February / Capote Book: 'The Grass Harp'

[Virgil]

Thanks Night. I didn't have access to OED, but I suspected it would carry the word.

[Serengeti]

In Ch 5 now.... One of the most memorable passages in the book so far has been the Judge asking his wife if he made her happy on her deathbed and she says 'Happy, happy, happy.' Makes you think about the purpose of marriage, if you ever know the other person, etc.

[Virgil]

Actually the book has taken a turn for the worst for me in chapter five. I'm beginning to get really bored. Capote keeps introducing new characters wthout ever developing any of the characters. Other than the central narrator (Collin, and he's not exactly fascinating) all of the characterizations are just sketches, nothing fully developed. And the central equation of the novel is Dolly-good, Verena-bad. Where's the complexity? It's beginning to get childish. Sorry to those that like this. This is failing to capture me.

[SleepyWitch]

I'm nearly finished (only two more pages) and I still like the story a lot

[SleepyWitch]

here's my fave quote from the story

If in other ways he was a disappointed man, it was not because of Dolly, for I believe she became what he'd wanted, the one person in the world - to whom, as he'd described it, everything can be said. But when everything can be said perhaps there is nothing more to say

i also liked the way Capote describes the landscape and weather. i could really picture the setting and atmosphere in my mind, which is something I'm normally bad at.

[ranzy]

here's my fave quote from the story

I agree, this is a wonderful passage.

Actually the book has taken a turn for the worst for me in chapter five. I'm beginning to get really bored. Capote keeps introducing new characters wthout ever developing any of the characters. Other than the central narrator (Collin, and he's not exactly fascinating) all of the characterizations are just sketches, nothing fully developed. And the central equation of the novel is Dolly-good, Verena-bad. Where's the complexity? It's beginning to get childish. Sorry to those that like this. This is failing to capture me.

I have finished the book and I like it very much. I don't know where you are now, but I assure you that in the last two chapters there is a development of the characters, that are not so static as they seem. I think, on the contrary, that the period spent on the tree represents in reality some kind of change/development for all of the major characters
However even if I may agree that they could have been described more in depth, I loved the whole atmosphere of the story, it is not a masterpiece but a highly enjoyable novel.

[Virgil]

OK, I won't give up. I'm still in chapter five. I'll try to finish it this weekend.

[metal134]

I didn't really like this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't think it was that good. The story, the characters and the narative style just seemed hollow.

[Virgil]

To the people who liked this book, can you give some reasons? I'm down to my last two pages and for me it's either average or below average. Before I'll vote I would like to understand what people saw in this. Great prose? Sparkling characters? Fabulous plot? Innovative premise? Profound themes? A vision into life? What is it? Let's have a discussion.

[Virgil]

Now I finished. That was the ending? Without spoiling it yet, that was completely unprepared. If he wanted to end it that way, why a stroke? It had nothing to do with the plot.

[SleepyWitch]

why a stroke? It had nothing to do with the plot.

asked the man/woman in real life who had a stroke.
hehe, in real life lots of things happen that have nothing to do with the plot and they always happen when you are least prepared for them.

[Virgil]

asked the man/woman in real life who had a stroke.
hehe, in real life lots of things happen that have nothing to do with the plot and they always happen when you are least prepared for them.

Yes, but unless the theme was the randomness of life (and I don't think that was Capote's theme here) then it seems contrived rather than organicaly evolved from the premise and plot. Just because things happen in real life suddenly doesn't make it art.

[SleepyWitch]

Yes, but unless the theme was the randomness of life (and I don't think that was Capote's theme here) then it seems contrived rather than organicaly evolved from the premise and plot. Just because things happen in real life suddenly doesn't make it art.

hehe, good point.
hm, this discussion hasn't really picked up speed yet has it? are people just gonna say "i liked it FULLSTOP" and "I didn't like it END OF STORY" without any further discussion?

[Virgil]

hehe, good point.
hm, this discussion hasn't really picked up speed yet has it? are people just gonna say "i liked it FULLSTOP" and "I didn't like it END OF STORY" without any further discussion?

I don't know, but I'm trying to stimulate discussion. Why did you like it.?

[SleepyWitch]

hurumpf, not sure probably because the characters are weird and I'm weird myself, so it was cool to read about them..
you're right, though, that Colin is really dull. he just seems to tag along with the weirdos but he's a bit of a non-entity himself. it's like he's just there to record what happened and describe those ppl