Return to Thinking Out Loud Menu.

Train Go Sorry by Leah Hager Cohen:

Cohen is the hearing daughter of the director of Lexington School for the Deaf in Brooklyn. Her sensitive portrayal of deaf culture, which as a child she longed to fully join, captures a pivotal moment in deaf history.

Sula by Toni Morrison:

Set in a midwestern black community called The Bottom, the story follows two friends, Sula and Nel, from childhood to old age. The novel draws on Morrison's own childhood in a small Ohio town -- a town both supportive and oppressive to its rebellious young people.

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler:

Maggie and Ira Moran, married for twenty-eight years, travel to the funeral of an old friend, and during the trip, reflect on their years together. The author's gentle humor and quirky characters are made memorable by her ability to pierce the heart with regret and the sense of missed possibilities.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen:

Immerse yourself in the Regency world of the two Dashwood sisters, one determinedly practical (or is she?) and one wholly romantic (or is she?).

My Own Country by Abraham Verghese:

Dr. Verghese is a Christian Indian raised in Ethiopia, who for several years practiced medicine in a tiny, rural Tennessee community. In 1993 his practice became almost exclusively AIDS patients as eventually more than 70 former and current residents discovered their HIV positive status.

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson:

Set in a small 1950s Puget Sound community of both Japanese and Anglo-Americans, this "beautifully assured and full-bodied" story centers on a trial for the murder of a white fisherman, with the foremost suspect being his Japanese colleague.

Days of Grace: A Memoir by Arthur Ashe:

Arthur Ashe is remembered for his impact on the sports world as the first prominent African-American tennis player and later as coach of the U. S. Davis Cup team, and for his early death from AIDS. His autobiography reminds us of his contributions as an author, husband and father, as well as his dignity after his HIV status was exposed by USA Today.

Murder on a Kibbutz by Batya Gur:

Third in a series featuring Jerusalem cop Michael Ohayon, this novel finds Ohayon investigating the murder of Osnat Harel, the beautiful and forceful secretary of a kibbutz celebrating its fiftieth year. Booklist calls Gur's novel "superb, multidimensional, the best in an outstanding series."

The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies:

The last novel of the venerable Canadian author, critic, and playwright opens with the mysterious death of an elderly priest during a particularly dramatic moment in the Good Friday Services. This is Davies at his most entertaining: complex, funny characters who combine the mystical North and the practical banker spirit of contemporary Canada.

Train Go Sorry

by Leah Hager Cohen

What made this discussion intensely memorable and rewarding was having a deaf patron as a guest. The Library provided an interpreter, and we were off and running.

An excellent bibliography of books on and by the deaf compiled by Kathy Tinoco can be found at the Deaf Culture Booklist.

Discussion Questions

1. Did you feel the author was completely objective? Is it possible for her to remain neutral, having been raised surrounded by the deaf community?

2. Do you feel the deaf community is truly a separate culture? How would you define a culture, in the sense of Jewish or African-American culture?

3. Do you think the deaf community has common bonds world wide?

4. Do your own relationships with deaf people reinforce or contradict what Ms. Cohen has to say about the deaf community?

5. Do teachers' efforts to teach spoken English to deaf children have any similarity to teachers' trying to teach English to non-native English speakers? Have you heard about recent legislation to make English the official language of the United States? How might that affect deaf "speakers" of American Sign Language?

6. How do you view the cochlear implant? Is this the same thing as "curing" someone of being hard of hearing? What are some of the issues that make this such a difficult problem?

Sula

by Toni Morrison

Themes: abandonment, war, beauty, love, death.

I suggest that you watch, either before or with the group, the 30 minute videotape called Identifiable Qualities: A Film on Toni Morrison, produced & directed by Sindamani Bridglal (Women Make Movies, 1989). Another interesting video, although she does not discuss Sula specifically, is Toni Morrison: A Conversation with Toni Morrison, producer & director, Matteo Bellinelli (distributed by California Newsreel, 1992).

Discussion Questions

1. What makes Sula such a powerful character? Is it her independence? Her unpredictability? Her willingness to look unpleasant truths in the face? Is there any one incident that turns the town against her? How does her supposedly evil presence work for good in the town?

2. Why is Helene grateful that her daughter isn't as conventionally beautiful as she is? Does she think her daughter will be better off in life because she is plain? What price does Helene pay for her beauty, both in the black and the white community? How do you think the people of this era would have reacted to the slogan Black Is Beautiful?

3. What is it about meeting Sula that gives Nel the self-confidence to stop wearing the clothespin on her nose and longing for smooth hair? How do the daughters in the story help each other break free from their mothers?

4. Why did Eva kill Plum after she fought so hard to keep him alive as a baby? Did something change inside of her to enable her to do that? Is there a way to justify her act?

5. Is Chicken Little's death an accident? Does the author imply that there is a reason or excuse for these acts of violence? Are they meant to show the amount of violence in black (or poor) people's lives? Do you think these events (like the mass deaths in the tunnel) have any deeper meaning or symbolic value?

6. What role does Sula's education play in her life?

7. The Peace women are described as loving all men. Does this explain both Hannah's relationship with men as well as Sula's? Does this more general affection free them from dependance on any one man? Does the author imply that black women are better off without men around?

Breathing Lessons

by Anne Tyler

Discussion Questions

1. Is this a book where the age of the reader is important? Would a teenaged reader be as interested in this story? What elements would appeal to older or younger readers? How does your age affect your reading tastes?

2. What ideas or themes does the author express about aging? Can you give examples in the book? (I liked the part where Fiona imagines Jesse and his band as family men in their forties, playing together for Rotary meetings. Page 313.)

3. How have Ira and Maggie adapted to each other's shortcomings? Is it possible for Fiona and Jesse to do the same? Of the three marriages examined (including Serena and Max), which do you find the most believable? The most unlikely?

4. Is the novel ever too cute or silly? Do the funny scenes work for you?

5. Is Maggie genuinely scatterbrained? Is her interfering behavior redeemed by her good intentions? Does Maggie ultimately help or hinder those she loves?

6. How important is Daisy in the family and the novel? How do her relationships express her needs and desires?

7. If you've read other Tyler novels, did you think they were similar? What themes is she most interested in?

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Author biography

Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817 and died unmarried, having written her six very successful novels in a six year period near the end of her life. She lived the quiet, comfortable life that is depicted in her books, but was in fact less sheltered than most of her characters. Her two brothers were in the Royal Navy (then quite active in seizing enemy ships and their cargo), England had just been forced to give up her lucrative American colonies, and Austen's cousin's husband faced the guillotine in France. However, the excitement of romance, courtship and marriage, dwelled on so lovingly in her novels, played no part in her life.

Her sister Cassandra was her closest companion and friend. When Jane was sent to school with her sister at seven, they both became ill of a fever, and Jane nearly died. In fact, Jane had only two years of formal schooling, depending for the rest of her education on the family library and contact with relatives. The family often read aloud for entertainment and put on plays at Christmas time. She also learned to sing, play the piano, draw and dance. She read French and Italian as well, and began to write short stories and plays at twelve. Several of these early short novels were later reworked to become Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, and Pride and Prejudice.

Austen never married, although there is a family tradition (never proven) that she fell in love with a young man in Devonshire, but that he died soon afterwards. This did in fact happen to her sister Cassandra, who became engaged to a man who went to the West Indies and died there from yellow fever. Jane herself became ill with Addison's disease at forty and died at forty-one, much mourned by her sister and family.

Thoughts for Discussion

Jane Austen was writing her novels in a period when literature and the arts were turning from the Age of Reason (order, reason, propriety) to the Age of Romanticism (instinct, feeling, emotional response). This conflict is directly addressed in Sense and Sensibility. Where does her allegiance lie?

The author writes solely from her own experience: her travels, friends and family, and her society. This limits her essentially to female society, never writing about men outside of the company of women. How does this affect her novels?

Is she ever ironic or satirical about her characters? Is it clear which characters she is making fun of, and which ones she admires?

There are several subplots in the novel revolving around the men: Colonel Brandon, Mr. Ferrars (both) and eventually even Willoughby's plight. Do you think these minor plots add or detract to the experience of reading the novel? Are these characters full developed?

My Own Country by Abraham Verghese

For this discussion I did not compile questions, but did read the following reviews:

Time, June 6, 1994, page 70.
People Weekly, May 23, 1994, page 25.
New Statesman & Society, May 20, 1994, page 36.
The Atlantic Monthly, June 1994, page 136.

Snow Falling on Cedars

by David Guterson

This was easily the most popular book for discussion groups nationwide in 1996, sold more than three million copies, and we still can't keep our copies on the shelf. In addition to the Vintage Books Reading Guide, I found biographical information on the author at various Internet sites, including:

Nando Net Entertainment
The New Reader's Archive: This is a wonderful source for reviews, discovered when I went searching for information on David Guterson.

Days of Grace: A Memoir

by Arthur Ashe with Arnold Rampersad

Thoughts for Discussion:

How did Arthur Ashe wanted to be remembered? Or, do you think he cared how the public viewed him? What was his greatest contribution?

With this year's Olypmic Games in mind, how have things changed for black athletes? How have things changed for women athletes?

Mr. Ashe faced certain obvious obstacles in his life (racial, financial), but what were his resources for success? What does a person need to overcome great obstacles?

How Mr. Ashe's illness change American perceptions of AIDS? Did he have any obligation or responsibility to disclose his illness?

Do you feel you know Mr. Ashe at the end of the book? What else would you liked to learn? How is this memoir a psychological study ?

Murder On a Kibbutz

by Batya Gur

For interviews and information about the author, visit Batya Gur.

Discussion Questions

How does the slow pacing of the book contribute to the emotional feel of the story? What is the strongest element of the book -- plot, character, setting, themes/ideas? What are weaknesses in the book? Does the writing remind you of any other authors? Do you want to read more of her work?

Are the character relationships believable and satisfactory ? Do the characters grow and change in the novel? Are any of them stereotypes?

Gur is tremendously successful in Israel. Why do you think she is popular there? How does an American audience view her writing differently?

Is the author lecturing or following her own agenda with this novel? Do you hear the author's "voice?" What makes a novel both an entertaining story and successful propaganda?

How does the kibbutz life seem appealing? What would be difficult? What part does religious belief play in this community? Could this organization work with members of different religions or cultures?

Are there other societies or organizations, in America or elsewhere, that provide similar strictures or benefits to their members? What about religious or military organizations?

Should the needs of the group always outweigh the needs of the individual? What price has the United States paid for emphasizing individual achievement? What have we gained?

The Cunning Man

by Robertson Davies

For an excellent biography of the author, visit About Robertson Davies.

Discussion Questions

In the end, is Dr. Hullah any more "cunning" or wiser than the rest of us? Does Davies want any one character to appear more knowledgeable or capable than the others?

Hulla relates his story in response to the interviews with Esme Barron. What other purpose(s) does she serve in the novel?

Is Father Hobbes' death a "mystery?" Did you guess that he had been murdered, or by whom? How much credence did you give to Hullah's theory that many people choose their own death? Does this idea really apply to Emily Raven-Hart's death?Do you agree with Dr. Hullah's analysis of her tragic end? (Or did you find it tragic?)

What do Chips and Emily add to the plot? Did you find their correspondence entertaining or distracting?

Do you think there are too many competing themes (science vs. religion, traditional vs. alternative medicine, the nature of sin, etc.) in the novel, or did one stand out? What other ideas did you find in the book?

Chips describes Dr. Hullah as "a great one for the Learned Crack, which is fine if you recognize it but a bit of a snub if you don't." Would you say this describes the author as well? Do you think Davies explains his Learned Cracks well enough to the reader?

Why does Davies jump around so much in his narrative? Is he trying to slow down the pacing of the novel? Could you stay with him through all the different casts of characters, settings and philosophical discussions?

NB: If you really want to find out what happened to Conor Gilmartin's ghost, read Murther and Walking Sprits by Davies (1991). The author intended to write a trilogy, but died before finishing the third book.

www.webrary.org/RS/TOL96.html
First published on the Web: 1/26/1998
Last updated: 12/28/1999