In Ferguson’s reading guide to this novel he mentions that he was heartbroken while writing this novel and this statement both surprised me and not surprised me. It starts out as a simple tale of two friends, an incident at a river and then drifting apart. Then there’s two Americans who start a religion and it seems destined that all the tales will intertwine. They do, but not in any satisfactory way. This is not a pleasant novel. It is filled with not-very good men […]
Accomplishing the circle of life as you go up the mountain path
Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc is a picture book that deals with death in a very “side manner” by not actually saying the character dies. That makes it accessible to all ages and can be used for not just “the death of X” (pet, grandparent, friend, etc.) but for loss and the “circle of life” comes out instead. The badger teaches the cat and then the cat teaches the rabbit. The “grandparent/grandchild” relationship in in play. I wish I could do half points […]
Life
A musician’s instrument is broken. He walks to the shop to buy a new one, but each one he tries sounds wrong. He travels across the country to buy another one, but when he comes home it still does not sound right. So he decides to die. Chicken with plums takes place in the eight days were he is waiting to die. He stays in bed thinking over his life, as his children, wife and family visit him to try to talk to him. Nothing […]
My life was an absolute bastard with a chip on his shoulder.
Who recommended this to me? How did this end up on my to-be-read list? Whoever you are, thanks, my friend! It was an absolutely fantastic interlude after the deep, dark despair inspired by the “Peculiar Children” series. Honestly, this is the kind of story-telling I think people are talking about when they talk about Rainbow Rowell (note: I have only read one Rowell book, and it was totally fine). The prose is very sharp and full of whimsy. It’s clever, but lands on the right […]