Walking forward, through the door...
On August 4, our group met at Helene’s beautiful home on the back deck and catch up conversation. It was so good to have our Hilarie back at the table, though Nancy was IN PARIS and had to miss this meeting. The evening was perfect to spend in Helene’s back yard amidst her beautifully evolving landscape projects having appetizers and beverages. Once inside, we had a lovely dinner and robust discussion of our two books.
In a split decision, we rated “The Door” a 3. Some liked the writing, the story and complexity of the characters, the “mother-daughter” or “sadistic-masochistic” (my words) relationship between them, the unlayering of history and the past while weaving it into the present: “a refreshing look at class, the depth of non-romantic love, the ethics of intervening in a loved one’s end of life path”. Others did not like or understand the characters or writing style and could not discern where the writer was trying to take them with this story.
By most accounts, “Two Steps Forward” was worth 2 or less. Our overall rating was 2. Though not as annoyed with the book as Nancy, most agreed with her when she wrote: “it was totally predictable, cloying, manipulative and annoying. I did not like Martin. I felt sorry for and got angry with Zoe's repeatedly bad decisions. I was slightly interested in the Camino, wanting to learn more about it, but was frustrated with the return to the insipid dramas that kept returning to center stage. If they had just written a travelogue of their trip I would have liked it more (possibly).” Other comments were that it was silly and predictable, and maybe a beach read. Also stated was it was interesting to hear about what the trail was like and would like to know more about the other characters.
Once again, dinner was delicious. Baked Brie, Paprika Chicken, Roasted Vegetables, Mashed Potatoes with Goulash Sauce, Homemade Ice Cream with Walnut Pastry (Name please, Carol).
Our next books are: Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood and Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. We will meet at 6:00 pm at
