ManBookering discussion

Discussion questions will be updated.

I am halfway through this book, and I hope to finish it tonight. It's quite strange... but intriguing.

Since it's not readily available here, I ordered a copy from Book Depository ... which seems now to have gotten lost in the mails! ARGGGGGGHHHHH!!! :-(

Just finished. I need to collect my thoughts before I post.

I read this a few weeks ago and thought it was wonderful. Some of the prose is just breathtaking. Especially on arriving in London. I really loved the musical words. Whilst the ending was a little YA-ish, it was redeemed by the wonderful prose and interesting themes. This is the kind of book I like to see on the booker. Something fresh and different. I've not read the Enright/Tyler/Robinson/O'Hagan - I'm sure they are good books, but I'm also sure they are just exactly what I expect them to be too. I'm looking forward to Anna Smaill's second book already.

I read this all in one day, yesterday. And I simply adored it. The first half was foggy and mysterious and frustrating even, but how the author manages to enlighten you with the second half was brilliant. It all comes together and full circle by the end, and while the plot and action of the latter half could be characterized as YA-ish, I only think that's because other stories before have had similar plots. However, she takes that and creates something breathtaking and original. I think the world she has created here can be a bit difficult to dive into, but once you've immersed yourself in it, it's totally rewarding. I am eager to re-read it, actually fairly soon, and take my time enjoying each sentence. I think I'll also be able to catch more on a second read through.

Maxwell wrote: "I read this all in one day, yesterday. And I simply adored it. The first half was foggy and mysterious and frustrating even, but how the author manages to enlighten you with the second half was bri..."
Discussion Questions?!

I have just finished this. I was expecting to love it, partly because I tend to really like novels written by poets and partly because the general idea seemed interesting. But, sadly, it didn't do it for me. I agree with Maxwell that other stories have had similar plots. However, for me, that was a bad thing that was not compensated by the writing and the invention. I wouldn't say I disliked this book: it is just that I can't work up any excitement about it.

My review of The Chimes..
Some slight spoilers below:

Finding it hard to rate, I had very mixed feelings about the quality of this book.

Smaill's use of words and the language she created for her dystopian world intrigued me and drew me in.
After finishing the book, I researched the author; her ultimately failed training as a classical violinist was an aha! moment; like one of her characters, she apparently possessed talent, but not genius. She also clearly delights in the sounds of words and the meanings behind them, and I have put her poetry on my "to read "list.

Additionally, the ideas behind and driving the book also fascinated me:
To what extent do we as humans want to forget? What is the value of memory?
What is the value of speech and literature (which arguably are the stories of collected memories)?
What is it about being a part of a large order (totalitarian movement) that strikes some of us, as humans as both beautiful and desirable? (What are totalitarian governments so attractive to so many?)

Smaill (who earned her DPhil in modern American Poetry at UCL) suggests that meaning in life might also come from the memories (especially the collected ones..) which is to say from the language we use and the language we preserve (our literature). "The Chimes" is a book about the importance of memory, of recorded story... which is to say that it is a book about the importance of literature. As a teacher of literature to high school students, I love what her book implies about the various valid individual interpretations of written communication.

It is a book that addresses the necessary and meaningful tension between the individual and the community.

Another idea the book strives to assert is that life is messy, and that some of the meaning of life lies in the mess.

And yet, despite the beauty of much of the language and the fascination of the ideas behind the writing, I am not sure that it works as well as it could or should in order to become something we will choose to teach to our children in 100 years, or something that we will turn back to again and again as we age.

Although the author implies in an interview that Simon is in essence, a part of her, and although his character is the most well developed, the other characters leave me feeling unsatisfied and in same cases, quite angry at their stereotypical behavior. Partly, this is due to the structure of the book: everyone exists as a foil to Simon (with the exception of Sonja who initially infuriated me with her self-sacrifice, but after reading more about the author, this character strikes me as a tribute and a symbol for to the author's former violinist self, sacrificed to the messier world of poetry where this author's unique genius might lie.)

Finally, setting and authenticity of place matter. While the section in London rings true (at least in a medieval conception of that city) ; the section in Oxford profoundly disappoints and made me long for Philip Pullman's exquisite knowledge and love of that city.

In terms of ideas, plot, and character development, I think "A Wrinkle in Time" and "The Giver" are "better" books. It would be lovely to see them reissued as "Adult Fiction." It is a tribute (?) to the popularity of YA literature, that Smai's book, originally conceived as a YA novel would be issued by her publisher as a contemporary fiction book eligible for and I think deserving of the 2015 Booker long list.

# 9 for me; my 3 star review:

More like a 2.5. From what I'd heard/read, I was really looking forward to this book, and although some of it was mildly enjoyable, I don't think Smaill understands the difference between being enigmatic ... and downright obtuse. Unless I missed it, I didn't quite understand the correlation between music and its use to simultaneously stifle/stimulate memories, nor why a totalitarian 'Order', which seemed to be under absolutely no threat of being overthrown, would be using music in such a fashion. Not being particularly musically inclined myself, all of the musical nomenclature and metaphors just bogged down what was already overly flowery prose.

I understand the book was originally intended to be marketed as another in the unending series of YA dystopian fantasies, and it actually seems more appropriate for the Hunger Games/Divergent crowd than a serious contender for the Booker (although it does somewhat resemble a few of last year's nominees - J and The Bone Clocks in the creation of a thinly disguised fantastical present/near future; Orfeo in its use of music as a plot device, The Wake in its creation of a faux language ... and even this year's A Little Life, with Clare's habit of cutting herself to dull pain similar to Jude's).

Also, aside from Simon and Lucien, the characters lacked definition (and I noticed the author herself even got confused: on page 252 Martha is confused with Mary!) Points for making the protagonist an (apparently) gay youngster, instead of the usual plucky heroine vacillating between two strapping boys; however, the relationship between Simon and Lucien is about as lukewarm as can be. I'd be really surprised if it made the Shortlist.

Good points, Doug. I have to say that, for the first bit of the book, I was struggling to picture Simon as a boy - in my head the character was a girl! I did spend some time considering whether the author had, in an attempt to make the book a bit more "grown up" simply done a search a replace putting Simon instead of Simone. But then, all that does is convert a very chaste heterosexual infatuation into a very chaste homosexual infatuation and it doesn't affect the rest of the book.

^Oh, I thought that was just me. For at least the first half of the book I kept thinking of Simon as a girl. It was only when his name was mentioned that I was reminded rather jarringly that he was a he. I think perhaps gender was not mentioned at the start of the book. I wonder if this was intentional. Just had a quick skim of the first couple of chapters and can't see anything (for some reason kindle xray is disabled for this book).

Just finished this and rather disappointed. Based on the description this was the book I was most looking forward to reading but it didn't quite do it for me.

I agree with what Alan, Neil and Doug have already said. It still felt like a YA book, and while there is nothing wrong with that, I want something a bit more from a prize list nominee. The dystopia never felt fully realised to me and perhaps at times too much descriptions, not leaving much for me to think of for myself - which is perhaps a distinction between adult and YA books.

Spoiler alert - the homosexual element to it felt like it might lead somewhere more interesting than it did too.

A pleasant surprise. I had no expectations at all but I had trouble putting it down. Still I felt the plot could have been developed further.

I'm rather late to this, seeing as the shortlist's been announced and The Chimes isn't on it, but oh well!
I absolutely loved this book! I understand everyone's criticisms; it certainly has a YA dystopian structure, can be a bit opaque and is confusing at the outset. However, the further I progressed into the story, the more I loved it.
I'm by no means well-versed in musical terminology, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of the unique language of this book. The writing style is just beautiful and aptly lyrical. The way the concept of memory is approached really intrigued me and I (unlike many people it seems) really liked the characters! Though it took a while to get into, I did not want this book to end.
I understand why this book didn't make the shortlist, but I think the concepts and writing style just appealed to me personally in a very particular way and are the main reasons why I adored it!