Follow Your Heart, by Susanna Tamaro
Witnessing another spectacular sunset as its rays splayed out from under the lone long cloud and lit the Pania, book club members gathered in the warm contemporary atmosphere in Tiglio Basso. Continuing to perfect the combined recipe of serious dining and serious literature discussion, we lit into both with gusto.
Follow Your Heart is an epistolary novel of a grandmother's musings as she lives out the late years of her life left alone after suicide, accidental and natural death, and abandonment by the granddaughter she'd raised.
The book resonated strongly with readers who had experienced similar tragedies and or its more poignant circumstances. Otherwise many felt it was irritating and didn't follow a preconceived predictable pattern.
Kerry read it as philosophical musings on an imperfect life, at times spun out of control, but lived to the best of the main character's knowledge and circumstances. Isobel also enjoyed it without over analysing it, and found it interesting with personal associations. Margaret thought it was extremely irritating, saccarine, overly sentimental, contrived, trendy, and overly metaphorical and objected to an extremely bigoted young catholic writing as an 80 year old woman. Boo found it depressing, written through self gratification and misery. Cynthia found it a reflection on one's life with parallels to her own life and experience, a bit whiny and preachy but made her want to speak to her own grandchildren now. She also appreciated its references to Greek and Roman literature. Anne found it an annoying and lost respect for the protagonist's life's choices lost. Bill also found it annoying, martyrlike, full of cliches and crappy metaphors. Helen didn't feel it came across as an Italian novel in the translation, but that the protagonist didn't learn the lessons she might have and didn't take what she should have from her life.
Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed.
The next meetings are as follows:
May 18 The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, at Pietro and Marijke's
June 15 The Writing on My Forehead, Nafisa Haji, at Bill and Cynthia's
July at Janet and Elliot's, Doctor Thorne, Anthony Trollope
August or September, The Miniturist, Jessie Burton
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)