Introduce Yourself

[Jessica]

Reply to this message to introduce yourself to the group!

Have you read other books by Anita Shreve? What interests you about Body Surfing?

[IBIS]

I love Anita Shreve's writing... she's amazing at capturing the subtleties of our emotions. I've read everything she's written so far. My favorites are:

THE WEIGHT OF WATER. It has has 2 separate storylines (a passionate murder mystery of the past and a modern-day photographer who investigates this unsolved murder). She has emotional mysteries of her own to solve during a sailboat excursion)... It was made into a movie with Sean Penn that I enjoyed very much.

THE PILOTS WIFE. A fine, subtle story written from the point of view of a pilot's wife. His long absences allows him to have a mysterious separate life away from her. The ending was dynamite! This was also made into a TV movie, and again, I enjoyed it very much.

A WEDDING IN DECEMBER. This reminded me of THE BIG CHILL, where several old friends, after a long absence, get together for a special event. In this one, old friends get together for a wedding. I loved finding out all the secrets that everyone wants to hide.

BODY SURFING is one that I will enjoy reading. I hope it will generate much online discussion.

IBIS

[kiakar]

Hi I am Linda from Virginia. I have read everything Anita Shreve has ever wrote. My favorite was the Pilot's wife and then Eden Close but all of her books are good. Glad to see you here, IBIS.

[kbc]

Hi, I'm Karen. I read Body Surfing a few months ago and loved it. I've also read Light on Snow and the Pilot's Wife. I'm thinking of rereading The Pilot's Wife as it's been a few years and I remember really loving it. Looking forward to the discussion.

[REK]

Hi,

I have read everything she has published. Ms Shreve has the uncanny ability to describe the motions of falling in love; he love scenes are very intimate. but not anatomical! As an example of this read "Resistance," where a WWII bomber crewman find shelter in the home ofthe man who rescued him. As it turns out he falls in love with the man's wife,Whew!

Also her writing is very nuanced and the use of vocabulary is as good as I have ever seen.

REK

[IBIS]

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kiakar wrote:
Hi I am Linda from Virginia. I have read everything Anita Shreve has ever wrote. My favorite was the Pilot's wife and then Eden Close but all of her books are good. Glad to see you here, IBIS.

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Hi Linda, glad to see you here too. It'll be great fun to discuss Anita Shreve. I agree with you... all her books are good. She's one of my alltime favorites.
IBIS

[travelrn]

Hi,
I just found this discussion after coming home from vacation but I love anita shreve. I only found her this summer but have been reading as many as I can get my hands on. Coincidently we just returned from an island vacation. I'm going out tomorrow to get the book and I'll be frantically reading it so I can keep up with the discussion.
I live in alaska and winters are great for reading.

[kk_rainfo]

Hi, I'm kk and I loved all Anita Shreve's books, starting with the Pilot's wife. The audio books are sometimes worth listening to, even after you've read the printed version, just to listen to the way her prose flows, and how natural the dialog and internal voices seem.
I read Body Surfing right after it came out, and will enjoy discussing it.

[kiakar]

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REK wrote:
Hi,

I have read everything she has published. Ms Shreve has the uncanny ability to describe the motions of falling in love; he love scenes are very intimate. but not anatomical! As an example of this read "Resistance," where a WWII bomber crewman find shelter in the home ofthe man who rescued him. As it turns out he falls in love with the man's wife,Whew!

Also her writing is very nuanced and the use of vocabulary is as good as I have ever seen.

REK

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Oh! yes! You brought the memories of that book back to me! It was a terrific read!

[kiakar]

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kbc wrote:
Hi, I'm Karen. I read Body Surfing a few months ago and loved it. I've also read Light on Snow and the Pilot's Wife. I'm thinking of rereading The Pilot's Wife as it's been a few years and I remember really loving it. Looking forward to the discussion.

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Hi, I was meandering down that same road, but I can't find my copy of Pilot's Wife. Oh!! I know the plot and overcast of this book, I just need the details. ha.But of course, do not tell me, others might want to read the book. It is so good. And that one, was on Oprah's book club of long ago.

[kiakar]

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REK wrote:
Hi,

I have read everything she has published. Ms Shreve has the uncanny ability to describe the motions of falling in love; he love scenes are very intimate. but not anatomical! As an example of this read "Resistance," where a WWII bomber crewman find shelter in the home ofthe man who rescued him. As it turns out he falls in love with the man's wife,Whew!

Also her writing is very nuanced and the use of vocabulary is as good as I have ever seen.

REK

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And besides the uncanny ability to describe falling in love, she takes a woman through a very difficult journey to a fulfilling homecoming. She makes it seem easy to be a strong woman figure.

[Librarian]

Hi----I bought Body Surfing before I found out it would be discussed here. I started reading it last night. It flows along quickly. The only other Anita Shreve book I've read is The Pilot's Wife and I really liked that one.
Librarian

[kiakar]

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Librarian wrote:
Hi----I bought Body Surfing before I found out it would be discussed here. I started reading it last night. It flows along quickly. The only other Anita Shreve book I've read is The Pilot's Wife and I really liked that one.
Librarian

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All of her books are so so good, I can't think of the whole title but it has Snow in it, and the December Wedding are really good. And the "Sea Glass. That is really good.

[Stephanie]

Librarian,

I think you'll "surf" right through this story- it was hard to put down. (Sorry about the bad pun!)

Since you haven't finished yet, what is your take on the brothers? Are you a fan of one or the other, both or neither?

[Librarian]

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Stephanie wrote:
Librarian,

I think you'll "surf" right through this story- it was hard to put down. (Sorry about the bad pun!)

Since you haven't finished yet, what is your take on the brothers? Are you a fan of one or the other, both or neither?

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Hi----I'm reserving judgement on the brothers because what if Sydney is wrong about thinking that it was Ben who made her uncomfortable in the water? She seems more partial to Jeff. But I'm going to be more cautious and wait and see.
Librarian

[kiakar]

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Librarian wrote:

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Stephanie wrote:
Librarian,

I think you'll "surf" right through this story- it was hard to put down. (Sorry about the bad pun!)

Since you haven't finished yet, what is your take on the brothers? Are you a fan of one or the other, both or neither?

---

Hi----I'm reserving judgement on the brothers because what if Sydney is wrong about thinking that it was Ben who made her uncomfortable in the water? She seems more partial to Jeff. But I'm going to be more cautious and wait and see.
Librarian

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Yes, why does she automaticly assume that its Ben.?  It seems she enjoys Jeff more and is with him more than she and Ben. Even though Jeff already has a girlfriend.

[Stephanie]

Remember, she assumes it was Ben because Jeff didn't answer when Ben first called to him, and then Jeff came along from fairly far off.  Sydney decided that Jeff was too far away, so it had to be Ben that touched her under the water.  I probably would have drowned- the shock of thinking "Shark!" would have had me swallowing great gulps of water! 

[kiakar]

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Stephanie wrote:

Remember, she assumes it was Ben because Jeff didn't answer when Ben first called to him, and then Jeff came along from fairly far off.  Sydney decided that Jeff was too far away, so it had to be Ben that touched her under the water.  I probably would have drowned- the shock of thinking "Shark!" would have had me swallowing great gulps of water! 

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Boy! whether it was a shark or not, anyone touching me under the water, I am gonna run and scream bloody Mary when I can speak.

[Librarian]

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Librarian wrote:

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Stephanie wrote:
Librarian,

I think you'll "surf" right through this story- it was hard to put down. (Sorry about the bad pun!)

Since you haven't finished yet, what is your take on the brothers? Are you a fan of one or the other, both or neither?

---

Hi----I'm reserving judgement on the brothers because what if Sydney is wrong about thinking that it was Ben who made her uncomfortable in the water? She seems more partial to Jeff. But I'm going to be more cautious and wait and see.
Librarian

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SPOILER  ALERT-------SPOILER  ALERT-------DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T REACHED P.215

OK now I can say that I just didn't trust Sydney's attraction to Jeff. Ben couldn't figure out why Sydney was cutting him short. Jeff must have slithered under Sydney in the water!  Before I reached the part where Jeff leaves Sydney at the altar so to speak, I was having suspicions. He was giving off little inconsiderate behavior signals and Sydney was just not wanting to see it.  And what a cad. How could he be so conniving, planning this from the beginning and knowing that he would not marry Sydney!

Librarian

[IBIS]

Librarian, I think you're giving Jeff more credit than he deserves. I don't think he PLANNED to leave Sydney at the altar.... he's not the contemplative, plotting type. It's typical self-centered behavior for him to live in the moment, without any consideration of another's feelings. He didn't even analyze the reasons for his own competitiveness with Ben; it was a reaction, a response of his own egotistism to have the upperhand with his brother. The only redeeming thing is that he did not marry her. He just couldn't go through with his charade. Can you imagine, if in his cowardice, he went through with the wedding. That would have been the total undoing of Sydney. And frankly, for a bright, observant woman, Sydney fell much too easily for him. Here she is, almost 30 years old, a divorcee and a widow. She's not a young, naive young girl. It was one plot thread that I found very difficult to suspend disbelief. IBIS