Claire of the Sea Light – April CC Book Club Selection

[Mary13]

<p>

@ignatius

A defining moment does not have to be one like Flore’s … though maybe Louise’s program only showcases those.

</p>

<p>My sense is that Louise’s program consistently leans toward sensationalism, which is one of the reasons Max Ardin Senior loathes it so much. However, you made me think of something – I remember reading an article about Jerry Springer’s show, which was defended by supporters as being a modern morality play. The audience—sort of a Greek chorus—booed the Bad and applauded the Good, educating viewers in the process.</p>

<p>I couldn’t find the exact article, but here’s the abstract of an academic paper that makes the same point: <a href=“http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07393180216563#preview”>http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07393180216563#preview&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[ignatius]

<p>So … Louise as Jerry Springer though with less verbal and physical aggression. I can see that. One sentence in particular from the abstract addresses the blurred lines of Louise’s show: “the villains publicly punished for their transgressions to mark and reinforce moral boundaries.” I think Flore feels empowered after speaking out. It may not be the way we would handle it but we’re not in Ville Rose, Haiti. Remember that rape (re Danticat interview) has only been made illegal in Haiti in the last ten years. Still it would have been that moral boundary that most know shouldn’t be crossed. As bad as it is for the Ardins to hear, Max Junior did rape Flore and she more or less is told to leave when the rape leads to pregnancy. I think we ascribe leniency to Max Junior because Danticat makes us care about him. While listening to Louise’s program caused embarrassment and pain for Max Senior and Junior, maybe … just maybe … that’s the only outlet for her pain that Flore has. Still Louise can be held accountable because she chooses to air Flore’s story out of a personal vendetta. Would she have made a different choice if she and Max Senior were still together? (I don’t like to think about Louise. There’s nothing about her that I like. And her affliction is too symbolic for comfort.) </p>

<p>I think Max Senior is upset by the radio program, but Max Junior is upset with life. Max Junior looks at what he did to Flore and the results … Pamaxime … and sees only the “terrible” "imperfect parts of himself. At that moment in time he can’t live with himself. </p>

[SouthJerseyChessMom]

<p>^^^^ Ignatius agree with you </p>

[Mary13]

<p>

@ignatius

It may not be the way we would handle it but we’re not in Ville Rose, Haiti. Remember that rape (re Danticat interview) has only been made illegal in Haiti in the last ten years.

</p>

<p>Haiti’s rape culture comes through clearly in Claire’s monologue, when she thinks about what might happen if she wanders into a dangerous area of town: </p>

<p>

…a girl who went into a place like that might not come out the same…There had been a girl in school like that, who’d had someone put his hands over her mouth, someone who had made her bleed between her legs. The girl had to leave school after that. (p. 214)

</p>

<p>There’s no justice there—the raped girl is shamed. I wonder if one of the reasons Flore needs to disappear after the program is because of the strong cultural bias against the victim. Flore may temporarily feel empowered through speaking, but the wave of public opinion could turn against her, given the backward thinking on this particular subject.</p>

[Mary13]

<p>We’ve covered most of the key points and talked about the major characters – except the sea itself (herself?).</p>

<p>

4. The sea both opens and closes the book, offering powerful images of its destructive and restorative force: the fisherman Caleb is drowned at the book’s beginning when “a wall of water rise(s) from the depths of the ocean, a giant blue-green tongue” (3), and at the book’s end, Max Junior is spat back from the sea that had “taken [him] this morning” (237). What roles does the sea play in the fates of all the characters in the book? What other myths, stories, and fables come to your mind by this book’s evocation of water?

</p>

<p>I don’t know a lot of myths, stories or fables about the sea, but I think the idea of a sea goddess is cross-cultural. In Claire of the Sea Light, it is Lasirèn:</p>

<p>

With an angelic face like a bronzed Lady of Charity, Lasirèn was, it was believed, the last thing most fisherman saw before they died at sea, her arms the first thing they slipped into, even before their bodies hit the water. (p. 34)

</p>

<p>As with many other mythical gods and goddesses, Lasirèn has menace mixed in with her beauty: “Lasirèn…made her presence known by swelling a wave several feet, whenever she craved human company” (p. 198).</p>

<p>In Greek mythology, Thassala is the goddess of the sea: “In the fables of Aesop, Thalassa appears as a woman formed of sea water rising up from her native element…[She] was depicted in Roman-era mosaics as a woman half submerged in the sea, with crab-claw horns, clothed in bands of seaweed, and holding a ship’s oar." <a href=“THALASSA - Greek Primordial Goddess of the Sea (Roman Mare)”>http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Thalassa.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In Inuit mythology, the goddess of the sea is Sedna, whose “companions are the seals, and the whales that sit with her at the bottom on the ocean. Her anger and fury against man is what drums up the violent seas and storms.” <a href=“http://www.hvgb.net/~sedna/story.html”>http://www.hvgb.net/~sedna/story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[ignatius]

<p>Claire always chooses to sing the same song when playing with the other children and when not.</p>

<p>

Lasiren, Labalen
Chapo m tonbe nan lanme
Lasiren, The Whale
My hat fell into the sea</p>

<p>It was a fisherman’s song. Although the melody was cheerful, the words were sad. You never got back things that fell into the sea.</p>

<p>[…]</p>

<p>And maybe if she sang this song all the time it would keep bad things from happening and it would keep her father from leaving, and if he stayed, from dying in this sea.

</p>

<p>For me, the first chapter and the last chapter (from Claire’s perspective) make the sea come alive … a character in its own right. Nozias has memories both good and bad that ground his thoughts of the sea. He remembers his wife swimming in the sea. He depends on the sea for his livelihood. He fears the sea will make Claire an orphan. Claire’s thoughts seem more random, whimsical. She’s picked up on the magic (good and bad) of the sea. Someone posted earlier that the author did a good job of capturing Claire as a child of seven. I agree. </p>

[Mary13]

<p>One final thought on Claire of the Sea Light: I underlined a sentence early in the book because it seemed somehow significant, although at the time, I didn’t know why. Nozias has just witnessed Rose’s death, which makes him think about an earlier disaster when over 100 children were killed in a school collapse, which profoundly affected many people. Then his thoughts travel back to Gaëlle: “The day of the motto taxi accident, though, the fabric vendor was the sole owner of that tragedy” (p. 15).</p>

<p>mathmom’s comment about the story’s interconnections made me realize that Nozias is wrong. Gaëlle is not the sole owner of that tragedy – nor is that the case for any tragedy in the book. Laurent’s death ultimately leads to Bernard’s murder…Bernard’s murder is part of Max’s despair…Claire’s death affects Nozias, young Claire, Albert, Gaëlle, and really the entire town, as they have lost their compassionate dresser of the dead.</p>

<p>My point is, there is no such thing as the “sole owner” of a tragedy. There is always a ripple effect. </p>

<p>For those interested in sea light (bioluminescence):<br>
<a href=“http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/501/cache/glowing-waves-bioluminescent-ocean-life-explained-scintillans_50152_600x450.jpg”>http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/501/cache/glowing-waves-bioluminescent-ocean-life-explained-scintillans_50152_600x450.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://cdn.fiboni.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/vadho-island-sea-star02.jpg”>http://cdn.fiboni.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/vadho-island-sea-star02.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>“Surrounding her was a dazzling glow. It was as though her patch of the sea were being lit from below” (p. 33).</p>

<p>I’m ready when you are…Let’s pick our next selection.</p>

[NJTheatreMOM]

<p>I have Tessa Hadley’s new novel, Clever Girl on my to-read list. It might be a good book club selection. I’ve not yet read a novel by Hadley, but I have read short stories by her in the New Yorker and liked them a lot.</p>

<p><a href=“Tessa Hadley’s ‘Clever Girl’ - The New York Times”>Tessa Hadley’s ‘Clever Girl’ - The New York Times;

<p><a href=“'Clever Girl': A voluptuously written, vivid tale of history and a girl's life”>'Clever Girl': A voluptuously written, vivid tale of history and a girl's life;

[mathmom]

<p>I’m always happy to read classic novels by people who are famous but I haven’t read. A long list which I am too embarrassed to post! I am always happy to see what other people suggest.</p>

[NJTheatreMOM]

<p>There are a lot of classic novels I haven’t read and would like to also, mathmom. I recently came across an interesting list based on the book “1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.” There are actually more than 1001 books on it. I’ve read about a hundred of them. Many of them I’ve never even heard of.</p>

<p><a href=“1001 List << 1morechapter.com”>http://www.1morechapter.com/projects/1001-list/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[mathmom]

<p>I’d be happy to just read more of the 100 list from the BBC. There’s even a few classic sci fi books I’ve missed. :D</p>

[ignatius]

<p>^^^ Surely not mathmom</p>

<p>SJCM first posted about Elaine Newton’s Critic’s Choice Summer Reading List a couple years ago. Well, the 2014 came out today. Timely, yes? Click on the list to enlarge:</p>

<p><a href=“Elaine Newton- Critic’s Choice Summer Reading List 2014-Artis-Naples | Maurice on Books”>http://mauriceonbooks.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2014/04/10/elaine-newton-critics-choice-summer-reading-list-2014-artis-naples/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I’ve read three of her choices (The Luminaries :), Night Film, The Rosie Project). I am on a wait list at the library for two of the books: The Orphan Train and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and am debating Frog Music. Thought the list might be of interest as we consider our next book.</p>

<p>Also, I tried to come up with some titles under 200 pages because so many have a busy May with graduations, empty nests filling, helping with moves in general. (I should have an easy May for the first time in a number of years as all mine are settled for the time being.) </p>

<p>I came up with these titles:</p>

<p>The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Voted Best Fantasy 2013 - Goodreads Choice Awards 2013</p>

<p>The Housekeeper and the Professor - My library book club will be reading this one as May is Asian Pacific American Heritage month and the librarian likes to choose something with that in mind.</p>

<p>The Member of the Wedding - It seems there are wedding threads on CC now.</p>

[Mary13]

<p>I’ve read The Housekeeper and the Professsor, but anything else that’s been suggested is fine with me.</p>

<p>Here is the BBC list mathmom referred to: <a href=“http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/15/bbcs-top-100-books-need-read-die/”>http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/15/bbcs-top-100-books-need-read-die/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I’m also open to a classic. Like ignatius, I think a short-ish book might be good for May. <a href=“These Amazing Classic Books Are So Short You Have No Excuse Not To Read Them | HuffPost Entertainment”>HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost;

<p><a href=“Recent Activity | The Seattle Public Library | BiblioCommons”>Recent Activity | The Seattle Public Library | BiblioCommons;

<p>I have a couple of classics on my shelves that I’ve been intending to read in tandem some day (because of the compare/contrast opportunities): The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (160 pp.) and Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton (64 pp.). </p>

[SouthJerseyChessMom]

<p>Ignatius, well, didn’t Elaine Newton Post her list at the right time. Usually, she indicates the books she may discuss, but I couldn’t find that information on the list.</p>

<p>I, like many of you lurkers, enjoy the book selection process, and find so many gems this way.</p>

<p>Clever Girls , looks fine. The Professor and. The housekeeper, looks interesting, but not if it’s loaded with math, and doesn’t lend itself to discussion. Mary read it and didn’t endorse it, and I totally trust our guru.</p>

<p>**The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, **is well reviewed, and might be perfect May reading. The topic looks perfect.</p>

<p>I’ve been enriched by many of the classics we’ve selected, as ** Mathmom **mentioned.</p>

<p>I am not suggesting **The Goldfinch **due to its length, but I just started reading after friend highly recommended it!</p>

<p>Also, I recently read Dan Harris’s ( abc newscaster) new book “** 10% Happier How I Tamed the Voice in My Head Reduced Stress with Losing My Edge and Found Self Help that Actually Works- a True Story” **
I enjoyed this book, and yes, I’m meditating again, It’s straight forward, and not one I’m suggesting for discussion,.</p>

<p>I hope the next selection has wide appeal, and entices those " lurkers". </p>

[ignatius]

<p>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - on the BBC list - is only 226 pages. I came close to putting it on my list of “short” books. Pair it with The Hound of the Baskervilles on the short classics list and you have a nice short duo.</p>

<p>I also like the “school duet” suggested by Mary. ^:)^ (Remove The Housekeeper and the Professor as having been read by our intrepid leader.) </p>

<p>The Storied Life of AJ Fikry is only 272 (or less) pages and just published April 1, so may appeal for that reason. Really highly rated on Goodreads - 4.22 with over 1000 reviews. (It looks to be free right now if you have a Nook so whether it’s chosen or not, you may want to look into it.)</p>

<p>No problem with anything mentioned so far. </p>

[NJTheatreMOM]

<p>I have never read Camus’ *The Stranger<a href=“or%20any%20Camus”>/i</a>, through I’ve always intended to. I didn’t realize it was so short…really I have no excuse!</p>

<p>The Storied Life of AJ Fikry looks like it might be pretty good.</p>

<p>I read Jean Brodie not that long ago.</p>

[mathmom]

<p>I’ve actually read both Miss Brodie and* Mr. Chips*. Where I really fall down is on the Americans - Roth, Updike, Cheever, Heller - basically the classics of my parent’s generation. I had to read Camus in French - didn’t like The Stranger, but love The Plague. I’ve been sort of curious about Peter Matthiessen, my parents had a copy of The Tree where Man was Born, but I had no idea he wrote novels as well.</p>

<p>The Storied Life of AJ Fikry looks like it might provide fun discussion.</p>

[NJTheatreMOM]

<p>I’ve tried Roth, and I tried reading Catch 22, and just couldn’t get into them for some reason. I like Updike and Cheever, though.</p>

[Mary13]

<p>

@SouthJerseyChessMom

The Professor and The housekeeper, looks interesting, but not if it’s loaded with math, and doesn’t lend itself to discussion. Mary read it and didn’t endorse it

</p>

<p>Darn, I was trying to be subtle 8-|. ignatius, I’ll be curious to hear what you think of it.</p>

<p>Eliminating books that have been rejected and/or already read by someone, we have:</p>

<p>Clever Girl by Tessa Hadley
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
The Storied Life of A.K. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (duet)
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers</p>

<p>I’m good with any of the above. My only comment would be that if we did the duet, I would be interested in having us consider pairing The Hound of the Baskervilles with The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. But maybe too many of you have already read that? We suggested that duet a couple of years ago when the Horowitz book was new, so may have now missed the boat on that.</p>

<p>Should any of the above titles be eliminated? (NJTheatreMOM, don’t hold back. ;;))</p>

[ignatius]

<p>Sure doesn’t make me anticipate reading The Housekeeper and the Professor as I too trust your judgement. (It wasn’t my choice and the particular librarian who suggested it for the group also recommended Swamplandia!. I’ve never trusted her since.) Oh well. Maybe I just won’t go in May. And I’m disappointed that so many have read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Oh, well again. On my own, I guess.</p>

<p>I like your pairing of The Hound of the Baskervilles with The House of Silk, which I still haven’t read. Can I suggest we table that till later and stick with somewhat shorter in May? Together the two books are a goodly number of pages and May tends to be a busy time for most.</p>

<p>No vetoes here. The Orphan Train is longest but it’s only at the 300 page mark, so not bad. I think Caraid suggested it a time or two ago.</p>