THE BONE PEOPLE: Week 4, Part IV, Epilogue, and the Novel as a Whole

[Melissa_W Moderator]

Please use this thread for discussion of the remainder of The Bone People.  Please remember this is  SPOILER FRIENDLY thread

[Fozzie]

I am glad I read the book and think it just might be one to reread again someday.

When I finished reading this book, I did not particularly feel like I had read a book about New Zealand.  New Zealand’s coast was definitely a backdrop.  Also, the relationships between the native people of New Zealand and the Europeans were highlighted.  However, the book was a sad, and often horrific, account of how child abuse affects not only the victim, but the perpetrators and the community.

I liked the author’s writing style.  I liked the immediacy of knowing what the character was thinking in the moment.  I thought the book was divided into effective sections, which clearly differentiated the periods in the characters’ lives and their relationships with each other.

I do wish that we had a better idea of Simon’s background, but I feel I know enough to be satisfied.

I don’t know what else to discuss regarding the book because I feel confident that there aren’t two sides in any discussion of child abuse.

[chadadanielleKR]

I've just finished the book and I do agree that the book was really sad and often horrific.

I was wondering about the epilogue: is it a dream or the reality? The mention of Timote p. 442 (Joe's dead son) made me think that the epilogue had no connection with reality. Whose dream? That's the question. Kerewin is most probably dead and Joe never met her again and went far away. Maybe Simon's? What do you think?

Maybe I missed something because of a misunderstanding of the English language used in the book

( and since my mother tongue is not English!)

I've ordered July's book and I hope it will be easier to read! We are rather out of schedule, aren't we?

[Fozzie]

---

chadadanielleKR wrote:

I've just finished the book and I do agree that the book was really sad and often horrific.

I was wondering about the epilogue: is it a dream or the reality? The mention of Timote p. 442 (Joe's dead son) made me think that the epilogue had no connection with reality. Whose dream? That's the question. Kerewin is most probably dead and Joe never met her again and went far away. Maybe Simon's? What do you think?

Maybe I missed something because of a misunderstanding of the English language used in the book

( and since my mother tongue is not English!)

I've ordered July's book and I hope it will be easier to read! We are rather out of schedule, aren't we?

---

I finished The Bone People in mid May, and even though I reread the epilogue, I can't remember whether or not I thought it was reality or a dream.  Probably a mixture of both.  I seem to remember reading about the author's use of magical realism somewhere, so I bet the epilogue is one example of it.

I finished Half of a Yellow Sun a couple of days ago.  I hope we can discuss it a bit.