Last Story: The Rules of Love [ Edited ]

[Rachel-K]

Please use this thread to discuss our final story in Third Angel, The Rules of Love, 1952, from page 201 on.

Message Edited by rkubie on 06-26-2008 12:46 PM

[johanna49]

A major theme in this book is the three women who are in love with the wrong man.

In the spring I read an magazine article that Alice Hoffman wrote, "Laws of Attraction."

She wrote "The man of one woman's nightmare is quite possibly the man of another's dreams."

Message Edited by johanna49 on 07-04-2008 04:27 PM

[johanna49]

Also visit Alice Hoffman's blog

www.alicehoffman.com/blog/

[johanna49]

In the last story Lucy meets a boy on the train whose name is John. We know it is John Lennon. He would have been 12 in 1952. John Lennon was born in 1940. What is the significance of John appearing in this story?

[Rachel-K]

Johanna,

I loved the boy named John but didn't register it was John Lennon--excellent catch! I'll have to think more about its significance, but it does make a wonderful loop with the earlier story of a mistaken Lennon staying at the hotel while Frieda was there.

The use of famous mistakes also came into the story earlier with the Hepburn/Katherine/Audrey scene when Lucy meets the two Ridge sisters.

Isn't it interesting how Hoffman pushes at our possibilities of belief? For me, the novel has a wonderful folklorish quality, and an aspect of that is these coincidences, loops, crossings, between the histories of the characters.

[Kathy0515]

Now I have to go back and reread the book! It amazes me how many details I miss the first time through--I'm just always looking to see how the story resolves. These are fun points johanna has pointed out. I miss so many nuances--that's why these book club discussions are so wonderful.

[Rachel-K]

A thought I had about a reason for John Lennon's "walk on" in the novel--he was also a "motherless" child. From the biographies I'm seeing online, it looks like his mother died later in his youth, (although he was raised even in early years by his aunt.)  Would this be a significant connection? Is there anything to read into it?

Do all of these stories involve loss--unexpected or tragic loss--of a loved one? A parent or child or a true love?

[johanna49]

Rachel wrote

Isn't it interesting how Hoffman pushes at our possibilities of belief? For me, the novel has a wonderful folklorish quality, and an aspect of that is these coincidences, loops, crossings, between the histories of the

characters.

I do also like the folklorish quality and the crossings between the histories of the characters. The folklorish quality adds to the magic of the story. The crossings of the stories made me feel comfortable that I know these people at the different parts of their lives.

[johanna49]

Rachel,

Yes, the stories do involve person that they loved that did not love them back. and loss/ estrangement of a parents.

Maddie loved Paul. Paul did not love Maddie. Frieda loved Jamie and her love was not reciprocated.Teddy loved Byrn and Byrn loved Michael Macklin.

Also with a loss of a parent/estrangement  in this book.Lucy's mother died when she was young, Allie and Maddie's mother Lucy had cancer and during the time that she had cancer, she was understandingly absent to Maddie. Allie took care of their mother. Their father could not deal with it and left the family during Lucy's illness. At the beginning of Lion Park Frieda was estranged from her father because he had left his wife to marry another woman.

[johanna49]

Rachel,

I have trying to figure out the Third Angels in the book. The following is the Third Angels that I found in the book:

Frieda, I already posted about.

Paul,       "       "

Allie

The Heron

Frieda's father

Lucy

Lucy's father

Have I missed any?

[Rachel-K]

I agree with all of these! How about Teddy?

In fact, I've wondered if every character doesn't act as an angel in one way or another, but if that's so, than I have a lot of trouble articulating just what the "third angel" is or means. It feels like a brain teaser!

---

johanna49 wrote:

Rachel,

I have trying to figure out the Third Angels in the book. The following is the Third Angels that I found in the book:

Frieda, I already posted about.

Paul,       "       "

Allie

The Heron

Frieda's father

Lucy

Lucy's father

Have I missed any?

---

[johanna49]

I also thought of Teddy because he become a kind man and helped many people. So many of the main characters are Third Angels Exceptions are Maddie and her father.

[johanna49]

I used the following pasage to figure out which character was a Third Angel.

After Paul's death, Frieda describes the third angel "You can't even tell he is an angel if he is not. You think that you are doing him a kindness, you think that you are taking care of him, while all the time he is the one who is saving your life.

Also I checked Alice Hoffman's blog to help http://www.alicehoffman.com/blog/