July 2007 Host: Angela

Angela making mojitos.


Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

Summary

This is the story of a friendship spanning more than thirty years among five diverse women who live in the same neighborhood. Their friendships begins after the formation of a book club called Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons (AHEB). The name is derived from a snide comment made by one of the husbands. The women all come from different backgrounds and their ages vary. Faith is ashamed of her past which includes an alcoholic mother who frequently abandons her. Audrey is full figured and flirtatious. Slip is a tiny woman with strong opinions and is an involved activist. Kari is an elderly widow who wants nothing more than to raise a child. Merit is shy, beautiful, and suffers in silence. Their lives and the lives of their children are told through the book club meetings which are held every month. Each chapter in the book begins with the title and author of the book they are reading (a definite bonus for booklovers). There are many different subplots in the book which are narrated by the five characters, and then a sixth character in the latter part of the book Although humor is weaved throughout the book, many serious subjects are touched upon such as spousal abuse, postwar depression, homosexuality, HIV, cancer, and alcoholism.

Discussion

-This was a fun and light read, overall, an enjoyable book.

-The book at times seemed contrived. The characters were stereotypical (e.g. battered wife, sexpot, widow) and didn’t have much depth. The problems they encountered were almost too neatly taken care of and put in the past.

-Did anyone notice how perfect and talented the kids were?

-A homosexual named Grant was thrown into the mix in the latter part of the book and he eventually joined the book club. It was not understood why the author even included this character in the book, except perhaps to incorporate the issues of AIDS and HIV in the story line.

-The ending of the book was a disappointment. We are left to assume that one of the women died. It would have been interesting to read how the other women coped with the death of one of their friends - and how if affected future book club meetings and their friendship.


The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Summary

Reality and fiction are blended in this collection of interrelated short stories that depicts both the mental and actual things that soldiers carried during the Vietnam war. They carried guilt, fear, pantyhose, letters, bibles, guns, ammunition, and the additional burdens that remained even after the end of the war: those burdens of horrifying memories of fear and death. Each chapter describes the experiences of various soldiers and their subsequent effects. One of the stories depicts a character who drove to Canada and stayed for six days while wrestling with the decision as to whether or not he should dodge the draft. Although the character eventually does go to war, he continues feeling shamed during and after the war by his act of cowardice. Another character kills a young boy and every aspect of that kill is seared into his mind. He realizes the victim’s full potential and creates fantasies for him. Ironically, the beauty of life is depicted in this chapter. After a kill, the soldiers revel in the fact that they themselves are still alive, and this is when they feel most alive. One soldier manages to bring his girlfriend out to Vietnam. She begins to exhibit disturbing characteristics and becomes a completely different person due to her exposure to the war and a foreign land. Metaphors and symbolism are apparent in the stories such as the soldier who fantasizes about death. He shoots a water buffalo repeatedly in a very deliberate way so as not kill it. Death can occur by a land mine or in a field of human waste. The author blends characters and various incidents that truly renders the experience of the nightmarish Vietnam war. This book of war literature was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Discussion

-One potential metaphor for the water buffalo story was that the psyche, or pride of a soldier being slowly killed but refusing to die. The author who served in Vietnam may have seen this done to a viet cong soldier.

-More to be added.

Menu

Drink: Mojito

Appetizer: Chips and Mango Salsa

Salad: To Be Added

Entrée: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Side: Potato Salad

Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream Cake