Should Your Book Club Read Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga?

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You may know Aravind Adiga from his Booker-winning The White Tiger.  I enjoyed that book quite a bit, which propelled me to pick up Last Man in Tower.  I’m glad I did.  It was the March selection for many of my Literary Masters book groups, and it was a great choice.

Warp-speed plot summary:

The setting is Bombay, or Mumbai, depending on your politics, I suppose, and there is a developer who wants to knock down an old, dilapidated apartment building and replace it with something fantastically new, shiny, and ever so 21st century.  He’s willing to pay the residents more than market value for their homes so they can become rich off the deal.

Sounds simple, right?  Well, there is one man who refuses to sell, and who therefore threatens to ruin the deal for everyone.  I won’t tell you what happens, but I will say that this is a very readable, very literary, very subtle gem of a novel.

So, what can your book club talk about while discussing Last Man in Tower?

You’ll want to discuss Masterji and his motivation.  Why does he resist the developer?  What does he want?  Is he heroic?  Is he narcissistic?  Is he to blame?  What would you do in his place?

Is there a hero in this story?  Adiga has stated that the real hero of the novel is Mumbai.  What do you make of this?  Of all the characters, does anyone act in a heroic manner?

Is there a villain in this story?

What do you think of the Shah?  What do you think of his methods of doing business?

You’ll really want to discuss all the characters in depth.  Each one has a point at which he or she “turns” –a masterly feat of writing on Adiga’s part.  What happens to each one and why?  How do they justify/ rationalize their behavior?  How is the realtor different from all the others?  This novel is in many ways a true study in psychology.

This novel raises many “big questions,” and you’ll want to discuss some of those.  For instance, can a person even be an individual when living within a society?  How much responsibility does one have towards others when living within a society?  Do individual rights trump those of the collective?  Should they?

Does everyone have a price?  Is it possible for a man to want nothing?

You’ll want to discuss the saying “Man is like a goat tied to a pole,” and the concept of free will in the novel.

You can delve into what the novel seems to be saying about the “old India” versus the “new India.”  Do you think the novel favors one side over the other?  Is there a value system that is privileged in the story?  Is there a message we are meant to take away?

Ask yourselves:  could anyone who isn’t Indian have written this novel?  What is the novel saying about corruption?

Make sure to save lots of time to discuss the beautiful imagery and symbolism in the story.  Talk about the birds, the stray dog, the black cross, and the caged animals, just for a start!

This ought to get you started.  Enjoy the book.  If you’re anything like me, it will stay with you a long time after you finish it.

Should Your Book Club Read The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes?

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Should your book club read The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes?  The answer to this question: yes, resoundingly so.  In fact, I think this book should only be read with others because I guarantee you will have more questions than answers when you finish it.

You probably know by now that Julian Barnes, nominated multiple times in the past for the Man Booker prize, finally clinched the award this year with his The Sense of an Ending.  I say “his” because there is another book by the same title, a collection of lectures by the literary critic Frank Kermode, published in 1967, and if you really want some light shed onto Julian Barnes’ novel, I advise you to pick up Kermode’s book.  Warning, though–it’s not light reading.

So, what can your book club discuss after reading Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending?  The following contains many spoilers, so don’t read anymore if you haven’t finished the book!

Julian Barnes has described his book as being about how time affects memory and how memory affects time, and undoubtedly, you will want to explore this.

Coupled with the above, you will want to delve into the character of the narrator, Tony.  Just how reliable, or unreliable, is Tony?  You should consider his relationships–how he describes them versus how they really are.  So, think about his relationship with his daughter, with his ex-wife, with Adrian, and with Veronica, for example.  Importantly, think about his relationship with you, the reader.  Is he telling you the truth?  Is he telling himself the truth?  Remember at all times–Tony is narrating this story.  And he tells (warns?) us at the very start of the book, “…what you end up remembering isn’t always the same as what you have witnessed.”

Along with time and memory, you’ll want to explore what the book is saying about history.  There are different definitions of it–what is the significance of history and how it is defined?  Pay attention to documentation and corroboration.

While considering time, memory, and history, pay attention to the Severn Bore scene.  Also, note how watches are worn…and what is said about subjective vs. objective time…

You’ll want to talk about the theme of sex and death (Eros and Thanatos) in the book.  What is the book saying about suicide?  Why does Adrian commit suicide?

Now, I warned you above that this blog post contains spoilers galore, so stop reading now if you haven’t read the book!

If you do take a look at Frank Kermode’s The Sense of an Ending, you’ll want to think about peripeteia.  And then you’ll want to talk about how this concept relates to Julian Barnes’ novel.  And then you’ll want to consider how it relates to your experience reading this book.

And then…I predict you will have a rousing discussion, with more questions than answers.  For instance…

What do we really know at the end of this story?  Did Adrian father a child with Veronica’s mother?  Does the child really look like Adrian, or is that what Tony would like to believe, or is that what he would like us to believe? 

Is Tony the father?  When a very astute Literary Masters member first proposed this, I thought, “no way…” but then we talked about it…and it started to seem like he could be…

What did happen that weekend at Veronica’s house?  Why did Veronica’s mother tell Tony not to let Veronica get away with too much?  What was she doing with the eggs?  And what did her hand gesture mean?  Did Tony and Sarah get together that weekend?

What did Veronica mean when she said “he’ll do” and why did she leave Tony with her mother while she went off with her father and brother?

What did Tony mean when he told Adrian that Veronica was “damaged a long way back”?

Why did Sarah bequeath 500 pounds to Tony?  Could Tony have given Sarah the money to terminate the pregnancy, and because she didn’t, she returned the money, albeit years later?  Is that why Veronica suggested that it could be “blood money“?

Veronica repeatedly tells Tony that he just doesn’t get it.  What does she mean, exactly?

Why did Sarah have Adrian’s diary?  Why did Sarah bequeath the diary to Tony?  Why do we, the readers, not get to see it?

What is the meaning of the mathematical equation in the diary fragment?

No doubt you will want to discuss whether the point of this book is that we can’t know all the answers.  You’ll want to talk about how the way we “know” reality at all is through our (by definition, unreliable) memory, and time (along with a host of other factors) distorts memory.   But still, don’t you want to know the answers to some of the above questions?

The New York Times ran an obituary for Frank Kermode, which you can read here.  In it, the English literary critic Lawrence S. Rainey is referred to because he had described a central theme of Frank Kermode’s writing as being  “the conflict between the human need to make sense of the world through storytelling and our propensity to seek meaning in details (linguistic, symbolic, anecdotal) that are indifferent, even hostile, to story.”  The obituary goes on to say that “Mr. Kermode analyzed the fictions we invent to bring meaning and order to a world that often seems chaotic and hurtling toward catastrophe,” and that Kermode also pointed out “narratives, just like life, can include details that defy interpretation.”

So, is that what I’ve been doing with regard to Julian Barnes’ novel?  Have I been focusing on the details of the story, trying to extract meaning from (or is it impose meaning upon?) them, when they actually defy interpretation?  If so, isn’t this book exactly like life in that regard?

Yet, on the other hand, if we persist in our search for answers, there’s always the chance that we’ll find them, right?

Well, I came away from this book (and I read it twice) with many more questions than answers.  And the answers I did have never seemed to be definitive.  There always seemed to be an alternative answer for each question.  If your book club reads this novel, and if your book club thinks it knows the answers, please share!

This is Your Brain on Fiction

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In today’s world, there’s a lot of competition when it comes to getting our eyes on print.  I have to admit, I rarely get through the paper on Sunday; if it’s not captivating, I put it down so I can return to my latest novel.  But this past Sunday was an exception.  If you missed this piece in the opinion section of the New York Times, you should read it now.  It’s all about your brain on fiction.  As if we needed another reason to read our novels!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?scp=1&sq=brain%20on%20fiction&st=Search

I especially liked the last line:  “Reading great literature, it has long been averred, enlarges and improves us as human beings. Brain science shows this claim is truer than we imagined.”  Amen to that!

Should Your Book Club Read We the Animals by Justin Torres?

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We the Animals is a wonderful little book, one you can easily read in one or two evenings.  It’s about three little boys of mixed-race descent growing up in a household of little income, even less parenting, but, one has to believe, a lot of love.  There’s not a traditional plot; rather, each chapter is a window into the life of this heart-wrenching family.

This is, as I said, a short novel, which I like, but it’s a beautiful one.  The language is almost poetic, and considering that the book is narrated by the youngest brother, the contrast between what he says and how he says it lends a level of poignancy to the story that serves it well.  One can’t help but feel for these little boys, their over-worked and self-effacing mother, and their well-intentioned but frustrated, macho dad.

I don’t want to give anything away, but the end of the book, though in some ways shocking, comes as no surprise at all.  It left me wondering, “when, oh when, will we know what happens to them?  When is the sequel?”

So, should your book club read it?  I’d say this is a book most everyone will like, or at least appreciate, but the lack of traditional plot may pose a problem for those book clubs that don’t approach their discussion in a structured way.  I won’t be selecting this for our Literary Masters book groups, but that is not to detract from the novel.  I highly, highly recommend it for individuals, and if your book club reads it, do let me know how ‘deep’ a discussion you end up having.

Should Your Book Club Read In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar?

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Absolutely yes!  This book is a winner and whether you read it on your own or with your book club, you should definitely read it.  It was written in 2006 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.  It won the Europe and South Asia Region of the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for Best First Book.  And it was Literary Masters selection for the month of February.  I must thank my brother–yes, the one who never visits libraries–for bringing this wonderful novel to my attention.

Warp speed plot synopsis:

The narrator, a grown man, looks back through the eyes of his nine year-old self, and tells us the story of  living under Gaddafi’s regime in Libya.  Suleiman’s father is a dissident, risking his life and those of his family, to rebel against the dictator.  Suleiman’s mother wants nothing to do with such trouble; she is more concerned with her own private rebellion–against the men who forced her into a hurried and arranged marriage against her will.  Suleiman, or Slooma to his loved ones, navigates the private trials and tribulations in his home and personal world, against the backdrop of an all-seeing, all-powerful public power.  As he tries to understand and take control of his little world, Slooma will open the door of his home and his family, letting that public and terrifying power in with lasting consequences for everyone.

So, what can your book club talk about?:

Well, you will definitely want to talk about Suleiman.  He is, without a doubt, one of the more interesting narrators I’ve come across.  You’ll want to explore his motivations for making the decisions he takes.  There are emotional, psychological, and pragmatic explanations for his actions, but they don’t all point to the same motivation.  He is, in a word, slippery.

What is he responsible for?  What did he do intentionally and what did he do unwittingly?  Was he a victim, or is he pathological?

Is he an unreliable narrator?  Yes, in the sense that he is telling us his story from memory, and memory is by definition unreliable.  However, is there more to this?  Is he telling us his story as a way of justifying his actions?

You will want to explore the Oedipal themes in the story.  This may help illuminate Suleiman’s motivations.

You will definitely want to explore the character of the mother.  She’s another incredibly interesting character.  What motivates her?  Her love for her son, or her lust for independent power?  Note the story-telling motif running throughout the story.  Note the parallels between Scheherazade and Suleiman’s mother.  Who chooses slavery over death?

The theme of betrayal pervades this book.  You’ll want to discuss whether any of it is justifiable.  You’ll also want to consider the pleasure that some of the characters take in submitting to authority.  What is the psychology behind this?

The imagery and symbolism in this novel are beautiful; the author began the book as a poem, and one can see this in the tropes he employs.  You’ll want to talk about the significance of the mulberries, and why the only remaining mulberry tree is in Rashid’s garden.  Why does Suleiman eat so many, and why does the sun make him sick?  What does the sun represent?  What does Bahloul the beggar represent?  What about the sea?

You’ll want to consider whether the book is asking the question:  how complicit are the characters in their own imprisonments?

You will want to talk about the title.  At length.

This book was written before the Arab Spring and the overthrow of Gaddafi.  You’ll want to talk about whether we respond to it differently, knowing what we now know about how history has played out.

You’ll want to talk about the moral dilemma:  does one sacrifice one’s family for the sake of the larger good, or protect one’s family at all costs?

I could go on, but I think this should get you going–happy reading, and have a great book club meeting!

Man Asian Literary Prize Shortlist Announced!

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Are you familiar with this literary prize?  In an effort to widen my reading, geographically speaking, I have followed the Man Asian Literary Prize with interest.  (It is sponsored by the same people who sponsor the Man Booker Prize, so sometimes this award is referred to as the Man Asian Booker Prize.)  The shortlist for 2011 has just been announced, and the judges were evidently spoiled for choice.  Instead of the usual five books chosen, there are seven.  Here they are courtesy of the Man Asian Literary Prize website, which you can find here.

  • The Wandering Falcon by JAMIL AHMAD, Pakistan
  • Rebirth by JAHNAVI BARUA, India
  •  The Sly Company of People Who Care RAHUL BHATTACHARYA, India
  • River of Smoke by AMITAV GHOSH, India
  • Please Look After Mom by KYUNG-SOOK SHIN, South Korea
  • Dream of Ding Village by YAN LIANKE, China
  • The Lake by BANANA YOSHIMOTO, Japan

Reading Is Fantastic for Your Mental Health!

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I’ve always said that at Literary Masters book groups and literary salons, we ‘dig deep’ into literary treasures, and each discussion is like an aerobics class for our brains!  Now, medical research shows that reading, yes, reading is good for your mental health, and can reduce your stress level by 68%.  How great is that?

Here’s the article; read it and relax!

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/health/314426/reading-cuts-stress-levels-by-68.html

Should Your Book Club Read To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf?

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This is not an easy book.  It is, however, a brilliant book.  So, forgive my equivocation, but I think my answer to should your book club read To the Lighthouse depends upon…your book club.  I will say that this book almost demands to be read with others so that you can talk about it and make sense of it.

To the Lighthouse was Literary Masters’ December selection, and I found our discussions fascinating.  Like a mirror held up to each individual reader, this book seemed to reflect unique and personal responses.  Each LM member seemed to have a different interpretation of the parts, as well as the whole, of the story, much like the characters within had each an individual response to their lives.  Thus, we readers were like the characters in the book, constructing our perception of reality through the prism of our own perspectives.

I could spend days here going over the themes of the book, and analyzing the imagery, and discussing the characters, and so on.  And the thing is, I could spend each day looking at the above through a different lens: one day I could view the book through a historical context; one day I could do a Freudian reading, one day I could do a feminist reading, one day I could look at it through an existentialist lens, one day I could just analyze the symbolism, one day I could just analyze the colors…I think you get my point.


So what can your book club talk about if you read To the Lighthouse?

Many critics feel this book is highly autobiographical, so that may be a starting point for you if you are up for doing a little research.  Even if you don’t, though, you’ll want to discuss the relationships in the book.  Why does Mrs. Ramsey refuse to say ‘I love you’ to Mr. Ramsey?  Whom does Lily love?  What does Lily feel toward Mrs. Ramsey?  What does James want?

Actually, that’s a good place to start.  What does each character desire?  This may lead you to what I consider an overarching theme of the book, one of the main things this book is “about.”  And what does each character do with that desire?  And what does that say about human nature?

Each reader in your book club may have a different answer to “what is this book about?” and each one may be right.

Talk about the significance time plays in the story.  What is it saying about time?  How do the characters feel about time?  What is each character’s relationship with time?  Perhaps you could consider the most important thing in each character’s life and go from there.

Talk about the imagery and symbolism.  For example, what significance do windows hold?  What about the lighthouse?  Note all the gardens, trees, and other natural phenomenon and how they relate especially to Mrs. Ramsey.  What is the significance of that?  Talk about the house; many of my LM members felt that the house was a character in itself.  What do the waves represent, if anything?  Honestly, I could go on and on, but the above is probably enough to get your book club going.

This book is absolutely poetic and you may want to read passages just for the beauty of the language.  You’ll definitely want to talk about the unique structure: Virginia Woolf was a pioneer of ‘stream of consciousness,’ so you as reader will be inside the flowing thoughts of the characters.  How does this affect you?  And how does this form embed the themes of the book?

I highly recommend this book.  It speaks to the reader on an individual level as well as speaking to us all on a universal level of things that are timeless.  This is probably why it is on every list of “must read” books.  It demands a little more work on the reader’s part, but the rewards are well worth it.