Post by Michelle on Jan 20, 2008 21:29:22 GMT -5
Ok, so I've only read through Book 2, but I was reading your posts up until that point and wanted to add to the discussion without waiting to finish.
I'm really enjoying this book (even if the speed at which I am reading it implies otherwise). I really like his writing style. Like a lot of you said, he really can pull you into a story and make you feel for characters that you might otherwise disapprove of. I also think he does a good job of capturing the way a Greek-American immigrant would speak and act (like with the dialogue and with things like the 3 insurance policies).
I'm really enjoying this being set in Detroit. Like Zelda, I haven't read too many books set in my home state. And I love Detroit despite its flaws so it is really nice to see it before it really went downhill. It's interesting to learn some of the history that I didn't know. And an interesting side note: Ben's grandpa has some connection to the Purple Gang (the bootleggers that are mentioned in the book). I keep forgetting to ask him what it was again though.
I'm not sure if this is explained later, but you were all talking about how confused you were about the name Chapter Eleven. I assumed it referred to bankruptcy (Chapter Eleven is one of the common ways of filing for bankruptcy in the US - it stands for that part of the bankruptcy code). But maybe that's just the lawyer in me. I guess I'll find out. Did any of you wonder why Lefty was called Lefty?
I'm really enjoying this book (even if the speed at which I am reading it implies otherwise). I really like his writing style. Like a lot of you said, he really can pull you into a story and make you feel for characters that you might otherwise disapprove of. I also think he does a good job of capturing the way a Greek-American immigrant would speak and act (like with the dialogue and with things like the 3 insurance policies).
I'm really enjoying this being set in Detroit. Like Zelda, I haven't read too many books set in my home state. And I love Detroit despite its flaws so it is really nice to see it before it really went downhill. It's interesting to learn some of the history that I didn't know. And an interesting side note: Ben's grandpa has some connection to the Purple Gang (the bootleggers that are mentioned in the book). I keep forgetting to ask him what it was again though.
I'm not sure if this is explained later, but you were all talking about how confused you were about the name Chapter Eleven. I assumed it referred to bankruptcy (Chapter Eleven is one of the common ways of filing for bankruptcy in the US - it stands for that part of the bankruptcy code). But maybe that's just the lawyer in me. I guess I'll find out. Did any of you wonder why Lefty was called Lefty?
