Literarycrew

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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This book transports the reader to a small Welsh fishing island in the years leading up to World War II. The islanders live in the old traditional ways, but change is coming… indeed has already come to the mainland. The writing is spare but poignant, honest but nuanced, immersive but reflective. A true gem of a read. I feel like I lived this book.
Another fabulous #LiteraryCrew selection. You definitely know how to pick ‘em, @Librarybelle ! 👏

Librarybelle Love your review! 3d

Gissy Sold! 😊 7h

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LitsyEvents

Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow

Repost for @Librarybelle

Named by the Modern Library as one of the top 100 published of all time, Ragtime is the #LiteraryCrew ‘s selection for September.

We‘re a low key #BuddyRead . Read at your own pace throughout the month. I‘ll post periodic check-ins. Discussion on the 30th!

All are welcome to join. If you would like to be added/removed from the tag list, let me know!

Original post - https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2896183

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 3d

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Librarybelle

Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow

Named by the Modern Library as one of the top 100 published of all time, Ragtime is the #LiteraryCrew ‘s selection for September.

We‘re a low key #BuddyRead . Read at your own pace throughout the month. I‘ll post periodic check-ins. Discussion on the 30th!

All are welcome to join. If you would like to be added/removed from the tag list, let me know!

mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Prairiegirl_reading, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, IriDas, Lkempf

Librarybelle @LitsyEvents 5d

kspenmoll I plan to join in. 5d

Librarybelle Yay, @kspenmoll ! 5d

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Jerdencon Just requested it from the library… should have it soon and hope to join 5d

Sace I‘ll dust off my copy and get started tomorrow! 5d

Librarybelle Yay, @Jerdencon @Sace ! 5d

julieclair Looking forward to this! 3d

CSeydel Oh man, this one has been on my list for years! I never manage to plan my timing well enough to join these 3d

Librarybelle Me too, @julieclair ! 3d

Librarybelle @CSeydel I hope you‘re able to join us! 3d

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Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

It‘s time for our #LiteraryCrew discussion! I have 7 questions posted as spoilers; you can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtags.

I realized I never posted the graphic for next month‘s Ragtime, so I will get that posted today.

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Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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7. O'Connor mentions a few islands that inspired this story, including St. Kilda. To get a perspective of the islands and the harshness of life, not to mention the village remains, I have a Mirror article link in the comments. #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Librarybelle https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/uk-ireland/uk-ghost-island-been-abandoned-313514... 5d

mcctrish Wow!!! 5d

Sargar114 That authors note was fascinating! 5d

Cuilin Oh wow thanks for sharing. I find this fascinating as someone who grew up in Ireland and would visit the smaller islands and you would see deserted villages etc and now I see TikTok‘s of people visiting them. I often wonder what the island‘s ancestors would make of that. 5d

julieclair So interesting! 3d

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Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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6. We have to talk about the whale! Do you think the whale was a good omen or a bad omen? O'Connor uses the arrival and departure of the whale's remains as an arc for the story. Why do you think she did this? What does the whale symbolize? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

TEArificbooks I think it was a bad omen. It demonstrates another thing that the researchers took from the island. They can‘t let anything just go. They have to take from it and profit. The what symbolizes the changes that are coming, the changes in the main character but also the modernization coming and the changes we don‘t see in the book. The changes the war will bring. And symbolizes the loss of the way of life, the population leaving and modern influences 5d

mcctrish A bad omen absolutely 5d

Cuilin I think the whale symbolises the island and its precarious existence maybe some catalyst for change. There‘s a beginning and an end. The whale comes, the islanders interact with it, some mainlanders come and take from it and then all is left are the bones and then the skull is used in a celebration. 5d

julieclair I think the whale represents the islanders themselves. Both are tied to the sea, but the sea returns them to the land. Birds and other predators pick away at the whale, just like civilization is slowly influencing the islanders. The whale being removed may indicate the eventual evacuation of the island. But I love that the skull becomes part of their celebration, indicating that the old traditions may not entirely disappear. 3d

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Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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5. How do you think Edward and Joan's work will affect the island? We already know that the “writings“ they did reflect a different perspective of the island and the community?

On a bigger scale, how will World War II affect the community? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

TEArificbooks I think their research will be presented to the world somehow and it will intrigue people. Maybe a slight increase in tourism. But then the government would interfere and decide to evacuate the island. I think that it is possible more of the men would sign up and die in the war reducing the population more and allowing the government to justify evacuation. Another possibility is occupation, many islands were taking over during the war. 5d

mcctrish @TEArificbooks yes ( nothing good) 5d

Sargar114 @TEArificbooks exactly! 5d

Cuilin Probably nothing. The “rape and Pillage” aspect form J&E was to write a novel as propaganda to promote a certain Britishness, hardworking, handcrafting, and connection to old traditions. That‘s the only use they had for the island. They came, they saw, they romantic it and used it as propaganda. 5d

julieclair I don‘t think the book would impact the island much at all, but I do think the war would have a big effect. The loss of several men, or even just their protracted absence, would have a severe negative effect on the already struggling economy. Eventual evacuation by the government seems likely. 3d

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Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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4. Edward and Joan arrive on the island to write a book, allegedly. Did you opinion of Edward and Joan change throughout the novel? Why do you think they came to the island, chose this island? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

TEArificbooks I think they came to the island to see if the people were truly as untouched from the modern world. They thought it was remarkable that the islanders knew about the modern world but keep to the old ways. When it wasn‘t as they aspected they made stuff up, which did change my opinion of them. And then they used her for her language, her body, and her handicrafts. They were not nice people. It was all for personal gain not just curiosity. 5d

mcctrish I think Joan and Edward had saviour complexes. Initially I thought they were coming to legitimately document how the islanders lived and were able to maintain some traditions longer than the mainland and some specific to them but then I realized they were scam artists 5d

Sargar114 Agree, they seemed at first interested and curious but by the end just seemed like bad people and wrote the story that fit their narrative instead of the one they actually found. 5d

Cuilin I think Joan definitely had a nationalistic agenda. She was one of Mosley‘s, a fascist politician in the 1930s in Britain with an attitude of keep Britain British and we all know where that attitude leads to. She wanted to document and romanticise the community to promote “Real Britain”. 5d

julieclair I was so disappointed in Edward and Joan. At first I thought they were truly invested in academic research, but as the book progressed it became apparent that they were only “users” promoting their own agenda. 3d

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Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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3. Let's talk about the islanders (we'll save Edward and Joan for our next question). What were your impressions of Monad? Of Llinos? Of the community? Why do you think those still living on the island chose to stay? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

TEArificbooks I think the ones that stayed saw the beauty in the place or out of family obligations. 5d

mcctrish I‘m reading some Jenny Colgan books set on an island now and they stay for similar reasons - pride, connections, family and they can‘t imagine living somewhere else 5d

Cuilin Why leave? Better the devil you know than the devil you don‘t. I think they took pride in their work and their lifestyle. Their traditions were incredibly important to them. 5d

julieclair I agree, @Cuilin . The letter from Llew after he moved to the mainland indicated that - finding factory work was not as easy as promised, and he ended up enlisting. 3d

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Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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2. For me, the setting was a powerful aspect of the novel--I could feel the dampness mentioned throughout the novel. How did the setting contribute to the storytelling? Could this story be set in a different location or time? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

TEArificbooks The setting was a character in itself, influencing the characters lives in profound ways. It would have been a different books set somewhere else. It might still work on an island of the coast of Scandinavia or Iceland. But definitely not a tropical island, different vibes. 5d

mcctrish I agree with @TEArificbooks the setting was a character - I really like a book set that way 5d

Sargar114 It seemed it could be anywhere that is isolated. Agree not tropical though. 5d

Cuilin I think the location of the island was important. The knowledge that it was only 5 miles from the mainland, it was on the West Coast and war was coming all added to the atmosphere on the island. 5d

julieclair I, too, agree with @TEArificbooks that the setting was a character. And it was important that it was an island - not easily accessible from the mainland, but not inaccessible either. The isolation was important. Greenland would work as a similar setting, I believe. Maya be also the Shetland Islands or Faroe Islands. (edited) 3d

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