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Post by Steph on Aug 21, 2009 11:26:21 GMT -5
I got it!
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Aug 27, 2009 13:51:59 GMT -5
Just a few questions to get things going:
1) Why do you think it’s so important for Mrs. Michel to hide her knowledge from her wealthy neighbours?
2) Mrs. Michel explains that as an autodidact, you’re never quite sure if you’ve learned things the right way. Do you agree?
3) Is Paloma’s knowledge a blessing or a burden?
4) What do you make of the fact that the two sisters basically share the same name (Colombe and Paloma mean “Dove” in French and Spanish, respectively)?
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Michelle
First novel published
Posts: 2,563
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Post by Michelle on Aug 27, 2009 15:05:17 GMT -5
Oh, man. We're discussing already?! Is it really August 27?
I might have to sit this one out...
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Post by Steph on Aug 27, 2009 15:59:25 GMT -5
I didn't know we were discussing it already? I thought that we had to wait till everyone got it, so I haven't read it either...
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Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
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Post by Isa on Aug 28, 2009 7:06:58 GMT -5
OK, no problem - I'll modify the schedule!
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Post by Steph on Aug 28, 2009 14:20:27 GMT -5
Thanks Isa
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Michelle
First novel published
Posts: 2,563
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Post by Michelle on Aug 28, 2009 15:01:21 GMT -5
Thanks.
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Michelle
First novel published
Posts: 2,563
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Post by Michelle on Aug 30, 2009 15:56:05 GMT -5
I like the new schedule. I'm going to try to start it tonight.
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Michelle
First novel published
Posts: 2,563
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Post by Michelle on Sept 4, 2009 9:18:14 GMT -5
1) Why do you think it’s so important for Mrs. Michel to hide her knowledge from her wealthy neighbours? She has a role to play in society and she can't play that role by being her true self. She thinks that concierges should act a certain way and she adapts to it. It also might be her way of secretly scorning society. By consuming the things the rich are supposed to and then hiding it to spite everyone else. I have a feeling that her true self is going to be revealed and she'll find out that she was the one who boxed herself into that role, not society. 2) Mrs. Michel explains that as an autodidact, you’re never quite sure if you’ve learned things the right way. Do you agree? Yes and no. For example, when I read a book on my own that a lot of people read in school, I wonder if I'm getting as much out of it or if I'm completely missing the point. But on the other hand, you might learn more because you are restricted to what is taught to you by someone else. You can learn anything you want on your own. 3) Is Paloma’s knowledge a blessing or a burden? If she actually goes through with killing herself (which I doubt) then it will have been a burden. But if she actually starts "building" like she says she wants to, I think it could be a huge burden. Sometimes I think it must be nice to be an uneducated/unintelligent person because you don't have much to think and worry about. The thinkers are the ones that always have the mental issues. 4) What do you make of the fact that the two sisters basically share the same name (Colombe and Paloma mean “Dove” in French and Spanish, respectively)? That's interesting. Does Paloma also mean something in French? Maybe it represents how two people who are supposed to be similar can be so different? Or maybe it means that despite Paloma's sense that they are very different, they are really the same. My thoughtsI'm really enjoying this book. I have a million sentences underlined and I keep looking up new words and writing the definitions down. So far this book reminds me a little of Special Topics in Calamity Physics although I can't point to a reason why. I like the two characters and now that we know them, I'm looking forward to something actually happening to them. Maybe I'll post my favorite passages a little later.
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Sept 4, 2009 10:21:40 GMT -5
Unfortunately because I got this book from the library, I had to read it pretty quickly and I wish I would have had more time to read it, because it's the kind of novel you need to "digest" - I think you miss out a lot by rushing through it the way I did. It's hard for me to answer Question 1 now that I've read the whole thing, but I remember thinking along the same lines as Michelle when I read the first part - that society wasn't responsible for the way Mrs. Michel felt. I have to admit that I was rather annoyed with her, especially at the beginning of the novel, for being such an intellectual snob!! I got the feeling she assumed that rich people couldn't be very intelligent, and therefore she wasn't going to waste any of her intellect on them. She accuses rich people of having prejudices, but she does everything she can to play the part of the dumb concierge and then she goes "See, I told you they thought I was dumb!". In Paloma's case, I was under the impression that she did carry her intelligence around like a burden and that again, her intellectual snobism is what prevented her from turning it into a blessing. I thought it was more excusable in her case since she's only 12 and, contrary to what she thinks, she just doesn't know any better. I remember being 12 and thinking the entire world - well, especially my parents - didn't have a clue. But then you grow up and you realize that you really didn't know anything. So even though her behaviour annoyed me at times, it was easier to understand than Mrs. Michel's. I came across a good explanation for Paloma's name, but it comes up later on in the story so I won't say anything for now. But no, Paloma is not a French word, so it really is the Spanish translation of her sister's name. At the beginning of the novel, I thought perhaps she was named after her sister because Colombe is pretty much described as the perfect daughter, and their parents were simply hoping daughter #2 would be more of the same. Their temperaments are however quite different, but as Michelle said, underneath it all they might be more similar than Paloma would like to admit...
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Post by Dominique on Sept 4, 2009 19:24:19 GMT -5
To start with my impressions, I read most of this section when I was really sick and more in the mood for something light. I didn't really enjoy it, I was too sick to think about a lot of the philosophical bits very heavily and since there was nothing much happening I found it a bit boring. But now that I've put it aside for a week and picked it up again I'm starting to get into it much more so hopefully I'll have more to say about the next section.
I was a bit confused about why Michel was hiding herself for awhile, but I pretty much agree with everything you guys said.
I think Paloma is definately disadvantaged by her intelligence at this point in the book, I agree with Michelle that sometimes less intelligent people might be happier because they don't think so much about everything. Paloma seems like she has thought herself into depression in a way.
Isa I think you make a good point about the sisters being more similar than Paloma would like to admit, is Colombe's snobbery any different from Paloma's snobbery just because Paloma is a true intellectual and Colombe comes off as ridiculous?
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Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
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Post by Isa on Sept 5, 2009 6:20:05 GMT -5
yeah, it bothered me that Colombe was always described as being silly. I mean, the girl is completing her Master's degree in philosophy, how stupid can she really be?! I do think Paloma is often blinded by her prejudices and her own black and white way to see the world...
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Sept 13, 2009 10:25:29 GMT -5
Ugh, between my trip to San Francisco and having to return the book to the library, I've completely forgotten what I wanted to say about the second part
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Michelle
First novel published
Posts: 2,563
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Post by Michelle on Sept 15, 2009 14:36:36 GMT -5
I read too quickly and I'm afraid of discussing more than the second part.
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Post by Dominique on Sept 15, 2009 18:47:22 GMT -5
I did too, maybe we should just discuss the whole rest of the book now then?
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