Gentle SPECTRUMS discussion

I am happy and proud that two of my international, close friends are eagerly reading a small town Manitoba author. Andrew Davidson was born in Pinawa, a picturesque drive from here that we made once. He grew up in Winnipeg and went all over to study literature, which is very obvious. Our easy prairie humour is evident, mixed with dark situations; probably sustaining this injured protagonist through them.

I can't wait to read and participate in your reactions and observations, my dears! I have said with admiration that I have never seen multiple cultures so well researched for a novel, besides from Katherine Neville. Into this strange but riveting labyrinth you go, Shirin & Kerri! Love, Carolyn.

This is one I've been looking forward to since you sent it, Carolyn! Strange but riveting labyrinth sounds ideal!

Shirin, if you need more time before you are ready to read, I am happy to put it on hold for however long you need, just let me know. 😀

Thank you Kerri, I am so happy to hear you can hold. I assumed that you already started reading it.

Can I ask you if we can start reading 10 days later? Until I finish my current books and a few books for May.

You are welcome, dear Kerri. I am happy to know that. I hope you two can handle, as well as I managed to, the topic of burned skin. We guess what those patients go through is painful and perception altering but we learn the details of how hard it is to overcome. I can't wait to be refreshed about the rest of the novel through you.

Shirin, it isn't like Kerri can't finish the 7 other books she has on the go, right! If she didn't see messages earlier about you reading this together, I am glad she knows now. We're still talking about "The Raven Boys" with pleasure. :) Love, Carolyn.

Yes, that's fine! Sorry, I saw Carolyn mentioning that you were reading it too after I decided to read it, but as she says, I have plenty of other books to finish! 😂

Hello Lasses! (learn this from a movie! :)))
I've read your update on "The Raven Boys" and I'll write back using my laptop tonight or tomorrow. haha, Carolyn, good point and thank you, Kerri, Happy reading. :)

Hello girls!
Carolyn, I see you have started reading multiple readings :)
Good luck with that!
Kerri, I'm ready to start reading Gargoyle tonight. I hope you will be ok too, but if not, please let me know, we can postpone it.

Hi Shirin,
. That's perfect timing as I have just finished my spring clean (or technically winter clean!), so will have time to start tonight as well! 😀

Hi Shirin, yes I added a Manitoba artbook to go with the history of an Ontario gold rush. The history was authored by my Mom's highschool friend, for they are from that town! But since it is serious detail and there has been a heat wave for two weeks, I slowed down. Also ready for me to read is the third Robert A. Arthur mystery but I paused it because I do not have the next novel! Shirin, we had a little more to say about "The Raven Boys", so please check the group. :)

"Hello Lassies" is very fun, Shirin! I love your Scottish salutation and am part Scottish & Irish myself! Your friend, Carolyn.

Dear Kerri, if you want to find an aeroplane deal and fly over here to help Ron & I with OUR summer cleaning, it would be a big help and a hoot! You would find your nose in books often but could have them as recompense! With love and not really joking but knowing money is tight for most of us at the moment, Carolyn.

There are no chapters in my ebook, the approximate percentage I am reading now is about 4%, and I have much to read yet! I just wanted to say that the way he describes it, omg, is mind-blowing!

When he talked about flame and broiled fresh, and some talked about thermal burns, liquid boils, cell exploration, and cooked protein... I translated this section for my mother and she asked, "What is this you are reading?"

There was only a short section about Ulrich bequeathing his state to Beguine women and establishing a scriptorium at the monastery. But I am already curious about how these two events are related because it seems there is a huge time gap!

I have a question, maybe New Zealand has something like that, but definitely not this not a way in Iran. If I understand correctly the burned man (do we know yet that he is a man?!) lives in the 21 century and the book is not entirely fictional, they are not living in an unknown land, so I wonder if the government sends money for his aunt and uncle to take care of him? Is it always like that for orphaned children? So the parent who accepts them could do this only because of money, not for the children themselves, right?

Oh, and in this terrible accident, I should not have laughed but

"Too antiseptic for hell, and could the roof of heaven really be made of gray metal?"

A creative metaphor "wearing dead people as armor against death."

P.S. I agree with you Carolyn, history is always a slow read, wish you enjoy all books you are reading. :)
I'll check our group and hope soon write our reviews of "The Raven Boys". Please send a link in case I missed your update page.

Hi ladies! I don't remember a note about the monastery in the introduction. Rest assured this novel goes into impressive varieties of colourful, vibrant, historical storytelling. Those locations and time periods are so original, I loved them.

Everyone remembers the terrible injury descriptions. It is peculiar the protagonist was a porn actor. I doubt it is ever a valid choice. I'm trying to remember the reasoning. I think uncaring foster-parents, in it for the money, did not put him on a path to higher education. So work at an office or store, I say.

I imagine books to be set in an author's country, unless they say it is somewhere else. Canada does give foster parents money for care. I worked with someone who loved their kids and would formally adopt them if they had to but receiving government assistance helped them.

I wrote at the Raven Boys conversation page but have not reviewed the novel yet. You are funny, about your poor Mom noticing the difficult reading parts of "The Gargoyle"! Yes, he knew Heaven would have a beautiful sky, not metal.

I think I am at a similar point, Shirin, and I laughed at the same thing. Also that implausible yet relatable hope that despite the clear seriousness of the accident unfolding, the belief if he just turns the steering wheel, it will be alright!

The actual crash and injures have so far been gruelling.

I would think there is some sort of government support for caregivers, yes. I have heard of some people who used to take in children as a means to an income, and sometimes the children weren't treated well.

That brief section about Ulrich interested me as well! I wonder if we will learn more?

I didn't realise the main character was a porn star! And he was high and drunk at the time of the accident - can you be charged for drink driving if it is only yourself you injured? Well, not 'only', but I mean I think it was a single vehicle crash.

Please refresh me on the "Ulrich" part. I don't know if you caught my post. I answered Shirin that yes, the larger percentage of this book is in the past of numerous countries, very well done. I assume unnamed settings are in their author's country and wrote about a boss not adopting his kids because fostering them brought an income that helped afford their extended family.

It is against the law to drink and drive anywhere in Canada. I don't know if a lone driver would be charged for the presence of substances, if discovered after an accident. I think only if he had harmed someone else and usually, only if he is caught operating a vehicle "under the influence".

This is your show but when I have a few reminders of what you are reading, it is great fun to watch your reactions to them and to discuss them at last! :) Yes, Andrew's humour is very present. Do we know the protagonist's present day name? I imagine it is eventually used by doctors and Marianne but don't recall it.

I am a few pages into chapter 3.

I don't think his name has been mentioned yet, though a woman has just called him by a name he doesn't recognise, Engelthal. This I presume is the beginning of the conversations that take us back.

Ulrich has only been mentioned briefly in one paragraph, having bequeathed his entire estate to a Beguines - a religious group, I think. This was in in the 1200s. I am unsure if this is something to be expanded upon or not.

It's interesting what you wrote about fostering children rather than adopting being a way of affording to expand the family. I can see why this would be beneficial, and I am sure that many people take this route, as a way to make it feasible to do so. I've always thought fostering must be challenging, especially as you must have to accept that not all children will be a permanent addition to your life, but I would hope rewarding as well. I wonder how a genuinely caring foster placement might have helped the character in this book!

Currently, I have read about 10 percent (before part three). I must admit, this has been quite a frustrating experience and annoying read; it is not what I had imagined and has been disappointing so far. I really hope will be better and stop describing his time as a porn star!

Carolyn, I completely understand your perspective. Providing support and assistance to children is a commendable action, and it's great to see the government help those in need. Unfortunately, some governments don't care about these things and people's benefits, which is why citizens in my country are not as comfortable or free as those in other countries.

I am sorry about a country that does not feel respected, Shirin. I know your family wants to be free and I am here for you. Our families are waiting for the world to catch-up on the rights and respect of animals, not only human mammals. You are right that some people wanted money, or did not treat children well and you wondered why they volunteered for it. My Mom & her Siblings spent time in foster care and called it hell, in Canada too. The two girls & two boys returned to one of their biological parents each. They got to know their Brothers over time but were not close with them.

You are right, Kerri. Having a loving place to go would avoid being a pornography actor (I meant to correct "star" from my post, forgot, and we kept saying it - sorry).

Mom stayed with family friends for long periods of time and they were friends for life. They are mentioned in the copy of the tribute I mailed you. Her first close friend when she finished high school and moved bravely to Manitoba, is the artist. It is her husband who just ascended to join her at 96 years-old.

This book is going to be lovely. The best advice is to stop imagining what it will be like, or hoping it will be a certain kind of story. "The Gargoyle" is complete original. Let the bizarre, injured storyteller tell you what his life is like in his current situation. The obvious contradiction is that someone who surived on earning money with a beautiful body, now doesn't look as human as he is comfortable feeling. Even surviving death, he is badly burned. He must wonder if it was better to die and I think, would need a therapist and loving family & friends, to tell him he is worth it.

Try to catch this now, Shirin. There is humour everywhere and I recognize it as Manitoba humour! Have you read any of Stephen King's stories? I kept thinking I should recommend this to him if there were a way, because it reminded me of how he could joke and relate to our modern world, in the middle of a nightmare. This poor protagonist tries to survive, Shirin, by jokingly telling us there is a word for having to amputate the male organ! Oh gosh, the basic life understanding that poor injured man is trying to get used to. I Maybe it will help that what looks annoying in a second language, is a man trying not to cry and scream, by using the humour of my people. :)

Kerri & Shirin, yes, there is a lot about the book copying room of professional scribe nuns and many other places. Because historical fiction is not new to the two of you, I wonder if you already know that books used to be copied by handwriting. This was new to me, even though the printing press goes far back, I think. The best thing about "The Gargoyle" for me is the other places travelled as well. And seeing someone survive an injury we pray never happens to anyone we know and show us how they live with it.

Like you, Shirin, I would not read it if the story were just about this. A bigger world builds and one place amazed and amused me because no one expects that. :-) You ladies lead but this gave me a chance to answer and encourage you. Go fast past the introductory chapters if they bore you and get into the lands of intrigue and colour.

I'm at 44 percent of the book and they are on their way to Marianna's home. While it's not annoying me anymore, I'm still struggling to find anything noteworthy about the story or its characters. Although there are some beautiful moments from the past and interesting quests, but still I would have dropped the book if I wasn't buddy reading. The writing style feels like a weak biography or report, which I'm not particularly fond of, and also the story is very slow without any exciting events to keep me engaged.

I too found it hard to like the protagonist (what is his name?) and Marianna at first, which I think is the point. However, his very unique, painful situation was engagingly told because humour is an unexpected survival tool.

Once Marianna takes us to the past, I found a lot of enchantment and action there. Maybe you are too used to fantasy wars and murderers? Maybe you are reading other books simultaneously and not letting yourself absorb one very different book by itself? Kerri's opinion will be interesting to shed light on how people who don't know Manitoba humour will react to this narrator.

What impressed me is that Andrew Davidson did not only write about one ancient timeline. Can you imagine the work it took to research and depict such amazing detail into multiple cultures? At 44% perhaps you have not gone to many places yet. There is one to which no one expects anyone to go and I think you will find that original and fun!

Thank you, Carolyn, for encouraging me to continue reading and get to the point of Marianna's past, which is more enchantment. I agree with you that his situation is demanding and challenging and the part that belongs to the ancient timeline is more impressive.

And you surprised me by telling me used to fantasy wars and murderers. How quickly you found out a point I didn't discuss about it. Lately, I've found myself not enjoying the books I'm reading, and I'm wondering if it's because of that. I wonder if I am used to such things and need more exciting content. I don't know exactly what mood I am in, dark fantasy or maybe try some historical kings and queens' events or the authors who aren't in our century.

Perhaps taking a break from this book is a good idea. However, I am curious about Kerri's journey and would love to hear how it's going. It seems like we are both slow in this one.

Kerri is reading. She is helping her Aunt move to a new house and is not updating her progress. She will be available soon. Shirin, I am not suggesting a break. I am helping you "cleanse the palate" and look at things in a fresh way. Do you know the expression? When people test wine, they eat something plain in between wine flavours, so that the tongue is ready to neutrally start new and does not have old tastes left on it.

True readers and intellectuals like us do not need blunt stimuli to enjoy the depth of a story. Don't look for queens, wars. Shift perspective of the adventure and intrigue to watch for. Andrew Davidson & I come from a province where there are no common attractions like oceans or mountains. If people ask "What is there to look at in Manitoba?" we know where to find LITTLE oasises of beauty. See these patches of wildflowers over here, or how nothing disturbs the smooth, far skyline. Meet these birds who do not nest anywhere else in the world. And this my friend, is true modernly as well as historically. You don't need the historical fiction gimmick either. We just want to go where Marianna's & (what is his name?) action is!

What I found amazing is that this woman meets (what is his name) in the hospital and says she has known him for hundreds of hers. She says she can prove it. Meanwhile, we are watching to someone figure out how to live without a human-looking face or body and he is actually using modern jokes to let us know what something very horrible is like. I love both timelines.

In the past, I was amazed to learn how books were handwritten by people very skilled and careful with their caligraphy! Aren't you? We learn all about Germany, I think Japan and Iceland, and one crazy place you will discover. :) My approach is "Don't EXPECT a book to be anything. Let the author tell YOU how his or her story goes and ride along".

I am glad you are open to trying. If you must read something different tonight, do it, then see you again in a day or two. Believe me, this is not my kind of novel at al. My clean palate, blank expectations allowed me to absorb something original.

Sorry for the online absence! I should be less busy for a month, so am beginning my catch up tonight. I have 149 pages, a little way into chapter XI, so probably not too far behind you, Shirin. Having been required to leave days between reading, it took me a few chapters to get into the swing of it. I am enjoying both sections, but Marianne's are most fascinating so far. Even though I am grateful for printing presses it is interesting to get an insight into the hand written early manuscripts. I can imagine how painstaking the scribe would have had to be. It would be especially difficult to do as a child!

I did wonder if the porn career for the male character is in part so that his background is almost jarringly different to Marianne's apparent early life in a monastery.

I have also enjoyed the stories she tells not about her past, but about people. Perhaps she is intending them to encourage the man? So far I haven't read his name.
I like that she makes the figurines. I want to wrote Gargoyles, but I'm sure she said that was inaccurate, they had a different name, but I can't remember it! But Gargoyles are water spouts or something, and hers are the other one...
Its an interesting occupation. I do sympathise with the man being drawn to her, but also trying to diagnose her with something, occasionally wondering if it is sensible to encourage her. I am not clear yet if she is actually unwell in some way or not.

I am enjoying it so far, and hope it picks up for you, Shirin!

And you surprised me by telling me used to fantasy wars and murderers. How quickly you found out a point I didn't discuss about it. Lately, I've found myself not enjoying the books I'm reading, and I'm wondering if it's because of that. I wonder if I am used to such things and need more exciting content. I don't know exactly what mood I am in, dark fantasy or maybe try some historical kings and queens' events or the authors who aren't in our century. - - I had a similar thing late last year and early this year, when even books I thought were good weren't as enjoyable as they usually would be. I ended up reading a bit less, watching some more movies and TV shows, and also sorting through my owned books and also those I has marked want to read here in Goodreads, and then sorted what I really wanted to read the most and focused on that. I've also been reading more slowly, which makes me feel a bit unproductive, but I am enjoying the actual reading so much more at the slower pace. I don't know if you like to reread, but I often find rereading a particular favourite can help me. Also, yes taking a break from a book that's become a chore can definitely help!

It's also so much harder to enjoy reading a book if you just don't like the book that much. Occasionally I have a book that I just can't emotionally connect with, and it can quickly suck the joy out of reading!

I do agree that the protagonist is unlikeable, but I find him interesting. I'm hoping that as he recovers a bit more, he will be a bit happier. I have read a few books that detail the recovery from burn injuries, and those autobiographical accounts were just as harrowing as here in the novel. I sympathise with the humour, sometimes bitter, that he uses. I have wondered if he is also angry because unlike many other people, his injuries are essentially his fault. Driving while high and drunk, his multiple errors led to this horrific consequence. Yet it is a particularly brutal outcome. I also feel sorry for him that none of his 'friends' have stood by him. In a practical sense, I wonder what he will do for money now? He has none.
Carolyn, if this is Canada, do you know of his rehabilitation is covered by the government, or does it depend on insurance? Although I find the hospital interesting, I am looking forward to Marianne's next visit/story. I also want to find out in what way/s her story crosses over with the protagonist, and whether anything she says will begin to jog his own memories.

Yes, Kerri, I think flying through books is part of what makes Shirin's sensations unmemorable and bland. Good idea Shirin, to read something you love (or TV or a film). However, read one at a time slowly. It is like being unable to see the countryside on a train. Maybe what is outside the window will be beautiful to witness.

Shirin, you confessed not liking any books. It sounds like moving away from war, political drama will be helpful. If a miracle of surviving injuries seemed boring and a woman living for 100s of years; the roadblock is not the book. ;) If you overload the tongue with a strong spice, it masks how delicious the next food is.

Was Marianne was invited to be a professional scribe as a child, or was it a little copying as early training? I had fun watching for clues about whether Marianne was from the past or had personality confusion. On one hand, it is only in our lifetime now that spiritual matters like energy healing and past lives have STOPPED being called "crazy" by anyone with the ability to THINK creatively! At the time of reading, I think we agree the answer doesn't matter as long as the protagonist is cheered up and given encouragement to live.

Does anyone feel worse about burns whether it could have been avoided or not? I don't think so but am mulling your suggestion. A good point that a dirty source of income contrasts with Marianne's moral one. My feeling that I wrote a week or two ago, is contrasting a job focused on looks, with the miracle of breathing no matter how he looks or feels. I winced when he hoped the cap or mask he was receiving would hide damaged skin. How terrible to make them transparent!

It is odd no location is given that I remember. Yes, Canada covers hospitalization and medication there. Where he goes after is the point and thankfully, Marianne supplied a home. Please remind me, did she check herself in and have the say to leave when she was ready to?

Thank you for reminding me that statues have a different name. It is like a moth's "coccon" is more famous than a butterfly's "chrysalis", taught by Leeanne. A large nursery among milkweed is outside our office window this year and five chrysalises are presently in their new, green stage! I saw most of those caterpillars walk and begin making them!

Oddly, Kerri, staggering authors and styles based on moods keeps my appreciation high but you seem to binge successfully. Did that change this winter? Could that be why you enjoyed books less than you expected to enjoy, or was it flying through stories that made them feel lacklustre?

I feel good that I am catching up to you. It is never a contest but when you see a friend has finished 100 books in June, you wonder what they are doing with their time, or yourself with yours, haha. I will slow down and read "The Stand". Ron & I want to watch the movies. We need to do nice things together and this is not the season we watch TV. Your friend, Carolyn.

Thank you Carolyn for the helpful suggest phrase for my current situation, I haven't come across the phrase "cleanse the palate" before. I would not take a break and will read the book slowly and try to understand how the author narrates their stories.

I don't believe his name has been mentioned yet. Kerri, you are correct that the protagonist is unlikable, and the description of his recovery from burn injuries is both disturbing and saddening. Despite his fault, the severity of his punishment is brutal indeed.

Kerri, I'm so happy to hear that the book worked better for you. and I hope you enjoyed your time with your aunt, though I know moving could be challenging and complicated. :)
Also, thank you for your suggestion, I may try a few so-much-want-to-read and although I typically do not reread, trying the books I loved in the past seems like a great idea and make me feel better for my next reads.

Shirin, we have heard what you disliked. Since you are far in the novel, how about some parts you do like? :)

The last subject in "Raven Boys" is everyone telling us where there are ley lines near their city. I imagine it is a short look on the internet like it was for me. :) I hope my mail order comes through soon, otherwise I would buy the other Maggie Stiefvater books I want from somewhere else.

The English company "Awesome Books" and Canadian customs, who lately only allow $20.00 CDN without charging tax to pick up mail, are troublesome. They should do better, with low postage and merchandise other countries benefit from.

I just realized I forgot to mention ley lines in my previous message. I thought I had already said that unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on the websites.

Carolyn, you are correct. While I didn't particularly enjoy this book, let's shift the conversation toward the moments I found interesting.

I don't see any location hint yet, except for one shop that was mentioned! When he (I don't know his name yet!) took a taxi to go and see one of his videos for the last time.

One of the stories I liked was about a dragon that was burned and transformed into a gargoyle sculpture

As I read through about 60% of the book, I'm curious to see what will happen to those two when they ran away together.

Although it's a sad situation, I couldn't help but chuckle at the way he described himself "I look like the bastard child of Hannibal Lecter and the Phantomess of the Opera."

I think I am a bit behind you, Shirin. He is just about to leave the hospital, and there is debate as to whether he should go to live with Marianne. I suspect he will, and hope she is as equipped for his requirements as she seems to think.

Carolyn, I can still pretty happily binge read and not get bored, but I am also enjoying mixing in more nonfiction and classics. These almost always take me longer to read, but I am enjoying it!

Hi,

Sorry for the absence under all discussions. Our dog, Izzy, had to have a surgery on her eye earlier in the week, so I have been busy with her and have barely read anything. She is doing quite well, although her eye isn't fully open yet. She's been very cuddly and a bit more sedate than normal, but seems to be enjoying all the extra attention. I should be able to get more read and more updated over the weekend.😀📚

Hi Kerri

No worries at all! I hope Izzy is feeling better soon. It's always stressful when our pets need medical attention. I am happy to hear she is well and enjoys extra attention. Take all the time you need to focus on her recovery, and we'll be here to catch up on everything. Wish Izzy a quick and easy recovery. :)

Kerri, oh my. If you had e-mailed, you would have had our prayers through this instantly. We are glad to have good news and pray for Izzy now. I didn't know she is a girl and don't think you have used her pronoun before. Give her a hug and kiss for me, please! I hope Kammie is cuddling her too. Love, Carolyn & family.

Izzy update:
So far she is doing well. She has her last eyedrop dose tonight, and then we wait and hope she stays well! She has been off of the anti inflammatory for a few days and her eye seems to be comfortable.,

Book update:
I am still reading, just slowly as I am preparing for a short trip! I have been busy enough that I only managed a few pages a night before falling asleep! 😴
However, I am enjoying it. The narrator is still unnamed, but he has now left the hospital and is at Marianne's house. She is telling the story of how she left the monastery with him, many centuries ago, which is interesting. Some of the burn treatments she used during their first meeting, (first of the first meetings I suppose!) were awful, even though I suspect cutting out the dead flesh is probably sensible. But still, it was brutal. I will miss the monastery because I loved the book making and translation process, but I am also looking forward to reading more about the world outside of the very insular place she grew up in.

Very happy about Izzy. Looking forward to knowing how old and what kind she is in e-mail.

I remember that burn treatments and survival are juxtaposed with Marianne's adventure recollections. Don't worry. They continue to be wonderful stories after the monastery from whence she came. I think she is from Germany. After reading those stories, I hope you and even Shirin understand why I am impressed Andrew Davidson researched and wove together ALL OF THAT in a novel. It is usually one culture per novel, with exception of the wonderful Katherine Neville.

A reminder that with Shirin finished, we can be very specific and hold real conversations here. I would appreciate the reminder of what you are seeing and where the character is going. I am happy to finally see that you are on page 225!

I'm so happy for Izzy and hope she fully recovers soon.

Marianne's story is outside of the monastery is entertaining and I think you will enjoy it as much as the last part.
There is a part when he sees Marianne's library for the first time and the way he reacts to the library is cool, I think it happens after they left the hospital. Do you remember it, Carolyn? I think I marked a few sentences.

No, surprisingly, I don't remember many details. Only impressions of how amazed I was by the work, originality, and detail Andrew put into it and also some humour. Please do share your quotations with me, Shirin. I love how you & Kerri include those in your reviews and replies!

This was part of his description of Marianne's library, I like the part saying Greeks were not going to allow themselves to be forgotten. :)

Bookshelves, heavy with serious volumes, lined three of the walls. Spenser, Milton, Donne, Blake, and the Venerable Bede represented the English. The German authors included Hartmann von Aue, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Ulrich von Türheim, Walther von der Vogelweide, and Patrick Süskind. Russian books included The Life of Archpriest Avvakum, Mikhail Lermontov’s Demon, and Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol. Spain supplied the masterpieces of St. Teresa of Ávila: The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection. The Greeks were not going to allow themselves to be forgotten: Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Euripides, and Sophocles took up most of the bottom shelf, as if they had long ago decided that bookshelves would be incomplete without everyone else standing on their shoulders. There was a half-wall of Latin volumes, but the only ones that caught my eye were Cicero’s Dream of Scipio and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Looking a little out of place, but not wanting to be left off the world stage, were a number of books from Asia.

Ah, wonderful descriptions, wonderful writing! This is what I remember and am glad you enjoyed at least, Shirin. Yes, Andrew also slipped in regular humour. My favourite part here is, deciding long ago that everyone would stand on Greek shoulders.

This quality and originality is why I am surprised by two stars, even if you didn't find enough battle type action for your tastes.

This is a book to carry us along and not define goals or genres. We marvel at the humour (I recognized good old Manitoba humour) in terrible times and learn about healing burns. I am drawn most of all to complete originality. Andrew had to have put immense research into several cultures he features!

Reaching emotions and sympathy is always a must. Allow us to relate and I am following that story on almost any subject. I have noticed keenly, superficial novelists focusing on physical actions instead. We don't need a screenplay of characters repeatedly reaching for coffee or wine, or "narrowing eyes". We don't do that the way authors put it.

I certainly took awhile to relate to him. His Aunt & Uncle were irresponsible assholes whom he left. I don't recall selling children and would balk at that. Kerri commented on the contrast with a convent scribe. I initially thought a sex worker would lament losing good looks but after consideration, I say this would be a horror to most people more than they expect.

My spouse won't wear shorts because of prominent veins. What our character wouldn't give for his physical worries to be this minor! I felt strongly for him, besides losing his sexual organ and I think some fingers, when even the headgear he wore accentuated the scarred skin and didn't give him an opportunity to conceal it!

You see, how we look in physical life is not about vanity or being used to using our looks for jobs. That would suggest an actor would have more to lose than anyone else. It is about how cuts or burns around a face could look less human, because facial appearance is the main way we recognize others and ourselves. Even if our family saw through to our souls and got used to the appearance of disfiguration; the people we met shopping or anywhere we went would not. Imagine every time you met someone, wondering if they would react silently or ask you to explain what happened.

I took a day to ponder. There is no difference at the core, in the importance of facial recognition in particular and how we perceive ourselves as feeling human. No mindset on looks would make it any easier and that it isn't about attractiveness. It is about looking like yourself and noticing that others were unable to simply perceive you as a person.

I don't watch "Dancing With The Stars" but here is an example. There was a burn survivor on it years ago, whose disfigured face I could not bear to look at, in TV commercials. I am not prejudiced or vain. It just looked horrible in a way I could not stand to see. I also replied in other areas I hope you enjoy. Perhaps you relish originality too, or wonder what I meant by Manitoba humour.

I love best that we give a reply to each of what we write. We feel good about putting in the time and effort, if nothing we contribute is dismissed, or breezed through.

I realized that anyone going through trauma, fear, pain thinks of what the situation means to themselves. Did Andrew wonder if an actor would struggle more? I concluded: no. Losing a sexual organ, limb, or digit is handicapping enough. However, not looking like yourself in the face is horrifying for all. Everyone's faces is their emotional and mental IDs. The protagonist felt terrible for a little girl next to him.

I enjoy modern literature for dialogue and humour. Wry observations, funny quotes to go along with the list of Christmas food that was made ("Slime, snails, puppy dog tails")! I recall this by memory from 2019 because it made me laugh most, for local familiarity. Book titles I pass by on Goodreads often remind me of song titles and lyrics, which I launch into singing.

Most people revisit photographs and videos of when they were healthy. The reasons are as diverse as we are. I recall Ulrich feeling better about doing it. Ditching the DVD was like facing forward in his new physical state. In contrast, we relate to not wanting photos of loved-ones unrecognizably sick, nor in decease. We want to remember them as they would be, without the ailment. However, if someone is surviving, not dying; you don't cease photo records of them in the family. I only say that pornography was an interesting choice of past jobs because few have nude photos or videos. It was a source for Ulrich to see his skin and missing organ.

Did you watch the show "Mom"? Bonnie Plunkett's husband was in a wheelchair. On a videotape of him walking, he didn't mind seeing himself mobile. He hated was the womanizer he was in those days. Even dearer to our hearts: "Lucky Man". Mike's closeness with his family reached the level it did with Parkinsons Disease slowing him down. May we all achieve balance a nudge.

Some good friends had multiple close family losses, which include animals. One American friend can't bear pictures of her loved-ones at this time. I myself, NEED to look on the faces of loved-ones daily. I am reassured that I can still see the sight of them. Do you understand what I mean? A disfigured person seeing their supple face might feel tortured but I think that result is unintentional. Whether it feels good to know how they look normally, or it is closure that they don't, those are the best outcomes from a photo album or video. I would never discard records of personal history and likeness. Ulrich is a different person, which this might have helped move on. Or, equalling disfigurement to mourning, he is like my friends who feel sad rather than glad, to look upon what is visibly gone.

Marianne helped him. Few autobiography titles are more poignant than Christopher Reeves' "Still Me". I appreciate knowing how burn victims felt and recovered: spiritually, emotionally / mentally, and medically. Even a character with a concealable burn, chose medicine as a career. If I were not against euthanasia in any form, I could only imagine the temptation to thinking it might be better not to live, if disfigured from feeling human.

A subject of mine, is the importance of stories featuring how characters are FEELING, rather than what they are physically doing. It makes the difference between fine literature and cheap fiction. I am done with the many authors who feel the need to treat novels like a screenplay. They frequently say characters drink coffee, wine, or tea and continue to sip or refill them. Set the scene that someone is having a refreshment and leave it there. I have read novels in which I could clearly see that the feelings of the characters weren't conveyed at all. We can relate to anyone, of any age, if authors drive their stories with emotions. Andrew gave us more than we bargained for.

8-paragraph replies elaborated on nearly everything you wrote with earnest pleasure. Picking one point and ditching the rest indicated not wanting to converse at the same scope. No, finding we are incompatible doesn't bother me. I broached it politely and neutrally, with no personal remarks about you. I'll have none about me either. I'm content with where we left things in message #60 and wish you well.

If Paul has left the group, that is a good thing. When people disagree for what ever reason, it is better to stop writing comments than to get in a fighting match. I see that he made much of whatever you tried to convey, but he was only antagonistic. One cannot reason with such people. Your time and effort is better spent with someone who respects you, and with whom you truly are able to have a two-way discussion.

Thank you, Lorraine, for corraborating "Paul's" rudeness and to Shonna, Darcey, and Kerri for solidarity privately. I asked if he realized he kept brushing aside 99% of what we wrote and explained that we reply to each topic everyone contributes. It feels great to come on knowing your peers are answering you and enjoying what you say, because we are positive and generous.

If he didn't want to converse deeply and found it "critical" for us to politely ask, his offer to leave was appreciated. Venting at us was unacceptable. Never tolerate anyone's bullshit and please stand up for your peers and friends. I should not have dealt with that loudmouth alone. With a glance at membership, you would have noticed he had not gone as he claimed to.

The moderators have seen to it that he is gone. Please write, share pictures, and browse as usual. Sincerely, the moderators of Gentle Spectrums.

I am just getting back to solely reading this novel tonight. I am partway through one of the stories, probably told by Marianne, but not about Marianne. This one is set in Japan, and I am enjoying it.

I think I am about halfway through the book overall, and will read a bit more before going to sleep. Hopefully I will have more to contribute tomorrow!

Well, all the topics I wrote merit a reply at last and are good ones! :) There are all your impressions well before halfway. We want to avoid a summary of rare chunks and I hope to remember the book through you.

Looking forward to this and more imporantly, to enjoying letter conversations we can finish without a week in between. :)

Starting with message 23 and working my through!

I think Marianne's time as a scribe when a child was initially training, but she was gifted, so it seems she was doing it properly while still a child. Because of her natural ability with language as well, as she is able to translate most languages.

In regards to Marianne's most recent hospital admission, that leads her the Protagonist, (name still unknown!) I can't recall if it was voluntary or not for certain, but her attitude towards hospitalisation a little later gives me the impression it probably wasn't voluntary to be admitted, but it is difficult to get her to stay. She refuses to take medication, even though it apparently works well for her.

I enjoyed the description of Marianne's modern day library as well, and wonder if it's a collection she has built up over centuries of life, or if she is simply wealthy enough to make it appear that way.

The wondering of whether his career makes the physical nature of the burns more challenging is one I've been thinking. Initially my thought is we would all be affected by the massive adjustment it would be, but also, few of us would be able to rent a video and see exactly what our entire body once looked like! And certainly someone who has spent his life using his body as currency, professionally and personally, would probably be very unmoored by the losing that instantly.

I agree with what you said about vanity, Carolyn. Well put. Facial recognition as well. Words and meanings can change depending on facial expressions or movements, so it is a loss of an element of communication. In the novel, I would imagine him having Marianne in his corner would be immeasurably helpful. She is genuinely unbothered by his injuries, and is entirely devoted to him. As we see from some of the others patients he encounters, not everyone has this level of support, emotional, financial, practical, all rolled into one.

He also mentions difficulty in regulating body temperature, because you cannot sweat properly. This would be terrifying, especially when you first leave the regulated environment of the burns centre.

I did wonder, if I would have wanted to keep the video as a reminder of the past, since it would remind of both positive and negative, since he seems to regret much of his earlier life and the way he treated both others and himself, or if like him I would burn it. The reminder of once been basically physically perfect, would probably be challenging to revisit, but also he remembers that he was high, everyone around him was too, and that none of these people stuck around once he was unable to provide drugs and money. That too would be upsetting. For him perhaps moving on required this literal act of burning the past. I do understand that to some degree. Of course, unlike say burning a photograph or journal, he must know, even if it just in the back of his mind, that there will be other copies of the movie, or others like it, so he can always change his mind if he wants.

A subject of mine, is the importance of stories featuring how characters are FEELING, rather than what they are physically doing. It makes the difference between fine literature and cheap fiction - - this is an interesting way to put it. I instantly know what you mean, even though I had never thought about it like that before! I've noticed the "screenplay" type novels before too. Some work, but often it does feel like something is missing.
I do think the author here is doing a good job with the feeling aspect, allowing me to understand a character, even when his actions are less than appealing! Likewise getting an insight into an incredibly difficult recovery, both from his burns, but also his morphine addiction.

Marianne has recounted to him the entire story of their 'first' life together, up to his rather brutal death. Fire seems to be an unfortunate consistency throughout his life/lives. The mercy killing aspect was interesting. He is already condemned to death, having been nailed to a crucifix and slowly burned, so I agree that her only option was to shoot him from afar, then flee, hopefully to have her baby. I'm not sure yet if she will pick up the story again to provide and update on her life alone, or if she moves onto another past life.

In the present day, Marianne now believes she is dying. At this point I am still uncertain of she is mentally ill, misunderstood, or both! I wonder what would happen to our protagonist if she dies?

I do think that in a way, him having to take of a kind of caregiver role for Marianne has allowed his to see beyond himself and his own suffering (difficult as that is). As Marianne is seeming to go downhill, even to the point of collapsing and requiring a hospital stay, from a physical perspective this time as well and mental, he has had to step up and do the best he can to help. And also accept that he can't force her to take her medication, or eat, or prioritise her health over her sculpture work.

He has also had a bonding chat with her manager (I can't remember her name) and learned that none of these behaviours are new for Marianne, and that everything he is struggling with, in regards to him worries for her, everyone else in her life has already been through.

Now Marianne's focus is on getting him to stop using Morphine. I wish her luck, but I also emphasise with him. I can't blame him for wanting a the distraction of an opiod, even though I know he can't continue consuming it. He is already at four times a higher dose than he was when he left the hospital. Surely there is a limit to how much you could take before it kills you?

Let's see if you & I land on the same considerations. I thought an actor might have it harder but really mulled it over. I feel that in the trauma of injury, we are not thinking of our careers. That is interesting about facial communication, a great addition.

I mean facial recognition as our visual ID. We might have imperfections on an arm for example but to not look normal in the face is a monumental. I am convinced our jobs would not be in mind if we were injured. Me looking like myself, for myself and those who know me, would be my source of anguish. Looking awful to other people, even if I got over it, would also be a hurdle. I am happy a decent conversationist is finally reading my detailed explanations!

Photographs are important to me and many people. I think it would be worse not to have memories of us at our best and also as we mature past that. I think if Ulrich had no videos of his body at its prime, he would be sad. I wonder if patients photograph themselves before operations. I would.

I hope this brings clarity to what I concluded. You aren't in adult entertainment either. Do you see yourself less bothered by disfigurement around your head?

If I weren't against suicide and euthanasia, it would be tempting to wonder about carrying on. "Still Me" by Christopher Reeves might have discussed this, although his problem was another hard handicap rather than looking like himself. I wish I could get rid of a patch of slight skin shading. I wish I had not over cracked my knuckles. I wish I didn't have a few unobtrusive skintags. Most people would trade to have these minor imperfections. I am grateful this is all there is to it.

I am not vain but believe very strongly in keeping my own knees and hips, whereas many people are glad to have replacements. I will never get plastic surgery, unless it were to repair injury. Being natural matters to me and now that I know about energy medicine, keeping my original limbs makes natural healing possible. You can get another job. You can't always return to how you looked - personal ID wise, not vanity just so I am clear. Any of this conveying the different conclusion I came to?

I love what you wrote about Ulrich feeling better by helping Marianne and caring about someone else. His surgeon became a doctor due to arm burns. I need a reminder about why Marianna feels urgent about making so many gargoyles, or whatever they are. Does she know she is finally dying?

Yes, the clues are clear that she really did live hundreds of years. She was not mentally unwell, except lately needing to push herself without eating or sleeping. I used to think this novel was about reincarnation. We have seen it is about longevity. Does she say how it was possible? I love your confirmation that Marianne discovered she was naturally good at handwriting and transcribing and at linguistics! I have that in common with her as well as her name. :)

This is a great start for catching up. I can't wait to see which topics you add from all along this book. There are so many wonderful things to talk about. I loved the Manitoba humour, like I said.

I think it is less that I think jobs and vanity have anything to do with how we recognize ourselves, and maybe more to wondering if some jobs add an extra layer. Not to the visual aspect of it, or the loss of recognising ones own face, or the loss of the visual ID, but rather, if the job you had is one the injuries mean you can no longer do, is that an additional loss? Some years ago I read a book by Simon Weston, who was injured severely during the Falklands War. I can't remember if it was the book, or an interview I read later, but he mentioned that losing the ability to handle a gun, because of the damage to his hands, meant he couldn't return to the army, and that was as challenging as the injuries themselves. I suppose it is yet another challenge piled on top of a series of already overwhelming challenges.

But I do agree with that the facial disfigurement would be equally challenging, regardless of career. The book I just read about WWI had a section about this actually, and it is incredibly harrowing.

Even if it might not be convenient or comfortable, it would be possible to most to cover injuries on the body of they wanted to, but that option isn't there so much for the face. The garments he, (is it Ulrich?) is provided with would probably draw more attention if anything.
There is a paragraph where he and Marianne are out in public, and she has a conversation with a child who is staring at him. She is open to questions, helps things along, is light and comfortable about it, but for him I feel great sympathy, the noticing of everyone noticing and then pretending they haven't. He almost appreciates the young boy for actually voicing it, rather than avoiding it.

You mention that you can't always return to how you look, personal ID wise. That would probably be the most difficult part. You're right you can get a new job, find a new path in life. In terms of the book, in some ways his life is more fulfilling now. He has actual friends for one thing, and I don't say that lightly. Perhaps his life has more purpose. But that loss of facial recognition would remain a constant awareness.

The photographing yourself before surgery question is an interesting one. I've never thought about it before, but I would expect that many people do.

I think in "Still Me" Christopher Reeve mentions seriously considering suicide, but agreeing with his wife that they would give it a year (or however long) and then revisit the idea. And after that time had passed he had reframed things in his head. He also mentioned Robin Williams making him laugh, "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay."
That seems to bring it back to having supportive people around you.

I'm not 100% clear on Marianne's situation yet, but she believes that she has many hearts, and each of her sculptures takes a heart, and God tells her when to carve them, or something like that. But each heart/statue leads her closer to death. She is hoping that this time the death sticks, which made me laugh a bit! She currently has 16 hearts left, and her last heart is for him, which is intriguing.

I've been enjoying the humour as well, sometimes laughing in unexpected places, such as Marianne's hopes for her death!

I have been looking in your profile for a status update and wonder where you are in the book chapter and storywise.

That former creep was too angrily reactive to understand my conclusions, so it is nice to ponder things freely with you. It is an automatic assumption that an actor might have an extra layer of hardship with a head injury. I did at first but thought a lot and new perspectives dawned on me. I think we can test that most people would have the same mental anguish to climb. Try this.

Would you, as a non actress struggle emotionally with an injured head? I would, even if the public hardly sees me. Picture yourself as an actress. Would your career or public representation be your first thought after a serious head injury? I say it would not. I think we all would struggle with the same basic humanity: being able to recognize ourselves calmly and seeing the reactions of others.

I do not think a career would add an extra layer of difficulty because that does not enter the urgency of life, death, and overcoming trauma emotionally and physically. Honestly, unless we need no job, work from home, or in the dark; most people's faces involve a public presentation. No one wants to be prejudiced but how easily would managers hire a disfigured cashier, receptionist, or other professional?

How many fingers did Ulrich lose? You are reminding me of a lot of consequences, like burns affecting body temperature and sweating. Is there any reason the author did not simply write about a modern day guy finding out about his past lives?

This has me thinking about what you proposed about careers, one way it might be another mental hurdle: fingers for example and what you wrote about soldier rifles. No one wants to be a porn actor by choice. I would argue (if I knew we didn't want to move on) that people in the prostitution professions have a low opinion of their bodies' sacredness rather than the opposite.

You do aptly remind me that it would be hard if someone could no longer be a musician or dancer. I think it is because those are loves that are a part of those people. They are fortunate that they also happen to be careers. Secondly, they have room to mentally mourn what those handicaps remove, because they are not dealing with a crisis of their personal appearance. Ulrich could not even use his bank account, although he could have had a note from his doctor to confirm his identification.

I will happily turn to the other subjects we raised in their own comment box. It is uncanny that you read about skin injuries in a war book. I have read two about struggling survivors who are not actors and they both contain the title "Moon"! Phyllis A. Whitney published "The Moonflower" about Hiroshima survivors in 1958. In Ben Aaronovitch's "Moon Over Soho", officer Leslie May too, has serious injuries that she too, hides even around her home like Phyllis' character. What is the correct name for sculptures that are not gargoyles? I would like to say it properly.

Although I'm not sure if this covers all of his injuries, I have passed a point naow where he has been through Hell, in a drug withdrawal dream that was probably real. In that dream his injuries gradually healed, but when he wakes he takes note of their return:
'my skin had returned to its damaged state; my face had tightened; my lips had receded; fingers were missing; my knee was stiff; the hair on my forearms was gone and there were only wisps on my head.'

I can't recall exactly, but he must have lost at least two fingers. Although I'm sure the lost challenging aspect is the burns, i imagine altered mobility would be overwhelming too. He has constant physical therapy which helps, but to go from moving without thought, being young and strong, (even if highly drugged!) to not would be hard.

I get your point about almost everyone having to publicly present their face. When you used "head injury" I realised you meant the burns, but it did make me wonder if the crash had any affect on his brain? I was also thinking, as well as the massive emotional and mental challenge that would be day to day, especially one he is discharged from hospital and having to venture back into the world, there must also be constant physical pain, hence the prescribed morphine, and at one point he mentioned itching from the skin grafts.

The statues/sculptures are called grotesques. And she adds that Gargoyles are waterspouts. "Gargoyles throw water from the walls of cathedrals so the foundations don't wash away."

Something that has interested me when we were discussing his career, is what, if anything he might do next. I think he feels like a completely different person to who he was before the accident. Not just physically, but his outlook. His life has meaning now. His life before seemed pretty bleak. Career-wise, addiction wise, complete lack of family. I am unsure if the reason for having such a lurid back story for the character was deliberate in the sense that the story deals in extremes, or if it to somewhat alienate the reader from the main character initially?

I do wonder if part of him is a creative calling type of guy. He directed and wrote some of his porn films. He could potentially do the same thing, but outside if theporn industry. Whatever the phrase would be for typical filmmaking. Or maybe he's done with that entire scene.

I have not long passed a bit where Marianne has carved his name into her chest with a chisel, which made me feel a bit sick actually! It's funny, because I have come to belive her about the last lives, and their prior marriage, but I think her self harming behaviours are also unstable. I don't think her belief in the previous centuries are a delusion, I am on the fence about the giving away the hearts aspect, but I think her willingness to harm or even kill her physical body is genuinely troubling. Same with the eating jars of ground coffee beans, which made me physically shudder!

It's interesting that you mentioned him needing a doctor's note to access his bank account. Of course there would be all these bureaucratic details that would probably require sorting. How lucky again to have Marianne's help, and money. I don't mean that in a flippant way, because I know he doesn't seek her money, but having someone who can sort that side of things means one less hurdle.