Someone asked me recently if anyone ever got offended if someone didn’t like the book they picked. Well, number one, our book clubs singular rule is that the book pick has to be one that no one has read. We all go into a book equally ignorant of it’s content, this relieves anyone of accountability. Secondly, what fun would book club really be if we all agreed on everything, a little debate makes for good discussion and it hasn’t come to blows yet.
Which brings me to Five Quarters of the Orange. I don’t think I can add anything to the previous reviews. I personally did not find it the most compelling read, I blame some of that on seasonal blahs, but some (most really) found themselves invested from the get-go. I was a little frustrated that some of the story lines didn’t feel completely developed. Why did Framboise have such a troubled relationship with her own daughters? What was with her mother’s aversion to the smell of oranges? Was it triggered by some traumatic event? However, some (Debbe), argued that it wasn’t their story so those plots didn’t matter. I also found it interesting that when I was reading, and admittedly speed reading at the end, I found Tomas a likable character. I saw him through Framboise’s eyes and I really missed a lot of his true character until it got hashed out at book club. We all agreed that the book was beautifully written, Joanne Harris certainly has a way with words, her descriptions were incredibly poetic. In the end, we had a great night discussing the book, all without throwing punches and hurt feelings.
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