In August, our club read The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. The group had mixed opinions about this selection, with a majority of the members falling short on their appraisal due to the questions left unanswered throughout the novel.
A little bit about the book:
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The sometimes crushing
power of myth, story, and memory is explored in the brilliant debut of Obreht,
the youngest of the New Yorker's 20-under-40. Natalia Stefanovi, a doctor living
(and, in between suspensions, practicing) in an unnamed country that's a ringer
for Obreht's native Croatia, crosses the border in search of answers about the
death of her beloved grandfather, who raised her on tales from the village he
grew up in, and where, following German bombardment in 1941, a tiger escaped
from the zoo in a nearby city and befriended a mysterious deaf-mute woman. The
evolving story of the tiger's wife, as the deaf-mute becomes known, forms one of
three strands that sustain the novel, the other two being Natalia's efforts to
care for orphans and a wayward family who, to lift a curse, are searching for
the bones of a long-dead relative; and several of her grandfather's stories
about Gavran Gailé, the deathless man, whose appearances coincide with
catastrophe and who may hold the key to all the stories that ensnare Natalia.
Obreht is an expert at depicting history through aftermath, people through the
love they inspire, and place through the stories that endure; the reflected
world she creates is both immediately recognizable and a legend in its own
right. Obreht is talented far beyond her years, and her unsentimental faith in
language, dream, and memory is a pleasure. (Mar.)
As usual, we had an enjoyable evening discussing the book at Vicki's home, even if it wasn't a "must read" book selection for everyone. That is the joy of book club....you don't have to enjoy the book to enjoy the company and conversation!
No comments:
Post a Comment