<p>^^^
I read Willful Creatures - Aimee Bender - author of “Ironhead” (which is one of the 15 short stories in Willful Creatures). I guess many of the short stories fall into the surrealistic genre (if such exists) - “Ironhead” and then in “The Leading Man” the main character has keys for fingers. As he goes through life he learns which door each finger opens. So let’s just say, not an Alice Munro type of story. My favorite - “Death Watch” starts like this:</p>
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<p>and, of course, the story continues. I also liked “The Case of the Salt and Pepper Shakers.” I plan to work through a book of Roald Dahl short stories next.</p>
<p>Connections: I ran across this in Entertainment Weekly in a recap of an episode of Rectify.</p>
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<p>“Bullet to the Brain” landed in my list of short stories I liked (recommended by A.J.). </p>
<p>And while I’m here, I thought I’d mention that I’m almost through with The Best of Roald Dahl - a compilation of his short stories starting in 1945 and ending with “The Bookseller” (1986). I had the book here to read the two stories - “Lamb to the Slaughter” and "The Bookseller - A.J. recommended and thought I’d finish it. Overall impression - very Roald Dahl-ish. 8-| </p>
<p>I’ve just finished re-reading this book for another book group, and I have a question. Does anyone know what quote is referred to when the new book rep is on his way to Island for the first time-"He even has that famous C.S. Lewis quote tattooed on his wrist. " I’ve done a bit of internet searching, and I can’t decide which C.S. Lewis she means. (It is on page 257, or Kindle location 2805.) Thanks in advance to anyone who can clear up this minor mystery!</p>
<p>There are many good C.S. Lewis quotes about books and reading, but few are so short that they could be successfully tattooed on one’s wrist. I have a bad feeling Jacob might have the following tattoo:</p>
<p>We read to know we are not alone.</p>
<p>If that’s the case, he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Because that quote was actually written by screenwriter William Nicholson for the movie “Shadowlands,” a biography of C.S. Lewis, but Lewis never really said it. I might be underestimating Jacob, but the mistake would fit Gabrielle Zevin’s wry sense of humor.</p>
<p>^ I’ll add (since the book is still sitting here on my desk) that A.J. notes that the first time he read The Luck of Roaring Camp, as a young man, he “was not moved in the least,” but the second time, post-Maya, he “cried so much you’ll find that my Dover Thrift Edition is waterlogged” (p. 41). He writes, </p>
Love this link in which Zevin lists each book (with corresponding page number) found in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Great for book clubs! http://gabriellezevin.com/ajbooks/
Where was that when we were reading?! But seriously this really was fun as a bookclub book just to look up all the references. I’d forgotten about that sweet CS Lewis quote.
On a related note. For those who have seen the movie Birdman ( kudos to them for SAG awards) Raymond Carver 'play is being produced.
This article discusses why Raymond Carver
SouthJerseyChessMom, that’s interesting about Birdman and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.” Before A.J. Fikry, the Carver reference in the movie wouldn’t have meant anything to me. It’s fun when the things we talk about in book club show up in real life (or in this case, reel life ).
Far be it from me to argue with the author, but that’s a mighty long tattoo to have on one’s wrist!
(P.S. I’ve just decided that one day the tattoo on my wrist is going to be from the second half of that C.S. Lewis dedication: “too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say.”)
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