Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Book Club - Discussion (spoilers)
I am so bummed that I didn't get to attend the meeting yesterday. I would have loved to hear everyone's opinion on the book/movie. I would love to have a mini "discussion" here if others are willing.
Here are my two cents:
- I hated the mom, both in the book and in the film. I wanted to have sympathy for it, but all I could muster was disgust for her treatment of Anna. I just don't feel that it's ever a good idea to have a child for the sake of saving another. Every child should be wanted of its own sake.
- In the book, I didn't quite understand the point of the relationship flashbacks between Campbell Alexander and the guardian ad litem (I forget her name). I must have missed the point of that little vignette.
- The biggest conclusion I came to with both the book and the movie was how important I think it is for people to have the right to die with dignity. How it's okay to not be afraid of death. The conclusion was that Kate was done. She didn't want anymore procedures or for Anna to go through any more procedures. Her mom needed to hear that and accept it.
- The book's ending was trite. It's a classic irony twist and it was not at all brave. I thought it was expected and far preferred the movie ending.
Re: Book Club - Discussion (spoilers)
HOORAY! I was so bummed I missed it, too. I'm SO willing! Wait ... I mean .... to discuss the book
I hated the mother. At times, I hated her so much, I only kept reading because I kept waiting for another (a "better" if you will) side of her to be revealed. In the movie, the scene where she is yelling at the husband for taking the girls to the beach ...ohmygod, distgusting. I understand that she was at her wits end, blah blah blah and lost control in front of her kids, but damn. She needed to be the mother and help guide her children through what is most undoubtedly the hardest time of their life. There was never a moment when she was doing that.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't like her. I kept thinking, maybe it's because I don't have children and I just can't relate. The desperation, I get. I just did not find it believable that any mother would handle that situation that way.
I enjoyed the story between the lawyer and the guardian. Her books are very often like that - side stories of other characters are included a lot. I usually feel like I'm waiting for it to tie in and am dissapointed when they don't. However in this book, it was nice to have that little glimmer of a happy ending.
"- The biggest conclusion I came to with both the book and the movie was how important I think it is for people to have the right to die with dignity. How it's okay to not be afraid of death. The conclusion was that Kate was done. She didn't want anymore procedures or for Anna to go through any more procedures. Her mom needed to hear that and accept it." Yes, very good point. I hadn't thought about it that way ... but I tried not to think about this book at all once I was done reading it.
"- The book's ending was trite. It's a classic irony twist and it was not at all brave. I thought it was expected and far preferred the movie ending. " Very well put!
I also enjoyed the brother's side story and was dissapointed they left it out of the movie. Or rather, that his anguish was only briefly addressed in the movie and the "real' character and story line was left out.
I'm always left with a feeling of, "Come on, get to the point ... oh there is not point." When reading her books. MrsAJL's thoughts helps a little, but I think in general I'm not a fan of Jodi Picults books. This was, for some reason, less heartbreaking than other's I've read (don't get me wrong, I cried ... a lot). It was also less captivating than some of the others.
I completely aggree on the ending. We discussed this a bit last night.
I agree with you on the Mom as well. I had a major problem with how she treated Anna and how she lied to her husband about involing her. I also couldn't get past the fact that she basically abandoned Jessie. Even if she never truly bonded with Anna she had with him and she just left him. I know I've never been in that situation and hopefuly never will be but I'd like to think that I would no neglect my other children to this extreme for 14ish years.
-Nobody liked the mom. I asked if anyone had anything positive to say about her and there were crickets. She never wanted Anna and didn't even view Kate as a child either- only a thing to be rescued. She was batshitcrazy with no redeeming qualities.
-There is a comparison at the back of the book comparing the progression of Judge/ his sickness to the other facets of Campbell's life. Something about the development of character... I think DH/ DSS were calling me during that conversation, sorry. (As a side-note, then I freaked out and tried to end the meeting immediately. I make a terrible moderator.
)
-If Anna wouldn't have died at the end, would she have given her kidney? What if she would have and Kate still died? What if Anna died in the process? What if Anna's kidneys wouldn't have been viable? Was Sara even too far gone to have been able to accept the reality?
-I didn't see the movie. Some people liked the book ending, some liked the movie ending. Something about MC thinking someone should have killed someone else. (sorry, I couldn't hear her too well).
Anna is in a car accident with Campbell Alexander. She is in a vegetative state and is legally brain dead. Alexander, acting as her power of attorney or something like that, gives permission for Anna's kidney to be given to save Kate's life. Anna dies and Kate lives and seemingly in good health.
huh. Yep, you're right. Don't like it.