ANA Book Club?

[saralynn143]

I liked it; how about you?

Steve

Overall, I would have to say I enjoyed the book. I think most of its weaknesses can be forgiven because it is, after all, a first novel. I'm pretty sure that Audrey Niffenegger has a new novel coming out this fall. I understand that she has drawn and written a couple of illustrated stories -- for adults, not children -- but I have not seen them. I read somewhere that she is doing some kind of event relating to The Time Traveler's Wife at the Newberry Library, but not until a couple of weeks after the ANA symposium. Too bad it did not coincide with the symposium and the opening of the movie. I'd go if it were possible.

I think a lot of time and energy went into plot development, but at the expense of character development. Mrs. Kim had the best-developed personality, and she was really just a bit part. (If you look at the movie page at www.imdb.com, it does not look like she is even in the movie. Ingrid either, if you can believe that!) I would have liked knowing more about the people and a little less about the intricacies of paper making. Although since the author is an artist, that is also understandable.

At one point Henry mentions that more people are diagnosed with the chrono-displacement impairment in the future, so I kept thinking another traveler would pop up at some point or another, but except for Alba, nobody ever did.

I also thought of another time circle -- when Henry goes back at 24 or so, meeting his 5-year-old self at the Field Museum and teaching himself to pick locks and pockets and such. At some point he had to learn to those skills on his own, so wouldn't he be changing the future to teach himself?

I didn't like Henry as much as you did. I found him to be self-centered, but then he would have to be to survive with his impairment. Clare seemed content to drift along in Henry's wake and I can't understand why she was so determined to have Henry's child knowing the consequences that his genetic mutation wreaks on Henry. I would have liked to know what happened to Alba after the age of 10 or so. Doesn't it seem a little strange that she was not even mentioned when Clare was 82?

Sara

[sgerrard]

I'm not sure I would have liked Henry as much if he had not been a time traveler. That gave him a good excuse for a lot of otherwise questionable behavior. In a way he is the beast in a "beauty and the beast" sense, with Clare the beauty who falls in love with him even so. It turns out that time traveling is one way to keep a relationship interesting.

It is odd that Alba doesn't come up in the future. By that time, Henry and Clare might well be grandparents, with a nice brood of time traveling grandchildren popping in on them at inconvenient moments. Maybe Niffenegger will write "The Time Traveler's Daughter" sometime. I think Clare wanted to have a child because she didn't want the stupid time traveling thing to rob her of that, since she loved Henry, and he her.

There is no getting around the fact that Henry never learned lock picking from anyone but himself, a circular situation with no way to get it started. It is one of the things that makes time travel so very difficult to do in the real world.

Anyone read People of the Book or The Zookeeper's Wife?

Steve

[cindyj]

I was planning to start People of the Book as soon as I finish the book I'm in the middle of...do you want to discuss it/them, or are these suggestions for the next book for the "club" to read?

Great discussions you all had about Henry and Clare.  It had been so long since I read it, that I couldn't add any deep insight...well, I never really add any deep insight, do I

Cindy

[msmaggie]

I've read People of the Book....thought it was really good, but then again I've liked everything she has written...and just recently bought Zookeepers Wife.  Haven't had a chance to get into it yet.  I spend a lot of my summer reading time catching up on "kiddie lit" to stay current with what is out there for my classroom literature circles.  Anyone want a good read for young adults?  Try  Book Thief.    It is too old for my 5th graders, but a wonderful book for middle and high school.  My ladies book group all read it and loved it.  I can also recommend the Ranger's Apprentice series for upper elementary and middle school  boys.  The series has been optioned to make into a movie.  I just hope they don't ruin it by adding stuff that Hollywood thinks it needs in order to make it sell.  My kids always get highly offended by the extra things in the movie.  Why can't the movie makers appreciate the fact that kids don't like it when they screw up what was already a great story before they got their hands on it?  They seriously underestimate the intelligence of kids. I always tell my classes to read the book before the movie comes out or they will never know the real story.  It's hilarious to watch them storm the libraries to get a copy of whatever book is coming out soon in a movie!

Priscilla

[saralynn143]

If we are about to put The Time Traveler's Wife to rest, I have just a couple more comments to throw in.

Steve, I had to laugh when I read your comment that you would not like Henry so much if he were not a time traveler. It certainly does allow us to give Henry some leniency. Henry seemed to me a completely different person after he meets Clare in chronological time. It confused me for a bit for multiple people to warn Clare about the jerk Henry is when we (and she) already knew a far different Henry. After thinking about it for a while I determined that Clare was the steadying influence that Henry needed to come to terms with his existence. I would have liked for the author's character development to lead me to the natural conclusion that Clare and Henry were soulmates, and I think a more experienced author would have done that.

I also think that with more experience Ms. Niffenegger would have been able to differentiate more between Henry and Clare's viewpoints so that the chapters would not have needed to be prefaced by HENRY: and CLARE:. At times I had to go back and check who was telling the story. If I were the editor I would have picked different fonts for Henry and Clare. Something artistic and feminine for Clare and a simple, speedy-looking non serif for Henry. I suppose that would increase publication costs, though.

I would not be surprised to see The Time Traveler's Daughter in the future, although usually there is at least a teaser in a novel that hints at the possibility. If Alba can control her time travel, that would make for some new and interesting twists.

Priscilla, I agree with your points about changing novels for adaptation to film. I am also annoyed when they leave out important bits of books, and especially when the ending is altogether different. I was appalled at the film version of The Firm. And of all the adaptations of Pride and Prejudice out there, the 1995 mini-series is by far my favorite adaptation because it sticks so closely to the book, includes everything and doesn't add much (other than Colin Firth in a soaking wet shirt, which I didn't mind so very much). There were a few things changed, such as changing description to dialog or having Mr. Collins pay a condolence visit rather than write a letter, but they didn't change the substance of the story at all.

OK, I'm off to do something productive with my day.

Sara

[CHD63]

I've been away for a couple of days so I just now enjoyed reading the character assessments by you readers of The Time Traveler's Wife.  Clare was my favorite because she seemed to be the only stabilizing factor in the book.  I was fascinated by the many seeming changes in Henry's character, depending upon whether he was traveling or in the present.

Priscilla, I have always been one of those people who never likes to see the movie before reading the book (missed many good movies that way!   ).  I like to do my own visualization of the images/scenes/characters.  Very often the movie ruins my perceptions.  I have been watching the previews on TV of The Time Traveler's Wife and I'm almost afraid to go see the movie, for fear they have depicted things in a different way than I would have.

My nightstand is piled high with books I want to read ...... oh my, not enough time/wakefulness???

Clarice

[msmaggie]

Sara, You are so right about the Pride and Prejudice mini-series!  That is my favorite of all.  Colin Firth and the other characters leap off the screen w/personality.
 And Clarice, I do occasionally give in and see the movie version (all of the Harry Potters!)  but there are certain beloved books I refuse to see on the big screen because I want to keep my own personal version in my head.  Like you, my nightstand is heaped w/books,, partly because I have so many kid books to read.

Priscilla
 

[saralynn143]

Oh my gosh, Priscilla, the scene containing those smoldering looks that Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle cast at each other over the piano in Lady Catherine's parlor is a cinematic masterpiece. I'm sorry to say that my husband, fine man that he is, has never mastered "the look." Fortunately he has other redeeming qualities, such as not disappearing in a time travel episode on our wedding day. Good thing too, because his future counterpart is a lot balder and wouldn't fit into his wedding clothes.

Sara

[Kaybo]

That was a good one, Sara!!

Priscilla~
I need good series for GIRLIES - especially for a little girl that is only going into 2nd grade but reads & COMPREHENDS (I know the difference/importance since I used to teach) on about 4-5th grade level (or higher)...she reads Addi's books if we let her!

K

[msmaggie]

Hey Kaybo,
Your little sweetie might enjoy Meet the Penderwicks.  I think that's the title, although I could have it wrong.  It has Penderwick in the title.  There are a couple of books in the series so far. She might also like the Charlie Bone series.  It is fantasy, like Harry Potter, but gentler and easier to read.  She would also like The Far Away Mountain if you could find it in your library.  I know it is out of print.  The author is Lynne Reid Banks. All my fourth graders, boys included, love it.  I will do some research to see if I can find some more treasures!  I'm not necessarily current on third grade and below, but I can identify with her because my sister is four years older than me, and I read everything she brought home!

Priscilla

[Kaybo]

Thanks Priscilla - I wrote them down!

K

[Cheryl R]

Kay, Can you also ask at the library?           Both of my daughters worked in the childrens dept of the library at one time and know that dept can be of big help.             One even went on to library school but works in archives now.     
                                             Cheryl R
                                                 

[Kaybo]

I have asked, but am always looking for something else, especially from people with experience with kids and what they like to read!!     The man at the downtown library is REALLY good & helpful but we don't get down there very often!

K

[Soundy]

I would join the discussion but never got my book when I ordered it ...got an email that it  was on back order...
so canceled it and they said it would be two weeks before money would be credited back to my account ...funny
it only took them a few hours  to take it out ... I know because I called automated bank line to make sure it
went through  ... when in Huntsville last week went to 3 bookstores and everyone is out of it ... said it
is on high school summer reading list and the movie ads have made sells pick up ... so gonna talk to Kay instead


Kay ... having a child that reads on a higher grade level and comprehends it is a mixed blessing ... mainly if
they read too high above chronological age it is sometimes hard to find suitable reading for them at the
reading age instead of real age

both my girls read above level ... we have accelerated reading program at school ... the kids are required to read
books that are at or a few points above grade they are reading at but can't go too much above grade level
they are in...each book is assigned a point value and the kids have got to earn so many points a year ...teachers
opted for this and the kids don't do book reports anymore ...evidently took up too much of the teachers time to
grade them

so they  run into problems finding books they want to read that are  not out of the point range
or the computer would kick them out when they went to test .... Sarah read The Giver in late part of
second grade ( not something I would recommend for a second grader) and then tested on it last year in
the 4th grade because as a second and third grader the computer wouldn't let her test on it ... sometimes
she can get the librarian to over ride the system but it has made reading for her frustrating ... more about
getting the points awarded for passing the 10 question tests than reading to enjoy and the older they get
the harder it is to get those points and make a passing grade

Hannah on the other hand doesn't like reading much and will read anything on her grade level even though
she can read at higher level just to get her required points to make her grade ... she got tired of fighting the AR
reading system and picked the lazy way out ...

what type books does your daughter like to read ... also when in second grade Sarah read a three book series to do
with Aurthur ... the first book is The Seeing Stone I think ...last year her teacher gave a list of children's classics
and she read Alice and Wonderland ,The Wizard of Oz and Where the Red Fern Grows which are way different
than the  film versions  and abbreviated versions most kids know.... if she was awake I would ask her about
what the kids were reading in the fourth grade last year ...


some others she read last year as a 4th grader and liked are

What the Moon Saw ...Laura Resau ...14 girl goes to Mexico for the summer to live with her dad's family ...up
til then she knew little about them or her dad as a child

Peter and The Starcatchers ...Peter and The Secret of Rundoon ... Peter and The Shadow Thieves 
all by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson ...based on Peter Pan

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis ... about a slave boy that has made it to Canada and when
a thief steals money from a friend has to risk his freedom to help gain the freedom of others the money
was intended to get out of slavery ...




 

[Kaybo]

Thanks, Soundy.  She is actually reading Peter & the Star Catchers right now...addi read those last winter & that is wheat finally spurred her to be a reader - she whizzed thru them all 3 and hasn't looked back since - she finally found something she liked and found the joy that reading can bring.  She loves ANYTHING to do with FAIRIES - she 1st started on the Rainbow Magic books at the 1st of 1st grade, but she would read a whole book in an hour or two - none or the libraries have those and they are VERY thin & $4.99 each - that got very expensive, very fast!!

Thanks for taking time for the suggestions!
K