February group read: The Giver

[SusanH]

Here is our discussion thread for The Giver by Lois Lowry. As always, beware of spoilers if you haven't finished yet.

[Aimee]

I'm rereading The Giver now and enjoying it. For some reason the line "thank you for your childhood" keeps sticking in my head. I feel terrible that childhood would end so soon - though I guess in our society it seems to end at that age for many children.

Crying child ... I'll be back later with more random thoughts ....

[ink-stained mom]

The book has been sinking in for a week or so now.

What really stays with me is how gracefully Lowry introduced us to the world of the book. Stories like this -- Brave New World, 1984, etc. -- are always hard. You've got to lay out the rules of the society without being clunky or over-explanatory.

I love the fact that we're pretty far into the book before it's explained there is no color. And how we discover that -- that was cool.

And I like the fact that the ultimate reveal wasn't like a horror story -- like the end of a Twilight Zone episode, all disturbing and pessimistic. We moved on from that horrible realization to the hero doing something about it, and succeeding. It was a hopeful ending (to me at least), which I think is important in a book like this aimed at kids.

I can certainly understand why some parents were concerned about The Giver, but I think their concerns were misplaced. The most disturbing practices -- the infanticide and references to euthanasia -- were ones that the hero found repulsive and they spurred him to make a change. The book certainly didn't condone those practices.

I do think I'd consider how sensitive my child was in determining at what age he or she should read it. The description of the death of the baby was detailed enough that a very sensitive child could be really upset by it.

[SusanH]

I finished this yesterday and have been thinking about it ever since. A wonderful book! ITA with Suzanne's comments about the concerns of parents and the need to judge each child's sensitivity before deciding when to introduce this book. I can also see why teachers want to include it on their syllabus. This book has so many layers, possible interpretations and lends itself to discussion so easily. I think it would be wonderful to read with junior high students.

There is a school district very close to me that is facing a challenge over this book right now. The school already had an alternative on the syllabus for kids whose parents did not want them to read the book, but parents are protesting its inclusion on anyone's reading list. Which infuriates me. And, mad with power, they are now threatening to protest other books as well, as soon as they finish scouring them for possible offensive topics.

What do you think happened at the end? I love the many possible interpretations of the ending and haven't yet decided how I see it. It seemed fairly hopeful to me, and I'd like to think he came across a new civilization that had not converted to "sameness". Lois Lowry's speech from her Newbery Acceptance is available at her website if anyone is interested. She discusses how she came to write the book and different interpretations of the ending that children have sent to her.

One other thing I found interesting is the cover photo - apparently, Ms Lowry took the photo herself. It's an excellent picture.

[carissanboys]

I finished this book while SN was down. It was my first time reading it and I really enjoyed it. I'm always amazed at how people can come up with such interesting stories. I could sit here all day and I don't think I'd ever think up anything close to this. I find it fascinating that she created a whole new world basically.

When they mentioned the whole color thing, did anyone else think of that movie...wasn't it called "Pleasantville"?

In my head I see it ending with both boys being adopted into a new family that wasn't like the previous community.

[ink-stained mom]

I have to admit, when I first read the book, my reaction to the ending was to remember the end of the movie "Brazil." (without spoiling it too much for folks -- not an upbeat ending).

But the more I think about it, the more I believe that it should be taken at face value, that the boys found a place to call home, in a more welcoming community.

[Maribeth]

This is such an intriguing book. I think it's one you can read over and over and gain something new from it every time. My boys read this in 5th or 6th grade and I found an old copy in my cluttered laundry room. What fun to read something that was beat up and dogeared from my two guys reading it!

Originally Posted by ink-stained mom

And I like the fact that the ultimate reveal wasn't like a horror story -- like the end of a Twilight Zone episode, all disturbing and pessimistic. We moved on from that horrible realization to the hero doing something about it, and succeeding. It was a hopeful ending (to me at least), which I think is important in a book like this aimed at kids.

Suzanne, I agree with this. We went immediately from the realization to a proactive hero making plans. Jonas was as horrified as we are.

I had kind of a different take on the ending. Perhaps the boys were actually walking back into their old community but it was vastly changed because of Jonah. It was the same people but with color and full of life. The last line is, "Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo." That leaves the door open just a smidge of the possibility. Across vast distances of space and time . . . Maybe he's in a better time in his community. Just an "out there" thought.
I really don't understand why this is so challenged, especially since Jonas learns the truth and then plans to do something about it. Isn't that something we hope from our children - to make the world a better place than we have?

A wonderful book!

[Caryl]

I'm dredging this thread back up because I did read this book last year, but never posted my thoughts on this discussion thread. I'm going through my reading notes, and one of my goals is to record my thoughts on my 2005 reads while they are still fresh. I enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts here, and they helped me to recover some of my own about this book.

I first read The Giver around the time when it was first published; I remember my mom giving it to me and recommending it. (She worked in a school district’s library system.) I loved it the first time, thought it was so well-written, and vowed I’d read all of Lowry’s work.

This second time, I was also struck by her great ability to make up and tell a good story. She seems to do it effortlessly. She includes everything we need and want to know, nothing more and nothing less, and puts it together so that it flows into us like we are right there in it with the characters.

I felt more positive about the ending the first time. This time, I saw the possibility that the ending could be sad for at least Jonas, and maybe Gabriel, too. I remember when I first read it, hearing a couple of people describe the ending as an allegory for the Jesus story: the Christmas tree Jonas sees in the window, the time of year and the snow, the long journey (Mary and Joseph?), the line, “they were waiting, too, for the baby.” I remember not being sure if Lowry intended those things or not; she really does leave the ending so wide-open for a reader’s own personal interpretation, and I love that. No one is wrong.

A few years ago, I read a companion novel to this book, Gathering Blue, and it also had color as a main theme. This was also a distopian society, but the people in it had regressed in terms of technology rather than being more advanced than we are, as they are The Giver. The main character is a girl who has a special talent in weaving, I think, and she is taught by a wise old woman how to grow plants and make dyes. Blue is the color that is difficult – or impossible – to make. It’s worth a read; I didn’t find it as powerful as The Giver, but I did really like it.

The other Lowry novel I’d recommend is Number the Stars, which also won a Newbery Medal. It’s about two young girls, friends, and their experiences in Denmark during the Holocaust. More excellent storytelling, and quite powerful.