If they found the tape, they all would have left sooner?
Perhaps the author wrote this intending people to debate “what really happened?” But it strikes me as capricious act with no clear character motivation. A lazy MacGuffin, serving the plot with no clear explaination.
HE WAS DAFT!
(Obscure Pinkwater reference)
You shut your whore mouth.
We should try some non-fiction this next go round… Trade off between fiction and non-fiction.
I think this hit the nail on the head as to why he got the great reviews:
"If I'd known, I would have gone out with more of a bang. This novel's just too small – something I was writing for fun. I should have signed off with a big statement." "I wouldn't worry, Guy. All those critics who ignored you for much of your career, and who were decidely sniffy about your sci-fi stuff, will be falling over themselves to say what a great writer you are once you are dead."
I was thinking something similar about trying a non-fic book; I’d also like to at least consider trying to pick an author with different demographics (FWIW I decided to do the “Tempest Challenge” this year even though I have books by Gaiman and Vandermeer stacked up that I’m quite looking forward to. I’m exempting whatever we choose for book club and whatever I read for work, but the S/W/C fellas will have to wait till 2016 for my pleasure reading.)
I think I wanted to read something by DuBois when we had the discussion over non-fiction, with Darkwater being my book of choice (which combines both non-fiction and fiction):
So is this how book club ends? Not with a bang, but with a whimper?
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
Unlike the book in question, which made a loud THUMP against the wall after being pitched across the room.
I JEST.
Just like the book in question, which meandered around, revealed little, paused, picked up what few pieces remained, and tied things off neatly, boringly, and then snipped the ends clean.
What, you haven’t all decided on the next one?
Mis-attributed, apocryphal, or not, Dorothy Parker said it best:
“This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.”
(One of the disadvantages of reading on a Kindle.)
Quote investigator chases this around, and ends up nowhere.
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/03/26/great-force/
Here’s a portion of the Recent Books column from October 22 1927 New Yorker, possibly written by Parker.
I wish I had time to read The New Yorker. My dad used to give me his old copies, but I never got them read after the kids showed up.
My first thought on seeing that clip was “how modern, it looks like the current magazine!” And then realized the current type headings were a holdover. One that I like.
Mom’s generous. Actually, I wish I had time to read the fiction… Usually end up reading everything else. It’s a mood thing.
Am I correct in assuming that we’re discussing the 4 pages of chapter 8 as well this week, so that we can be done with this by Friday?
That has got to be the weakest end to a book I’ve ever read. No resolution on anything important. I’m beginning to think Guy was a self portrait.
I forgot there even was a chapter 8.
I honestly think I would have preferred the book to end at chapter 7. Chapter 8 is just insulting to our intelligence (and time wasted).
I’ve read worse endings.
If you ever read this, skip the epilogue.
If you see the film version of “The Shawshank Redemption” just stop 5 minutes before the end.
Same with “The Mist”
DAMN YOU FRANK DARABONT
I did know a guy who bought a hearse to drive around in, but only because it was the cheapest thing he could get to sleep in as well.
