Tea and Tales with Cate and Allison discussion

Hey book lovers!

I hope you all enjoyed The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry! This book seemed pretty perfect for us book lovers, and I don't know about all of you, but I definitely cried during a few parts. Here are some questions to kick off our discussion!

1. Why do you think the author chooses to set the book on an island? How does the island setting reflect A.J.’s character?

2. The author chooses to begin each chapter with a description of a short story. What are some of the ways the stories relate to the chapters they are paired with? Why is A.J. compiling these stories and for whom? If these are A.J.’s favorites, what do they say about A.J. as a reader and as a man?

3. Did you find Ismay’s motivations for stealing Tamerlane to be forgivable? How do you think she should pay for her crime? Why do you think Lambiase lets her off?

4. At one point, Maya speculates that perhaps “your whole life is determined by what store you get left in” (page 85). Is it the people or the place that makes the difference?

5. When did you become aware that Leon Friedman might be an imposter? What did you make of Leonora Ferris’s reasons for hiring him?

6. How do you think Daniel Parrish might have changed if he had lived? Do you think some people never change?

7. Were you surprised by the outcome of the short story contest? What do you think of A.J.’s comments to Maya about why certain books and stories win prizes and others don't?

8. Compare Maya’s “fiction” about the last day of her mother’s life to Ismay’s version. Which do you consider to be more accurate and why?

9. How do you think the arrival of the e-reader is related to the climax of the story? Is A.J. a man who cannot exist in a world with e-books? What do you think of e-books? Do you prefer reading in e-book form or on paper?

10. At one point, A.J. asks Maya, “Is a twist less satisfying if you know it’s coming? Is a twist that you can’t predict symptomatic of bad construction?” What do you think of this statement in view of the plot of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry? Did you guess who Maya’s father was? If so, what were the clues?

11. The author chooses to end the novel with a new sales rep coming to an Island Books that is no longer owned by A.J. What do you make of this ending?

12. What do you think the future holds for physical books and bookstores?

13. What do you think of the novel's temporal jumps? It doesn't cover each period or moment with much depth. Does this work in the novel's favor?

14. What do you think of Amy's decision not to tell A.J. that The Late Bloomer is a work of fiction?

15. Is it more important to find out the answer (i.e. who Maya's father is) or to see the affect on the character's lives?

16. A.J. says he doesn't believe in fate but does believe in narrative construction. How do these play out in the novel?

These are such great questions. I'm still thinking them over before I respond.

I'll be honest ... The book, although a very enjoyable read, didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped it would. Perhaps my expectations were too high?? It was beautifully written, and I loved the intros to each chapter, there was just something about it that didn't make it a 4-star book for me. I'm still trying to pinpoint what it was. Maybe I'll have to read it again? I really do want to love the book.

I'm interested in knowing what everyone else thought.

Question four really got me thinking. I think that people leave their imprints on places and places leave their imprints on people. Not just impressions, but actual imprints-- Permanent traces. When I'm away from Vancouver, and I return, I believe the mountains and ocean are as happy to see me as I am to see them. They recognize themselves in me, just as I recognize myself in them. Then I started thinking of different novels, and how Place can play A pivotal role. Thomas Hardy's characters emerge from the Dorset landscape; they couldn't exist anywhere else. And his landscape is always a living,breathing entity. Who would Anne be without Green Gables? And think of a novel of like Night Film, in which New York City is just as vibrant, fully developed a character as any of the people. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts, both on this question and others.

@pagesandcup I enjoyed the novel. It was charming. I knew nothing about it and had no expectations, so that probably made a difference.

As for question 12, what is the future of the book

I think universities will be the first to go completely digital. Both in the libraries and in textbooks. Ultimately, I think the physical book might survive by evolving into an art object. Those in the bookstagram community know that photos of pretty books are like porn for booklovers. I think there'll be things like pop-up books, finally illustrated books, artistically bound books, etc. People might buy a few fine books to display in their home instead of a few fine paintings. It would be something that you would share, show to your guests, kind of like old-fashioned entertainment devices like the stereoscope.

@pagesandcup I felt the same way. I gave this book a 3.5 star rating. I thought it was really cute and made me feel all the feels, but I felt like something was missing?? I don't know if it was the length of the book or the fact that the characters just didn't quite endear themselves to me. I enjoyed while I read, but most likely won't re-read.

I am so happy though that people enjoyed it and have enjoyed discussing it.

My favorite part of the book were the shelf talkers at the beginning of each chapter. I loved seeing how they related to the chapters and I also plan on reading several of the short stories myself.

Lisa, I loved your comment about Question #4. I agree with your comment about imprints on places. There are a few places like that for me. Memories, childhood haunts, favorite places that will always have an affect on me as well as the other way around. And it is interesting how much a place, structure, etc., really does play in novels and writing.

In regards to Question #12, I actually think physical books will always have a place in our world. I recently read an article (I believe posted on NPR) about how physical books and independent bookstores are having a come back. The race between the digital print and physical print is beginning to even out and people are finding they are drawn back to printed books. I also think social media platforms such as IG have brought this back too, all the gorgeous posts and books you see everyday on people's accounts!

There is something about holding a book in your hands, the gorgeous layouts, even the binding and end covers. I personally read both ebooks (when I travel, out and about, etc.,) and collect and showcase physical books. So, I find I love both!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful remarks!!

Thanks for your response, Catie! And I hope you're right about the future of the book!

Lisa, in case you were interested in reading the article I mentioned, it was actually from the New York Times. The link to the article is below.

NYTimes: The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales Slip and Print Is Far From Dead

Catie

Great! Thanks so much!

I was totally caught off guard by this plot, as I knew nothing about it prior to reading except it was about a man and a bookstore. Although engaging, it fell a little short for me. I think I could have identified with the character a lot more if his race had been identified better. Was anyone else puzzled by this or was it just me? Not that race matter's but for most of the book I pictured him white and then I came to a passage that talked about his dark skin and so then I thought he was black. It wasn't until I was done with the book, that I looked up an interview and was shocked to see that he was actually Southeast Asian. Usually a character is well defined for me but this one was totally an enigma. In her interview she did say that it was a goal of hers because she wanted the reader not to feel like he was just "mixed race" but that he existed and he had a story that could have been a story about a white person. Although, I get were she is coming from it really affected my connection with A.J. and I think that is why it fell short for me. I am a very emotional person and I like to connect and feel what the characters are going through but because of this lack of info, I just felt like there was this barrier between us.