Book Club: LTGWS - Book One discussion

Re: Book Club: LTGWS - Book One discussion

• Eclaire71

  July 2010

  I'll let you know in a few days when I  catch up, lol!

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• MauiWedding08

  July 2010

  done with book one!  but my computer is about to die... will be back tomorrow 
  

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• MauiWedding08

  July 2010

  SanHawaii08:

  [poll]

  Here are some potential discussion questions (borrowed liberally from here) for this week - feel free to answer one, some, or none at all and leave your own thoughts!
  

  1. What were your impressions of the prologue? Was it a good way for McCann to set the tone, the feel of New York City in 1974? I guess I'm kind of slow... it took me a while to really nail down the time frame.  I thought it was a lot more recent for some reason.  After I figured it out it made sense, but I was wondering how the story was going to come back to NY. 
  

  2. What did you think of Corrigan?  Ciaran's relationship with him? I felt sorry for him because I kept feeling like he had an obvious depression/disability, but maybe that is just my consumeristic outlook.  It might be refreshing to not care about worldly possessions and always think the best of people.  But it seemed pained - especially when he first started hanging out with the bums and was just a "poser" so I guess that is why I had trouble believing it started as a really innate personality feature and instead was a mental issue. it was interesting that the author took time explaining his disposition as a child/adolescent.
  

   

  3. "Miro, Miro on the wall" introduces a stylistic shift in the writing.  What do you think was McCann's intent with this shirt? ahhhh, I might have to go back and look at this to better answer.  Looking forward to reading others' thoughts.
  

   

  4. What do you think of Blaine and Lara?  I don't feel sorry for them and would like to see Lara grow as a person.  I think it is interesting that both the projects group and Blaine and Lara are probably "druggies" but the projection of them is so different.  The author is able to distinguish drug addiction based on class.
  

   

  eta: okay, here are a few more general questions - no need to answer them all!  just to get some ideas flowing

  5. Were there any passages/paragraphs that really stood out to you?

  6. Anything you were surprised by?  Any other comments? I was really surprised by the tightrope walker's section.  I didn't not anticipate getting to read that perspective.
  

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• MauiWedding08

  July 2010

  anyone else? 
  

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• SanHawaii08 member

  July 2010

  i finally finished book one today
  

  1. What were your impressions of the prologue? Was it a good way for McCann to set the tone, the feel of New York City in 1974? I liked that the prologue grabbed the reader's attention, but i too, wondered how the story would come back to NY.  i didn't know much about what things were like during that time period, so that was helpful.
  

  2. What did you think of Corrigan?  Ciaran's relationship with him? I didn't "get" him at all, until much later in the chapter, after getting to know him better - i think the author does a good job in making the reader feel empathetic towards him.  ...i think i felt much the same way robbi did, but she articulated it a lot better   i didn't understand ciaran's decision to stay in the bronx though i think i was starting to get it much later.
  

   

  3. "Miro, Miro on the wall" introduces a stylistic shift in the writing.  What do you think was McCann's intent with this shirt? i don't know that i would have consciously noticed this, had i not read this question! but it does help set the tone of the chapter and the frenetic-ness of the narrator's (what was her name?!) state of mind.
  

   

  4. What do you think of Blaine and Lara?  Kind of disgusted and exasperated by them.  They need to grow up   Hopefully Lara does.  Robbi's comment on class was very interesting and insightful. 
  

  5. Were there any passages/paragraphs that really stood out to you?  heh, i threw this question in b/c i feel like there were sentences that are a little beyond my comprehension - maybe i'm too simplistic of a reader .  but there were several passages highlighted by other kindle readers, which i liked b/c it made me stop and think about them a little more. 
  

  6. Anything you were surprised by?  Any other comments? I too, was surprised by the tightrope walker's section!!  i'm looking forward to reading more from his perspective.  still don't really understand why he did what he did.  and who were his friends who helped him? 
  

  
  

  

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