<p>SJCM, right after talking about the dream, Michael mentions how Massi had said about him that it was “as if I had grown up believing that everything was perilous,” which made him too distant with people close to him.</p>
<p>I think in the dream a new and vigorous (and pregnant) Massi was escaping from the perils that Michael’s fearful thinking represented.</p>
<p>I have no idea about the alpine houses with “the living quarters raised because the ground level was for animals,” except that it might have suggested that he felt she was living a better life now, as he probably was also.</p>
<p>Thanks, NJTheaterMom.
Dreams are our projections our way of dealing with issues. So they are most telling. </p>
<p>The alpine houses, reminded me of the book The Magic Mountain- Thomas Mann-the book Miss Lasqueti didn’t throw overboard.
(Not that it’s that significant a point) </p>
<p>Also, one more little question- how did Dante’s quotes, and Miss Lasqueti’s letter tie together ? …</p>
<p>page 222- (so glad I didn’t read THIS book on Kindle)</p>
<p>Miss Lasqueti’s letter: </p>
<p>"In Siena, if you go to the corner of the via Del Moro and via Sallustio Bandino and look up, you can read Dante’s lines from the Purgatorio–
</p>
<p>“And at the top of the Vallerozzi where it meets the via Montanini, you discover, cut into the yellow stone—”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>In the great centres of power, you see, competition is based not so much on winning but on stopping your enemy from achieving what he or she really wants. "</p>
<p>I think Lasqueti was just using those quotes as part of the explanation of what a controlling, exploitative person Horace was. She had just said that he “treated even those he loved, and those he desired to have in his presence, in the same way that he must have treated his enemies, placing them where there was no chance of retaliation.”</p>
<p>I second NJTM. I also agree with her explanation of Michael’s dream.</p>
<p>And … let me say once again (past book club discussions - State of Wonder comes to mind) that I dislike dream sequences in a novel. I know the author puts them in to get a point across but I don’t like trying to figure out that point - it reminds me too much of an English Lit quiz. Just write you want to say rather than cloak it in a dream. And I apologize for the mini-rant here … as I know many of you feel the opposite way. (I literally roll my eyes when a dream sequence starts.)</p>
<p>Ignatius, completely agree with your feelings, it just with this book, there are so many layers, that I think “dreams” are more significant.
Earlier in the book Ondaajte let’s us know about Emily’s angst because she is having terrible dreams. </p>
<p>And, because Michael says in that conversation " No I don’t dream" …
And now he has a dream.
Basically, he sees Massi, as newly pregnant (moving on with her life),
In the dream “he was no longer part of her existence”. </p>
<p>The next section page 203 starts with
Michael deals with his “intimacy/ escape” issues. Questioning why he separates so easily …
eventually saying “He went to school” .</p>
<p>SJCM: I do agree with you in regard to this book. The author did not overuse the technique, it seemed to fit when used, and the dream seemed tethered enough to reality that the most obtuse among us - me - had a shot at acing that English Lit quiz (depending on the teacher).</p>
<p>Ignatius, I was in the middle of one of your recommendations - The Family Fang, and then got involved with Cat’s Table. which happily led me to Campbell’s mythos, so no regrets, it’s just quite time consuming. I have to research all these references. ie Dante’s Divine Comedy with attempts to understand this one. Whew…</p>
<p>I notice that by this time in April Mary was starting discussion on the June selection. What about it? are you guys cooking up a list for August? :)</p>
<p>Mary13 is the coordinator, and since she will be away from home on a trip for another week or so, I believe, there may be some delay in the process this time. </p>
<p>Did you by any chance have a title you wanted to suggest, sylvan8798?</p>
<p>We’re glad you’re on board, sylvan! Usually people suggest titles, and then any titles that are objected to by anyone are eliminated, and then we state preferences, and then Mary very wisely and diplomatically makes a decision. </p>
<p>I’ve never been in any book club but this one either.</p>
<p>I hope to join you before the discussion ends completely. Incidentally, I really like the introduction by Mary13 in post #1–especially the opening sentence, have to admit! :)</p>
<p>I so loved this book! I haven’t been able to read all of the comments or join the discussion-but I’ve caught up a bit with my class so jumping in now.
I hope I’m not repeating what has been already discussed but I was so haunted by the prisoner who was so willing to sacrifice his daughter for his freedom. I want to believe she escaped and had a happier life.
My attention was really held with the different story lines of all the different interesting characters and details.
It did seem like the ship was its own moral universe. Theft, murder, deceit happened and it seemed natural. Young boys risked their lives and no-one was watching out for them.
THere were so many magical images of all the ports passed by, the garden in the hull of the ship-and the mystery of Miss Lasquate!</p>
<p>sylvan and NJTM: I joined a book club through my library and faithfully attended for over a year and a half. I recently became a book club dropout after realizing that I complained about it way too much. Bottom line - I like this one so much better.</p>
<p>Reasons:</p>
<p>You can join in when you finish the book rather than meeting at a prescribed time and date. (Pointing to myself and waving at PATM and QuantMech.)</p>
<p>The posts are thoughtful and the posters considerate of different viewpoints.</p>
<p>The book club discussion remains the central focus. (My real life book club had ladies who preferred to visit about recipes, children, vacations, … one book discussion spent literally less than 15 minutes on the book … the leader - librarian - has confessed to feeling that the books come in a distant second.)</p>
<p>I like the input from North, South, East, and West.</p>
<p>I learn so much from each of you. Just look to PATM’s insightful comments:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I also like the every other month discussion schedule. It gives me time to read whatever I want and be in a book club too.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you who make this book club so much fun.</p>
<p>I’ve just read over most of the posts-I am so amazed at all the insights and allusions to other works-always learn so much from this club-thanks everyone!</p>
<p>I haven’t posted in a while. I’ll confess, I’m at the beach and reading other books. I love all the great insights that have been added since I last read. You guys are amazing. </p>
<p>I agree with ignatius’ reasons for liking this book club and I’ll add more. I like having a chance to think about what I want to write and time to respond to other posters’ comments. I enjoy having time to look back at passages and at all the links that get posted. A book club that meets for a couple of hours to discuss a book could not go into the depth that happens on this thread. I also love the book suggestions. The books we pick and many of the the books we don’t pick. I have definitely broadened my reading horizon since joining this group!</p>
<p>Hi QuantMech, PATheaterMom, and BUandBC82, nice to hear from you! My road trip is wrapping up and I should be home in a couple of days. We can start throwing out ideas for August at any time. I think Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell is one possibility we had on the back burner. </p>
<p>ignatius, re your earlier comment, I don’t like dream sequences in books either – or in movies for that matter. The only dreams I find interesting are my own, but sadly, I can’t find anybody at home who agrees with me. All I have to do is start describing them and everybody beats a hasty retreat from the breakfast table. :)</p>
<p>About Cloud Atlas - The movie will be released on December 6. I’d like to read the book but would prefer to do so closer to the movie release date, i.e., start discussion on Dec. 1 and then segue into a discussion of book vs. movie. (Talk about deciding on a book in advance - just make Cloud Atlas the December choice.)</p>
…what were Dante’s quotes?</p>
- had a shot at acing that English Lit quiz (depending on the teacher).</p>