| I suspect that many book clubs are created out of fear. Readers fear the loss of that palpable substance, the book, which is constantly threatened by other populist forms of entertainment. Occasionally, these fears are supported. As an avid reader, there are times when you are shocked to hear the phrases "Reading is boring," "It makes me tired" and "I have no time." And you are surprised when someone is unable to recall a book ever making them cry, interrupting their sleep, or creating such rage that they throw it across the room (for me, A Separate Peace comes to mind).
But book clubs also appeal to our natural desire to share the kind of reactions that a book stirs up. After all, reading may be the most solitary of entertainments, a private conversation between the reader and the printed page. And a good book is saturated with intent – it’s beautiful propaganda that changes your feelings and beliefs even as it entertains you. After you’ve turned the last page, you want to seek out others who’ve taken the same journey and compare your experiences.
That’s what the Fast Forward book club proposes to facilitate. We want to read, explore and enjoy books together. Once a month, we’ll choose a book to be read and discussed. The following month, we’ll publish readers’ thoughts and opinions about the book. Although the emphasis will be on works of literary merit, we’ll try to cover a range of genres, and we won’t just pick new books, but some classics and curios as well. Any suggestions will be welcome.
Once you’ve read the chosen book, send your comments to us via e-mail or letter (see the address info at the end of this column). You can respond as an individual, or you may decide to read and discuss the book with friends and send your comments as a group. And now, on to our first book.
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME
Mark Haddon’s book has generated a surprising amount of buzz, considering its subject. Haddon’s novel follows Christopher, an autistic boy, as he tries to solve the murder of a neighbourhood dog. The novel is narrated by Christopher, who, because he cannot lie, is the most reliable of narrators. Or is he? To judge from the reviews, Haddon’s decision to write the novel from Christopher’s point of view is the book’s most notable achievement. Christopher’s investigation is juxtaposed with passages discussing his family and life, and these chapters are fascinating in their minutiae, with Christopher telling us what it is like to be him (the fact that Haddon worked with autistic people gives his observations authenticity).
The author makes other interesting stylistic decisions beyond these, leading one to think that such a stuffed novel is headed for "what a mess" territory. Still, for a first-time novelist, Haddon maintains his balance, and later in the book, gives one of the most surprising plot twists in recent memory.
Here are some things to ponder while reading the book: How effective is Christopher as a narrator? Is Haddon’s choice to speak through him useful or gimmicky? For a novel seemingly grounded in realism – and for that matter, using the voice of an autistic boy – how does Haddon maintain a fictional narrative? Is he merely trying to wrap a story around a sociological text?
Send your comments on the novel to books editor Martin Morrow, by e-mail at mmorrow@ffwd.greatwest.ca, by fax at (403) 244-1431, or by mail to Fast Forward, 1902B - 11th St. S.E., Calgary, Alberta, T2G 3G2. |
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