The History Book Club discussion

Hello Everyone,

For the week of May 2nd - May 8th, we are reading STAYING ON - Chapters Nine and Ten (pg. 120-144)~ Staying On, (pg. 120-144)

The week's reading assignment is:

Week Five- May 2nd - May 8th ~ Chapters Nine and Ten (pg. 120-144)

We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers. We will also open up supplemental threads as we did for other spotlighted books.

This book was kicked off on April 4th.

We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, local bookstore or on your Kindle. Make sure to pre-order now if you haven't already. This weekly thread will be opened up on April 4th.

There is no rush and we are thrilled to have you join us. It is never too late to get started and/or to post.

Jill will be leading this discussion and back-up will be Bentley.

Welcome,

~Bentley

TO ALWAYS SEE ALL WEEKS' THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL

by Paul Scott

REMEMBER NO SPOILERS ON THE WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREADS - ON EACH WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREAD - WE ONLY DISCUSS THE PAGES ASSIGNED OR THE PAGES WHICH WERE COVERED IN PREVIOUS WEEKS. IF YOU GO AHEAD OR WANT TO ENGAGE IN MORE EXPANSIVE DISCUSSION - POST THOSE COMMENTS IN ONE OF THE SPOILER THREADS. THESE CHAPTERS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION SO WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK WITH THE CHAPTER OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY TO RECALL WHETHER YOUR COMMENTS ARE ASSIGNMENT SPECIFIC. EXAMPLES OF SPOILER THREADS ARE THE GLOSSARY, THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE INTRODUCTION AND THE BOOK AS A WHOLE THREADS.

Notes:

It is always a tremendous help when you quote specifically from the book itself and reference the chapter and page numbers when responding. The text itself helps folks know what you are referencing and makes things clear.

Citations:

If an author or book is mentioned other than the book and author being discussed, citations must be included according to our guidelines. Also, when citing other sources, please provide credit where credit is due and/or the link. There is no need to re-cite the author and the book we are discussing however.

If you need help - here is a thread called the Mechanics of the Board which will show you how to cite books:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Introduction Thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Table of Contents and Syllabus

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Glossary

Remember there is a glossary thread where ancillary information is placed by the moderator. This is also a thread where additional information can be placed by the group members regarding the subject matter being discussed.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Bibliography

There is a Bibliography where books cited in the text are posted with proper citations and reviews. We also post the books that the author used in his research or in his notes. Please also feel free to add to the Bibliography thread any related books, etc with proper citations. No self promotion, please.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts - SPOILER THREAD

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Paul Scott

Chapter Summaries and Overview

1 - Chapter Nine

Mr. Bhoolabhoy leaves the hotel and he arranges for a photographer to stop at the church to take photos for Father Sebastian and then he heads there himself. He reflects on his affair until he hears bulldozers and runs out the church door and almost runs into Mrs. Smalley in the churchyard.

Lucy observes that Mr. Bhoolabhoy looks less formal than usual, with no coat or tie. Hearing the clipping sound again they both see Joseph working on the gravestones. Mr. Bhoolabhoy begins talking to him in Hindi and Lucy is afraid he is scolding Joseph. Joseph, with the help of Mr. Bhoolabhoy in Hindi, replies he reads the gravestones as he cleans them and tries to say a prayer for the people. The photographer arrives and wants to take a few photos of Lucy and the young mali by an old gravestone, the gravestone that happens to be that of Mabel Layton. Mr. Bhoolabhoy, still upset, works to send Lucy off before he says anything about the consortium deal.

2 - Chapter Ten

Lucy travels slowly to the Club in a tonga. As she travels, she falls once more into an imaginary conversation with Mr. Turner, anticipating his arrival. She begins to travel down memory lane again, remembering her first view of Pankot as she was coming over the mountains and how lovely Pankot looked. She comments on the inheritance and her time in London. She wonders, too, whether the need to simply support Tusker as a military wife and not be her own person has been the cause her unhappiness.

Discussion Questions - Chapter Nine

1. Do you think that Mr. Bhoolabhoy would turn to full time work at the church if other parts of his life disintegrate?

2. Do you feel that the church is his support as structure and expectations are Lucy's support?

Discussion Questions - Chapter Ten

1. What do you think is the underlining reason for Lucy's happiness?

2. What do you think of Lucy's imaginary conversation with Mr. Turner? Do you find yourself carrying imaginary conversations with yourself / others?

I think Lucy's unhappiness has to do with life passing her by and the fact that she is stymied by all of it.

No but then again - there are always times you wish you said something and did not or vice versa (lol)

I would agree, Bentley. Here is a woman who lived her life as a military wife in a country ruled by the British government/military. Was it all for nought? Her life now revolves around her husband's health and arguments with the Indian owner of their lodgings. As the song says "Is That All There Is?". It makes me sad just reading about it, so living it must be horribly depressing.

Teri wrote: "Discussion Questions - 2. What do you think of Lucy's imaginary conversation with Mr. Turner? Do you find yourself"

I was going to pose precisely the same question myself! The answer is YES, I imagine myself in conversation with people very often, and I've been doing it since I was a kid. I think it's a combination of loneliness for not having anyone really listen to you (Tusker doesn't listen) and imagination.

The reason I point to imagination is from something I read in Fire in the Brain: Clinical Tales of Hallucination by Ronald K. Siegel. He argues that the kids who have imaginary friends for longest often end up becoming writers. So perhaps Paul Scott had a few imaginary friends himself. He sure has created a varied cast of characters!

How do we know that Lucy is imaginative? We know that she had a talent for acting, and acting is at least as much a craft of character-building as writing is, if not actually more.

I see these imaginary conversations in parallel with Barbie Batchelor's letters to Edwina. The difference is, Lucy knows what she's doing is imaginary. Barbie was grasping at straws, and then reality came back to bite her.

Citation: by Ronald K. Siegel (no photo)

Interesting comments Kressel.

Oh, my gosh, and now that I've read the ending - wow! the tie-ins!