This is a tough section of the book for Denny; and when his will is really tested. Eve’s passing happens so quietly—were you prepared for it? I have to admit I still got choked up even though I knew it was coming.
The other big plot event was the beginning of the custody battle with the Twins. I wasn’t surprised—it was obvious that’s what they were trying to do from the moment Eve’s sickness came to light. And I sensed that something with the cousin was going to come back to haunt Denny, but I can’t believe how far they took it. I do feel like Enzo gets a little lost in this section, because the story does need to move on, so I was missing his wit just a little bit. But there continued to be some great nuggets of wisdom. Do you agree?
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Hello, book clubbers: Remember: Voting for December concludes this Sunday, November 22. Perhaps in honor of our next moderator, Senior Food Editor Lygeia Grace, the books that are currently in the lead are by a foodie (Julia Child) or at least have food in the title (as dubious as potato peel pie sounds). Here again are your choices: The Ten-Year Nap, by Meg Wolitzer Wolitzer sets her novel about women grappling with careers and full-time motherhood—and the conflicts that come from trading one for the other—in upper-middle-class Manhattan. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows The charming epistolary novel, a strong contender earlier this year, returns at the suggestion of several club members who named it a favorite. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith This campy mash-up of genres reenvisions Austen’s beloved novel of manners, in which...
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I’m so pleased you all love this book as much as I do. And thank you for your keen insights—the book delivers so many thought-provoking sentiments in a short number of pages, it’s wonderful to hear everyone’s interpretations and reactions.
Brenda: I love what you brought up about reflection. I do think Stein reveals the deaths in the first chapter and writes from Enzo’s point of view so we can truly reflect on what all these events mean rather than get caught up in the plot details. Which leads me to this big question:
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Hello, book clubbers: We’d really like to know: Is there an author you love? Are you a devoted fan of Janet Evanovich or Alexander McCall Smith? Do you anxiously await the release of a new novel by Jhumpa Lahiri or Jonathan Safran Foer? Or maybe you’re more the type to devour the prose of literary giants like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Tom Wolfe. Post an answer below—with the name of your favorite author and the book that got you hooked on his or her writing—and it could land in the pages of an upcoming issue of Real Simple magazine.
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Hello, book clubbers: With Senior Food Editor Lygeia Grace set to lead the book discussion in December, perhaps it’s not surprising that one of the choices is the delightful Julia Child memoir My Life in France. Read on for your other choices—and be sure to make your pick by Sunday, November 22. The Ten-Year Nap, by Meg Wolitzer Wolitzer sets her novel about women grappling with careers and full-time motherhood—and the conflicts that come from trading one for the other—in upper-middle-class Manhattan. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows The charming epistolary novel, a strong contender earlier this year, returns at the suggestion of several club members who named it a favorite. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith The campy mash-up of genres reenvisions Austen’s beloved novel of manners, in which Hertfordshire is populated with genteel country...
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Hello, book clubbers: There was a lot of discussion about the perceived themes of the book: gates and stairs and death and...snakes. And readers were curious about author Lorrie Moore’s writing process. Discussion leader Gary Ryan even wondered to what extent Moore embroiders her writing with themes once she has written a first draft, to which Moore replied: “To some extent. That is, one often discovers metaphors and motifs after reading what one has initially written. Then one can remove, emphasize, or refine them.” Read on for more answers to a selection of your questions. Question for the author: Does Tassie's costume at the farm have any additional meaning other than her desire to escape/fly from her life? Posted by: VaniSan| Monday, November 02, 2009 at 01:50 PM Though it is actually literally useful for chasing rodents out of lettuces, I suppose her get-up also emphasizes her eccentricity and isolation....
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And we’re off – it was so difficult to put this book down. I was completely riveted and sped through the first few chapters. But before I get ahead of myself, I first want to thank you for sharing your amazing pet stories. I had quite a few good laughs – from farting dogs to oversized lap dogs. You can’t help but smile reading all of them.
Now, let’s talk about Chapter 1. From the first sentence, I got emotional reading this book written from Enzo’s point of view. It just made me think about what my dog Lucy must be thinking all day long and how I wish I could understand her better. It definitely brought tears to my eye, in a wistful kind of way.
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While I knew something was up in the Thornwood-Brink house, I was completely floored by the story of Gabriel. I have been both the passenger and the driver in cars that have been pulled off the road due to a child’s unruly behavior, but leaving him? What?!? I could not believe that John/Edward drove away and that Susan/Sarah didn’t open the door and get out, even if the car was moving. I am still dumbfounded when I reread this passage, and want to know, did Moore make this up out of whole cloth or did she actually hear of such an incident in real life? As a parent, I cannot stomach John/Edward’s actions and reaction and just think he is the devil incarnate. A wave of sad understanding (briefly) washed over me for Sarah, because now I understand she is just crazy—crazy with guilt and regret. Witness to and responsible...
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Hi, everyone! Welcome to the next installment of the No-Obligation Book Club. I’m Kathleen Murray Harris, an executive editor for RealSimple.com (which you all love so much, right?). You can also catch me blogging about food for Simply Stated.
You actually already know a bit about me; the four books I proposed for the November book club clue you in to a few of my favorite things:
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Hello, book clubbers: Valentine’s Day being all about romance, we’d love to know for the February issue of Real Simple: What’s your favorite love story? Were you enthralled with the passionate affair between Almasy and Katherine Clifton in Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient? Did your heart break when Romeo and Juliet fell victim to their star-crossed love? Tell us below: Post the title and author, and little bit about why you were so touched by the love story, and your answer may appear in an upcoming issue of Real Simple magazine.
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The Art of Racing in the Rain took off from the start as if, well, it were in a race to the finish line, winning the November poll handily. RealSimple.com Executive Editor Kathleen Murray Harris will lead the discussion of Garth Stein’s sweet, funny, offbeat novel, and she‘ll introduce herself and talk a little bit about the book later this week. Join her!
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For me, Chapter 4 was all about Tassie and men. She has multiple awkward encounters with Edward. She meets and falls in love with Reynaldo. Edward is downright creepy, from him staring at her while she cradles Mary Emma bare-breasted (ok, this is weird in my book: that Sarah would recommend it, and that Tassie would oblige) to his repeatedly leering at her (“His eyes were trying to do something with mine, but I wasn’t sure what. He seemed too old for our eyes to be doing anything”). Tassie’s alarm bells go off when Edward is near. She knows to keep her distance. The moth in the microwave incident confirms for her that something is really amiss with him: “The penchant for torture, in the guise of curiosity, was the same sick experimentation of certain doctors, bored boys, of lunatics, and it was in Edward, too.” The hairs on the...
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Hello, book clubbers: Well, we just got some news: Unfortunately, Audrey Niffenegger will not be able to participate in our Q&A. She is currently promoting her new book, and though initially she thought she would be able to fit in answering the club’s questions, that has proved to be a challenge. We’re so sorry to disappoint you. But in the good-news department, it does look as though Lorrie Moore is onboard to discuss A Gate at the Stairs when reading concludes, so keep thinking about questions you would like to ask her.
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Hello, book clubbers: So what’s on your reading list in November? You get to pick the book! Your choices: two works of fiction (one narrated by a dog; yes, you read that right) and two works of nonfiction (including a reporter’s account of giving up her middle-class life to explore the true cost of low-wage living). Vote for your choice by Sunday, October 25. Click here to place your vote.
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Hi, everyone: Chapter 3 is jam-packed. More Sarah oddities. The introduction of Edward and his hair cape. Their marriage and Tassie’s assessment of it. Baby Mary. Roberta and the Adoption Option. I’ll share with you what really stood out for me in this chapter, and I would love to hear the same from you. I took note of: 1. Moore’s mentioning of stairs and gates. “Gate two, upstairs” (page 77) at the airport. Sarah’s running the wrong way up the escalator stairs. The front gate at Sarah and Edward’s house with the broken lock. Did you notice this as well? What do you think the gate and stairs signify? 2. How visual Moore is in her descriptions. I can see Sarah, Edward, Roberta, Bonnie, baby Mary in my mind’s eye. I really like how she paints pictures of both the tangible and the intangible. She references color often in these...
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Call me Ishmael. This sentence is forever part of my high-school memories. Mrs. Masterson spent at least a week (or so it felt) teaching us the importance of Herman Melville’s opening sentence from his novel Moby-Dick. I was catapulted back to 10th grade when I read the opening sentence of A Gate at the Stairs, “The cold came late that fall and the songbirds were caught off guard.” From this point on, a general sense of foreboding came over me as I read on and began to know the book’s lead character, Tassie Keltjin. I found Moore’s weaving together of the story of the stranded and doomed birds with her introduction of Tassie unsettling, making me start to wonder what was in store for our protagonist. I also began to look for more animal-rooted metaphors that could illuminate human relationships in the story. The scene in the first two chapters...
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Hard to believe, but it’s time to pick your November book. RealSimple.com Executive Editor Kathleen Murray Harris will lead the discussion of the winner of the four books below: two works of fiction (both favorites of club members), two works of nonfiction, and—all told—four works of note. Vote for your choice by Sunday, October 25! The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein A sweet, funny, sad, and wise view of one family, poignantly narrated by their most steadfast friend: their dog. Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson Through quiet, artful prose, an award-winning Norwegian author tells the tale of a widower who finds himself reflecting on loss. The Blind Side, by Michael Lewis The author of Liar’s Poker follows the path of a young homeless man to college football, while exposing the intricacies of the game. A heart-wrenching, uplifting true story. Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich...
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Hey, everyone: I’m Gary Ryan, and I will be hosting this month’s edition of Real Simple’s No-Obligation Book Club. Two things: First, I’m a woman despite the boy’s name, which happens to be my middle name AND my mother’s name (my first name is Mina—also my mother’s—but I’ve been called Gary from day one). Second, I think I’m one of the first noneditorial members of the Real Simple staff to host this book discussion. I am thrilled. I love books, particularly modern fiction. I can’t walk into a bookstore without at least two new books in my possession when I leave. Some of them sit for years on my bookshelf or bedside table before I finally read them, and then usually I wonder what took me so long. Given the fact that these book stacks have been growing rather than shrinking recently, I’ve refrained from entering bookstores. So thanks for...
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Hi, everyone: Great news! Audrey Niffenegger has graciously agreed to answer our questions about The Time Traveler's Wife. Please post your queries here: any outstanding puzzles about the book, the motivation of the characters, her writing process, how she came up with the idea, or even more personal fare like how she became a writer—all questions welcome. We will send a selection to Ms. Niffenegger and post her responses here very soon. And so, to the end of The Time Traveler's Wife. I thought the very final scenes—the death of Henry, his reappearance to Clare, were very cinematic! But I was so sad for Clare that he visited her daughter and not her, until the very last. That’s not really explained. I’m sure their daughter needed a lot of help learning to cope with what her life was going to bring, but still... And actually, I would love to have...
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Dear Real Simple readers: Thank you for taking the time not only to read The Help, but to think about the conflict, the characters and the writing process. Since The Help was released in February 2009, I've answered a great deal of questions about the story. Certainly more than I ever anticipated. Before it was published, I was told this would be a two or three city tour, and I didn't suspect anyone outside The South (or even my immediate family) would read it. Generally, I'm asked the same questions from readers, which is fine. That way I can draw from the answers that I've already crafted. But I was surprised by the questions your editor sent. Four out of five of these are new to me and I found that refreshing. So I'd like to thank you not only for thinking about The Help, but for making me think...
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Hello, book clubbers: You may be wondering why we’ve recently started posting these questions to you. So here’s the exciting news: Beginning with the November issue, our book club will have a page in each issue of Real Simple that will feature, among other things, a selection of your answers. (We’ve also been posting the questions on Facebook and Twitter.) We hope you’ll keep them coming: They’ve been just great. This time we would like to know: Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Post the character’s name, along with the book's title and author, and tell us a little bit about why he or she is your favorite. Your answer may appear in an upcoming issue of Real Simple. Thanks, and cheers!
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Hello, book clubbers: The race was a tight one at the start, with one book or another leading by just a vote or two. But midway through, something happened: Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs took the lead and won decisively. Gary Ryan, Real Simple’s executive director of brand development and strategy, will be leading the discussion of the book, so she’ll be back here later this week to introduce it and herself. Please join her.
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Many of you who participate in the No-Obligation Book Club have opted to receive each new post via email. This is a great option for keeping track of the updates from the Real Simple staffers who lead the discussion because you can follow along without having to leave your inbox. However there is a downside: you can't see the great comments that are left by your fellow Club members, and when you reply to the email your own comments are delivered only to those of us who follow the Club's email inbox. Recenty we've received several emails in that inbox in which Club members have asked us how to be more involved with the discussion. It seems likely that there are others who have similar questions but haven't yet asked, so we thought we'd give a very brief explanation for the benefit of all. We're always pleased to receive your...
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Don’t forget: The poll closes this Sunday, September 27, so pick your favorite of the four choices here, if you haven’t yet cast your vote. And if you have a book you’d like to suggest for an upcoming poll, we’d love to know what it is—just post the title below. The Hour I First Believed, by Wally Lamb A family grapples with the realities of life following the Columbine tragedy in Lamb’s complex story of a search for meaning. A Gate at the Stairs, by Lorrie Moore Moore’s long-awaited return to fiction is a darkly wry coming-of-age tale of a college student who learns more than she had bargained for when she’s hired as a nanny. Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner Pulitzer Prize winner Stegner’s classic is a meditation on the bonds, strains, triumphs, and sadness of long-term friendship, here forged between two young couples during the Depression. Three...
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Hi, everyone: Thanks for the great discussion about whether or not you actually like Henry. Please feel free to continue it below. In the meantime, let’s also have a chat about the rest of what happened from pages 200 to 400...which raises a couple more interesting questions. First up, what did you make of the Baby Punks? Early on in this section, Henry gets into a conversation about punk music with a couple of “Baby Punks” at a party. And he poses a question something along the lines of: Why do 14-year-olds express rebellion by embracing the fashion, the music—an entire movement—from long before they were even born? Why, indeed? Now, I’m not SO old, but I have to admit, I do think the same thing every time I see a 14-year-old with a green Mohawk, Goth makeup (yes, I know that’s mixing styles, but do they?), and multiple piercings....
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Hi, everyone: I had a bunch of observations about pages 200 to 400 that I was going to write about. And I'll get to them in another post. (Everything from the discussion of punk to the whole attempt to have a baby!) But I am distracted by this one big question and I want to get your take on it... Do you like this guy? I mean, his character is written very sympathetically. But I can't help but feel more than a little like he hoodwinked Clare into becoming his future salvation by appearing to her when she was 6 and setting her life on a predetermined course. Of course, she didn't HAVE to go out with him when she met him at the library. She could have chosen to ditch him after a couple of dates. And saved herself a lot of pain. But by that point he had...
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Hi, everyone: Well, I had a LOT of time to read over the past week, thanks to a lovely, although brief trip to Arizona, which involved a long plane flight in which the kids were pleasantly zombified by cartoons on the in-flight TV. First of all, I have to note that when I said I had read to page 55, I hadn’t read page 55 in its entirety. Which means I hadn’t seen the bit about the two 15-year-old Henrys satisfying their, uh, adolescent curiosity together. And in light of the discussion about naked Henry appearing to little Clare, that might have seemed like a bit of an omission. Perhaps it only stood out because I’m a woman ... but really, fellas? (Don’t answer that.) Anyway, let’s move on. Like some of you, I spent much of the first part of the book utterly distracted by the mechanics of Henry’s...
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Besides falling leaves, what will October bring? Gary Ryan, Real Simple’s executive director of brand development and strategy, offers a choice of two novels by contemporary writers, one classic, and a work of nonfiction that has been singled out by a few readers as an all-time favorite. Vote for your favorite by Sunday, September 27. The Hour I First Believed, by Wally Lamb A family grapples with the realities of life following the Columbine tragedy in Lamb’s complex story of a search for meaning. A Gate at the Stairs, by Lorrie Moore Moore’s long-awaited return to fiction is a darkly wry coming-of-age tale of a college student who learns more than she had bargained for when she’s hired as a nanny. Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner Pulitzer Prize winner Stegner’s classic is a meditation on the bonds, strains, triumphs, and sadness of long-term friendship, here forged between two young...
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Hello again, everyone: Thanks for the lively chatter about the Movie Vs. Book question. Clearly books are the undisputed winner in this crowd. (No surprise there, I guess.) So onto THIS book. I’ve read only the first 55 pages so far, but I’m about to go off on vacation for a few days, so will hopefully have the chance to scoot through much more by the end of the week. I was really drawn in from the start. (In fact, she had me at the J.B. Priestley quote before the prologue: “Clock time is our bank manager . . .”). Love the way we get right into the voices of Clare and Henry with their descriptions of how it all feels for each of them. And the chapter on the first date kind of eases you into it, don’t you think? Because after that, you have to confront the idea...
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Hi, everyone: Well, we finally reached the conclusion, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In the end, the book written by Skeeter, Aibileen, Minny, and the other maids ended up a hit even among those like Hilly who probably would have preferred to see it burned. For the most part, the damage was minimal but the overall impact huge, which I don't know if anyone expected. I was actually happy that Aibileen lost her job. I think that it was a forced freedom that she secretly desired, and as she stated it only proved her point that Hilly would spend the rest of her life fighting to keep a decent name for herself. It was sad to see that even up to the end Elizabeth remained oblivious to the reality of the woman she'd become and we can only hope that Mae Mobley keeps the lessons...
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Hi, everyone: Welcome to the September installment of the No Obligation Book Club. I'm Anne-Marie O'Neill, a deputy editor at Real Simple, and I'm (perhaps a bit disproportionately) thrilled to have an excuse to read your choice, The Time Traveler's Wife, from start to finish this month. You see, my reading fodder this summer has consisted of: 1. Real Simple stories I'm editing. 2. Real Simple stories others have edited. 3. Magazines LIKE Real Simple (got to keep on top of the competitors). 4. How Does a Dinosaur Say Goodnight/Eat His Food/Go to School/Cook a nutritious dinner, get all the laundry done, hold down a job, be nice to its kids and husband and find time for friends. . . (Never mind. That’s me. And a few of you too, no doubt. The first three are part of Jane Yolen’s adorable preschooler’s series.) 5. The New Yorker. (Ok, so usually...
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Whether it’s a classic novel, a memoir, a work of self-help, or a collection of poems, post the book's title and author, and why you think it makes a great gift, and your answer may appear in an upcoming issue of Real Simple magazine.
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It was a tight race from the start, and by the closest margin yet—just two votes!—Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler’s Wife won over I See You Everywhere, by Julia Glass. Later this week, Deputy Editor Anne-Marie O’Neill, our September moderator, will introduce herself and (does it need an introduction?) the wildly popular love story.
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This week things took a turn for the worse for Skeeter. We saw the end of her relationship with Stuart Whitworth and she was practically thrown out of the circle of Jackson, MS socialites. While racial tensions intensify around Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny, it seems to only encourage the other maids to tell Skeeter their stories. A distinguishable divide on race issues also becomes apparent in these chapters. What is interesting to me is how someone like Celia Foote seems to be so oblivious to the color lines. Perhaps it has to do with her upbringing? Despite her domestic disabilities, it doesn’t look like she grew up wealthy or even concerned with the racial divide between blacks and whites. Maybe she did and just decided to be different. Either way, I think her choices, such as her dress choice for The Benefit, says a lot about her overall naïveté to...
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Deputy Editor Anne-Marie O’Neill will be moderating the discussion in September. What book will it be? Make your pick by Sunday, August 30. The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls: In this startling memoir, Walls recalls her nomadic upbringing by wildly eccentric parents without a hint of self-pity. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger: The megahit love story of a time-traveling librarian and his faithful spouse, recently made into a film. I See You Everywhere, by Julia Glass: A sweeping tale of two very different sisters and their lifelong bond, by the National Book Award–winning author of Three Junes. The Scenic Route, by Binnie Kirshenbaum: Love. Family. History. Friendship. It’s all dissected here as divorced 40-something Sylvia indulges in a European holiday romance. Click here to place your vote.
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We covered a lot this week and moved a few steps further in some of the cliff-hangers we left off with last time. Skeeter finally had her date with the senator’s son, and it was a disaster, to say the least. I actually felt really bad for her. I saw that it was all downhill the moment he first looked at her. Minny found her way out of Miss Celia’s bathroom without being shot, and then finally came face to face with Mr. Johnny, in an absolutely laugh-out-loud confrontation. He was surprisingly warm and welcoming toward her (for now, at least). Aibileen (and eventually Minny) agreed to help Skeeter with her book. An entirely different conversation of its own that we can delve into next week. … What struck me from this week’s reading was looking at the relationships between the mothers and their daughters, the idea of having someone...
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I am happy to hear that so many of you are enjoying this book as much as I am. This week I found myself laughing out loud on the subway, and I even missed my stop one day on account of being so engrossed. In Chapters 2 to 6 we are able to see things from the perspective of two new women, Minnie and Miss Skeeter. The contrast in thoughts and views between these two women is as drastic as their complexions.
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Next month’s discussion will be led by Real Simple Deputy Editor Anne-Marie O’Neill, who includes a couple of reader favorites among the choices. Vote for your pick of the following four books by Sunday, August 30. The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls: In this startling memoir, Walls recalls her nomadic upbringing by wildly eccentric parents without a hint of self-pity. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger: The megahit love story of a time-traveling librarian and his faithful spouse, recently made into a film. I See You Everywhere, by Julia Glass: A sweeping tale of two very different sisters and their lifelong bond, by the National Book Award–winning author of Three Junes. The Scenic Route, by Binnie Kirshenbaum: Love. Family. History. Friendship. It’s all dissected here as divorced 40-something Sylvia indulges in a European holiday romance. Click here to place your vote.
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Colson Whitehead, author of the club’s July read, answers questions that ranged from why he paced the book as he did to why he went the semiautobiographical route to what sort of adult life he envisioned for the book’s main character. Q. Why were the kids left so unsupervised? Do you think it was a different time back then? A. I think the book describes a situation of neglect, wouldn’t you say? It was a different time, but it wasn’t quite normal then. Nowadays it’s safe to say Children’s Services would have been brought in, or at least Jerry Springer. Q. Some readers weren’t used to the pacing of the story, that there aren’t really obvious plot points. What was your reasoning behind that? A. I wanted to be true to the essence of summer. Have you been chased by a giant shark? Chased by the KKK? Found a dead...
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Hi, everyone: So what are your initial impressions of The Help? It is taking everything in me to not jump ahead in this book. I am definitely engaged so far. At first it took a few minutes to grasp the language, since it is written in a very southern vernacular, but I actually appreciate the language. I feel as though it immediately transports me back to that time period, the early 1960s. At times as I read it feels as though I’m sitting at the dining room table, watching the scene unfold. In Chapter 1 we are introduced to Aibileen, a black maid who works for the Leefolt family. Within the first 11 pages of the book, a mound of deep-seated racial and ethical issues are brought up, and while we are only seeing a one-sided perspective right now, I am really curious to see where this all leads. While...
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Here is the last post for Sag Harbor. Ann McGinty and VaniSan (and anyone who might have felt similarly), thank you for your comments! I’m genuinely encouraged and grateful that you connected with this novel in your own ways.
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It’s Nykia Spradley here. While I’m not a newbie to Simply Stated, RealSimple.com’s blogs, I’m delving into new territory by hosting this month’s book club.
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Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, a story set in the segregated South of the 1960s, is your August pick. Real Simple editorial assistant and blogger Nykia Spradley will kick things off later this week, when she introduces herself and the book. In the meantime, tell us, what’s the last book you read that you truly loved? Click here to post your answer.
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Hi, everyone: Chapters 5 and 6 have some very sad moments involving families, I think. In Chapter 5, we get more of a look at Benji and Reggie’s parents, who never notice Benji’s swollen eye. The Coopers are a “Cosby family, good on paper.” But this characterization is immediately undermined by their father’s new nickname for Reggie. We see how brutish and mean he can be. He implies that he doesn’t like Benji’s new close haircut. This brief exchange between Benji and his dad reminds Benji of the many haircuts his father gave him. I found this part particularly bittersweet. Benji says, “The sound of the long, thin blades snipping against each other was the sound of his undivided attention.” I couldn’t help but think about how a child would want his or her father’s approval despite his shortcomings. Benji remembers the haircuts being perfect and then explains how he...
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Did the setting trigger a fond memory? Did you feel the author was writing to your innermost thoughts? Let us know here. Below, post the book’s title and author, and tell us why you loved it, and your answer may appear in an upcoming issue of Real Simple magazine.
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I’m glad there were some readers who remembered the New Coke tragedy and found it funny. There are lots of '80s references here and there that I identify with, but to list them all would make these posts even longer! So, in this chapter, I noticed that Benji spends a good amount of time thinking about the families that no longer come out to Sag Harbor because it turned out that the fathers had other families somewhere else. He thinks a lot about which was the Real Family and which was the Other Family. The father was “One man, two houses. Two faces.” He says, “Each house made the other a lie.” Maybe his preoccupation with this has to do with his own family. Being a teenager, Benji spends a lot of time thinking about what’s real and what’s fake, but I don’t think it’s just teenage angst behind this...
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Hi, everyone: Mary, I am sorry to hear that you dislike this book so much. I was hoping readers would find it enjoyable and funny, if not relatable. I, too, am neither male nor black, and I did not grow up going to a summer home, but I can understand Benji’s awkwardness and flubbed attempts to figure out how he fits in with the world. Certain references really make me laugh, like saying, “Dag.” I remember saying that to my friends. I like how Benji describes the use of dag: “Dag was bitter acknowledgment of the brutish machinery of the world.… In the heyday of dag, we accepted our duty to call attention to such moments, taking turns at this minor masochism. It passed the time.” That so much emotion can be invested in one three-letter word of slang is, I think, a testament to good writing. Whereas I think...
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So I think the first chapter nicely sets the tone of Benji’s coming-of-age, which will not play out as a series of plot-driven events, but as a gradual realization of life being different from what it was before. And I think that is pretty much what happens when you find yourself in adolescence.
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Our book discussion in August will be moderated by Real Simple editorial assistant and blogger Nykia Spradley. This month, at the suggestion of club members, we’ve included a choice by Jodi Picoult. (Is there a book you would like the club to read? Add it to the list here .) Vote for your favorite of the following four books by Sunday, July 26: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett: A gripping story about the relationship between several young white women and their black hired help in the 1960s segregated South. The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery: A view of life, privilege, and power, as seen through the eyes of a 54-year old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl. The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Stieg Larsson: Larsson’s thriller follows a journalist who’s attempting to expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden,...
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Hi, fellow readers: My name is Janet, and I’m a copy editor at Real Simple. What copyediting entails is reading every story in each issue at least twice (usually thrice) and making sure every word and/or sentence adheres to the rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation, sense, and style. (I hope you have not come across many mistakes in the magazine. We are a punctilious team in the copyediting department and hate to disappoint.) A common misconception about copy editors (and perhaps even about those who work at Real Simple in general) is that we are natural organizers with immaculate desks and a distaste for clutter. Not me. I am not neat. I make piles. Lots of piles. My apartment looks like the junkyard Earth tidied by Wall-E but in small scale. The mail collects until the one day each month when I locate the letter opener and bushwhack my way...
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