Into the Forest Discussion Thread

[Caryl]

Here is our discussion thread for Into the Forest by Jean Hegland.

You can share your thoughts about the book here on this thread at any time during your reading. It would be helpful if you could post in the subject line the chapter you are on in the book. That way, we can open this thread during our reading without being surprised by any spoilers.

Here are some questions to spark discussion, but feel free to ignore them and just post your thoughts on the book! (A big thank you to Lisa Jo for helping with these questions. )

~ What were your first impressions of this book?

~ Talk about the characters in the novel. Which of them touched you the most? What did the characters learn about themselves, each other and life?

~ What did you think of the ending?

~ Tell about some of the themes of the novel that struck you.

~ Would you recommend this book to others? To a particular person?



[size=large]Spoiler Alert: The following questions contain some spoilers for the novel. You may want to wait until after you finish the book before you read them![/size]





~ Some of the most poignant moments of the story are found in minor details. Reading Into The Forest will change the way you think about a teabag, a scrap of paper, a metronome, an acorn, or a chocolate kiss candy. It will change your thinking about dreams and days of the week. Which of these affected you most? What other examples struck you?

~ The events leading to the collapse of modern society were not fully explained in the book. Did this interfere with your enjoyment of the story?

~ The intimate scene between the two sisters has been controversial among readers. How did you feel about it?

[Macewan]

Don't read my answers unless you're done!!!

~ What were your first impressions of this book?
I really liked thinking about all the useless stuff that has become 'necessary' in our society. I liked thinking about doing things the 'old fashioned' way, living off the land.

~ Talk about the characters in the novel. Which of them touched you the most? What did the characters learn about themselves, each other and life? I liked all of the main characters. I'm not sure who touched me the most, not sure that one touched me more than others. It was an interesting family, though, with the homeschooling and the really resourceful Dad. That was cool.

~ What did you think of the ending? It was OK. I'm more like Nell, so I was freaking about something they might need that would be lost. I felt a little out of it re: climate and how easy it would be to survive winter there.

~ Tell about some of the themes of the novel that struck you.
Definitely thinking about all the stuff we rely on, how much of it is useless and living off the land. I liked thinking about that plus whether something like that could really happen.

~ Would you recommend this book to others? To a particular person?
Sure, it was hard to put down. I was thinking my boss might like it, she's big on using materials wisely.

~ Some of the most poignant moments of the story are found in minor details. Reading Into The Forest will change the way you think about a teabag, a scrap of paper, a metronome, an acorn, or a chocolate kiss candy. It will change your thinking about dreams and days of the week. Which of these affected you most? What other examples struck you?
I was thinking it would be a good idea to have more basic survival skills for sure!!!
~ The events leading to the collapse of modern society were not fully explained in the book. Did this interfere with your enjoyment of the story? I wouldn't say it interfered, but I was wondering a lot about what happened.

~ The intimate scene between the two sisters has been controversial among readers. How did you feel about it?
I really did not like it. I also didn't really see the point.

It was a great read, and made me think a lot. Thanks to whoever picked it

[libba]

~ What were your first impressions of this book? Great book - really enjoyed it

~ Talk about the characters in the novel. Which of them touched you the most? What did the characters learn about themselves, each other and life? I thought teh two sisters were a lot like my sister and I. I liked the whole set up.

~ What did you think of the ending? It was OK kinda disappointed but I can't think of an alternative.

~ Tell about some of the themes of the novel that struck you. Learning to live off the land. I was also struck by how they seemed to adapt with ease.

~ Would you recommend this book to others? To a particular person?
Yes

~ Some of the most poignant moments of the story are found in minor details. Reading Into The Forest will change the way you think about a teabag, a scrap of paper, a metronome, an acorn, or a chocolate kiss candy. It will change your thinking about dreams and days of the week. Which of these affected you most? What other examples struck you? I was thinking the same as Macewan - meed to know how to do some of that stuff!

~ The events leading to the collapse of modern society were not fully explained in the book. Did this interfere with your enjoyment of the story? A little - would like to know exactly what happened.

~ The intimate scene between the two sisters has been controversial among readers. How did you feel about it? Didn't bother me but saw no point in it.

[Macewan]

^

[Maribeth]

~ What were your first impressions of this book?
At first it bothered me that there weren't any chapters! How anal is that? But, what diary or journal has chapters? And this was really Nell's journal.
Overall, I really really liked this book and have spent a lot of time thinking about it. I read the bulk of it while driving to the Bay Area. I was practically in the forests of Northern California (driving through the Sierras though) and being so close to the area made it more real. I love Northern California and the whole Pacific Northwest and have been in the Redwoods Forest as well so it was a very visual book to me. I think the story is plausible from the point of living in the forests off the land. They could survive the winter outside but it'd be awfully wet! The characters had an advantage living the way they did before the collapse of life as they knew it. They had books around that helped them learn about the plant life. They had a garden and seeds . . . A person living in the city didn't have the advantages of these characters. On the other hand, from the time the father died, I was worried about strangers breaking in and raping them so perhaps it wasn't an advantage!

~ Talk about the characters in the novel. Which of them touched you the most? What did the characters learn about themselves, each other and life?
I loved Nell. Eva felt distant to me but the book was written from Nell's perspective so it's easier to get into her head. Eva's distance may have been by design too to show how focused she was on her dancing and what a dramatic change it was for her to be the first one to decide to abandon their home. I disliked Eli from the moment he was introduced. He just wasn't Nell's type but she figures that out when it counts

~ What did you think of the ending?
I wanted a more definite ending. Okay - I'll admit it. I wanted the world to go back to normal instead of staying in this "new normal." I was waiting for the lights to come back on. Most of the time, I like books without tidy endings because I'm free to imagine my own ending or endings. But with this one, the kind of ending I was wishing for probably isn't possible. If the lights come back on, they'll be deep in the forest and won't know. Eva was making a statement about how they could never go back; they were too changed. She's right. I couldn't imagine at that point that Nell would go to Harvard and Eva would dance professionally. But still, I wanted them to be able to or have that choice. And I'm disappointed in myself that I wanted that kind of ending. I've spent a lot of time thinking about that and feeling that I'd never have the courage to be Nell or Eva. I'm such a homebody that it would be really difficult for me to leave my home. It's my sanctuary as humble as it is. I would probably stay in the house until it crumbled into nothing with me in it or the lights came on
Also interesting that the last page discusses Eva dancing while the house burned . . . A parallel to the scene where Nell is dancing at the bonfire in town when she's drunk.

~ Tell about some of the themes of the novel that struck you.
The sister relationship is intriguing to me because I don't have a sister or a daughter. I'm deeply curious about those types of female relationships.
The book is a "coming of age" book where the girls are forced to grow up and take care of themselves. They hadn't really taken care of themselves before their father's death. Now they have to out of necessity. Any of us can adapt to a new environment if we're forced to.

We truly (in the US anyway) live in a wasteful society. Do we need even half of what we have? I don't. The book makes us think of ecology and our environment which is sadly forgotten by most people.

Another theme I came away with is don't sweat the small stuff. Nell's biggest worry was getting to town once a week to party with her friends or getting her parents to let her go to public school. Then she learns how frivolous much of her life was and that there are much bigger worries in the world.
~ Would you recommend this book to others? To a particular person?Definitely! Most anyone I know who reads a lot would enjoy this book, especially those who cherish the outdoors and/or natural living.

~ Some of the most poignant moments of the story are found in minor details. Reading Into The Forest will change the way you think about a teabag, a scrap of paper, a metronome, an acorn, or a chocolate kiss candy. It will change your thinking about dreams and days of the week. Which of these affected you most? What other examples struck you?
I will never open up a box of oatmeal or grains again without worrying about worms and moths! I already look closely but now I'm tempted to sift - LOL! It's been chilly today and I've drank a lot of hot tea; I've used the same tea bag all day until I have colored water. The lack of paper would truly bother me. I think I could get used to living without a computer and all those types of electronics given a little withdrawal time. But life without paper and pen? Ouch. Speaking of ouch, using leaves as toilet paper was something I had never thought of so here's to charmin! What did they use for diapers and what will they wear when their clothes wear out?

~ The events leading to the collapse of modern society were not fully explained in the book. Did this interfere with your enjoyment of the story?
No, it didn't at all. Frankly, I didn't want to know - too scary that it could happen! This book was big on little details but short on big details. Any other format would have changed the dynamics of the book IMHO. Having all the details of the collapse would have caused me to wonder if it was plausible (I can see myself getting caught up in that) and it would have changed the focus away from this little family in this little forest. Plus, I think it's a statement by the author that it may not be any one cataclysmic event that causes the collapse of the world. We need to be mindful of the many things we're doing to destroy our world . . . it's like a slow growing cancer instead of a sudden fatal heart attack.

~ The intimate scene between the two sisters has been controversial among readers. How did you feel about it?
I remember wondering if perhaps Eva was a lesbian before this scene came up. When it did, my first impression was ewwww, how can sisters do that? But, I don't have a sister and I can't imagine ever having a scene like that with my brothers. The author pointed out quickly that it never happened again. Overall, it didn't add to or detract from the book for me or my feelings about the sisters. I think, because this happened after the rape, it was a way for Eva to heal or begin the healing process from her rape by allowing touch and love back into her life. Because it didn't happen again, my guess is that the author put it into the book for healing only, that it wasn't just a sex act between sisters but rather an instrument for healing. It was Nell's way of opening Eva's heart again. I don't know - that's a huge guess.

[carissanboys]

~ What were your first impressions of this book?

I had no idea what it was about (except for reading the back of the book) and I immediately liked it. I liked her writing style, her descriptions, and the story.

~ Talk about the characters in the novel. Which of them touched you the most? What did the characters learn about themselves, each other and life?

Both characters touched me at different moments, but I definitely loved Nell the most She was such a strong character, so positive. They both learned so much from the experience...that everything they needed from life was one another and themselves. That the earth provided all that they needed to survive. I loved Eva's questions at the end. "How long have people been around?" "And how long have we had electricity?" Really puts things into perspective!

~ What did you think of the ending?

The "hollywood ending" part of me really wanted some closure about what happens to the U.S. But I truly thought the ending was wonderful. I think they made the best choice they could...to really live.

~ Tell about some of the themes of the novel that struck you.

I love the idea of giving up all of our "worldly possessions" and living on the earth the way we started out. It seems like such a simpler, purer way to live. I've always loved stories like this that really go into detail about how to get your own food...how to use the resources around you. That was definitely my favorite part of the book. I don't have a sister so that relationship, though I found it beautiful and intriguing, was of less interest to me as I really couldn't relate.

I also was surprised and delighted to read that the girls were homeschooled. As a homeschooling family, I loved this part of the book. You don't come across too many novels with homeschooling portrayed, or at least portrayed as "normal" people!

~ Would you recommend this book to others? To a particular person?

I would recommend it to anyone! I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book!

~ Some of the most poignant moments of the story are found in minor details. Reading Into The Forest will change the way you think about a teabag, a scrap of paper, a metronome, an acorn, or a chocolate kiss candy. It will change your thinking about dreams and days of the week. Which of these affected you most? What other examples struck you?

I think the medical care aspect was something that really hit me. How as the society started going down hill, there weren't any doctors around or any medicines to treat people with. And a simple cut could take your life. All of the examples in the story really touched me though. Like I mentioned above, this was my favorite aspect of the book. Will it really make me appreciate what I have more? Probably not. I don't think you can truly appreciate it until you're in a situation like Nell and Eva were. And then of course you realize how little you actually need to survive and be happy.

I also loved one of the last scenes where Nell reenters the house after living outside for so many days.

"When we got to the house, it startled me. It was a lair, reeking of chemicals and stale flesh, harsh and cramped, leaking and crumbling. For a moment I saw it with the eyes of a forest creature, with a distrust and distaste that made me reluctant to enter."

~ The events leading to the collapse of modern society were not fully explained in the book. Did this interfere with your enjoyment of the story?

At first I really wanted to know WHAT had happened. As the pieces came in slowly and I kind of had to put things together, I lost my interest in that part of the story. I actually think it made it more realistic to me. That something like that could happen so gradually over time, that no one really notices what's going on. And it doesn't seem like it was any one thing that occurred, but a combination of things. So I'd have to say no, it really didn't affect my enjoyment at all. If it did anything, I think it increased it.

~ The intimate scene between the two sisters has been controversial among readers. How did you feel about it?

I saw it coming immediately and I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted it to happen. I'm pretty open minded about stuff like that so it really didn't bother me at all. I looked at it as two sisters comforting each other and Nell helping to heal Eva. I thought it was very innocent and beautiful.

I just want to say again how much I loved this book. I think Hegland is an amazing writer. To first pick a story that is so captivating, to write on a level that is easy to follow, but so rich in description...I'm just really impressed with her. I can't wait to see what else she comes out with. I'll end this with one of my favorite descriptions in the book...

"For the last few days I've been craving hot dogs. Hot dogs-a bland sausage on a white bun, a ribbon of yellow mustard scribbled down it. When you bite, there's the pillowy give of the bun, the mild sting of the mustard, the tiny resistance as your teeth break through the hot dog's skin, sink through the grainless meat, and then the lovely gooey chew of bread and mustard and pork."