The Writing Circle: Early Chapters (through Chris's first chapter)

[Rachel-K]

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer? 

Is Nancy the "main" character for you? If you feel she is, what do we gain or lose by not sticking only with her perspective to this point in the novel?

Which characters do you take to immediately? Do you dislike anyone immediately?

Whose chapter is most surprising? How would you describe the home lives of each of our characters?

Please use the following questions to start talking about The Writing Circle, and feel free to post your own thoughts and questions for the group, too.

Please remember that the "Chapter" threads stick to the chapters under discussion, and try not to include any spoilers from the reading after Chris' first chapter. (If I can count, that's chapter 10.)  Enjoy!

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer? 

Is Nancy the "main" character for you? If you feel she is, what do we gain or lose by not sticking only with her perspective to this point in the novel?

Which characters do you take to immediately? Do you dislike anyone immediately?

How would you describe the home lives of each of our characters?

Whose chapter is most surprising for you?

[pen21]

I am not sure who the main character is at this point. In each chapter there is a different main character. I am learning more about each of the members of the Leopardi circle group. But at this point of the book, I don't have a good idea how the story will blend together. It seems very disjoint at this part of the book. For me, I have found that I have seen that some of the characters have parts of their lives that meet, but I don't have a definite feeling of where that will lead. Their stories are very open at this time. Rachel, I bet this was a hard book to pick the breaking points for.

pen21

[nfam]

I have to agree. This book is very disjoint and at this point I don't like any of the characters. It seems like the writing circle from hell. We're learning a lot about each character, but it's unclear how the story will unfold to mesh their lives. I have to admit thus far I'm rather disappointed in the book. It feels slippery. I can't find a character I care about. 

I don't mean to sound negative. Perhaps the pace will pick up and we'll get to like at least one of the characters. I'm hopeful! I know from her comments that the author intends to blend their lives and address some moral issues. I'm looking forward to the next section.

[T-Mo]

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer? 

I like the fact that the chapters switch perspective. I have always enjoyed this writing style. I think it helps the reader gain more knowledge and understanding of each character. We tend to learn more about them because we see from their point of view as opposed to getting their perspective third hand, so to speak. It is easier to pick up on things, and gain an understanding of a character when we can see inside them from their own point of view- much like when you are conversing with another person. You can learn a lot about a person from their comments, opinions, and even at times, the terminology they use to discuss/describe something. 

[aanjel]

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer? 

I don't mind the switching from character to character.  I like the different perspective that each character brings to the story.  I haven't picked one character over another as more interesting, they all lend to the story in their own way.  I haven"t focused on one character as being the main one, although with the opening being Nancy she feels more of a "main" character so far.  I think my switching characters we do learn more about each one as the others interact with them.  I don't think the switching hurts the characters perspective at all.

Gillian is a close second, as a "main" character but I am not sure how I "feel" about her.  She is probably the one character I dislike at the moment.  She seems to be selfish and demeaning to the others in the Circle and I am curious as to what she will say or do next.  The chapter abut her was very revealing and just added to my dislike of her. 

[violetangel]

I very much agree with nfam on this one.  None of the characters feel strong to me.  They feel very much like stock characters.  The above-everyone-else-yet-earthy poet?  Check.  The young ingenue?  Check - slight deviation in that he's a male, but still he's your stock ingenue.  Etc., etc. 

I'm having a hard time finding sympathy for any of them.  And by "sympathy" I don't mean I like them.  A sympathetic character - at least in playwright-speak - is a character who you can at least understand why they do what they do/are like what they are like.  It doesn't mean you like them or even agree with them.  It simply means that their actions or attitudes are at least understandable from that character's point of view.  Prime example is Eddie Carbone in A View From The Bridge.  His actions and attitudes are desipcable in most people's eyes, but considering his history and where he comes from, it is understandable, thereby making him a sympathetic character.  None of these characters are reading remotely sympathetically for me.

I'm hoping that some sense is made of the actions so far, but I'm afraid that Ms. Demas has not done a lot to win my sympathy for or confidence in any of them in her having them act in despicable, self-absorbed ways without us even knowing anything about them.  (Gillian and Adam, I'm looking at you specifically.)

Normally I despise the story within a story format, but surprisingly I found the bit of the story that opened the novel far more compelling than anything about the writers in the group.  I wish Ms. Demas has just written that story rather than what we've gotten so far.

[krb2g]

I found the beginning of this book extremely difficult. After two bits of writing that appear unconnected, we're sent (a little like Nancy herself) into a situation where it's really hard to keep track of the characters involved and the relationships that have obviously formed in our absence. I guess that's part of the reason why I see Nancy as the main character--we get her point of view first, and like Nancy, we're new to the Leopardi circle. Anyhow, I had difficulty keeping track of who was who. I wanted genealogical tables, or something.

I felt like Chris was a little overdone--he has no idea the effect he has on the women in his life, such that he's shocked when they're upset after his relationships with them end? really? and I thought his ex-wife was drawn way too unsympathetically. By making their divorce seem like such a one-sided thing (and Chris seem like he was entirely wronged and misunderstood), the book actually made me think that the wife had something on her side. I'm not sounding very clear here, I know...

[Scorpio78NY]

This is the first book that I've fully read on my new Nook, so this has been an all-around intriguing experience for me so far.

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer? 

I do enjoy books that switch perspectives from chapter to chapter because it gives me, as a reader, a fuller view of the story.  I admit - it was slightly jarring at first, but as I  got to know each character a little bit better, I grew more and more intrigued by their story and wanted to get to know them and their imperfections better.  As of right now, I think I am the most intrigued by Nancy -- perhaps because like her, we're getting to know to each of the members of the writers group as well.

Is Nancy the "main" character for you? If you feel she is, what do we gain or lose by not sticking only with her perspective to this point in the novel?

I believe so.  I think she's the one I feel the most compassion for as the newest member of the group trying to find their way.  It's interesting to think about what her motivations may be for joining the group as well as the hesitations that she may have.  As we switch perspectives, I feel like we gain a little more insight with the people she interacts with... and will interact with, I'm assuming in upcoming chapters, and their motivations behind their behavior.  The main thing I believe is lost is a deeper understanding of Nancy.  As much as I believe she is the main character, since the focus is not entirely on her, the reader does lose some deeper insight into her character and voice.

Which characters do you take to immediately? Do you dislike anyone immediately?

I honestly took to all of the characters with the exception of Gillian -- which I'm sure isn't too surprising. 

How would you describe the home lives of each of our characters?

They all seem to be lacking something integral -- even the most happiest of the couples seem to have something missing.  Virginia, who finally is reconnected to an early love, seems to be holding back and holding on to her independence tightly.  Similarly, Gillian and Bernard seem to have a parts of their lives that they aren't able to share with their significant others.

Whose chapter is most surprising for you?

Gillian and Adam's definitely.  Everything just seemed to happen very quickly and abruptly.

[BookLovingBeac…]

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? 

 I have always found this type of book appealing. I enjoy getting to know each character as an individual and then see how they play into the overall plot of the book.

I did find the book a little hard to follow in the beginning. So much that I thought I would need to take notes about the characters. I have since found that they are so different that it makes it much easier to keep them all straight.

At this point in the book I see no main character.

[Zyna]

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer?

Switching perspective from chapter to chapter allows the reader to learn more and understand better about each of the characters. It allows the reader to see how each of the characters view themselves, how others view them, and how they really are. I personally would have liked to stay longer with Nancy, just because I feel like it is her story and the reader needs to know more about her, but I want to know more about each of the characters as well.

Is Nancy the "main" character for you? If you feel she is, what do we gain or lose by not sticking only with her perspective to this point in the novel?

I do feel that this story is, for the most part, Nancy's despite the switching of perspective form chapter to chapter. It's about her life with Oates, her experiences with her father, the book she is working on, and her experiences in interacting with all of the other members of the Leopardi Circle. I feel we could gain a lot more by sticking with Nancy's perspective, by gaining more insight into her thoughts and feelings, but I think that switching perspective allows the reader to gain more insight into not only Nancy's character but also the other characters, shining some light onto why they interact the way they do.

Which characters do you take to immediately? Do you dislike anyone immediately?

I didn't take to anyone immediately, but after Chris's chapter, I feel that I did like him a lot more than I liked the other characters. He was sort of painted in a negative light for me in the other chapters, but learning about him in his own chapter sort of softened me up a bit. I suppose I should hate him for being shocked when when women are upset after his relationship with them end, and for painting his divorce to be such a one-sided thing, but I think that it's some of that Chris charm rubbing off on me. I disliked Gillian from the on-set, and her chapter with the dead mouse only made me like her less.

[Sunltcloud]

I feel, at this point, that Nancy is the main character. Switching between characters is a good way of introducing us and Nancy to the group. And since it is a group of six people it is only fair that all of them are allowed a piece of the action. It is, of course, the author's prerogative to set the scene; instead of seeing the members of the group develop in front of Nancy we get a somewhat gossippy background check on them.

Each of the six main characters is distinctly different from the others. I don't particularly like any of them - yet - perhaps because I am told about their flaws rather than experiencing them as individuals first. If I had to name one I might be more interested in than the others, I would name Virginia.

There is some speculation on my part about Virginia. Virginia and Bernard were married for 20 years. They have two children: Rachel and Teddy. Virginia doesn't drive. She failed her test twice when she was younger. What if..... Virginia is the woman in the first sketch - she didn't get killed by the pickup but was scarred (mentally) by it. Bernard is the man who rushes toward her. And...... did Nancy's father, the doctor, let their first -born die? Will Nancy find out more about her father through Virginia?

[See_Jane_Read]

I agree with previous posters who have talked about not having sympathy for the characters and the characters feeling flat.  One of the first things I noticed about the book was that the characters felt flat.  They came off as either "good" or "bad".  Nancy - most likable and relateable.  Bernard's second wife, Amiee - selfish.  Virginia - maternal.  Adam  - sleeze-ball.  Gillian - manipulative.  And again, as previous posters noted, we don't feel much sympathy for the characters, we don't know enough about Gillian to know what circumstances led her to be such a manipulative shrew.  Is she protecting herself, has she been hurt in the past?  Perhaps if I knew that, I would be more inclined to care about her character... 

One thing I feel the author is doing well, however, is dangling just enough of a carrot that I want to keep reading.  For example, Gillian is clearly dispicable, but what was up with her reaction to the mouse?  As I pondered her reaction, I immediately thought of a book I just finished called "The Help" where there is a rather graphic description of a miscarriage and I thought, "does this dead mouse remind her of another small life taken?"  I'm intrigued just enough to keep reading and I find myself hoping that in the end we will find out what makes these characters tick and that they will no longer feel flat.

[DeviousVixen]

To start off with, I feel that this book (at least in these assigned chapters) has a very disorganized layout.  That may be because we are just getting to know each of the characters and they will all blend and become connected later. 

 I also feel that Gillian is the "main" character.  At first, I felt that the obvious main character was Nancy.  But then as I read more, it seems that each character has a definite reaction to Gillian's presence and personality.  It seems to me that she is going to connect with all of the characters in a deeper, more complex way towards the end.

At this point, I dislike Gillian.  At first reading, I seemed to like her.  She was a more unique character to me.  She seemed to be independent, strong, and didn't care what others thought of her.  I  did notice, however, that she was manipulative and selfish.  I started to dislike her when it got to her chapter.  The issue with the mouse kind of threw me.  She seemed to be independent and strong, even when dealing with her husband, so why does she need to be protected all of a sudden by Adam. Especially when she thinks so much more highly of herself than him.  I also got the feeling that she loves to be adored but I thought she would never stoop so low as to give in to those feelings.  I was very surprised and disappointed in her relationship with Adam.  I have a feeling that she is going to be a deeper character than what she seems to be now.

[beckalou]

At first I had a hard time getting into the book. I am not sure where the turning point was but I was finally able to get into the book and found it really hard to stop at the end of Chris. At this point I think Nancy is the main character because the book started with her. That's always the impression I get when I first start a book if they are the first character in the book than they are the main character.

My first impression of Gillian was that she is no good. And than after what she did with Adam I think my first impression was correct, but than again we don't really know much about Gillian's marriage.

I feel sorry for Chris it seems like he got a raw deal with his ex-wife. His chapter was the biggest surprise. I cannot wait to start up where I left off. (I know I could have continued and not gotten in trouble but I don't want to for fear that I will post spoilers and I don't like to ruin anything for anybody)

[maxcat]

I get very confused with a book like this, too many characters and too many sub-plots. I don't especially prefer a book such as this unless things start to gel later on. I find myself taking far too many notes to keep up with the characters. I love the ebook format, but I must admit that this particular book should have been sent to the FLers

I like Nancy as she is down to earth and worries about her appearance and becomes upset over a horse's death. She seems more human to me. I like Bernard as slovenly as he is. He's intelligent but messy.

 Nancy probably is the main character for me but somehow, we need to know about other people. From her perspective, it would be one sided and not fair. I guess the way it is presented to us was the only way the author could present a view  where you could chose who you like and who you don't like.

I don't particularly like Gillian right from the start. She is snotty and thinks a lot about how wonderful her poems are and no other poet should be allowed in the group. She bosses her husband and is not caring of her stepson, Paul.

I also don't like the character of Adam as he comes across as pathetic and conniving.

There are two chapters that surprised me. One was about Chris and his arrest on failure to pay child support. The other was about Gillian and Adam. That through a monkey wrench into everything I've read so far. 

[Sunltcloud]

maxcat,

I usually make annotations on my nook, but in this case I wrote in the reading journal I keep on my desktop. There are so many characters to deal with and going back and forth on nook takes too long. I do miss dead tree books when it comes to taking notes, because I can't just flip back and forth. Since I can't "go to" a particular page on nook, I make lots of bookmarks in case I want to go back to a particular paragraph.

maxcat wrote:

I get very confused with a book like this, too many characters and too many sub-plots. I don't especially prefer a book such as this unless things start to gel later on. I find myself taking far too many notes to keep up with the characters. I love the ebook format, but I must admit that this particular book should have been sent to the FLers

I like Nancy as she is down to earth and worries about her appearance and becomes upset over a horse's death. She seems more human to me. I like Bernard as slovenly as he is. He's intelligent but messy.

 Nancy probably is the main character for me but somehow, we need to know about other people. From her perspective, it would be one sided and not fair. I guess the way it is presented to us was the only way the author could present a view  where you could chose who you like and who you don't like.

I don't particularly like Gillian right from the start. She is snotty and thinks a lot about how wonderful her poems are and no other poet should be allowed in the group. She bosses her husband and is not caring of her stepson, Paul.

I also don't like the character of Adam as he comes across as pathetic and conniving.

There are two chapters that surprised me. One was about Chris and his arrest on failure to pay child support. The other was about Gillian and Adam. That through a monkey wrench into everything I've read so far. 

[Zia01]

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer? I didn't affect me much with the swapping characters each chapter. I find I want to know more about Gillian or Chris. Both of those Characters I feel drawn too.

Is Nancy the "main" character for you? If you feel she is, what do we gain or lose by not sticking only with her perspective to this point in the novel? I don't really know if there will be just one main character. I guess it's something that will show itself as I get further into the book.

Which characters do you take to immediately? Do you dislike anyone immediately? I like and dislike Gillian. I can't really decide. I am very drawn to this character and her actions.

How would you describe the home lives of each of our characters? Unique and they all seem to be very different from each other.

[jbg78]

Different chapters told by different characters  Generally to me this style always seems discombobulated at first but always seems to make sense at the end of a book. I'm hoping that this is true for this book.  I do fine it gives a reader more information on individual characters and adds another level of dimension to the  interactions between the characters.

Nancy the main character  I'm not sure if she is or not yet.  I will say that I like her character the best.  Virginia runs a close second.

This is my first time reading an eBook. I had a few problems.  I like to physically start to turn the page about half way through the last sentence on a page.  AAAA..This isn't possible with an eBook. I spent a lot of time going back to reread the last part of a page.  I also like to read just before I go to sleep.  This doesn't work so great with a computer. 

[brndygrl98]

What effect does switching the perspective from chapter to chapter have on your reading? Which characters did you want to stay with longer? 

I don't really mind switching from person to person. It's always difficult when an author does this until I get a good grasp on the characters. I'm not too sure that I want to stay with any character longer at this point. I feel that they are weak characters.

Is Nancy the "main" character for you? If you feel she is, what do we gain or lose by not sticking only with her perspective to this point in the novel?

The only reason I feel that Nancy is the "main" character is because the book really started with her and we know that the story of her father is eventually going to come from following her story. However, we lose this sense in jumping perspectives in the beginning because it seems that each person is the main character from the time their chapter starts.

Which characters do you take to immediately? Do you dislike anyone immediately?

I like Nancy, Virginia and Chris. I dislike Gillian and Adam, but I think they are to be disliked.

How would you describe the home lives of each of our characters?

The characters each seem to be dealing with different points in their lives. It is revealed to us that a few of their lives have inter-mingled, especially with Gillian! I'm interested in seeing how many of the characters grow as people or how many of their lives and relationships are destroyed.

Whose chapter is most surprising for you?

Hmmm...I think maybe Virginia's. I thought it was surprising that she was married, then divorced then remarried to her old sweetie. I think she is a very likeable character. I was also surprised at Adam's chapter in the fact that he's even in the Leopoldi club at all. He doesn't seem like much of a writer. Chris' chapter was surprising in that he's on his way to jail right now. Interesting to see how that one turns out.

[maxcat]

Sunltcloud, I have been keeping a journal because of the fact it would take too long to find a page on the nook. It has kind of saved me so far. I would be in a mess trying to remember everyone and descriptions,etc.