"Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." When I began brainstorming for our first official post, my thoughts kept returning to the last book I read: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
. I know I told you at our last meeting, but I can't help but re-emphasize that you should definitely read this book! It's one of those books that you get lost in. The characters and landscapes are so vivid and rich, I wanted to meet them, to touch them. By the end, I wanted to make Guernsey my home and to make Juliet, Sidney, Dawsey, Amelia, and Isola my family.
In some way, I believe the Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is much like our book club. The German occupation brought the members together, and though they come from different walks of life, they find a common connection and comfort in the books they read, and inevitably in one another. We may not have suffered through a war together, but we have already, in the last two years, survived tragedy, grad school (a kind of war, I guess) and disappointment. We have also experienced so much fun and excitement! And I find the same comfort in our friendship and our meetings. Okay, enough with the sap!
What I like most about the book is the connection between the characters and the books they read. While most books paint the characters through descriptions and others' perspectives, Shaffer and Barrows bring their characters to life literarily. An epistolary novel, Guernsey literally gives the characters voice through their witty letters. But the books that each member chooses to read reveals something significant about who they are. For example, Dawsey explains that he "feels a Kinship" to Charles Lamb and the connection later unfolds. And Isola is drawn to the eccentric, passionate, and clever Brontes.
So, I began to ruminate (don't you love this word? I like it almost as much as "healthful") on the quote above, a quote that epitomizes Guernsey. I do believe we are all drawn to certain books (or are the books really drawn to us?), and I think those books say something about who we are.
Heather T's favorite book is Anne of Green Gables
, and she is such an Anne! Full of life, adventure, she still finds wonder in the simple things as well as the truly fantastic. Always an optimist and an encourager, Heather finds a way to make any bad situation better. She still believes in happy endings and the magic of imagination.
Heather P is very much a Jane Eyre
. A strong, intellectual woman who has been underappreciated and mistreated, but who somehow always overcomes. She inspires and breaks boundaries. And even with such strenth, she is the most caring and gentle person I know.
Danielle is complex. And I have thought and thought about which book characterizes her. The only book I've ever heard her absoluteley rave about is Wuthering Heights
, and I think this makes sense. I've never made it to the end of the novel (I know, I really should give it another shot!), so I'm basing this description roughly on what I know. Wuthering Heights and Danielle are unique, passionate, and at times, delightfully dark and creepy ( I mean this sincerely in a good way). Also, Danielle writes so beautifully and cleverly. In fact, I have often referred to her as my own contemporary Jane Austen. So, maybe Danielle is more like Northanger Abbey
....Hmmm. Something to think about.
As for me, I'm just not sure. I would like to think I, too, was a Jane Austen novel. Cleverly challenging social norms with a biting sense of humor. However, one of my favorite books (so hard to choose) or at leat the first book with which I identified was a A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
. What does this say about me? Tragic but hopeful, determined.... That I'm a weed who can grow out of the worst circumstances?
So, tell me what you think. Did I characterize you accurately? Which books do you think identify you? And which book characterizes me?
I'll end with one last quote from Guernsey author, Annie Barrows: "The wonderful thing about books...is that they take us out of our time and place and transport us not just into the world of the story, but into the world of our fellow readers, who have stories of their own." I'm so glad I can be a part of your stories!
. I know I told you at our last meeting, but I can't help but re-emphasize that you should definitely read this book! It's one of those books that you get lost in. The characters and landscapes are so vivid and rich, I wanted to meet them, to touch them. By the end, I wanted to make Guernsey my home and to make Juliet, Sidney, Dawsey, Amelia, and Isola my family.In some way, I believe the Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is much like our book club. The German occupation brought the members together, and though they come from different walks of life, they find a common connection and comfort in the books they read, and inevitably in one another. We may not have suffered through a war together, but we have already, in the last two years, survived tragedy, grad school (a kind of war, I guess) and disappointment. We have also experienced so much fun and excitement! And I find the same comfort in our friendship and our meetings. Okay, enough with the sap!
What I like most about the book is the connection between the characters and the books they read. While most books paint the characters through descriptions and others' perspectives, Shaffer and Barrows bring their characters to life literarily. An epistolary novel, Guernsey literally gives the characters voice through their witty letters. But the books that each member chooses to read reveals something significant about who they are. For example, Dawsey explains that he "feels a Kinship" to Charles Lamb and the connection later unfolds. And Isola is drawn to the eccentric, passionate, and clever Brontes.
So, I began to ruminate (don't you love this word? I like it almost as much as "healthful") on the quote above, a quote that epitomizes Guernsey. I do believe we are all drawn to certain books (or are the books really drawn to us?), and I think those books say something about who we are.
Heather T's favorite book is Anne of Green Gables
, and she is such an Anne! Full of life, adventure, she still finds wonder in the simple things as well as the truly fantastic. Always an optimist and an encourager, Heather finds a way to make any bad situation better. She still believes in happy endings and the magic of imagination.Heather P is very much a Jane Eyre
. A strong, intellectual woman who has been underappreciated and mistreated, but who somehow always overcomes. She inspires and breaks boundaries. And even with such strenth, she is the most caring and gentle person I know.Danielle is complex. And I have thought and thought about which book characterizes her. The only book I've ever heard her absoluteley rave about is Wuthering Heights
, and I think this makes sense. I've never made it to the end of the novel (I know, I really should give it another shot!), so I'm basing this description roughly on what I know. Wuthering Heights and Danielle are unique, passionate, and at times, delightfully dark and creepy ( I mean this sincerely in a good way). Also, Danielle writes so beautifully and cleverly. In fact, I have often referred to her as my own contemporary Jane Austen. So, maybe Danielle is more like Northanger Abbey....Hmmm. Something to think about.As for me, I'm just not sure. I would like to think I, too, was a Jane Austen novel. Cleverly challenging social norms with a biting sense of humor. However, one of my favorite books (so hard to choose) or at leat the first book with which I identified was a A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
. What does this say about me? Tragic but hopeful, determined.... That I'm a weed who can grow out of the worst circumstances?So, tell me what you think. Did I characterize you accurately? Which books do you think identify you? And which book characterizes me?
I'll end with one last quote from Guernsey author, Annie Barrows: "The wonderful thing about books...is that they take us out of our time and place and transport us not just into the world of the story, but into the world of our fellow readers, who have stories of their own." I'm so glad I can be a part of your stories!
Wow! Kelli, I couldn't have said it more eloquently. Personally, I think you nailed my character persona. I have always admired the spunky Anne and am flattered that you think I resemble her.
ReplyDeleteHeather P. is definitely Jane, strong and confident. However, I think she would have done some things differently. For instance, whenever she found out that Mr. Rochester was keeping his wife in the attic, I think she would have hit him in the head with a shovel and helped Bertha Mason break out of that attic. I think Jane could learn a thing or two from our Heather.
Danielle is a tricky one. Maybe the protagonist from Eat, Pray, Love? Haha...no seriously, the Wuthering Heights reference seems accurate, especially when I think about the creepy grave scene. (I say that only in love.) Actually, I don't think a novel really suits Danielle. She would be a combination of quirky short stories that can exist fully by themselves yet when put together would blow one's mind. Or maybe a collection of sparky Haikus.
Kelli, when I think of you I think of Mary Lennox of The Secret Garden because of your resilient spirit and refusal to accept the easy way out. Also, you remind me of Mary because the people around you rely on you. You give people confidence and remind them that they can walk on their own.
Aww! Thank you! I didn't even think of Mary, and I absolutely love The Secret Garden. Mary has spunk! Heather P. suggested that Danielle is Atticus Finch. (Did I spell that correctly?) And Heather P could most definitely show Jane Eyre a thing or two. Free the Madwoman in the Attic! Oh, btw, did you try to publish an actual blog post yet? I want to make sure I have everything set up right. I can't wait for Next Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI think the two of you give me too much credit. While I think Edward could use a knock on the head, I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to give it. I wonder if Jane wasn't braver after all. I mean, how much courage does it take to say to the one's you love, "I will not be your possession or your prisoner; I will not give into your demands or put up with your abuse"? How much nerve does it take to leave with nowhere to go and nothing but the clothes on your back and the courgage of convictions. Besides, if Jane had tried to knock some sense into her "master," she would soon be rooming with the Mad Woman in the Attic.
ReplyDeleteI, too, see Heather T. as an Anne. She has all of her greatest qualities. Anne is passionate; she loves as strongly as she hates. Anne is hopeful, optimistic; she never fails to see the potential in people and situations. And she is a fierce friend; someone you can rely on in times of trouble, someone you know will always love you--even when you’re wrong.
ReplyDeleteKelli reminds me of Ayla from Clan of the Cave Bear. In her own way, she is a warrior, fighting against social strictures that try to keep her in her place. And like Ayla, she knows pain, but she doesn’t allow that pain to cripple her. Miraculously, that pain makes her stronger, more resilient, and remarkably self-sufficient. And while Kelli (like Ayla) may be a little suspicious of new people, when she opens her heart, she can’t help but be a blessing to those she loves.
I left Danielle for last because she’s a puzzle. Like Kelli, I had the hardest time picking Danielle’s literary character. I lay awake half the night, picking character after character, and just as quickly discarding them—like a pair of shoes that were a bit too small. Before long, I had a pile of ghost characters crowding the corner of my room. Then I realized I was being just a little obtuse. As a feminist and a teacher, I often find myself cautioning students, in the words of Abigail Adams, “Do not forget the ladies.” Perhaps that is why I tried to force Danielle—who is nothing if not a square peg—into a preverbal round whole.
Now, it goes without saying that there are thousands of strong female characters in Western literature, but there are plenty of exemplary literary men, too. More than once, I’ve referred to Danielle as the “man” of our group. So, I though, maybe Danielle’s “character” is a man to. Then it hit me: Danielle is an Atticus Finch.
Danielle is nothing if not just. Many times, as we’ve sat around bashing our husbands, she has defended them—much better than they ever could have defended themselves—and helped us come to a place of understanding. She reminds us that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
Like Atticus, Danielle is “no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity” of others, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to cure the injustices of the world. She is the social mirror of our little group, forcing us to look at ourselves and to acknowledge our own prejudices and “isms”; day by day, she makes us better people.