[PEOPLE OF THE BOOK] Group Read- Week Three

On the final stretch everyone!!

Don't want to jump ahead too much so I have only one thing to say: Hanna.....aaaaargh!

Loved the book! Want to go right out and get other books written by the author. I thought the book was very visual, filled with color and I enjoyed all the historical flashbacks better than the scaffolding of the present day story. I was, however, disappointed with the Lola conclusion. And nevermind Hanna...how about her mother?!

This is supposed to be the ending week of this book and I hope there are lots of comments about the book and the characters. I loved the story about the White Hair. I am torn between it and the Saltwater as my favorite. White Hair had so much in it. I liked the women in this story. Both of them. They were wonderful strong women. It struck me that the idea that having a career as a safety net was important to women even back in the middle ages. On page 305 Nura/Isbella says that "Your craft, it makes you fortunate, I think. You at least will have something to offer to a conquerer, if the city should fall." The implication is because a skill will make the woman valuable in economic terms, the same as is a man. It also struck me that it is still true today. The latest statistics about high school dropouts bears this out. They have no skills so they are not needed. It also shows how little housework is valued. Even in 1480.

I finished the book over the weekend and have lots to say about this last part but no time at the moment. In short: "The White Hair" is my second favourite part, behind "Wine Stains", a gorgeously written story. I LOVED that the Haggadah turned out to be created by a woman, and an African slave woman at that. Great, unexpected twist.

As for Hanna and her mother...I second AnneH in message #2. And the whole Haggadah heist plot was really unnecessary and seemed to come out of nowhere.

For the most part, this was a really good book. The historical sections alone make it completely worth the read.

I loved the book. I think that Geraldine Brooks has the ability to write a very free flowing literary work.
I cared about almost all of the characters and to me, most of their actions and reactions fit their character in that time and space.
I truly appreciated all of the underlying storylines and wanted so much more of them. If I have one complaint of this book, that would be it. I wanted to learn more and know more about all of the characters who had played a part in the history of the "book".
My favorite character was Ruti/Sparrow and I could identify with every single thing that she did except for perhaps going off and leaving her sister-in-law, which most likely would have cost she and the infant their lives if she had taken her with them.
I loved the parts of the book dealing with the white hair, the wine stains (especially the mulitplicity of them), and the wing.
When I had finished the book, I sat for the longest time just thinking: "How do authors come up with these wonderful ideas for their manuscripts?" "How do their minds work?" and "How fortunate and blessed we are to have these books and the freedom to read them."
What a great group read! What a great group! Thank you all for your many comments, thoughts, and all of the discussions that make a group read what they are. Thank you Mark and Berly for doing this for us. This one has been truly wonderful to be a part of.
belva

This was a good book. It kept my interest throughout. Like some of you my least favorite parts were the ones about Hanna and her mother. I thought that the Haggadah heist plot was contrived to give the book a bigger bang and frankly I didn't think it needed it. The historical vignettes were all wonderful. Each unique and advanced the provenance of the haggadah and by extension the story. Each of them was oblique enough to make the reader think and wonder, but had enough detail in them to make you think that you knew a little more about that book and its importance in the history of mankind. I really liked that the story ended in sort of a vague way. That gave me lots of room for my imagination, which I think in a story like this is important. Historically there are lots of holes in the history of the book which cannot be filled and we can only think and wonder about it; where it has been, who had it and why. I think that is the reason why people collect antiques. Aside from their beauty there is all that story/mystery behind them.

I liked this book and found myself reading it for long stretches of time, but I don't think that it is Brooks' best. In Brooks' other books the historical characters were her strongest and that is true in this book as well. Her contemporary people were not all that believable or sympathetic in the sense of the reader understanding them. I think that as a writer Brooks is still developing. As an editor I think I might be inclined to ask her to stick with historical novels and characters as she seems to be able to give them a voice and presence that is missing from her contemporary people. Even so, it will be exciting and interesting to see what she will write next.

I forgot to share the most important thing about my copy of my book. Not my thoughts but the book.
I buy almost all of my books used if I can. I prefer them that way and so does my pocketbook. Well, People of the Book had arrived and I began it at the appropriate time with the rest of you and midway through, something fell out of the book. It was a bookmark. A very beautiful bookmark. It is not made out of paper or paper product but of some thin leather or skin of some sort. I wish I had a scanner so I could scan it for you. It is in shades of blue fading to white, fading through all the shades of purple, light to dark. There is a picture on it of a child kneeling on his/her bed looking out a window where the window was simply cut out of the wall in a big upside down U shape. And you can see the moon and stars.
Then below that is writing of four lines in Hebrew.

Then it says:

"Sh'ma Yisreal
Adonai Eloheinu
Anonai Echad"

I know that one of the words is "Israel" and I know that two are words for "God" but I don't know what the others are. Following that it says:

"Baruch sheim k'vod
malchuto
l'olam va'ed"

Then:

"Listen Israel
Adonai is our God
Adonai is One"

"Blessed is Adonai
Who rules forever"

Belva, the second part is basically the translation of the hebrew above. The Shema is one of the holiest vows in Judaism.

I see the general feelings here are the same my book club. The historical sections were wonderful to read, the modern day were read merely to get to the next story about the haggadah's history. I agree with spacepotato, the historical parts were so strong, that they are reason alone to read the book.

I read the book long ago, but I have enjoyed silently stalking this site. I enjoyed Hannah's mother. It felt fun to dislike her. It somehow made the whole book more electric. I did not enjoy the whole finger licking episode. It felt jarring and out of character. Forced somehow. Great comments people!

>#9:
Thank you Susan. Thank was very kind of you to translate for me. I truly wanted to know what it said.
My 91 year old mother hid the fact that we are part Jewish until just three years ago and I find that I grow very hungry for that part of my history at times.
Thank you and a warm hug out to you as well.
belva

This is exactly why I don't do rereads. I read POTB several years ago and loved it. This go round I found the book, Hanna in particular very tedious. During the first read I accepted Hanna for the way she was, the reread made me cringe. As many of you have mentioned, it is the historical vignettes that make the book so awesome. Characters in the historical portion of the book are brought to life by Ms. Brooks eloquent hand and leave the reader with a lasting impression.
It was a great experience rereading with all of you, your insights made for a thought provoking discussion which I very much enjoyed.

I did like the way this was basically a set of gorgeous short stories but with a proper link via Hanna's restoration work. Often I find that I don't like short stories because they are so disjointed, but the narrative of this book meant I really enjoyed each and every one. Brooks is such a skilled historical writer, she pulls off these different places and people and voices brilliantly.

I didn't enjoy it as much as Year of Wonders but I think that was partially because of the way that while that novel was about people pulling together to survive disaster, this book shows how readily they will tear each other apart: it shows humanity being ripped asunder through its own stupidity, by certain groups who were determined to be superior to everyone else, casual murder and torture. It was deeply thought-provoking and rather saddening to see how history has repeated itself in all our folly. When the library assistant tells Lola about the sixty million pages of documents in his collection, and she reflects that that equals 'ten pages for every person who died. A kind of monument in paper for people who have no gravestones', it's just heartbreaking. You look around at the world and you can see how easily something of this magnitude could happen again.

But what warmed my heart in the end was the way people and objects DID survive the turmoil, through their courageous actions and the kindness of others. There was always a desperate kind of hope even in the darkest of hours. I felt that was summed up when Ozren explains his belief that the haggadah 'was here to test us, to see if there were people who could see that what united us was more than what divided us. That to be a human being matters more than to be a Jew or a Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox.' And that, I think, is a worthy thought with which to walk away from this book...

Oh, and my final thoughts on The Hanna Situation: hated her mother, thought she wasn't as irritating when she was back on native soil with Jim at the end, and wasn't that keen on the way the narrative went all Angels and Demons with a bunch of extra 'twists' at the end. It would be have been a beautiful enough book with Hanna simply forming the investigative link between the historical stories, I think. But as people have already said, the history of the haggadah made the book well worth a read regardless...

Oh, and I'd just like to say thanks again to Mark and Belva for organising and hosting my first ever group read; the book has provoked so much excellent discussion and the whole thing's just been fantastic! :-D

I loved that reference to Angels and Demons because along with DaVinci code it is one of my most irritating books ever. The reason is the over the top ending that just keeps coming with more over the top endings. I wanted so badly to dig right through the book and shout to the author "Stop this already. You have a good book now stop!" I felt much the same with the ending for this book as well. I don't think it needed those extra plot twists as it had enough food in it already.

I just finished the book this evening. Overall, I found the book to be riveting... no, maybe captivating is a better word...Yup, I will stick with captivating.

I liked the Lola conclusion and was glad to see that 2002 Lola section appear. I felt that the first Lola section during the war left just too much missing. The later section didn't answer all of my questions but some answers are better than none at all.

I have been thinking about the various historical sections of the book and I have decided that 'Saltwater' is my favorite. While 'A White Hair' was interesting, I found 'Saltwater' really came across with stronger characters (especially Ruti), a solid plot and poignant story telling.

I thought the whole heist/ 'secret intelligence' angle was cheesy, over the top fanciful and unfortunately caused a slight negation in my overall impression of the book given the caliber of writing found in the historical sections. It is easy to see that Brooks' strength is in crafting historical fictions, not espionage thrillers.

As for Hanna's mother, Brooks created a good, consistent character in Hanna's mother so I wasn't surprised with how the mother-daughter relationship ended up.... I was actually happy to see Hanna exhibit a backbone I thought she didn't have.

And, last but not least, I liked seeing the glimmers of Hanna coming into her own with the Foundation work.

What a great book for a group read. I have enjoyed the discussion threads and reading the different opinions. Thanks Mark and Belva... when is the next group read? :-)

I finished the book last night. One thing that I especially loved was the description of the pigments created and used in the illuminations. Also, the use of the hairs from the cat's throat for the brushes which the cat is willing to share for a scratch on the belly.

As a mother, I thought the mother-daughter relationship was just sad.

Thanks for the wonderful group read. :)
--BJ

The covers of books are an important element in the publication of the book and how it is received by the public. I remember seeing this cover on the shelves of my local Barnes & Noble when it first came out and thinking it was odd for a book about a book to have some kind of insect on the cover. Of course, now that I have read the book that mystery is solved, but I did wonder why the designer choose to put the butterfly on the cover? Why not a white cat? The cover on my book doesn't really have the look of a historical novel and it doesn't have the look of a thriller either. This is in contrast to the other books by Brooks that I have read. Year of Wonders was a paperback with a painting of a woman on the cover. March had a historical landscape on the cover that gave the book the feeling of something old. I wonder if the publisher was trying to change the image of Brooks' books with this more modern minimalist look? Perhaps they are trying to move Brooks' fans into thinking of her as something other than a writer of historical novels? It would be fun to find out from the publisher why this particular cover design was chosen.

I write this question because the ending of this book was so NOT Brooks. At least not like the other two. It seem out of character for her and just not her writing style.

#17 billiejean

I liked what you said about the cat giving up the hairs on its throat. What a wonderful way to put it. It made me smile to think about it. The proud cat giving up the few hairs for a little loving.

Thanks! :)

I was also thinking about the cover. I thought it an unusual cover for a book about a book, but I really loved the cover that was chosen. I have never read any other books by Brooks, but I enjoyed this one.
--BJ

Boy, I don't know where to start! Everyone has contributed such wonderful thoughts and observations. We have even analyzed the cover art! Wow!
I think my opinion of the book falls in line with most of you. I did not dislike the Hanna sections but there is no question they paled in comparison to the historical sections. My favorites also being "White Hair" and "Saltwater". I also feel the Hanna sections kept this from being a "great" book. Although I have to say the other stories contained some phenomenal writing and riveting storytelling. Brooks is a major talent and I easily look forward to reading all of her future work. I do have Year of Wonders buried in my tbr somewhere. I'll have to unearth it!
And keep in mind fellow readers, you are the the ones responsible for making this group read special, I just set it up!
FYI- Our group read for World Without End is slated for Jan 15th. Actually that's gives plenty of time if you haven't yet read Pillars of the Earth.
I'm considering doing a G.R. of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie in March. I have never read this acclaimed author. Any interest?

Hi Mark - I loved Year of Wonders - it was my first Brooks' book and one of the reasons I joined this group read! I would recommend you hunt through you TBR pile for it.

Sign me up for the next group read. As for Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie is a new to me author (I keep meaning to pick up one of his books) so I would be curious to learn what others might think.

Mark, I would not hesitate for one second about joining another group read but 2010 has GOT to be the year of the TBR. I really need to concentrate on the books I have because the shelves are EXPLODING and there are so many more current books that I want to read. If, in the future, something is chosen that I own I will be there.

Finished the book last night. Altough I loved it I thought the end was sooo rushed. Maybe more 100 pages and it would have been so much better. We should have seen the professor unraveling 6 years later about what he had done. Ozren should have had more going for him (besides sweet fingers), character wise so that it would be more believable that Hanna would forgive so rapidly his deception. It was like a championship that the winner won in the "office" (forgive me the football lingo), with everything being settled in a room.

For the cover art, the portuguese edition has a beautiful cover http://www.bertrand.pt/catalogo/detalhes_produto.php?id=112428, for once nicer than yours.

#24 VivianeoftheLake: The Portuguese cover is handsome and the two British covers are also lovely. A book about a beautiful book deserves a more evocative cover than the American one, imo.

#13 elliepotten:Thanks for your reference to the DaVinci Code. Until I read it I hadn't realized how the endings of both of these books left me feeling cheated: too much unrealistic, frenetic action to tie up plot points. Having said that, I would recommend People of the Book to anyone since it was a wonderful read except for the modern day parts. I'd never recommend DaVinci Code to anyone but that book doesn't need me to get readers anway!

It hasn't been mentioned so far, but was anyone else bothered by the fact that Hanna's father's family didn't bother to get in touch with her even when she was an adult and studying at Harvard - a stone's throw away from where they were all living? It was never explained how the dreadful mother could have held such sway over the situation.

I thoroughly enjoyed Year of Wonders and thought that March was a tremendous book. I'll be first in line when Brooks' next book comes out.

I do like my (British) book cover - the one with the woman poised over an old book, with a butterfly fluttering above it. My (also British) cover of Year of Wonders is lovely too - a dark country scene, deep teal green, black silhouetted trees, with shiny silvery script for the title. Perfect for the book.

VivianoftheLake - I LOVE the portuguese cover - if that had been the cover used in North America (or at least in Canada) I would have picked up the book well ahead of the book read! It is amazing how subtle marketing - like the artwork on the cover - can make or break the potential reader's interest :-)

AnneH - I think that the family of Hanna's biological father were under the impression that they were to have no contact with Hanna. This struck me as another control mechanism of Hanna's mother which is why I felt the mother-daughter relationship was doomed. As for the realistic nature of this level of control - yes, some mothers can really be that controlling.... frightening, isn't it!

I finished the book last Saturday, really loved it! But I still need to catch up on all the comments posted here, will probably make me see things from different perspectives. Might join the discussion after that. :)

Just closed the book minutes ago. I enjoyed reading all the posts. I didn't have much time to read this book. I was sure this thread was dead. Was I thrilled to see that it wasn't.

I am not familier with that era or cultured. It was a book that I enjoyed and learned at the same time. This book is a keeper. I don't keep many of my books but I can't part with it. I hardly ever re-read a book but I have a feeling I will want to at a later date.

>jacx- Glad you could join us and I'm pleased you feel this is a special book! See you in January?

Wow you are coming to Canada to visit? Neat :)

Wow! I finally finished the book. I was dragging behind but continued to read everybody's posts, finding that most readers felt that the conclusion of the book was a bit unsatisfactory. Some readers found that Brooks' writing seemed to waver when she told the story of the heist of the haggadah. Others felt the story line was a bit contrived at that point and did not have the same level of talent as the previous story lines. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed Hanna's part in the conclusion to the story. I disagree with the feeling that it seemed to be unnecessarily tacked on to the book's ending, as Messages 15 and 16 suggest. I did not find it fanciful or out of keeping with the earlier writing or plot line, and felt that Brooks' writing was as masterful in that section as in any of the previous sections. I think the ending was actually quite important because it brought the book full circle by showing where the haggadah ended up and how it ended up there. It was definitely part of the history of the book and I think I would have noticed the void if Brooks ended the story without resolving the dilemma that Hanna found herself in when she knew in her heart that the haggadah was fake, by the evidence that she felt with her fingers before leaving. If we look at each individual story of the haggadah's history, it contained the story of the people involved, and the explanation of the artistry that each participant provided. Hanna's story provided the same history. She was the artist that completed the final work on the haggadah,and her situation was part of the history in the same way that each person, Lola, Zahra, Ruti, Vistorini and Judah, Mittl and Hirschfeldt contributed to the book over the years of its journey. Hanna's story started the book and it ended the book by resolving the haggadah's fate. It has been a pleasure reading "The People of the Book" , so I thank you all for your insights and letting me be a part of the group. I have already listened to "The Pillars of the Earth" and loved it, but I will probably skip the group read and dig into my TBR mountain, however, I will keep watching for another book group read with all of you. Happy Holidays to All!MB

Mary Beth- Hooray for finishing! Thanks for the positive comments! If you change your mind about World Without End, we will be starting Jan 15th, keep in mind we all have a tbr mountain to tackle. I'm also planning a G.R. of Midnight's Children starting in March. Take care and hope to see you around!

Mark

Oh, oops, I meant "World Without End" which I also listened to. I highly recommend both of them. I absolutely enjoyed both equally, and I am happy to say that my husband also listened to them with me as we traveled together. He also enjoyed them greatly, and now I have been choosing audio books for him to listen to as he travels to and from work every day. While he is not a reader I feel he really benefits from this. We have been listening to audio books together for years, but this is the first time he has shown enough interest to have his own. He likes thrillers and murder mysteries, and as I said he will listen to my choices which broadens his interests. I think I will be joining you in March for "Midnight's Children, which will be my introduction to Rushdie.

Wonderful thoughts and comments on People of the Book Mary Beth!~! I loved reading every word of your post and it was very enlightening.
Thank you and if I don't see you in January with comments on World Without End, I will see you in March for Midnight's Children. It will be my intro to Rushdie as well. I have attempted a couple of his but never finished one so I think a group read of one will be just the ticket for me.
Have a good one.
belva