Author / Writer / Book
Lover - which are you?
LLM ~ (Author of DOLLBABY) If you’re an author,
being a writer and a book lover go hand in hand. The only way to become a
better writer is to read, read, read. Not just for pleasure, although that is
the joy of reading, but to learn from what they have read. I’m sure many
authors have had those aha moments
while reading, discovering a new style of writing, a new way to say the same
old thing, a new perspective on an age old conundrum. Reading opens the door to
new ideas, to greater knowledge and wisdom. It sharpens your craft. And it lets
you discover new worlds. Does it get any better than that?
***Laura will be giving away a signed copy of DOLLBABY(which is up for a 2014 Goodreads award!) See below for how to enter.
***Laura will be giving away a signed copy of DOLLBABY(which is up for a 2014 Goodreads award!) See below for how to enter.
Title and year published ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE May 2014
Author name Anthony Doerr
Type of book Historical Fiction
What is it about this
book that pulled you in?
LLM ~ I’m a sucker for
historical fiction. The title pulled me in first, so intriguing, then the plot
sold me – it’s about a young Austrian girl that becomes blind. We learn to see
the world through her eyes, so to speak. There is a parallel story about a
young orphaned German boy. We watch their lives evolve, knowing that one day in
the future, their paths will collide in the midst of WWII.
Is there a relationship
in the story that resonated with you?
LLM ~ The relationship that resonated with
me in the novel was the one between the young blind girl, Marie-Laure, and her
great-uncle Etienne, whom she seeks shelter with in Saint-Malo, France after the
Germans invade Austria. Etienne suffers his own demons, and it takes the
strength of a blind girl to set him on the path of recovery as well as
discovery.
Do you think that
relationship was portrayed realistically?
The relationship
between Etienne and his great-niece is not perfect, confined to the constraints
of war and German occupation, but is bittersweet in its conclusion. This would
have been a realistic portrayal during wartime.
Anything else you want
to tell us about the book without giving away too much of the plot?
LLM ~ Doerr uses extremely short chapters
to tell the story, usually only about a page and a half long, always ending his
chapters with either a question or a metaphorical image that keeps the reader
turning the page. I’m not sure my editor would have let me get away with it,
but for me it works in the scope of the novel.
JHA ~ Thanks so much, Laura, for recommending what sounds like a terrific book! The first we've featured by a male author, with more male authors to follow. And, just a side-note, he must be a really terrific guy since I see Anthony and I share the same birth date (yes, he is way younger than me!)
If you'd like to connect with Laura, you can find her here:
Facebook: Laura Lane McNeal
Twitter: @llmcneal
Website:
http://www.lauralanemcneal.com/
To leave a comment here, just click on the 'comment' word below the book photo. To follow this weekly book blog, just click the "Follow by email" link on the right side of this page, or sign up on my website through blogger or google plus.
***TO WIN A COPY OF LAURA'S BOOK, DOLLBABY ~ Please leave a comment below (if the comment box doesn't show, open the comments by clicking on the red 'comment' word below photo of the book), or comment on my Facebook page (under Jill Hannah Anderson). If you 'LIKE' my Facebook page, (not the post itself, but my page) you get an extra entry in the drawing! Winner will be picked on Sunday, November 30TH.
Happy Thanksgiving! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kelly! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving too, and am glad to hear you like the book recommendations each week. :)
DeleteThis book is on my "to read " list. Laura, do you think that anyone reading this book can learn through introspection from Marie-Laure? There sea to be some depth to this story. I am excited to read this story.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all learn from Marie-Laure in a way.. from a young blind girl whose perspective of the world is through sound and touch and memory, being able to 'see' the light even though she is blind.It is also interesting to see how the writer treats such a character when he cannot describe what a person looks like but rather has to give her impression of the person.
DeleteI have wanted to read Dollbaby and The Light We Cannot See for some time, so count me in. Regarding the short chapters in Anthony Doerr's book...I love short chapters. It makes me feel like I'm moving along faster. Sometimes when chapters go on for 40 pages, I think my attention span goes out the window. : )
ReplyDeleteSuzy
SuzyQ4PR(at)aol(dot)com
Hi Suzy, I recently read DOLLBABY and loved it! I'm happy Laura has suggested ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE as I love history but probably wouldn't have thought of picking up this book. Now it is on my TBR list!
DeleteI think he was given great creative license to have some chapters a mere few paragraphs in length. Perhaps in my next book I'll try it. Wonder if my agent will let me get away with it… I did have difficulty sometimes trying to figure out the time period as it seemed to go back and forth in time a bit and the chapters that varied greatly in length sometimes exacerbated that feeling but perhaps that's what the writer was going for.
DeleteThis looks like my kind of book. I am eternally drawn to stories set during WWII. I think it's the perseverance and kindness during a time of extreme pain and hate. I'd love to read this one. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeletePlay off the Page
Mary - the perspective of these two characters who view the conflict from different perspectives, one German and one Austrian, and how they find common ground is what makes the story interesting. You just want to jump right in there and protect both of them!
DeleteI love historical fiction and especially anything set in WWII. Would be why I am a Leon Uris fan! lol Guess I'm going to have to find myself a copy of All the Light We Cannot See and read! Thank you for the review!!!
ReplyDeleteLaura I'm a big Leon Uris fan too! I love to learn bits of history through fiction. In a sense, that's what I tried to do with DOLLBABY too, which chronicles a time of conflict in our country and unveils a time and place that no longer exist.
DeleteSo many wonderful things have been written about this book. Sounds like a must read. Shocking that it is the first male-authored book featured, but when I think about it, I mostly read books written by women as well. I liked your page, so now I shouldn't miss a post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Kimberly, I find myself getting in a rut of reading a certain type of book, because I love it, and forget about all the different authors and types of books out there! Although I read a fair amount of books by male authors (we have two featured in January, 2015 on this blog), I read more female authors in general. I love the concept of this book, and am a book-war-aholic as I'm always amazed how anyone survived living physically and emotionally through a war.
DeleteHi Jill and Laura,
ReplyDeleteThis one is definitely on my list. I am fascinated with that time period and the literature that comes form it is often so moving and spellbinding. Thanks for your comments.
I agree, Beth. A very fascinating period of time to read about!
DeleteI keep seeing this title come up in various social media and as such, added it to my TBR list. An endorsement here might be enough to bump it into the "read sooner rather than later" category. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, Janet, I think it helps hearing from a person who has read the book to make us want and move the book further up on our TBR list. ;)
DeleteHi everyone, I just picked a name out of the hat for Laura's book giveaway of DOLLBABY, and the winner is Janet Rundquist! Janet, you can email me at jilla27@gmail.com to let me know your address. Thanks, and a special thank you to Laura for your book giveaway and for taking the time to be a guest here!
ReplyDelete