Sixth Meeting: The Imperfectionists

Yesterday was the sixth meeting of Eat, Drink, and Be Literary-- and we really lived up to the name of our book club, let me tell you! Halley hosted our biggest group yet (14!) for brunch and discussion of Tom Rachman's Imperfectionists.

The book is actually quite similar in format to our fifth book club book (Let the Great World Spin);  it is a series of short stories that all intertwine to become a novel. This novel is set in Rome (a bonus for me) and each chapter is told from the point of view of a member of the staff at an American newspaper there. The characters are desperate and flawed, and the chapters are told much like a newspaper article would be-- they are abrupt and lack closure. 

The overwhelming opinion of the group was "eh"; however, which side of "eh" people fell on was quite varied. Some thought it was boring, some thought it was sad. I am apparently twisted because I thought the book was hilarious. I guess I thought the desperation and tragic nature of each story was supposed to be part of a dark comedy.

One thing everyone agreed on was that the book was well written, and that each of the characters had a distinct voice. We heard from work-a-holic editors, disgruntled copy writers, dried up correspondents so desperate for a headline that they fabricated an entire story, an uninspired obituary writer, and one of my favorites-- a dedicated reader who was a decade behind in the news, but read every word of every issue. Each character was more pathetic than the next (the newspaper included) and I found it to be funny, charming, and engaging. Finding out I was mostly alone in this opinion is making me re-think whether I would recommend this book to others.

Despite the apathy and negative feelings towards the book, we had an incredibly lively discussion, much of which was due to Halley's fantastic list of discussion questions. I think it was also due to the large numbers present. Several people came for the first time (including Lisa which I was incredibly nervous about since she is my "book club guru" but she had a great time) and nobody was shy about expressing opinions or asking questions. Every meeting I am just overwhelmed with gratitude for being surrounded by such brilliant people!

These brilliant people also happen to be fantastic chefs so I am doubly grateful. Our spread was pretty incredible. I contributed some measy "bake'n" (baked bacon), but others took the brunch challenge more seriously. We had mimosas, crepes, an egg casserole, cappuccino muffins, cranberry muffins, banana bread with chocolate chips, and the most amazing lemon curd filled pastry things I have ever had. I don't even know what they are called, but man they were something.

Overall a GREAT meeting. I'm still on my book club high a day later!

The Book Thief

Typically, I wait until after a book club meeting to write about the books, but I typically I do not devour a 550 page novel in four days either. Even though our meeting is nearly a month away, I just had to write something about The Book Thief by Markus Zusak now, while it is still fresh.

This book was... I'm at a loss for words... wonderful. My heart sang and my heart wept-- sometimes simultaneously-- while reading. Though the heroine, Liesel Meminger, and I had little in common other than a love for books and words and knowledge, I feel as though she is part of me. I am mourning the end of this incredible story, and I know that the memory of it will stay with me for a long time.

Growing up, I loved historical fiction books, especially about young and vibrant women growing up in Nazi Germany. Though this novel fits that bill precisely, it is unlike any WWII or Holocaust story I've ever encountered. Zusak's portrayal of this well-known era and people was inspired. The characters were beautifully tortured-- each complex and so real I feel that I know them, or in some cases that I am them. 
The story was narrated by Death, which one might expect to be sinister or hokey, but Zusak made a familiar and likable figure even out of a feared entity.

This book shows the power of and freedom in words-- both in an era when books were burned and knowledge was warped and now when information is at one's fingertips and is taken for granted. It is an inspiration and a masterpiece!

Va bene!

A few years ago my friend Elena got me Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr for a bridesmaid's gift. It was a great gift, and so personalized for me, since I studied in Rome while in college and she visited me there. The gift was a great symbol of our friendship. And I took approximately two years to read it.... but, better late than never, right?

The book was a memoir of sorts about an author who lives in Rome for a year struggling to write a novel with his wife and infant twin boys. In one sense, I loved the book-- the descriptions of the city made me feel like I could breathe in the essence of Rome. I could smell the fresh bread baking, and see the vivid colors of grafitti on trains, and hear the constant whir of motorinos flying through the city, but the book completely lacked a plot. Doerr wrote the book like one long list of things he encountered over the year. Each individual paragraph could be complete and beautiful as a poem providing a fragmented glimpse of a city, but the paragraphs together offered me nothing. I felt no connection to any characters, and I saw little (if any) development or growth of the characters-- including the city of Rome. There are so many novels where a city comes alive and grows like any other character, but other than a few exceptions the city was only described like a set of a play would be throughout this book.

I still enjoyed the book, and was also incredibly jealous of the author being around when the new pope was chosen. I was in Rome the year before the author, and had a papal audience with Papa Gianni Paolo II. It was an experience I will never forget-- the man glowed, literally, on stage. It was so apparent that he was a holy man, and it was really powerful to hear him speak and receive a blessing. I feel so lucky to witness that. A year later I watched from home as millions of people went to view the pope and waited for the announcement of his successor. From my living room I watched the eternal city grieve and celebrate the life of one man while hopefully awaiting a new leader. I ached to be there-- though after living in Rome I realized just how inadequately the city handles the normal number of tourists, and assume that trying to do anything while millions of Catholics made pilgrimages would have just been a nightmare. In any case, being able to appreciate this experience first hand vicariously through the words of Doerr was wonderful.



While reading this book, I gradually began to crave more and more Italian food. So, to celebrate completing the book, I made myself some Spaghetti Carbonara and caprese salad-- two dishes I miss most from Rome because they are just never quite as good on this continent. It was molto delicioso.

"mini" caprese

The cast of characters for my Carbonara

on my shelf

April's book club pick has been chosen by Tana-- she selected The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I'm only 80 pages in, but loving it!I am also reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, and per the recommendation of Timmy, The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva.

Hopefully announcing that I am reading these books will encourage me to 1) read them and 2) blog about it!

Next Sunday is the meeting for Halley's selection The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman and I cannot wait!