15 years ago
Mon Jul 13 2009, 08:49am
Let the discussion begin :)
I read this book last year for the first time, and reread it about 3 or 4 times because it was one of about 6 books I had in China. I just reread it again. I really like it, I love how it's told in multiple perspectives, and how Sara (the mum) starts in 1990.
Ok, here's something I want to talk about, but only do this if you've finished the book! (It won't work if you haven't finished it anyway)
Go to the prologue. Read it again.
Who did you think wrote it originally? Who do you think now?
My answer:
I thought it was Anna, but now of course it's clear that it's Kate because she talks about how the sister is dead. The funny thing is when I first read it I didn't really pick up on the fact one of them is going to die. It almost reminds me of the prologue to Romeo & Juliet in that it gives away the ending.
But the big thing is that Kate tried to kill Anna when she was little, and Kate feels that her life was defined in terms of Anna! Not just Anna thinking she's defined in terms of Kate. Interesting twist.
Cat
P.S. Don't forget, September's book "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks might take a little longer to read than some of our other ones, so it might be a good idea to start getting it and reading it now.
I read this book back in 2005. And it really got to me.
I love how Jodi uses different perspectives throughout all her books, it adds so much more depth to the story. I love all the books I've read by her, and as soon as I'm finished reading Wuthering Heights I;m going to read The Tenth Circle.
I wasn't really keen on the ending:
I mean, it just seemed really far-fetched to me. The chances of the car crash, and I dunno.. Hard to explain but it wasn't a clever twist. And as for the prologue, that never occurred to me, and probably wouldn't of ever if you hadn't pointed it out so thankyou Cat-Eyes :)
I don't like how they changed the ending in the film. It changes the whole story :\
Oh, I haven't seen the movie yet.
I didn't mind the twist at the end. It made me cry :P But it was a little bit too sweet that Kate was clear for the next 10 years, but it also would've been a terrible way to just drop on the audience in the last page that Kate's cancer came back when she's spent the whole book intimately analysing everything else.
I was the same as you guys, i've read the book many times- and i'm suprised that each time i still get emotional.
I love that Jodi Picoult writes about real issues that are so confronting and make you wonder what you would do in that situation.
Its funny how despite all she has been through i don't often feel sorry for Sara, does any one else find this?
I agree with you Cat-eyes in terms of the end of the book:
That it would be hard to go through all that just for Kate to succumb to cancer as well, yet i always thought that it was a little unrealistic?
I would recommend any of her books (and i have read all but one) to anyone!
Actually, I really feel sympathy for Sara (the mum). When I first read the blurb I thought "Oh, this mum is going to be a loony, who would do that to their kid? What a *beep*" but reading the book really made me appreciate her point of view. I think this is especially because she operates on the seperate timeline, writing from 1990. (Hmmm, wonder how they got over the every chapter is a seperate person thing in the movie...) You really see how she got to the point she is now.
I reckon that Jodi Picoult is really good at the multi-perspectives!! She manages it so well that as you are reading it you completely sympathise with the person whose chapter it is....which is rather confusing in the end because you can't say outright that you are for or against one person's point of view or actions. I guess that is the whole point in a way - these complex issues are never black and white and Jodi Picoult definitely gives us the full spectrum of greys!!
I completely agree, she's fantastic at making you appreciate the person's whose chapter you're reading. Which is good, because people don't take up points of view for no reason, there's never just black and white.
Ashling Guildmistress
15 years ago
Ashling Guildmistress
Mage
I saw the trailer for this movie in the cinemas when we went to see - oh what was it I think it was the 'Ghosts of Christmas past' and seeing that it was by Jodi Picoult, an author whose book has been sitting on my shelf as a present from my friend I was even more determined to read it.
However, even though I purchased the book back in June, I never actually get around to reading it. My boss was telling me that it was so sad and that I'd be balling my eyes out by the end of it and as the movie premiere drew ever close, still it sat in my pile of books to read.
Finally, I started the book on Monday. I finished it Tuesday night.
Ah where to start? I like the way Jodi used different characters to tell the viewpoint/progression of the plot. Each character had their personality which was distinct and all contributed to what it would be like dealing in that situation. I appreciated Sara's story summing up the past right until it brought us up to present day. I think my favourite character to read was at first Anna, but I think later on it moved to Campbell/Julia.
The end:
How's that for irony. I think, it was a bit 'neat' (i.e. Kate's part at the end) but at the same time it worked. I'm very curious to see how the movie works.
[act]squee[/act] Saw the trailer and noticed this time round that Thomas Dekker is in it! [act]really likes him from The Sarah Connor Chronicles[/act] [/tangent]
I know that they've changed the ending somehow but I wonder... my impression is that it does not leave the same impact but I shall keep my reservations until I actually see it (which, with any luck will be this weekend)
On a slightly related note, I read Handle with Care, Jodi Picoult's latest novel recently. It was good, but way too similar to My Sister's Keeper. I mean, sure they're both about families with sick kids and court cases, but they were similar right down to that in MSK the dad is a fireman, and in HWC he's a policeman. Maybe if I hadn't reread MSK so recently I wouldn't have had quite as big a problem with it though.
I'm still waiting to see the MSK movie (hey, I still haven't even seen Harry Potter!). I'm guessing in the movie Anna doesn't die at the end, as I've heard the ending's different (actually I saw on JP's website her response to people complaining about it). wonder what will happen though...
This has to be one of my favourite books. I love the storyline, and the ending was so unexpected. Jodi Picoult really has a talent for confronting plots, because I've read a few of her other books, and although they weren't as sad, they really make you think
Mystic Ward
15 years ago
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
I enjyed the book and the writing from the different perspectives was really well done. The 'voice' of each character really came through. This kind of thing happens in real life more often than people think.
The twist at the end was a total surprise to me and I bawled my little heart out (which i would have either way) and I was really annoyed that they change the end of the movie. I think the movie was a very poor adaptation of the book all round though I still howled at the end.
I must admit though reading this (a friend gave it to me to read) has not really made me want to rush out and read any more of JP's books.
This made for a fantstic movie!
I thought the ending was good in the movie, but the ending was more interesting in the book :)
the part in the movie where kate gives her mum the scrapbook made me cry i havent read the book recently did this happen in there
I haven't seen the movie and I don't remember there being a scrapbook in the book, but I could be wrong...
