No, I haven't finished the book yet. But it IS the 15th (I'm right this time!) and there must be some discussion. So I throw the following bone:
Ohmygod doesn't Sylvia remind you of Sarah? She totally reminds me of Sarah. Actually, the way Chris Lynch uses language for Sylvia - not her speaking but her narrating - reminds me of how Sarah uses language for writing. I'm thinking of the passages where she describes her surroundings and the cozy knowledge of her family's quirks. It's both cozy and springy language, if that makes sense.
I'd look for an example but I'm
a) lazy, and
b) not getting graded on this
I am, however, procrastinating, and will now resume my proposal-writing. Hope to have the book finished to REALLY talk about it tomorrow!
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8 comments:
Hmm. I'm going to look into this.
Well, I just finished it. Spoiler alert! I didn't like Dad. I think he's a childish and irresponsible person who should know that kids have to talk about death to understand it and that it's not their fault. I was hoping for some sort of discussion and resolution, but all I got was a dead rat.
That being said, I did like the book. It was enjoyable, funny at times, easy to read (because of the conversational narrative style), and it felt deliberate. I felt like there was something I wanted to comment on in every paragraph, which is a fun feeling.
I have a question: What does the phantom rat symbolize?
I shy away (run, really) from symbolism, so I'll dodge that for a separate comment - full opinion to follow later.
This book was all about the DAD. DAD avoiding dealing with things, DAD and his relationship with his kids, DAD DAD DAD! He was too much of a focus.
Hoping to make a post tomorrow -- for the now,
1) Jo: Agree with you. Will find examples.
2) E: Haven't gotten to rat death yet. Will let you know, but
3) Expected more from Old Chris. Don't necessarily think the rat symbolizes anything particularly precise. More on that later.
4) It was all worth it to read so many pet-deaths.
Okay, I think I need to comment on my own comment. I said that stuff about Sarah's style and Sylvia back when I liked the book more.
I noticed that the writing broke down a lot. It just halted with no warning. What's with that, yo?
I was also thinking, several times in the book, "Wow, this is too close to Chris Lynch for him to write about." I guess I was distracted by the story he shared at the Sinstitute/Imposium. So yeah, I agree, it's all about DAD because it is, in a way, all about him. He seemed unable to allow any of Sylvia's other life concerns to come into her head. It would have seemed logical to me to hear about her anxiety about starting at a school where she has alreay made enemies, how she keeps in touch with her old friends, more about how she's the mom of the house...
Jo, can you remind us about what Lynchy said at the Symposium? Me done fergot...er, mayhap I never even knew because I was LOOKING instead of LISTENING.
Well yes, the parts I could hear above the roar of my hormones... It was something about how he and his two kids moved into a house by the sea, and he described the house and talked about how he'd use it in the book, and how this book would be a different writing experience because it was so close to him, which prompted many a raised eyebrow once he started explaining the book's characters, the multiple deaths, etc., and many a sneer directed at that scary blonde woman who hung over Chrissity Lynchity's shoulder whilst he signed our books and brought out our blushes. Although the sneering may have been prompted by a general envious malaise.
Am I making this up? Anyone else remember something more, or something more clear?
That sounds familiar to me. I couldn't remember if the book was totally autobiographical or only slightly. I know he mentioned two kids and a funky cottage house. I remember we were all trying to figure out if he had actually lost a wife (or two??). Our sympathy mounted as we burned holes in his girlfriend's sweater with our eyes.
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