Paula discussion, Section C (Part Two, pages 203-330)

[Caryl]

Hooray! You're all done. http://www.storknet.com/boards/biggrin.gif

Here is our last discussion thread for the novel, Paula (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060927216/ref=nosim/storknet00), by Isabel Allende.

Our last section for discussion is Part Two, pages 203-330. Post your thoughts on these pages here.

So tell us what you think. How did your perceptions change from the beginning of the book til the end? Would you recommend this to a friend?

Don't forget to reread the earlier posts to see what new threads of discussion have opened up. Thanks for contributing your thoughts. http://www.storknet.com/boards/smile.gif

[Jewels2]

Whew, finally finished today. That was kind of a tough read, but a good one. I would recommend this to a friend. The writing was beautiful; I had to keep reminding myself it was translated. The translator did an amazing job. Towards the end--everywhere, really, but especially the end--I had trouble distinguishing what was "real" and what was imagined/dreamed. In particular, the scene where all the living and dead family members and friends are around Paula as she dies, I was not so certain what was going on. It was fascinating to me throughout the book how much Allende and other of her family members used their "sixth senses".

Since I brought up about the fisherman before, I'm glad it was mentioned once more. Sounds like Allende needed to convince herself her grandfather had nothing to do w/ the fisherman's death--because as a child, it seemed to her like he did--w/ her being indirectly responsible for it.

Julie

[Lisa Jo]

I thought this was a wonderful book. The tragic story of her daughter's illness was difficult at times as Allende really bared her soul as a mother. I would never have picked it up on my own but I'm very glad I read it. I loved Allende's writing. The weaving of her firsthand accounts of the coup in Chile into the story was fascinating.

I was also very interested in hearing about how she conceived of and wrote her books. She has a lyrical writing style (and I had the same thought about the translation Julie) that gives the story a magical quality.

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Lisa
My two precious kids:
Corey 4/15/93
Natalie 6/21/00
Watering the blueberries (http://www.babiesonline.com/imagegallery/gallery_image.asp?p=%2Fbabies%2Fn%2Fnatalieelizabe th%2F974729%2Ejpg)
Bathing beauty (http://www.babiesonline.com/imagegallery/gallery_image.asp?p=%2Fbabies%2Fn%2Fnatalieelizabe th%2F974730%2Ejpg)

Moderator, Product Opinion/Review

[AquariJenn]

I just finished the book yesterday afternoon while Katelyn ate her lunch. I hope she didn't notice that Mommy was crying for about 10 minutes. I was just in tears through the last 3 pages.

In the second section (Part B) I was starting to get suspicious of her story. Her life has been very dramatic. The fisherman who molested her shows up dead the next day?! I guess it's my literary criticism background coming back to haunt me, but this seems almost contrived. She admits to being a storyteller (compulsive liar?). I also wondered how much of the book was re-worked, editted for dramatic effect. Or did she write it this way the first time?

The passages where she describes her creative process were interesting. I've also had entire pieces dictated to me by some creative spirit. It is a very odd sensation to find yourself the medium for some other voice. But it is how the creative process works some of the time.

The thing I find most interesting about this book was the intimacy of it. How many of us could put down such intimate details of our lives out there for everyone to read? As strange as it sounds, though, it would be easier to reveal myself to complete strangers than to the people closest to me. Perhaps Paula's gift to me is that I will try to be more open to those that I love and trust.

This was not a book I would have chosen for myself, but I'm glad I read it. I would recommend it and look forward to reading more work by Isabel Allende.

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Jennifer
Co-Moderator Time for Mom: A Reading Circle

Mom to Katelyn Eileen (http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/j/e/jenneric/NovDec.html), since June 2000
Be the change you want to see in the world.
-- Mohandas K. Gandhi

[Caryl]

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting my thoughts about this section. Whew! I think I needed a breather from it after that heartwrenching ending. http://www.storknet.com/boards/frown.gif

I just read all of your thoughts, Julie, Lisa and Jennifer; thank you so much for posting them! I, too, forgot that the book was translated most of the time. I have a friend who has read this book before, and she's thinking of trying it again in Spanish. (She's fairly fluent.) Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to hear Allende tell her stories in her own language?

I also enjoyed reading about her creative process. Hearing where she got the stories for each of her books made me want to read them all. I've read House of the Spirits, and I can see now that lots of little parts of the story were autobiographical. She really draws on her own experiences and feelings and intuition for her novels.

I can understand her writing it, and later publishing it; I think I might be able to share feelings like this with others, if I wasn't thinking at the time I was writing them that they were for the public eye.

There were so many scenes at the end that touched me deeply:

~ when Paula visited her room at night, and told her she needed her to let go
~ when she opens Paula's letter
~ when she finally got angry, and went outside, and claws the earth, grieving, screaming Paula's name
~ the epilogue, when the whole family gathers around Paula at the end, and especially when Allende sees extended family there, too (Granny, Tata, Meme, etc.)
~ the ending, when she takes Paula's hand and flies with her as far as she can

The descriptions of nature especially touched me, I think because she described them so well, with all of the senses; I kept thinking, "This is what 'living' means; this is what Paula has to leave behind." http://www.storknet.com/boards/frown.gif

I am so glad I read this book. I bought it at a used bookstore many years ago, and just couldn't make myself read it, so having this group motivated me to do it. I knew it would be a tough one, and I think that helped me make it through, too -- I knew I would be reading about lots of sadness and tragedy.

I read the last ten pages at the cabin, in the living room, with lots of people coming in and out. That didn't stop the tears. My mom was in the room the whole time, and had just finished the book a week ago; she knew I was in the last stretch, and let me be. My dad walked by, and I felt him look at me, and then go over to Mom. "Did you know Caryl's crying?" he asked her, concerned. "Yes, she's finishing the book I read last week. Didn't you notice the tears streaming down my face when I finished that one?" Then my sister came in. "Caryl's crying! Caryl, what are you reading?" I told her a bit about it: "It's sad, but it's also a relief. I knew this was coming, and it's okay, really." Finally, Pete (dh) came in with Charon. He just looked at me and smiled sympathetically. I think I had warned him this was coming. After I was done, it was good to be able to talk about it with everyone, especially with my mom.

I'd definitely recommend this book, but I'd tell them a lot about it beforehand, so that they knew what to expect.

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Caryl
Mom to Charon, 7/19/99
Co-Moderator for the Reading Circle and Heart of the Home Forums
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."
--Annie Dillard