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Post by Dominique on Nov 22, 2008 20:38:43 GMT -5
The three Aminpour sisters escape the Iranian Revolution and make their way west to a small Irish village. There they pursue a well-worn path to assimilation by taking over an abandoned Italian bakery and opening the Babylon Cafe. It takes a while to win over the insular townsfolk, but they manage to make a success of their restaurant, charming even the local priest. They never do span the gulf separating them from Thomas McGuire, owner of the town pub, who sees the sisters as business rivals as much as cultural aliens. The smells of cardamom, fenugreek, and saffron wafting over the town lure locals away from McGuire's bland pub fare, so he plots to shutter their interloping restaurant. To give the reader a better appreciation for the pivotal role of food in the novel, Mehran includes recipes for some Iranian specialties: stuffed grape leaves, elephant ear pastries, and the title's pomegranate soup. Stark contrasts between the sisters' lives in Iran and Ireland and between the Irish and Persian cultures energize Mehran's tale. Discussion schedule:Because it's quite a short book, roughly about 250 pages I thought it might be best to divide it into three discussion sections? If anyone disagrees or thinks it might be done a better way please say Sunday December 7: Discuss Prologue to the end of Chapter 4: Dugh Yogurt Drink. Sunday December 14: Discuss Chapter 5: Abgusht to the end of Chapter 8:Torshi. Sunday December 21: Discuss Chapter 9: Chelow to the end of the book as well as overall impressions of the book.
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Post by erin on Nov 22, 2008 23:15:33 GMT -5
This schedule sounds good to me.
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Post by Lucky on Nov 28, 2008 10:49:03 GMT -5
good to me too.. finally I have the book at home
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jobean
First novel published
Posts: 2,479
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Post by jobean on Nov 29, 2008 5:06:53 GMT -5
I am so low on cash and my local library doesn't have it, so I'm sitting this one out.
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
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Post by Kristie on Nov 30, 2008 11:35:26 GMT -5
My book has 12 discussion questions in the back because it's a "Reader's Circle" book. Do you think I should post these questions to help along our discussion? If we want to use them, should we wait til the end to discuss them or should I post them before for thoughtful reading?
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Post by erin on Dec 6, 2008 0:32:14 GMT -5
I have a question: Are we defintley going to start the discussion for Pomegranate Soup on the 7 th? Because sometimes we don't start the discussion on the exacted date. Please let me know . Thanks
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Post by Dominique on Dec 6, 2008 18:34:15 GMT -5
My book has 12 discussion questions in the back because it's a "Reader's Circle" book. Do you think I should post these questions to help along our discussion? If we want to use them, should we wait til the end to discuss them or should I post them before for thoughtful reading? That sounds good, I don't have them in my copy! Ummm I don't really know! I guess if you post them now we could kind of answer them as we discuss. Or maybe if you post the ones relevant to each section? I don't really mind, however you feel like doing it! Ok it's Sunday here in Australia so I'll post my first impressions to get the discussion going. First of all I was really struck by how similar the story seems to the one in Chocolat by Joanne Harris. With the different cooking and the outrage of the community with one key male character being particularly against the new food. Did anyone else think this? I thought it was interesting reading the about the author bit in the front as Mehran is middle eastern married to an Irishman so the book is pretty much a meeting of their two cultures. I'm finding all the exotic recipes really intruiging so far, I'm still craving Baklava after reading that chapter but it's the only one I've ever tried out of all their foods. Thomas McGuire is quite an amusing character, I laughed when it was revealed that the main reason he's against the girls is because he wants to open up a disco in that shop because he's obsessed with dancing! The first section hasn't really given me any other thoughts that I can remember to discuss, but I really like all three of the sisters and I'm looking forward to hearing a bit more of their back story and seeing where the book goes next.
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Post by bookaddict on Dec 7, 2008 12:11:27 GMT -5
I'm enjoying the character of Thomas Maguire. I think he is very amusing. He doesn't get along with Estelle because he wants to turn the Pastry shop into a disco. She will only rent it, which as a business man Thomas can not accept. I find it interesting that he has had his eye on the shop since Luigi died. He waited a month before asking her what she intends to do with the shop. Everything carefully planned out, but she won't sell it. In the first section we see Marjan as the natural cultivator, and leader of the family. She takes charge in emergencies and in everyday living. I find it interesting when Marjan won't talk about the Iranian revolution because she doesn't want to mention it in front of Layla. She believes Layla does not remember the revolution, Layla remembers it all but keeps quiet. I think all the sisters are trying their hard to protect each other. Bahar is an interesting character. She is the middle child, wants to take center stage and is so intense in the kitchen, it is as if her life depends on it. Layla seems to be carefree and trusting. I'm interested in her love for Malarchy.
Another thing I find interesting is the opening of the Babylon Cafe on the Iranian New years. The sisters chose this day for luck. It shows that although they had to flee their country it is very much apart of their lives. Leaving their country was for survival not a choice.
Sorry, if my post is not organized....
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
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Post by Kristie on Dec 7, 2008 14:11:49 GMT -5
Here are some discussion questions for this section of the novel from the back of my book.
Q1) Each chapter in Pomegranate Soup begins with a traditional Persian recipe, which is then incorporated into the story like a character. Why do you think the author has chosen to highlight the food in this manner? How do you think the recipes guide the narrative? Is there one recipe that resonated with you more than the others? Why?
Q2) We first meet the three Aminpour sisters, Marjan, Bahar, and Layla, in the kitchen of the new Babylon Cafe. How does this setting offer a glimpse into their different personalities? If you have siblings, do you recognize the dynamics between the three sisters?
Q3) Marjan cooks in accordance to the Zoroastrian system of gastronomic balancing, known as sard and garm. As one of the world's first monotheistic religions, Zoroastrianism introduced the dual ideas of good and evil, which is also practiced in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Have you ever heard of Zoroastrianism or the concepts of sard and garm (cold and hot) foods? How is this system relevant to the rest of the story?
Q4) Why do you think Marsha Mehran has chosen to set Pomegranate Soup in 1980s Ireland, instead of in the present? How do you think the village of Ballinacroagh perpectuates the fairy-tale image tourists often have of Ireland? In what ways, if any, does Ballinacroagh differ from this idealized picture?
And this might be more for the next section, but seeing as it doesn't give anything away, I'll post it now. Q5) The Aminpour sisters escape Tehran on the eve of the Islamic Revoltuion. What do you know if Iran's history, particularly the revolution of 1979? Were you surprised to read that the Shah was as unpopular as he was with many Iranians? If you were around during the time of the revolution, what images do you remember receiving about it through media outlets in the West?
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Post by neveralone on Dec 8, 2008 14:05:57 GMT -5
I am reading the book with you guys, but I will be slow on getting my thoughts up this week as this weeknd I was home hardly at all!
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Post by greengirlpenguin on Dec 8, 2008 17:24:30 GMT -5
I really like the realtionships between the sisters. All of them really care about eachother, but they still have the sister realtionship. Like Bahar and her search for something that will let her stand out. And Marjan with her protection of her younger sisters. And then Layla with the baby out look to her, like how she is just the sweet little girl. I think Mehran did a great job with the relationship between the sisters.
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
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Post by Kristie on Dec 9, 2008 11:48:00 GMT -5
I really like the sisters too. Being one of four girls, I totally understand the differences between them all, but the overall love they still have for one another. I completely understand why one feels the need to be the mother (Marjan), why one feels a little left in the shadows (Bahar), and why one is just so different from the other two because she's so much younger (Layla). I guess Layla is lucky because, while she does remember stuff that happened back in Iran when they were escaping, she also doesn't have the burden of a personal history with the revolutionary events (as will come up later in the book, I assume).
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Post by Dominique on Dec 9, 2008 22:27:43 GMT -5
Here are some discussion questions for this section of the novel from the back of my book.
Q1) Each chapter in Pomegranate Soup begins with a traditional Persian recipe, which is then incorporated into the story like a character. Why do you think the author has chosen to highlight the food in this manner? How do you think the recipes guide the narrative? Is there one recipe that resonated with you more than the others? Why?
My opinion is since the food is such an important part of the novel it's only sensible that this is so. The food is the instigator of all the action so far in that everything starts with the opening of the restaurant. Also I think that by making the recipes so real to the reader by providing them at the beginning of each chapter Mehran is enhancing our understanding of the dishes. A lot of the dishes I've never heard of and of all of them so far I've only tried one. But by being able to see what goes into making them I have a better idea of what they might smell like, taste like etc. I think this is important as it wouldn't do to have us all confused about the food when it's central to the whole novel. I agree about the sisters' relationship, it's very realistic in that sisters personalities are often so different from one another.
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Post by neveralone on Dec 11, 2008 17:34:00 GMT -5
The thing that struck me most about the book is that there isn't a really big conflict that the girls have to overcome. There are several smaller conflicts, but that makes the story more real. Many books focus around one big event in a character's life, but not the everyday life of someone. The writing style makes it so you are listening to the story of a good friend. It flows nicely and isn't choppy like many books that have several main characters are.
I really like how the food the chapter is named after is incorporated into what happens. Even though I am a picky eater and wouldn't chose to eat most of the food that is talked about, they found a way to make it sound delicious!
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