire story (though, it got really repetitive for me). I would have liked it better if the "moral of the story" wasn't repeatedly spelled out to me. But overall I think it did work. Some story had to be central to the main plot, I did wonder if it was a gimmick, though, given the popularity of the genre. And the love stories too, for that matter-- they seemed thrown in, perhaps because it's expected by Picoult's fan base? (Which I know nothing about, admittedly, this is the first I've read.)
My small review:Just finished this and even though this was a page turner for me and I’ve read it in 3 days I ended having mixed feelings about it.
I enjoyed the main story of the book and the writing was very good as you expect from a Jodi Picoult book, and I believe that despite the sensitive subject depicted, Jodi has written another bestseller. The Holocaust parts were very well written, sometimes painful to read but very real and noticeable based on a profound research.
My main problem with THE STORYTELLER was its structure. I’m used to read books with DPOV and multiple storylines but I found the construction too confusing, especially concerning the vampire book within the book that was always popping in and out; that become tiresome and repetitive after a while. I also didn’t liked the rushed ending, there was no closure whatsoever and I usually like books with a conclusion, this one particularly needed one after what Sage did at the end. I was not surprised at all by the final twist and I usually are; in fact I predicted it by a long shot but because I was expecting it and rooting for it I liked the twist.
I gave it 4 stars mainly because of the beautiful story and good writing; however I got the sense that the book could have been far better with a few structural changes and by not trying to be too many things at once.
I really enjoyed this book particularly the story within the story. I found myself getting absorbed by Minka's tale and forgetting entirely about Sage and the present day. The vampire story I could do without and would usually use these passages as stopping points. SPOILER ALERT - I thought this story was going to be pretty straightforward, so I was not expecting the brother twist at the end. Picoult did a great job with this book!
i was not sure about reading this book, after reading many of the reviews, but my sister in law got me a signed copy for my birthday, and just gave it to me yesterday, so i will have to make the time to read it now!
Mod
What a nice sister-in-law. Happy birthday, Kate!
SPOILER ALERTJust finished Storyteller - fantastic book. But I'm not getting the ending. I thought that Reiner shot Daria and this was corroborated when Leo's file on Reinder showed his reprimand for shooting someone without a good reason. Yet, Josef Weber, who we learn is Franz, not Reiner, admits to killing Daria. I'm confused. Can someone help me?
SPOILER ALERT: @ Marc: Reiner did kill Daria and Joseph is really Franz, not Reiner--you have it right. The twist is that Joseph/Franz wanted to die so much that he pretended to be Reiner to gain that extra level of hatred to help with the assisted killing. I think that had he said he was Franz, there would have been a level of sympathy for helping her grandmother that the assistance would have been even more difficult or impossible, even though he was still an SS--but he was an SS who showed her grandmother sympathy and hated what he was forced to do by the Nazis and his brother. That's my reading/interpretation at least. :) Hope that helps!
SPOILER ALERTJennifer - you're wonderful. I can see your interpretation. I'm OK with this clever plot twist by Picoult because a great book makes you wonder and doesn't deliver everything in black and white. But I'm a wee bit troubled that it was so difficult to see. But, contrary to some other people who responded, I DID get the facts straight. Someone said that Franz actually did shoot Daria, but I knew that wasn't right. Thanks again, Jennifer.
I like the detail, the characters and the many stories that all come together. Better than I thiught it would be.
Overall, I liked it BUT there were parts of this book that left me confused, and well... put off. Here's what I did like: I liked the easiness of Sage and Leo, the back-and-forth, the humour, the attraction and connection. I believed it. I did like Minka's story but found it difficult to get through. Beautifully written but slow-paced (I'm not saying it wasn't realistic... just that I had to push to get through it. I found myself putting down the book and having to come back to it rather than reading it in one sitting). Interesting ending. The beauty of it is that I too noticed the detail when it was first introduced but managed to forget it until the ending was revealed. Not bad.
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alisonwonderland (Alison)
(last edited Jun 23, 2014 11:19AM)
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rated it 4 stars
I've read a lot of Jodi Picoult's novels over the past seven years (beginning with
My Sister's Keeper
). For the most part, I've found them entertaining, sometimes shocking, and generally thought-provoking. For this one I think I'll add the adjective important. Overall this is a great book - and Part II, the historical section, set in Nazi-occupied Europe, is extremely powerful.I listened to an e-audiobook version, and the five narrators performed the story very effectively.
Trudy wrote: There is a line in the book which states, "If you end your story, it's a static work of art, a finite circle. But if you don't, it belongs to anyone's imagination."Thanks for that quote. It helps with the lack of closure! :)
Total SPOILER ALERT Just read this book and came upon this discussion. The ending bothered me a lot. The entire book is building a case against Reiner, not Franz. When we find out that Josef is Franz, the assisted killing becomes much more ambiguous. Her doing what he desperately wanted was represented as a mercy killing, not revenge or punishment. So, I suppose when it turned out to be Franz, you would have some sympathy for him as a victim and the only reason Minca was still alive. But Sage finds out AFTER she kills him that he was Franz, so maybe if she KNEW he was Franz she would have truly forgiven him, and not killed him because after all he wasn’t in pain or terminally ill, which could be a justification for a mercy killing. Instead, it ends up a murder. And not telling Leo tells me that she herself will be guilty all her life, secretly suffering. Trying to figure out why the author did that switch. To increase the controversy about mercy killing? To confuse the reader about killing for punishment vs. mercy? If she had let Leo continue with the legal pathway to conviction, it would have come out that he was Franz. And Franz did not kill Darija.Franz was the only person who saved her Grandmother, so Sage, after she killed him, could have rationalized that she did it because he was so important to Minca’s survival, and it was what he desperately wanted, so it was a reward to him. But he also wanted her to forgive him, and she totally made it clear to him that she did NOT forgive him.
Very convoluted. Am I missing something here?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439...