Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - June CC Book Club Selection

[ignatius]

<p>

@Mary13

I have a very nit-picky question:</p>

<p>

Henry looked at his son, then shook his head and clipped another branch. “His mother tell him this.” (p. 83)

</p>

<p>Am I just overtired or does that sentence from Henry sound like English as a Second Language? I thought that the first time I read it, and then again when ignatius posted it above. But Henry is a native English speaker so that wouldn’t make any sense.

</p>

<p>I noticed this also - doubly so when I posted.</p>

<p>

@LasMa

I agree that Ethel was two-dimensional, although Henry’s relationship to her illness was well-developed; the cancer was almost another character. My take is that this was intentional. This was the story of Henry and Keiko, and Ethel was in a sense a 30-year intruder on Henry’s enduring love. He was a good husband to Ethel, and I know how much he loved her by how much he misses her. But after she was gone, I could root for Henry in his pursuit of Keiko (through his pursuit of her possessions and history), precisely because I didn’t know Ethel very well. He was free to follow his heart at last.

</p>

<p>^^^
Perfect. The depiction of Henry and Ethel’s marriage made me somewhat sad for her … despite the fact that Henry loved her and remained a loyal husband. Ethel felt about Henry as he did about Keiko. Henry and Ethel’s marriage existed on “the corner of bitter and sweet.”</p>

<p>

@newccuser

Count me in as one of those who felt the book lost something by having Henry and Keiko reunite in the end. I think that was a forced, Cinderella moment, and that it would have been more natural and more emotionally effective for the book to end with Henry having just accepted his life with Ethel. The broken record would have been a perfect metaphor - of having the physical thing unable to be fixed, but rather the memories being what are truly the important thing.

</p>

<p>

@Mary13

In fact, if I had my druthers, I would edit that awkward final chapter in the apartment. I would keep everything up to and including Henry’s arrival outside the door and the line “Then he knocked.” (p. 283)</p>

<p>And then I’d cut straight to the final sentences. Keiko would open the door after the knock and, with the two of them on either side of the threshold, we’d read:</p>

<p>“They stood there, smiling at each other, like they had done all those years ago, standing on either side of that fence.
‘Oai deki te…’ She paused.
‘Ureshii desu,’ Henry said, softly." (p. 285)</p>

<p>The End. That would leave everything about Keiko to the imagination, which is preferable to the stilted description of how she looked and what belongings she had in her apartment. Unfortunately, Ballantine Books forgot to hire me as an editor.

</p>

<p>I wouldn’t have been unhappy with either of the above endings, but I liked Ford’s ending also. It left many possibilities open: Henry and Keiko may or may not move beyond friendship, but definitely need closure. Who knows they may turn into nothing more than the best of friends … finally allowing Henry to reconcile with all that happened?</p>

[SouthJerseyChessMom]

<p>Amtc, Mary13 is our fearless, dedicated and ‘beloved’ cc book discussion leader.
Every discussion we’ve had has taken us down interesting paths, unexpected at times, and I usually find more to like about the selection. </p>

<p>Newccuser-I agree, I’d place Corner, ahead of Water for Elephants, and Pettigrew on my “like” list. As time passes, and I forget plot line, or character names, there are some book which will resonant longer after I’ve read them. That’s my litmus test and Corner had more substance. </p>

<p>LasMas, your personal reflections and memories of Seattle are what I love about this ‘national or do I say international’ online book discussion. Thanks for those comments. </p>

<p>Mary13 you should be an editor! I like your proposed endings, but no doubt we would have been miserable without some sort of “closure” …these authors just can’t win, can they ?</p>

[Mary13]

<p>Thanks SJCM. I always breathe a sigh of relief when people continue to post after we start a new book. I don’t want the party to end. :)</p>

<p>

@ignatius

Ethel felt about Henry as he did about Keiko. Henry and Ethel’s marriage existed on “the corner of bitter and sweet.”

</p>

<p>It’s probably not an accident that the name Ethel means “noble.”</p>

<p>Henry means “home ruler” and Keiko means “blessing,” and I suspect it would be easy to make the argument that those are on purpose, too.</p>

[ignatius]

<p>^^^</p>

<p>I’m not sure how Jamie Ford chose the names “Henry” and “Keiko” - but the “Ethel” came from his grandmother Ethel, buried at Lakeview Cemetery. (I remembered this from the youtube link posted by SJCM.)</p>

<p>Also:</p>

<p>

As far as inspiration, one taproot that I rarely talk about is my adoptive grandfather, James Eng–one of the finest people I’ve ever known. His relationship to my grandmother was very similar to Henry’s relationship with his own wife–loyal and devoted, despite a lot of history that wasn’t always perfect. Which is probably why I named Henry’s wife Ethel, after my grandmother.

</p>

<p>from this interview with Jamie Ford:</p>

<p>[Suko’s</a> Notebook: An Interview with Author Jamie Ford](<a href=“http://suko95.blogspot.com/2010/02/interview-with-author-jamie-ford.html]Suko’s”>Suko's Notebook: An Interview with Jamie Ford)</p>

<p>As for the CC book discussions - Mary13 et al (I think SJCM and CBBBlinker have participated since the first book) reeled me in slowly - I lurked for a bit - first book club that ever interested me. Like Mary, I don’t want the party to end.</p>

[LasMa]

<p>It seems that many of our readers feel that Hotel and Elephants are terrific books, but with endings that are implausible and unsatisfying. Is it possible that the authors wrote more organic conclusions, only to be overruled by publishers who wanted to attract readers with a “happy” ending? I just wonder, because I left both books with the distinct feeling that the ending was tacked on later, in a hurry.</p>

[ignatius]

<p>^^^</p>

<p>Maybe … but it’s definitely better than having Henry hit by a laundry van and die on his way to Keiko’s apartment … in the last chapter. (Reference to unnamed previous cc book choice :P)</p>

<p>I’ve liked Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand best, Water for Elephants least of this years CC Bookclub choices. I enjoyed the unexpected humor of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.</p>

[bookworm]

<p>First, let me apologize for reading this interesting thread but not posting. I read the book some time ago and forget so much. I am curious why no one mentioned the bullying of the children.</p>

<p>Secondly, 4 years ago my bookclub read The Last Chinese Chef. The author also had a sappy ending. We had arranged to speak with the author during our meeting, and we asked about her choice of ending. She said it was her choice, but the screenwriters asked her permission to alter the ending, not make it so romantic.</p>

[Mary13]

<p>

@ignatius

Maybe … but it’s definitely better than having Henry hit by a laundry van and die on his way to Keiko’s apartment … in the last chapter. (Reference to unnamed previous cc book choice :P)

</p>

<p>Thanks for my laugh for the day!</p>

<p>I have more to post (as always ;)), but am heading into the Internet-free Kentucky woods and am fast losing a signal. Will check in again soon. Carry on! :)</p>

[newccuser]

<p>It’s interesting to hear some of the sentiments of suspecting publishers might have forced Jamie Ford to “sell out” a little. I do agree that the buildup and the background seemed to have been much more focused in their rendering than the messy denouement.</p>

<p>There is a certain mass appeal to this book. Even the fact that the chosen cover for the book is a little bit sappy ;)</p>

<p>Anyways, besides the almost young-adult romance story, I still felt that Ford painted the story well.</p>

<p>IMO - one spot which the book could’ve ended on - was Sheldon’s death? Perhaps, Henry will reconcile his past, bidding farewell to Sheldon as a metaphor to that time of life, and maybe the final epilogue chapter could be a brief description of him watching Marty and Sam’s life together while having a close conversation with his son that he Henry himself could’ve never had with his own father.</p>

[CBBBlinker]

<p>Have been staying up-to-date with the past several pages of posts but not commenting – too busy finishing “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” :)</p>

<p>Good question about how much influence a publisher has on the final version of a book. It does seem as if the vast majority of novels have “happy” endings – I guess that’s what most readers like/expect? And how many authors these days write books with an eye toward having the movie version made? How does that play into what ends up in print?</p>

<p>Anyway, re: the bullying of Henry & Keiko – this also reminded me of “Shanghai Girls.” In both books, the parents were so determined to send their children to the American/white school, believing it would so improve their futures. But either the child was turned away from the school (Shanghai Girls) or they were bullied relentlessly (Hotel). How plausible was it that Henry and Keiko were the only 2 “outsiders” given scholarships to that school – or was that just a detail that made the story better? And was this a private school? At times it seemed as if it was the public school in the white neighborhood – except that Henry talked about “scholarshipping.” Maybe I’m too hung up on small details.</p>

<p>As an aside, H thinks this whole “virtual” book club thing is little odd, but what I like is how the discussion can go on and on as someone thinks of something new, or someone finishes the book later and then adds on. As much as I like my real life Book Clubs and the in-person socializing, the actual discussions last for maybe a couple of hours and then they’re over.</p>

[ignatius]

<p>Let’s see … the bullies: </p>

<p>I find it dubious that Chaz could be as omnipresent as he seems to be: school, neighborhood, train station, Henry’s apartment. Every time Henry leaves the house he runs into Chaz.</p>

<p>Mrs. Beatty slides into “good guy” territory without scraping off a bit of her tough exterior. </p>

<p>Jamie Ford’s thoughts (which I find interesting) re Chaz:</p>

<p>

Looking at the those characters, especially Chaz, I think readers almost feel
sorry for him in a way–because we know that time will prove just how wrong and
ridiculous those prejudices were. His character is born of ignorance and insecurity.
His social shortcomings are sins of omission, rather than sins of commission–he just
doesn’t get it. And to a greater degree, Chaz is really a shadow antagonist–Henry’s
real antagonist is his own father, which is more personal and more painful. In that
light, Chaz is just a bump in the road, compared to the twists and turns that Henry
must navigate at home.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.kartikareview.com/issue6/6jamieford.pdf[/url]”>http://www.kartikareview.com/issue6/6jamieford.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[SouthJerseyChessMom]

<p>^^^ “because we know that time will prove just how wrong and
ridiculous those prejudices were. His character is born of ignorance and insecurity.”</p>

<p>M,m,m,m,m, I don’t recall feeling ANY sympathy for Chaz, the bully at all, and am surprised that Ford thought he’d be a sympathetic character. </p>

<p>Today bullying has taken on a greater significance, and I for one, didn’t feel sorry for him at all.</p>

[ignatius]

<p>^^^</p>

<p>SJCM: Here’s the interview question along with a repeat of Ford’s answer:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>WONG: I’ve noticed that racist characters with other writers often become intolerable to read about, but yours seem to possess a playfulness about them that makes them almost fun, for example, when you describe Denny Brown and Chaz Preston. I loved it because it allowed the love story to proceed without undue distraction. How did you create the racist characters, and why are yours different from the others?</p>

<p>FORD: Looking at the those characters, especially Chaz, I think readers almost feel sorry for him in a way–because we know that time will prove just how wrong and ridiculous those prejudices were. His character is born of ignorance and insecurity. His social shortcomings are sins of omission, rather than sins of commission–he just doesn’t get it. And to a greater degree, Chaz is really a shadow antagonist- Henry’s real antagonist is his own father, which is more personal and more painful. In that light, Chaz is just a bump in the road, compared to the twists and turns that Henry must navigate at home.

</p>

<p>I admit to being taken aback by the interviewer’s descriptive “a playfulness about them that makes them almost fun.” Certainly Henry didn’t view them in such a light. Perhaps the interviewer pictured Henry’s escape down the hill in a wagon in a madcap fashion or Henry scooping “up a heaping spoonful of chicken and gravy, cocking his arm, eyeing Chaz’s bony, apelike forehead” the playful bits. Still, Chaz and the boys were young bullies - and less awareness and recourse for such behavior existed for Henry at that time. I did like how Ford reminds us that Henry’s father as antagonist hurts him so much more as it’s personal and provides him no sanctuary from the outside world.</p>

[ignatius]

<p>

@Mary13

One of the things I liked best about Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was the fact that I could pass it along to both my 89 year old mother and my 13 year old daughter. Our other selections have been great, but more often than not, there are, as the MPAA puts it, “scenes that are too intense for younger (or older ) viewers.”

</p>

<p>I’ve wanted to return to Mary’s original comment ever since I saw Ford mention the following in an interview (already linked):</p>

<p>

I had one agent offer representation but only if I agreed to make Henry and Keiko eighteen, so they could, “Fully explore their relationship”, as this agent put it. I just didn’t want to go there. I wanted to retain a very simple innocence, it was easier and less complicated. It’s not that I couldn’t write a sweatier version of HOTEL, I just didn’t think that approach was warranted. I wanted the love story to be all-consuming, not all consummating.

</p>

<p>I for one am glad that Ford resisted. I liked the depicted innocence of “first love” and think that the whole tenor of the story would have shifted should Ford have provided us with a “sweatier version of HOTEL.”</p>

[Mary13]

<p>

@Mary13

It’s probably not an accident that the name Ethel means “noble.”

</p>

<p>

@ignatius

I’m not sure how Jamie Ford chose the names “Henry” and “Keiko” - but the “Ethel” came from his grandmother Ethel, buried at Lakeview Cemetery.

</p>

<p>LOL…It’s a good thing Jamie Ford didn’t have an Aunt Dolores (“sorrow”) or an Aunt Mary (“bitterness”) to use as a namesake, or who knows what erroneous conclusions I might have jumped to about Henry’s poor wife. :)</p>

<p>

@ignatius

I find it dubious that Chaz could be as omnipresent as he seems to be: school, neighborhood, train station, Henry’s apartment. Every time Henry leaves the house he runs into Chaz.

</p>

<p>Yes, Chaz seemed to be lurking around every corner. In a way, it made him comically one-dimensional, like a cartoon character. Please excuse this very non-literary comparison (I watch too much Family Channel), but Chaz reminded me of Biff from “Back to the Future.” (I warned you it was not going to be a very esoteric allusion.) Chaz and Biff are both cowardly, mean-spirited buffoons who make the young hero’s life miserable for a little while, but in the end, the bullies merely gain lots of weight but not a lick of sense; and they never come close to achieving the same success in life as their former victim. </p>

<p>“Henry wasn’t afraid of him anymore. Chaz looked the way he’d look for the rest of his life, Henry thought, bitter and defeated.” (p. 209)</p>

<p>Henry runs into Chaz later and notes that his former tormentor looks “soft and doughy.” (p. 246)</p>

[Mary13]

<p>Although everyone should feel free to continue to comment on Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the floor is now open for suggestions for our August book.</p>

[SouthJerseyChessMom]

<p>^^^^ I do see that Chaz = Biff- perhaps he will be washing Henry’s car at some point in the future. </p>

<p>Mary13- what books would you like to suggest :)</p>

[Mary13]

<p>I prefer fiction to non-fiction, but beyond that, I’m not too particular. Someone (I think it might have been bookworm) mentioned earlier that fiction lends itself a little better to discussion. Plus, it allows me to let my imagination run away with me during analysis. :)</p>

<p>Also, I have found that during every one of our previous books, I have learned an enormous amount of history. Our fiction choices always lead to non-fiction discussion, from the German occupation of the Channel Islands (Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) to the Velodrome d’Hiver (Sarah’s Key) to the tightrope walk of Philippe Petit (Let the Great World Spin) to Ethiopian unrest at the time of Haile Selassie (Cutting for Stone)—the list goes on and on. As a result, our discussion threads usually have the best of both worlds.</p>

<p>Is there a book that anyone is just dying to read? Bestsellers from the NYT list often have the advantage of more posters, but we’ve also had fun with titles that have been on the shelf awhile (The Shadow of the Wind) and with our one classic (The Moonstone).</p>

[ignatius]

<p>Okay - I’ll start - but hope, hope, hope to see other people post some titles. A couple of books that just sound like summer reading ;). (It’s summer and hot here in Texas. Payback time here for the snow jokes sent your way this winter, Mary.):</p>

<p>WSJ mentioned Untold Story in an article on suggested summer reads. Not out until June 28, but pre-order prices tend to be a bit lower than norm - and no one has already read it. </p>

<p>Untold Story - Monica Ali</p>

<p>BookList:/* Starred Review */ What if Princess Diana hadn’t died tragically in Paris but instead had found a way to escape the unrelenting scrutiny she lived with on a daily basis? That question is the premise of Ali’s new novel, which revolves around a fictional Princess of Wales whose life mirrors Diana’s. Divorced from the prince, separated from her sons, and hounded by the paparazzi, Ali’s princess fakes her own death with the help of her devoted private secretary, who is afflicted with an incurable brain tumor. Reinventing herself as Lydia Snaresbrook, the princess flees England for the U.S., eventually landing in Kensington, North Carolina, where she starts to build a life for herself. Though Lydia can’t tell her friends or the man she is falling for the truth about her identity, she is on her way to finding happiness until a figure from her past shows up in Kensington and threatens to unravel the life she has grown to love. As it tackles Lydia’s impossible dilemma and the toll fame takes on her, the story builds to a thrilling and rewarding finish. With the recent marriage of Prince William grabbing headlines, Ali’s daring and engrossing new novel is bound to garner plenty of attention. – Huntley, Kristine (Reviewed 05-15-2011) (Booklist, vol 107, number 18, p19).</p>

<p>Publishers Weekly:Ali (Brick Lane) tackles a juicy premise: what if Diana hadn’t died. Far from a salacious romp, though, this is a (sometimes too) slow character study of a woman in extraordinary circumstances. Here, Diana—err, Lydia—has escaped her life as an ex-princess for a new one in the states. All the real details of her previous life—carefully researched and extrapolated from—are there, with one exception; having survived the car accident, she later fakes her death (by drowning) and finds her way, via Brazil, to America. She ends up, on a darkly humorous whim, in an anonymous everytown called Kensington, where she builds a quiet life with her dog, Rufus, a job at an animal shelter, and a tight group of friends. When a British paparazzo stumbles into her town, though, her new life is threatened. This tense development is almost a subplot, overtaken as it is by Lydia’s emotional exploration—how she was nearing the edge before her “death,” how unbearable but necessary it was for her to leave her sons, how she has matured and recovered over the years. The result is a very human rendering of a mythical woman who survives a tumultuous youth to find an aggressively calm middle age. (June) --Staff (Reviewed May 2, 2011) (Publishers Weekly, vol 258, issue 18).</p>

<p>I Think I Love You - Allison Pearson* (No, I was not a David Cassidy fan. LOL)</p>

<p>[Book</a> Reviews - I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson](<a href=“http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/i_think_i_love_you/]Book”>http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/i_think_i_love_you/)</p>

<p>Titles previously suggested:</p>

<p>The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton. Am I the only one who still hasn’t read it? If so, probably not a good choice.</p>

<p>The Postmistress - Sarah Blake</p>

<p>[Book</a> Reviews - The Postmistress by Sarah Blake](<a href=“http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/postmistress/]Book”>http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/postmistress/)</p>

<p><em>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot</em> Nonfiction - but really good.</p>

<p>[Book</a> Reviews - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot](<a href=“http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/immortal_life_of_henrietta_lacks/]Book”>http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/immortal_life_of_henrietta_lacks/)</p>

<p><em>The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley</em></p>

<p>*I’ve read the starred books, but can always reread, if need be. (I thoroughly enjoyed The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley, but I’m not sure that it’s the best choice for an extended online CC book discussion.)</p>

<p>And just because I’ve seen the title a lot recently:</p>

<p>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith Considered a modern classic. Yes, I’ve read it, but a reread might just be in order. </p>

<p>CBBBlinker - what is your real life book reading the next couple of months?</p>

[CBBBlinker]

<p>Well, I have a couple of RL Book Clubs … The one in town here only meets Sept - May. Some of the books we read this year: “Twelve Rooms With a View,” “South of Broad,” “The Forgotten Garden,” “Little Bee,” “Shanghai Girls,” & “A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian.” For another group that meets infrequently, we read “Room,” “Ape House: A Novel,” and “The King’s Speech.” Their most recent selection, which I haven’t read yet, is “The Paris Wife.” And then there’s my Books on the Beach group that starts up in July. Our first selection for that is “The Time of our Singing.”</p>

<p>My 2 cents for the books listed above – “Ape House” was not as good as “Water for Elephants.” “South of Broad” has been around for a while – kind of a beach read, IMO. “The King’s Speech” is good, but if you’ve seen the movie … Plus it’s non-fiction. “Room” is good but the entire premise is disturbing – 5 year old & his mother are kept captive in a single room. I enjoyed all the other books.</p>

<p>Honestly – I’ll read just about anything! :)</p>