The Writing Circle: First Impressions

[skrupp]

I was intrigued by the opening of the story.  although it was sad, I felt like it could lead to an interesting story development.  I am a little embarassed to admit that when the book jumped to Nancy I was a little confused, but then I realized what had happened and that the first part had been her book that she was writing.  As the book progresses, I think the story we are introduced to in the opening of the book is a story of Nancy's father and what happened to him following a tragic loss. 

[crazyakchick]

like most everyone else, i'm waiting to see what happens with the preface and the doctor's story and how they will converge.  as of now, i'm feeling like the story is nancy's - or nancy's dad's story through nancy. 

i was sort of waiting for gillian to be not as bad as she was being set up to be.  even paul's impression of her wasn't all bad - her shared confidences made him feel special.  and then she slept with adam.  she IS as bad as she's being made out to be!

i'm trying to figure out everyone's (by everyone, i mean everyone in the book, not on the board) attracton to bernard.  maybe he'll grow on me later in the book.

all in all, i'm enjoyng the book.  i like books with lots of characters woven together.  i'm interested to see where it goes.

[WhyDoUPickOnMe]

I have to agree with a few of the other readers.  The story about the doctor had me hooked from the first line.  I really wanted to know more about the doctor, the dead baby and what happened.  It threw me off when we started to learn about Nancy.

However, I finished the novel and I did like the foreshadowing of what was to come in the preface. 

[rujama]

I really liked the tone of the preface, it really pulled me in. I am hoping that we find out the ending to that story as we go on, or at least some more details. I was, like some other readers, confused when the story jumped to Nancy. 

[fmessick]

See_Jane_Read wrote:

Did anyone pick up on the comment about headlights?  In the very first section, we are led to believe that a woman is about to be hit by a car that doesn't have it's headlights on, then in the second section when the doctor leaves the hospital it says "He put on his headlights, something he had neglected to do before, and pulled into the road that would take him home."  So I find myself wondering, was the couple in the preface the couple that lost the baby?  Did the doctor hit the woman because he didn't have his headlights on and cause her to lose her baby?  Are these two stories related at all?  I like that we don't know the answers to these questions because it intrigues me to continue reading.

I did notice this.  And so far I have been most intrigued by this.  I'm having trouble bouncing from character to character right now, I'm sure as I continue to read it will be easier for me to keep everyone straight though.

[Vermontcozy]

That we are part of a Mystery.A very tragic crime was committed..I am thoroughly enjoying the character development,many stories within  the story,in all the people involved,and its going to be interesting how we all perceive them..Sometimes its like looking in a mirror,and other times,the players agenda's come into play for me..Its the complexities that I enjoy the most..Whose story might this be?Good question Rachel,but I can't answer that with any certainty yet.,although this is my first posting...and now I will have a look at The Chapters leading up to Chris to pg88....  Glad to have you back with us...Susan Vtc

[DSaff]

The opening makes me think there is definitely a story within a story here (something someone is working out through the writing process), and I really hope we get to find out how it ends! I think the story is about a situation Nancy's father faced. It pulled me in right away and I was slightly disappointed to start reading about the individuals and not the rest of the story. 

[debbi801]

The Preface made me want to continue with the book, I found it very intriguing.  But then I started reading the book and immediately got confused about what the first chapters of the book had to do with the Preface.  And then honestly, I got sucked into the book and completely forgot about the Preface until I started reading the posts here.

[fallafooka]

When I first read the opening, I thought that it might be a story for a "writing circle." But now I think that it's Nancy's book about her father.  I loved the writing.  It feels to me almost like a Virginia Woolf stream of consciousness.  We are stepping into lives and don't always know the back story.  I was prepared to dislike Gillian but found myself sympathizing with the dead mouse in the kitchen. I don't think I would have barricaded the door....just put the wastebasket and its contents outside.

I am looking forward to the rest of everyone's stories.

[dhaupt]

I personally loved the hint of a story we got at the beginning.

I think it was about Nancy's Dad and she's writing her novel about it.

[Bonnie_C]

I thought the story of the doctor had to be Nancy's dad. 

The other story I thought had to be Gillian.  As a previous reader pointed out, the setting seemed to fit her house on the cape.  Also, Gillian drives a truck as was depicted in this scene.  The young boy who is watching could be Paul.  The man driving could be either Jerry or Adam.

Even though both scenes had vehicles being driven without their headlights on, I did not get the impression that the doctor in one story was about to hit the lady in the 2nd story.  He was pulling out of a hospital parking lot and the other event was happening in front of a house.

The 2 stories may somehow come together.  I will definitely have to read on.

I thought starting the book with these 2 scenes was an excellent writing tool.  Now as I read along, I am searching for characters or events that will be linked to these 2 events.

Bonnie

[Becktrek]

I did NOT notice the parallel about the headlights, so thanks for mentioning it.  I went back and re-read those 2 sections...

I am enjoying it so far.  I don't love it, but I am not finding it as boring or difficult to read as others are...  I want to see how the characters will all end up intersecting, other than the circle, and I have a feeling the preface and first part about the doctor will definitely end up becoming very relevant.

I am proud of myself because I actually stopped at page 88...  looking forward to moving on in it...

Becky in IN

[booklovinmama]

I felt that the opening story in the preface is what really pulled me into the book. I wasn't sure how the story of the doctor and the couple who lost their baby tied into a book about a writing circle, but I figured it would be a book one of the authors was developing. At the point of reading the preface, I wasn't sure who's story it would be. Further reading lead me to believe the story of the doctor was about Nancy's father.

[maxcat]

A lot of speculation, literature, and we will only know as we read on. At first, the preface really drew me into the book. Then, the characterizatons began and everything is vague and distorted. Everyone has their own problems and everything is speculation. It's hard to find a bit of information concerning the preface in these eight chapters. Let's hope something comes out of the next assignment.

[LarryOnLI]

I found the book very hard to get into at first and was regretting joining this group.

I started identifying with Bernard as he went shopping with his wife.

By the time I got to Gillian's chapter I was hooked.

I finished Chris' chapter and read 20 more pages before I realized I had gone to far.

[maxcat]

I didn't get the thing about the headlights either. I'm going to go back and read the preface again. Maybe I'll get a better understanding of the book.

[literature]

Hi Beckalou,

Just  responding to your thought on the doctor hitting the woman and causing her to lose the baby.  I think it mentions somewhere that the baby could not have been saved and I took it that it was due to a medical condition and not an outside force.  I don't have access to my book now otherwise I could probably find the page for you.  It's always fun coming up with our own take.

Literature

beckalou wrote:

Did anyone pick up on the comment about headlights?  In the very first section, we are led to believe that a woman is about to be hit by a car that doesn't have it's headlights on, then in the second section when the doctor leaves the hospital it says "He put on his headlights, something he had neglected to do before, and pulled into the road that would take him home."  So I find myself wondering, was the couple in the preface the couple that lost the baby?  Did the doctor hit the woman because he didn't have his headlights on and cause her to lose her baby?  Are these two stories related at all?  I like that we don't know the answers to these questions because it intrigues me to continue reading.

I had a really hard time getting thru the first part of this book and the beginning for me was the worst part. I guess I didn't pay that much attention to this part but I think I will go back and read the preface of the book again.

[Bonnie_W]

I think the early piece belongs to Nancy because she references it later on.  She's also writing a medical book and using her father as inspiration.  I think this will be her story.  When I first started reading, however, I was confused and wasn't sure how the story related in.  I  just assumed it belonged to one of the writers and we would receive more tidbits throughout the novel.

As far as what will happen in that story, I'm not sure.  Will it focus on the family whose life changed, or the doctor?  Which man is the one Nancy is writing about?

[laurajzzz]

I was intrigued by the doctor's story and wanted to read more about it.  I think that its Nancy's novel that we are reading about.   I am not liking Gillian at all,   

[BethAnnH]

I've been reading some of the posts in regard to the preface and the woman getting hit by the truck.  For me I do not get the impression that this truck has anything to do with the doctor (whom I do believe is Nancy's father).  However, I do think  that the woman is someone from the Circle.  It did take me a little while to get into the book, but I'm enjoying it.  For me it's interesting because so far it's told me that even when you are in a group of people whom you see/speak too on a weekly basis, you truly do not know that person and what they are capable of.  I am looking forward to reading more.