Babble Book Club: Lynn Coady's The Antagonist final discussion questions?!
Well, we have set an extra special deadline for our latest selection, even thought some have already poured through it, which will be Sunday March 4th 12:00pm PST/3:00pm EST!
There is still lots and lots of time for those who have yet to begin (ahem) or those still working through it, and there is some secret incentive and some instant incentive for those who have already finished!
First the instant incentive:
Through a little tweeting, lovely Canadian author Nathaniel G Moore (@NathanielGMoore) shares his topic suggestions for discussion:
@rabbleca oh that's easy. the entitlement of coady's genuine POV or the legitimacy of coady's voice via male ego. #post subversion
What do you all think? Do you agree with some of Nathaniel's statements here, as well as what are your opinions on Coady's point of view and ability to convincingly voice a male ego?
And as for the secret incentive for both the fully completed, yet to begin and halfway through?! Well, you will have to wait a little bit longer to find out!
Another interesting question is who is the antagonist? Is it the narrator? Might it be his father? Or is it the recipient of the emails?
Turning the book review into a discussion of the male ego as seen in The Antagonist? Or do I have that wrong?
But with the book's portrayal of that rare breed, a jock living in both worlds, I can't wait to see the psychoanalytic explanations of the book's defence of that male...is his character believable?
The main character is a damaged individual. I haven't thought much about the question of believability. I kep wanting some material on the death of his mother and his relationship with her. I didn't find that part of the book believeable at all. I was distracted at times by the fact that the location is clearly Fredericton and I studied there as a student.
Interrupting this conversation to bring some exciting news (and the reveal to the surprise):
Author Lynn Coady will be joining our final discussion on Sunday March 4 12:00 p.m. PST/3:00 p.m. EST to answer your questions about current Babble Book Club selection The Antagonist!
But, the Babble Book Club needs your help! Since the book club is all about you lovely readers and your wonderful critical thinking skills, we want you (!) to discussion, pose and shape questions for Lynn on everything and anything about her novel The Antagonist. I will be compiling a list of your questions on February 26 to send to Lynn Coady before she joins us on March 4 to discuss the answers with you!
So, let's keep this discussion going, no holds bar, keeping in mind that you will receive the actual input from the creator of these words (and not me have repeated conversations with myself about the potential meaning!). Pose your questions on this thread and on February 26 I will select and refine them all!
Let me know of any questions or comments about this event or check out our book blog post for more information our facebook group for additional insight!
Thanks again for being such lovely participants and I look forward to all your questions and comments!
I don't think you have it wrong? This was just a question, or more so a guide, brought forth by Nathaniel G Moore.
Though not too deep into it yet, I started out with the question will Coady's voice be believable as a male counterpart. Sometimes author's cannot make that jump (re: Murakami can't seemingly write the ladies well) and therefore fail miserably, but when they do, it adds another layer to the story.
Michael Christie wrote women completely effectively, with passion and realism, in the Beggar's Garden, and so far, I believe to see Coady doing a great job of creating both Adam and Rank.
How is the reading going everyone?
Our discussion with Lynn Coady is coming up in two weeks! wow! I am still currently powering through the Antagonist -- working late nights is making me feel half-alive these days, so I apologize for my lack of constructive and critical thought so far.
Feel free to conitnue using this forum to start to compose and discuss thoughts on the book and on or around February 26 I will take our main thoughts and questions and send them to Lynn. However, on March 4, definitely ask and answer, response and probe, anything and everything you want to Lynn!
So let it fire with any discussion on the Antagonist you want!
How is the reading going everyone?
Our discussion with Lynn Coady is coming up in two weeks! wow! I am still currently powering through the Antagonist -- working late nights is making me feel half-alive these days, so I apologize for my lack of constructive and critical thought so far.
Feel free to conitnue using this forum to start to compose and discuss thoughts on the book and on or around February 26 I will take our main thoughts and questions and send them to Lynn. However, on March 4, definitely ask and answer, response and probe, anything and everything you want to Lynn!
So let it fire with any discussion on the Antagonist you want!
Hi Kaitlin. "On or around" the 26th is not satisfying for an old hack meeting deadlines.
Something firm, please.
Oh Gaian, you know I always mean the deadline I originally placed -- just trying not to scare off readers who may not be able to meet the Sunday 26 deadline for questions!
Our thread has been a little bare for discussion and I wonder if it is because everyone is waiting for Lynn to discuss? My original idea was to continue discussion like we have before and send her some rough ideas or more solid questions so she can be a bit more prepared then if we just fire random questions; however, she's a pro either way.
So in closing: pose any questions you want on this thread, hopefully it will promote other babblers to talk as well, and then on March 4, we will have Lynn and I can prompt her with some of our questions to get the ball rolling!
Cross-posting some thoughts from our lovely facebook group to provoke and pique your thoughts! Here is a conversation happening on facebook right now:
First question:
Working on some ideas as we speak. I enjoyed this book and thought by the end that the narrator had somewhat overcome his own negative beliefs about himself although undercurrents certainly remained. He seemed to buy into the stereotypes that were manufactured about him according to his size. That's a beginning for me. Still reflecting on this one. The author did a good job writing a male character and the changing nature of friendships.
Response:
Could more than one character be considered the antagonist?
Response:
The character who based his book on Rank could be an Antagonis and many of the characters antagonize each other. Rank's father is always antagonized by someone. There was a great deal of stress and anxiety the lives of these characters as they struggled to carve out their identities.
Thoughts from anyone on this discussion? The latter response definitely proves to be great topical conversation for Lynn!
Can I suggest that future selections have a smaller reading period?
@ Caissa, yes definitely.
It took a bit of time on my end to get all the confirmations with Lynn Coady for the discussion! We had a conflict of dates (unfortunately February 26 was out) and chose to go with March 4 instead of February 19 to allow more time for everyone just in case, but now I know to always pick the closer deadline:)
We will work on the decreasing the time frames here since everyone is so avid! I'll open up a feedback thread after the final discussion as we are still a work-in-progress here and tips and critque are always appreciated!
Again, (always) feel free to get the conversation going early, as stated I am trying to compile a list of potential questions to send to Lynn for preparation and at the moment I don't have too much to go off of!
Refreshingly vulgar dialogue, but I wonder if people can actually continue to communicate with others of their species at this level of antagonism.
The father, in particular, could not have operated a business expecting moms and kiddies to patronize the place. I had a neighbour like him in the 1950s, a little Scotsman (known to others as "Scottie", of course) from Glasgow. His wife could have snapped him in two, so they co-existed. Daughter rose to be a major in the Sally Ann, now retired... (good to see the institution bearing that name in this novel).
Gord became a very painful read. The angry, alienated father who can be abusive is not uncommon, but I would think that many sons (and daughters?) rationalized their situation by understanding that sitting in trenches and being shot at for a few years, then starving a bit for much of a decade, does not a Robert Young, "Father Knows Best" figure create.Gord seems (so far) to have no excusable background. I hope he's "explained."
For this reader, enjoyment entered, dulling the earlier pain, when Rank began reading Adam's creation.
I just began reading the book and then saw this online forum for discussion yesterday.. I'm only on pg. 70 so don't have any questions that might arise after 'finishing' the whole but.. at this point, what came to mind was the way that Rank's body size influences his perceptions and others perceptions of him. I don't recall many author's really exploring the mind/body connection in this way, especially describing the discontinuity between them, like when his body becomes like a man's body while his age/pysche still feel like a boy's.. and the change in people's behavior and attitudes that he experiences. I'd be interested to know how Lynn came to explore this aspect of being with her character and also let her know how much I'm enjoying reading it. thanks.
I'm glad you joined us, Mariann. Lynn Coady will be coming here and answering questions live on March 4th at 3pm EST, so please come and join us!
Count me out of the lineup, Kaitlin.
Reality calls.
Marianne thanks for joining us!
I agree, I like how the author is using his pyhsicality to explain his behaviour and justifications, rather then just commenting on others peceptions. Also, Rank seems so introspective and aware of himself and others, it's almost refreshing, yet strange because of the content. I too am not finished yet and am interested to see how the dichotomy of his physical appearance and knowledge plays out!
And Gaian, we're sad to see you go, unless, are you making a crack at the book club?
I don't believe he was making a crack at the BBC, Kaitlin.
I don't believe he was making a crack at the BBC, Kaitlin.
I don't think so either, one just never knows in type. Half the time I think I am hilarious, but no one else does
Looks like I have the house to myself on Sunday. I can join the discussion free from interruption!
Superb! Looking forward to the discussion (even if I haven't ben able to read the book!)
Superb! Looking forward to the discussion (even if I haven't ben able to read the book!)
and after you mocked a fellow friend for the same thing.
And your questions so far have been set off to Lynn and I am excited to read all your questions and responses on Sunday!
Here is a blog post about Sunday and any potential information you all might need. I will start off the discussion by posing the questions we have amassed here, but encourage everyone to respond and comment! It is only an hour so we will try to get to everyone's question and encourage everyone to post, but please wait for the appropriate time and respect those other babblers comments as well (as I know you all will)!
I won't be able to attend the online discussion tomorrow but thought that I'd post my current view..
I finished the book last night and felt that the story drew me into it thoroughly..by keeping the reader guessing as to what actually happened and at the same time developing the story (Rank's past) while he's also writing about the present, is very effective.. I liked the way that Rank is changing his perspective as the book goes along.. Also, I was really impressed with the ending and the way things are revealed; even the last line has a lot of insight, explaining Rank's issue with Adam's book. As for Gord's character; I really appreciated the way Lynn turned things inside-out for me. I felt that there was love in the end between Gord and Rank as Rank grows into a place where he has resolved some of his turmoil and can be with Gord's craziness without feeling crazy himself..
Lynn, you're a great storyteller. I loved the book and am interested in other's views on it as there's a lot there to look at.
Thanks Marianne Trench, I will be sure to direct Lynn to your comment tomorrow and ask your previous question above so you can look back at the answers when you have the time! Thanks again for taking the time to write in!
Conversation with Lynn Coady will be starting in 10 minutes!
Hi Lynn! Thanks for joining us!
First question comes from Cassia: Who is the Antagonist? Is it the narrator Rank, father Gord, or friend Adam? Potentially a case can be made for all three?
Hi you guys, thanks for having me to your book club! I just visited a book club in banff on Friday and was asked the same question. The answer is all of the above. For me what makes a great title is exactly that contradictory quality of it feeling dead on and ambiguous at the same time. On the most literal level, 'the antagonist' references Rank--the character Adam creates out of him in his (Adam's) novel. That's Rank's motivating fear--was he the antagonist in that novel and, by extension (assumes Rank), real life? Was he the villan of his own story? No matter how hard he tries to be a good guy, has the universe decided otherwise for him? But then the deeper Rank delves into his own past, via his writing, the more the ambiguity comes into play. Adam becomes, in many ways, the antagonist of the book Rank is writing--this annoying dude who has provoked and betrayed him, yet refuses to engage with him online. And of course then there is Rank's very antagonistic relationship with his father. Finally, there's Rank's theological musings--is god (or the gods) on his side or is he (are they) not? And if god is his antagonist, what does that make Rank?
Any comments out there?
Welcome to babble Lynn!
Next question comes again from Cassia:
Rank is clearly a damaged individual: how does the relationship with his mother and her subsequent death weave into this?
Hi Lynn! Wow, I hadn't counted that many antagonists in the book...but that overall self-destructive, pessimism pervades the book. So many angry dudes! I found myself thinking this must have been a difficult book to write and wondering if these characters were based on real individuals or experiences you've had?
Hi Kim! Thank you, it's nice to be back. I used to get all firebrandy in here back in Rabble's infancy in the late 90's *waves cane around*.
Just thinking!
I thought maybe that was the case. There is antagonism in the relationships of almost every character in the book even the more minor ones such as the drug dealer guy who like to antagonize Gord.
Whoops, I'm a slow typer...wait a sec...did I just ask Lynn Coady if she is an angry dude...for realz?
Hi Lynn. I've read and love all your books. You mention Rank's theological musings... Actually I notice a "God" awareness running through most if not all of your books I've read. Can you comment on how religion has influenced your writings?
HI Alex, not really, certainly not in any direct way, but I definitely have had experiences with male anger--and my own anger and feeling envious, sometimes, of guys for the more straightforward ways in which they are permitted to express it. Strangely, it wasn't that difficult a novel to write, or a voice to write in. There was something really freeing and energizing about Rank's anger. It had it's own built-in momentum!
Hi corinnew , yes, Catholicism. That does seem to be one of my "things". In fact as I was writing above about the 3-man antagonism triad of Adam, Rank and Gord Sr. I realized there is a whole 'trinity' thing going on. I can't seem to get away from it. That's something Rank and I have in common.
Is Catholicism something from your past you're still trying to shake or something other???
From Cassia:
Rank is clearly a damaged individual: how does the relationship with his mother and her subsequent death weave into this? (And religious nature!)
"Next question comes again from Cassia:
Rank is clearly a damaged individual: how does the relationship with his mother and her subsequent death weave into this?"
Well, Rank being raised Catholic, he was kind of subconsciously weened on the whole virgin/whore holy mary/mary magdalene dichotomy. And when it came to his mother--well as far as he was concerned she definitely fell on the "holy" side of the spectrum. And yet Sylvie represents the downside of that ideal too--she's passive, she a bit of a martyr, she holds on to her suffering as a kind of virtue, until finally she decides she can suffer no more.
*spoiler alert*
So near the end, when Rank discovers his mother plans to leave Gord, a part of him is thrilled because finally she's repudiating the martyr role. But the fact that she dies almost immediately after he learns this feels, on some level to Rank like a cosmic punishment of them both. Like his mother is being punished for her "sin" of deciding to abandon her husband. But even more importantly, Rank takes the sin upon himself, because he's the one who always wished she would make this decision. Hope that makes sense.
I wonder if Rank is more drawn to his mother pre-marriage or post-marriage? She seems to waver on that dichotmy as well, representing indepedence before and submissiveness after marriage.
Corinnew: My Catholic upbringing is something that has given me a lot of gifts in terms of my writing--the bible is a source of incredible drama and poetry. At the same time, I'm always struggling, psychologically, to counter some of it's not-so-great effects of that conditioning upon my psyche. A propensity to feel guilty 24/7 for example. I just participated in a conversation with Russell Smith on CBC to do with the fact that I never seem to write about sex. I don't say this with any pride, it's not something I do on principle--it's a psychological block that I am constantly having to chip away at!
*forgive any grammar and punctuation and spelling errors if you would, I don't have my editor on hand.
*
Years of marriage to an angry guy like Gord could erode someone's identity and independence. His anger is so large there wouldn't be room for much else in the relationship.
"I wonder if Rank is more drawn to his mother pre-marriage or post-marriage? She seems to waver on that dichotmy as well, representing indepedence before and submissiveness after marriage."
Kaitlin, yes, that's a good point. On some level I think Rank's struggle with loving his mom pre-marriage vs. post-marriage is a refelction of his struggle with Catholicism. Is it ok to love a version of his mom that wasn't quite so "holier than thou" as she was post-Gord?
Elizabeth1970--exactly!
Hi Lynn,
The epistolary form was popular in some of the first Canadian novels (18thC), and it's kinda cool to see it used in the modern context, email. What made you decide to use that form?
@Elizabeth1970: but she also married him in the first place (source of anger in the book for me!-- and Rank) what would drive her to do this? Since she also seemed financially independent? Is this Catholicism's influence as well?
Also, on some level, Rank is really angry at his mom for allowing Gord to take over to the extent that he has--for never putting her foot down.
...Just as my cat is really angry at me right now for ignoring her.
Rebecca, I decided to use that form precisely for the reason you identified--I thought it would be an interesting, 21st century twist on a very traditional form!
Elizabeth1970 wrote:
Years of marriage to an angry guy like Gord could erode someone's identity and independence. His anger is so large there wouldn't be room for much else in the relationship.
Agreed...I did find the characters of Sylvie and Kirsten quite passive and your observation is bang on here -- what else could they be, especially from Rank's POV?
...funny you should mention it as I often have people asking me questions along the lines of "where in the world did you get such a unique idea for how to structure a novel"? And I tell them, Thank you, but it's centuries old.
It is an interesting 21st century twist. I like it!
I feel like the email format forced me to get inside Rank's head and mannerisms. Do you think using email exposed more elements to Rank's personality and reasoning than a more traditional style of writing?
(also no spell check in babble=death)
Kaitlin: but she also married him in the first place (source of anger in the book for me!-- and Rank) what would drive her to do this? Since she also seemed financially independent? Is this Catholicism's influence as well?
It's not just Catholicism at work, it's a lot of pressures of the time--Syvlie was a rural Canadian girl in the 1960's.
Kaitlin: feel like the email format forced me to get inside Rank's head and mannerisms. Do you think using email exposed more elements to Rank's personality and reasoning than a more traditional style of writing?
Kaitlin, yes, the email format allowed me to "trick" Rank into writing his life story. AT first, he doesn't realize that's what he's doing. He thinks he's just getting back at Adam and "setting the story straight". I wanted Rank to be seduced by the pleasures of narrative, and in that way he'd start to see things from Adam's POV--he'd start to relate to Adam as an author.
It's not just Catholicism at work, it's a lot of pressures of the time--Syvlie was a rural Canadian girl in the 1960's.
true. I suppose the frustrations stems from the fact you paint Sylvie as someone able to overcome these pressures only to fall to them. Oh the 1960s (and just patriarchy in general)
Well, yeah, that is a question for me...Sylvie is a fascinating character. She was gruff and tough, leading an independent lifstyle and then she marries Rank GORD!? Then again...I feel like I've known a lot of Sylvies in my life having grown up in the suburbs of Calgary...
I feel like the email format forced me to get inside Rank's head and mannerisms. Do you think using email exposed more elements to Rank's personality and reasoning than a more traditional style of writing?
(also no spell check in babble=death)
Yes, because he was not editing himself and revising as one might if they were writing a traditional narrative. He is raw but has a great deal of intelligence behind his emails. They showed him to be a complex character who managed to develop and become better than his father.
I think the pre-Gord Sylvie and post-Gord Sylvie cast a bright light on how a stong, unconventional and independent woman would stay in an abusive relationship. This is something many people can't understand, and Rank's anger toward her is a sort of indictment of our society's inability to understand what abuse does to women.
.Sylvie is a fascinating character. She was gruff and tough, leading an independent lifstyle and then she marries Rank? Then again...I feel like I've known a lot of Sylvies in my life having grown up in the suburbs of Calgary...
Alex, I mean I think a lot of us know women of our mothers and grandmother's generation who were the roughest, toughest gals around but they still had to contend with major societal pressure to act and be a certain way. If you throw religion on top of that, you get a lot of women feeling a lot of pressure to tamp down their natural inclinations.
Yes! Nodding to @Elizabeth70 comment re: Rank's complexity as a character - how did you go about researching a character like him, Lynn? (Is it annoying when readers ask whether he must reflect someone from your own life?)
Yes, because he was not editing himself and revising as one might if they were writing a traditional narrative. He is raw but has a great deal of intelligence behind his emails. They showed him to be a complex character who managed to develop and become better than his father.
Yes! And even things like him getting really drunk, or very emotional. Lynn I loved your ability to write Rank convincingly in more than one capacity. Was it difficult to express this voice even though you have had experience with males and their 'dance of heteronormativity'?
Rebecca West, thanks for that comment, I appreciate it.
Alex: Nodding to @Elizabeth70 comment re: Rank's complexity as a character - how did you go about researching a character like him, Lynn? (Is it annoying when readers ask whether he must reflect someone from your own life?)
It's a difficult question because to answer "No" would be ridiculous--if a writer didn't derive material from her own life, I don't know what any of us would write about. But to say "Yes" seems to invite people to suppose I know a guy like Rank with a father like Gord and a mom like Sylvie and a friend like Adam, none of which is the case. I've known people who have qualities in common with all my characters, and I've known drug dealers. I've never known anyone whose mother died in a car accident, I've never known anybody who experiences the kind of trauma Rank does in his life, I've definitely known guys like the guys Rank pals around with in college--who hasn't? So it's a complicated question. You take a little from your past, a little from the people you've met, a whole lot from your imagination...
Oh but Alex, I didn't answer your original question! Stand by...
Oh but Alex, I didn't answer your original question! Stand by...
I think the pre-Gord Sylvie and post-Gord Sylvie cast a bright light on how a stong, unconventional and independent woman would stay in an abusive relationship. This is something many people can't understand, and Rank's anger toward her is a sort of indictment of our society's inability to understand what abuse does to women.
yes. definitely. By no means did I mean to bash Sylvie for her choices or content her as a product of her generation or even a victim or her situation. The anger stems from the situation in the first place and how women must navigate that climate. Ladies gotta do what they gotta do I suppose, but I wish they didn't have to play within that game and could instead create a new one.
Hey! I feel like Gord is getting railroaded here. I didn't feel like Gord was all bad. In fact, I remember kind of liking him. It's been several months since I read the book, but, seems to me there were some parts where Lynn clearly showed a softer side of him (somewhat subtly done) which made him a more likeable character.
Whoop, sorry for the repeat. To answer your Q:
How did I research the character of Rank? It was mostly imagination actually. There's a lot of me in Rank, you might be surprised to know. I've experienced his anger and confusion around Catholicism, his guilt (not about beating people up, but about other stuff!), and I've even experience the same kind of cognitive dissonance in adolescence when people started to responding in really weird ways to my developing body (needless to say, Rank gets different responses than I did, but it's the exact same feeling of: What the hell? I'm the same person! I just stopped playing with barbies! Why are you talking to me like I'm a grownup?
Whoop, sorry for the repeat. To answer your Q:
How did I research the character of Rank? It was mostly imagination actually. There's a lot of me in Rank, you might be surprised to know. I've experienced his anger and confusion around Catholicism, his guilt (not about beating people up, but about other stuff!), and I've even experience the same kind of cognitive dissonance in adolescence when people started to responding in really weird ways to my developing body (needless to say, Rank gets different responses than I did, but it's the exact same feeling of: What the hell? I'm the same person! I just stopped playing with barbies! Why are you talking to me like I'm a grownup?
Did you feel explaining this phenomenon through the eyes of a giant 15 year-old was more interesting than through the eyes of a 15 girl going through puberty?
I so wish I could "like" so many of these comments! (I believe we will, in the near future, have this capacity on babble). I love the book, and while this has been said earlier, what struck me most, of course, was what an incredible literary feat it is to insert yourself into the complex character of Rank as a writer. I found reading the book... difficult at times, especially in the beginning, in the sense that I found myself a bit nervous, a feeling of trepidation, at the idea of letting myself go into the character. I found myself thinking, "do I really want to be in the mind of this character". But of course, you do...
corinnew, I always love readers like you who have that reaction to Gord. Gord is my favourite character because he draws those contradictory responses frrom readers. I remember in my first draft I have Rank describing Gord as "cute"--or imagining other people see him that way. And my husband read it and said, "No, you can't write that, Gord doesn't seem cute at all, he just seems like an asshole." And while I agree that 'cute' probably is not the best way to describe the finished version of Gord as a character, he definately can come across as somewhat...cuddly? He's got that vulnerable core where you realize how insecure he is and how much he wants to know that he is loved and respected. Whenever he feels he's not getting the love and respect he deserves (which is about 99% of the time) he lashes out in really over the top ways. And that's what makes him infuriating. But there's no getting around the fact that he loves his son unreservedly. No matter how big an arsehole he is, that love never wavers. And there's something endearing in that, I'd like to think.
I so wish I could "like" so many of these comments! (I believe we will, in the near future, have this capacity on babble). I love the book, and while this has been said earlier, what struck me most, of course, was what an incredible literary feat it is to insert yourself into the complex character of Rank as a writer. I found reading the book... difficult at times, especially in the beginning, in the sense that I found myself a bit nervous, a feeling of trepidation, at the idea of letting myself go into the character. I found myself thinking, "do I really want to be in the mind of this character". But of course, you do...
Wow! I also had that sense of trepidation while reading. A bit of anxiety, too, for some reason.
"Did you feel explaining this phenomenon through the eyes of a giant 15 year-old was more interesting than through the eyes of a 15 girl going through puberty?"
Kaitlin, no, not really. It was kind of a thought experiment for me--I just thought it would be interesting to imagine what the giant-15 year old boy version of that experience would be. I thought it would help me find empathy with Rank.
corinnew, I always love readers like you who have that reaction to Gord. Gord is my favourite character because he draws those contradictory responses frrom readers. I remember in my first draft I have Rank describing Gord as "cute"--or imagining other people see him that way. And my husband read it and said, "No, you can't write that, Gord doesn't seem cute at all, he just seems like an asshole." And while I agree that 'cute' probably is not the best way to describe the finished version of Gord as a character, he definately can come across as somewhat...cuddly? He's got that vulnerable core where you realize how insecure he is and how much he wants to know that he is loved and respected. Whenever he feels he's not getting the love and respect he deserves (which is about 99% of the time) he lashes out in really over the top ways. And that's what makes him infuriating. But there's no getting around the fact that he loves his son unreservedly. No matter how big an arsehole he is, that love never wavers. And there's something endearing in that, I'd like to think.
this warmed my heart. super like. Also corinnew thanks for joining us! Your comments and questions have been awesome!
@corinnew - you're right: Gord definitely shows his softer sides at points but Rank's perspective limits these moments. And when he does allow himself to cast a forgiving eye, I think that's when we see that Rank's maturing/ed and shows himself to be a reflective and thoughtful individual...I enjoyed how the book explores Ranks' perspectives on his family and friends throughtout the book.
Yes -- I definitely picked up the "vulnerable core" through your characterization of Gord.
Elizabeth and Kim, I made a deliberate effort to create that feeling of "trepitation" in the reader at the beginning of the book. Not every reader responded well to it, because it's a direct address (Rank addresses a "You" that the reader doesn't immediately realize is Adam), and it's hostile. Rank starts off by basically insulting and threeatening the "you" who the email is meant for. My hope was that readers would feel grabbed by this way of beginning, and interested enough to keep going, but that could be my own bias. I love a book that makes me scaredfrom the very first page!
It was very effective!
Thanks for welcoming me. I'm a big Lynn Coady fan so I had to be here :)
Thanks Elizabeth. Thanks corinnew!
Holy moly! The hour is up! That just flew by! Thanks Lynn for joining us and answering all of our questions -- in rapid fire at that!
You're welcome and thanks for hanging out with us. This was my first time chatting with a writer!
Thanks Lynn! So awesome you could be here...loved the book!
Thanks Lynn!
Thanks for your amazing questions everyone. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday! Now I must go and beg the cat's forgiveness.
Thanks again Lynn! Your responses were enlightening!
Looking forward to The Antagonist, part deux! :)
Cats require huge doses of "suck up" before their injured sense of superiority is restored. Good luck!
Kaitlin, thank you so much for organizing and moderating this event. I had the book reserved with London Public Library, but it was so in demand that it took weeks for me to get it, so I couldn't participate in the discussion. This was fun, and it was really interesting seeing how others saw and interpreted the major themes. You did an awesome job!
Kaitlin, thank you so much for organizing and moderating this event. I had the book reserved with London Public Library, but it was so in demand that it took weeks for me to get it, so I couldn't participate in the discussion. This was fun, and it was really interesting seeing how others saw and interpreted the major themes. You did an awesome job!
All the thanks goes to Lynn for being awesome AND accepting our invitation and to those who joined the conversation -- it's easy to moderate when everyone is furiously typing to ask questions! Thanks Rebecca West!
"Did you feel explaining this phenomenon through the eyes of a giant 15 year-old was more interesting than through the eyes of a 15 girl going through puberty?"
Kaitlin, no, not really. It was kind of a thought experiment for me--I just thought it would be interesting to imagine what the giant-15 year old boy version of that experience would be. I thought it would help me find empathy with Rank.
I thought this was an interesting way to try to understand someone and evoke compassion within yourself. It now occurs to me that other writers have used this technique numerous time, especially to get readers to react. Makes me view writing and narratives differently... I like it.
When I first started the novel I thought, "oh no, I don't like this character (Rank) at all." And as I read, I grew to love him, and his irascible father. I "recognized" so many of the characters in the book that it was an intimate read. Now I have to read the rest of Ms. Coady's stuff. Brilliant! Thank you so much Kaitlin for introducing me to another amazing Canadian writer!
I'd like to thank Lynn Coady for answering my questions and joining Babble yesterday. I unfortunately had to miss the exchange because I was at the Saint John Mill Rats final home game of the season.
So what is our next book, Kaitlin?
Oh Caissa you keep me on my toes! It is too bad that you had to miss the live conversation, but yes, we made sure your questions got answered and I'm glad you enjoyed the exchange!
Check out the new thread for the selection and please deliever any feedback necessary.