Literate Housewives’ Book Club

TEC ~ Week 2; Chapters 7 – 13

I enjoyed my reading for week 2 better than I did for week 1.  When there was dialog or action, the reading went fast.  There was less character development in this installment.  The plot points that we were looking for during week 1 have started to take shape similarly to the way an eye chart does:

• Even though we may seem to have it all together on the outside, we don’t.
• We don’t really always want what we think we want.
• Everyone is converging on New York City (assuming they weren’t already there).

I think the character that I’m most interested in at this point is Bootie.  I don’t know why, other than that I just have to root for someone who tries to make his own way.

TEC ~ Week 1; Chapters 1 – 6

With the exception of “Car Talk,” I tend to find NPR on the stuffy, if not stuck up, side.  I never listened to it until I moved to Virginia.  My husband listens to the news and “Fresh Air” on an almost daily basis.  Over the years, as my politics has moved toward the center, I’ve not minded listening to the news programs as much.  I still feel like it is aimed at the upper crust despite and/or over educated being called our nation’s public radio.  It is from this source that I first heard of The Emperor’s Children.  After reading the first six chapters, I’m beginning to think that my instincts are correct.  I’m crossing my fingers that b*babbler’s enjoying this one!

When I first began reading, I couldn’t really concentrate.  This is most definitely attributed to the double eye infection I was developing.  Still, Claire Messud’s writing style is frankly hard for me to follow.  I’m not used to having to reread sentences so often.  To me, they are choppy and needlessly lengthy.  I have started scanning pages, anxiously counting the number of paired em dashes.  I have nothing against the em dash, either.  I just don’t like the way that Messud has been using them.

I’m going to cut this book some slack, though.  This is only the beginning of the book and she had her main characters to introduce.  I can’t say that I like any of them other than Danielle – I think.  That being said, I could completely relate with Marina’s home alone paranoia.  I can just think about the theme music to “Unsolved Mysteries” and freak myself out.  I would have called my token single, gam male friend over myself.  Perhaps as the story picks up the em dashes will work…

Your thoughts?