That's a looong book title :P Let the discussion begin :)
So, I finished the book a week or so ago. I quite liked it, I liked how it was in different people's points of view. I was expecting them to become friends a lot sooner than they did! I felt really sorry for Kat, she made some really stupid decisions and things just keep getting worse and worse.
And the start of it made me wonder how anyone who read this in high school could ever want to go to Uni :P
I read it in highschool and really liked it. I like how it doesn't romanticise uni and moving out (much). Carmel gets into a course, is able to move away and take charge of her life and... ends up doing something totally different. I think one of the things the book's saying is that if something goes wrong it can mean that the path you chose just isn't right for you. You're allowed to make mistakes.
I admit I had trouble forgiving Kat. Like I said, I was teenager when I read it and I identified strongly with painfully shy Carmel. Kat seemed to symbolise a lot of the girls I hated at school.
I think my favourite section was Jude's, though. She was much more comfortable than the other two, and I found the Chilean stuff fascinating.
I thought that the way they finally forge a friendship was realistic, if somewhat painful. It's been over ten years, though, so it's all a bit fuzzy.
Has anyone seen the movie? Or was it a TV series? Anyway, whatever it is, it's good. It sticks fairly closely to the book, as far as I can remember, but I think it embellishes Jude's story. I do remember feeling disappointed than the guy playing Anton wasn't attractive.
That's a blast from the past! I remember my dog eating my copy of that book!
Did anyone ever see the adaptation?
Haven't seen the adaption, but the library copy of the book I got had a photo of a TV adaptation I think.
I agree with finding Kat to be a lot like all the people you didn't like. She did some really really stupid things, but I still felt a bit sorry for her. Wonder where Andre (that was the family friends name, wasn't it?) got the bail money from...
I too really liked Jude's section. The Chilean stuff was really interesting, and I felt like Carmel in that I know so little about it, but she went a bit crazy with the restaurant owner. Loved her mum!
[act]bump[/act]
It's still October, this is still the current OBC book. Get in on the discussion! (You can keep talking about it after October, but it's fun to do so in the month the book relates to too!)
so I'm a little bit late to the party.... but I (L) this book - its my comfort book :) I love Maureen McCarthy - there something jsut a little bit daggy about her characters and her books, but being set in country Vic and Melbourne just make them seen so familiar!
I saw the adaptation years ago, I've been trying to find it since with no luck :(
I find some of her books seem kind of similar - the way the characters are set up, or the way the story unfolds. but regardless, I love them dearly ^_^
I really can't remember it, which is why I've been trying to find it :( I vaguely remember Carmen being not quite I pictured her as, but I'd love to see it again to refresh my memory!
