I missed this meeting as I was moving house. Looking back, this blog is also a really good way to record my momentous moments (second child, turning 30, moving house. Wonder what's next?)
I give the book a 7. I found it really easy to read and liked the fact the author left Fania open to interpretation as to whether she was real or made from snow. Whilst I liked the idea of the possibility that Fania was magical, I think coming down on this side for definite would have lost a few fans. I know when I was initially describing the book to people at the last meeting there were a few raised eyebrows when I explained that a childless couple make a snow child that comes to life but I'm pleased we stuck with it as trust me, its not that far fetched.
I also liked the way the book intertwined with the fairy tale that Mabel kept reading. I had a very vivid image of the book and really wanted to read it.
I think with this book that there was a main message to decide on - did the couple only settle and become happy once a child had entered their life (and therefore is the author saying a couple can only be happy if they have children?) or did they only settle and become happy once they had made friends with their neighbours?
I think the latter as they were prepared to leave even when the knew about Fania when Jack hurt his back until the neighbours showed up, moved in and helped them. At this point Mabel starts to write more to her sister and her letters are big events back home, she also starts to help around the farm which I think is instrumental. At the beginning of the book Mabel thought she was worthless - she couldn't have a child, she was no longer needed to bake for the hotel, she couldn't help her husband doing work that was slowly killing him, she couldn't even break the ice on the river to kill herself. Working on the farm I think was therefore the turning point for her.
Whilst I do think it was the neighbours friendship that saved Jack and Mabel in Alaska (sorry I can't remember their names!) I do think that Fania helped Jack shoot the moose. I think she was present in the woods at that point and somehow led/influenced him to it.
If you agree with me that the couple only settled once they made friends then I think the motto of the book is we can't survive in isolation, life is better with friends. We also have to have a sense of purpose in life. Good motto to have!
I wasn't sure about Garrett and Fania. Did Fania deliberately tempt him, is this why she was suddenly seen by the neighbours despite years of avoidance? If true why? It's not clear cut as she was very innocent in some ways (didn't know about being pregnant until Mabel told her) yet I do believe that it was Fania who pursued Garrett and not the other way round.
How symbolic was the swan - Fania trapped and killed this powerful thing of beauty then dressed as a swan on her wedding day. Was this supposed to mean that she was now the swan and that Garrett was now trapping her? Did she think when she was ill that it was somehow Garrett or the baby who was killing her and so made her escape?
Fania's end is very open to interpretation and again I liked this - it didn't come down strongly either way on whether she was magical or not. It was in some way a surprise that she didn't come back at all but equally you just didn't expect her and Garrett to have a perfect happy ending. The snow child had to return to the snow. Yes, I found myself humming along to Walking in the Air at serveral points! Although let me set this straight it was not in anyway a Christmas book.
I loved the descriptive element to the book. I've never been to Alaska yet had really vivid pictures of the surroundings. I loved how the author went in to detail about the food, the hardships, the work and even the snow - how it was beautiful yet deadly.
I found the book really easy to read despite it being a bit slow in points. The group agreed with my score and also gave it a 7. It's unique and certainly isn't just a rehashed version of a popular 'of the moment' book (I'm sure there are now 50 versions of 50 shades and how many secret religious symbol books have I read since Dan Brown!)
Sorry if blog is short and sweet this month however I wanted to get it posted before next meeting which is on Thursday (I'm only half way through so better get a move on!)
Next book And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Mosseini
I give the book a 7. I found it really easy to read and liked the fact the author left Fania open to interpretation as to whether she was real or made from snow. Whilst I liked the idea of the possibility that Fania was magical, I think coming down on this side for definite would have lost a few fans. I know when I was initially describing the book to people at the last meeting there were a few raised eyebrows when I explained that a childless couple make a snow child that comes to life but I'm pleased we stuck with it as trust me, its not that far fetched.
I also liked the way the book intertwined with the fairy tale that Mabel kept reading. I had a very vivid image of the book and really wanted to read it.
I think with this book that there was a main message to decide on - did the couple only settle and become happy once a child had entered their life (and therefore is the author saying a couple can only be happy if they have children?) or did they only settle and become happy once they had made friends with their neighbours?
I think the latter as they were prepared to leave even when the knew about Fania when Jack hurt his back until the neighbours showed up, moved in and helped them. At this point Mabel starts to write more to her sister and her letters are big events back home, she also starts to help around the farm which I think is instrumental. At the beginning of the book Mabel thought she was worthless - she couldn't have a child, she was no longer needed to bake for the hotel, she couldn't help her husband doing work that was slowly killing him, she couldn't even break the ice on the river to kill herself. Working on the farm I think was therefore the turning point for her.
Whilst I do think it was the neighbours friendship that saved Jack and Mabel in Alaska (sorry I can't remember their names!) I do think that Fania helped Jack shoot the moose. I think she was present in the woods at that point and somehow led/influenced him to it.
If you agree with me that the couple only settled once they made friends then I think the motto of the book is we can't survive in isolation, life is better with friends. We also have to have a sense of purpose in life. Good motto to have!
I wasn't sure about Garrett and Fania. Did Fania deliberately tempt him, is this why she was suddenly seen by the neighbours despite years of avoidance? If true why? It's not clear cut as she was very innocent in some ways (didn't know about being pregnant until Mabel told her) yet I do believe that it was Fania who pursued Garrett and not the other way round.
How symbolic was the swan - Fania trapped and killed this powerful thing of beauty then dressed as a swan on her wedding day. Was this supposed to mean that she was now the swan and that Garrett was now trapping her? Did she think when she was ill that it was somehow Garrett or the baby who was killing her and so made her escape?
Fania's end is very open to interpretation and again I liked this - it didn't come down strongly either way on whether she was magical or not. It was in some way a surprise that she didn't come back at all but equally you just didn't expect her and Garrett to have a perfect happy ending. The snow child had to return to the snow. Yes, I found myself humming along to Walking in the Air at serveral points! Although let me set this straight it was not in anyway a Christmas book.
I loved the descriptive element to the book. I've never been to Alaska yet had really vivid pictures of the surroundings. I loved how the author went in to detail about the food, the hardships, the work and even the snow - how it was beautiful yet deadly.
I found the book really easy to read despite it being a bit slow in points. The group agreed with my score and also gave it a 7. It's unique and certainly isn't just a rehashed version of a popular 'of the moment' book (I'm sure there are now 50 versions of 50 shades and how many secret religious symbol books have I read since Dan Brown!)
Sorry if blog is short and sweet this month however I wanted to get it posted before next meeting which is on Thursday (I'm only half way through so better get a move on!)
Next book And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Mosseini
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