Book 15: Final review
With only a few days remaining in August, it's time to give FORGIVE ME your final rating and share your thoughts with the group. To encourage some discussion, I'm including some questions for you to consider. Answer them if you'd like, pose new questions to the group, or just throw in your two cents.
On FORGIVE ME
Did you get around to reading this one? How did you like it?
After reading the book, did you go back and read our interview with Amanda Eyre Ward? Or, did you read the questions first? Did the Q&A influence your thoughts on the book?
This book moved through time and place, telling the story from the viewpoints of different characters. Did you like this style?
Borrowing from the questions we posed to the author... In your opinion, is amnesty for such horrific crimes the best way to achieve reconciliation between blacks and whites? As a family member of one of the victims, would you be able to support amnesty for Evelina? Gandersvoot?
And of course, give the book your final score:
***** = This was one of the best books I've ever read.
**** = It was a great book, I'd definitely recommend it.
*** = It was pretty good.
** = There were some parts that were OK, but overall not great.
* = Not great. At all.
0 = Didn't quite get around to this one.
On FORGIVE ME
Did you get around to reading this one? How did you like it?
After reading the book, did you go back and read our interview with Amanda Eyre Ward? Or, did you read the questions first? Did the Q&A influence your thoughts on the book?
This book moved through time and place, telling the story from the viewpoints of different characters. Did you like this style?
Borrowing from the questions we posed to the author... In your opinion, is amnesty for such horrific crimes the best way to achieve reconciliation between blacks and whites? As a family member of one of the victims, would you be able to support amnesty for Evelina? Gandersvoot?
And of course, give the book your final score:
***** = This was one of the best books I've ever read.
**** = It was a great book, I'd definitely recommend it.
*** = It was pretty good.
** = There were some parts that were OK, but overall not great.
* = Not great. At all.
0 = Didn't quite get around to this one.
****
I spent the early part of this book feeling a bit disappointed - not in the writing or in the story, but that I didn't really LIKE Nadine. I felt like she was making bad choices, shutting people out, and that if we were friends, I'd want to sit her down at my kitchen table for a chat. Then, about halfway through, I began hoping that she would redeem herself. That she would start acting like the woman I wanted her to be. And, around page 200, when I realized the journal entries were not written by Jason Irving, the book fell into place for me. I finally relaxed then, feeling like Nadine had made some choices that agreed with my sense of right.
My mom suggested that I go back and re-read the book, now knowing how it would end. She said that I'd read it in a different way the second time around. I think I'll have to take her advice and relax through a second reading so that I can pay attention to other parts of the storyline.
I'd definitely recommend this book, and very much enjoyed reading it, having had the chance to discuss the book with Amanda. But, I will admit, that I have found myself frequently thinking about how she might view my comments, the thoughts of our group. And I've become acutely aware of my writing style - poor use of punctuation and all.
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I hope there are some comments this month in addition to the mother/daughter Mitchell/Nelson tagteam!
I also enjoyed the book and as Jennie stated, I read it twice because there were things I wanted to clarify. I was puzzled by the Nantucket chapters...maybe I just didn't like what the poor kid was going through.
This style of writing appeals to me and therefore I just finished another Amanda Eyre Ward book..."Sleep Toward Heaven". I'd recommend this one also.
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Like always, I am still waiting for this book to become avaialble for me at the library, but I really cannot wait to get it!
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Sorry - I'm a few weeks behind!!! I started and finished the book this weekend and my reaction was kind of like your Jennie where I really didn't like Nadine. I just didn't relate to her personality and kept thinking, jeez Nadine - RELAX! I would love nothing more than to have to stay in bed in a B&B and be waited on. But as the story progressed, I warmed up to her a little and like the fact that she made her decision and lived with it, though she indicated she sometimes still wanted to run. I think that was the part that redeemed her for me.
I liked the South African story and it made me want to read more about the history and culture.
I didn't quite understand her relationship with George though and the whole marriage proposal by him seemed a little off.
And the chapters about her little boy made me a little sad, he was kind of a downer for me.
Overall - I enjoyed the read and it introduced me to another topic I would like to learn more about. ***
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