You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

And, discuss!

I read it a couple of months ago for my book club and rated it 2 stars. So many pages for so little action! I don't think the story was bad but I would have given it 4 stars if it were written in less than 200 pages. I found it repetitive, uneventful and boring. There's a scene in a second hand store that last 20 pages... talking about every single object they find in the shelves... Oh my God! I wanted to cry...
At some point I couldn't stand anymore the main character, Dellarobia. I found myself saying things like "you know Dellarobia, you are not so smart as you think you are. Actually you are pretty dumb". (yes... sometimes I talk to the characters...)
I didn't rate it with only 1 star because I loved the idea of touch an important subject in a fictional way. I found it was a great way of put the topic "on the table". But finally it just didn't work. Not for me.

Sandra, I'm just curious if you have read any of her other stuff and how this one compares to those reads. I have only read The Poisonwood Bible which I absolutely loved. Just wondering... :)

Hi Tasha,
This is the only Kingsolver's book I have read, but I have to say that many of my book club friends read her other books and all of them agreed that Flight Behavior is not her best. Actually The Poisonwood Bible was the favorite among them. I have The Bean Trees at home and plan to read it this year. I didn't like Flight Behavior but I'm disposed to try something else by this author.

thanks :)

Okay, took a while to get into this one. I found the premise of it to be interesting, but at times it dragged. I liked the science aspect of the book and the idea of how one particular happening could/does change how our environment reacts. However, it got to be a little preachy. We know global warming, bad.

I found the main character to be difficult to like or maybe just to relate to. The author tries to portray her as being smart and yet also very dissatisfied. Her only recourse seems to be to fantasize or change every aspect of her life. No in between? But then again, that is probably the "Flight Behavior" that applies to her and the butterflies. I did enjoy the relationship between her and her son and also how she tried to understand her mother-in-law--although didn't get the need for the mother-in-law's big revelation, it wasn't talked about or even referenced again in the book.

Last, seriously, what was with the end? My teenage son(who has not read the book, yet loves to play devil's advocate) says it is a metaphor, for the change in her life. Whatever, found it over the top and unnecessary. Would probably really rate 2 1/2

I have enjoyed all of the Barbara Kingsolver books that I have read. This book isn't my favorite of Kingsolver's but I thought the writing was well done and she presented a good story.

In "The Flight Behavior", I feel she did a good job of presenting the issue of global warming with the appearance of the butterflies in an area where they had never been seen. Dellarobia, the main character, her family and the community thought they were beautiful but the scientists saw it as a huge warning sign that all is not right with the environment.

I thought the character development was well done. Even though it was hard to like Dellarobia and her family, I could see how she just wanted what was best for her kids and herself.

I would give it 3 1/2 stars.