June book of the month: Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. Chat to the author on Tuesday 27 June, 9-10pm

[RachelMumsnet]

We're delighted to announce our June Book of the month will be Ann Patchett's latest novel Commonwealth. We gave away 50 copies and Ann will be joining us for a webchat at the end of June to discuss the book (date tbc).

Many readers will be familiar with Ann's previous novels which include the brilliant and award winning Bel Canto and much acclaimed novel State of Wonder. In her latest book she masterfully weaves together the story of a fractured and dysfunctional family, sweeping generations and spanning the width of the USA. Sharply observed, funny, tragic and evocative, Commonwealth proves that Ann Patchett is one of the most versatile novelists of our generation.

Find out more about the book and feel free to post up your thoughts about the book and questions for Ann on this thread. We'll post as soon as have a date scheduled for the webchat.

Buy the book from £2.84

Hello, everyone!

It's a beautiful day here in Nashville. I'm grateful to Mumsnet and all of you who read the book. I'll also warn you that I'm a pretty lousy typist (isn't that too bad?) so please forgive all the mistakes I'll surely make in the next hour.

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of the book by Mumsnet and I am really enjoying it - great too to be introduced to Ann Patchett's work. I will definitely be buying Bel Canto to read too.

Ann: my question relates to the way you make your writing so visual. Reading the book is like watching a film, and I can see the characters and setting clearly in my mind's eye - yet you never seem to write long passages of description. Do you work hard at polishing your novels? Your prose is so satisfying (and wickedly funny at times too).

@FernieB

Albie intrigued me. He was often seen by other characters (adults and children alike) to be troublesome, disruptive and annoying. I wonder if he really was as difficult as they perceived him or if it was simply a case of him being the youngest and therefore always the baby of the group. Obviously, spending the summers being doped by your siblings wouldn't help his behaviour.

I wonder how Ann sees Albie?

Hi, FernieB,

I think you're exactly right. Albie isn't as annoying as the other kids make him out to be, it's just that he's little. A lot of this book is about how children perceive things, and how they can be completely wrong about what they think they know for sure. I liked the fact that the story takes place over such a long period of time so we can see them grow up. They aren't as bad as they start out being.

I just finished reading this today and am sad that it's over! Thank you for such a good read.

I want to know if Leo(n) Posen is based on anybody in real life and what, generally, you think about using real life situations as inspiration for your own writing? From your writing of Franny's experience, I'm guessing that you disapprove of how she is exploited by Posen?

I really enjoyed Commonwealth and thought the writing was excellent. It reminded me a little of Anne Tyler, whose novels often describe ordinary families over many years. Ann Patchett's name rang a bell but I hadn't read any of her novels before. At first, I found it a little hard to keep track of which family the children belonged to, and who was living in Virginia full-time and who was just there for the summer (I could have done with some dates as well given the jumps in time).

I'd like to ask Ann following question:

The book has the usual disclaimer along the lines of "This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidential." Is the plot just based on events (i.e. parents remarrying and moving a long distane away), or do some of the characters bear a resemblance to your family? Should the characters have been angry at Leon for appropriating their story?

@sarahsusannah

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of the book by Mumsnet and I am really enjoying it - great too to be introduced to Ann Patchett's work. I will definitely be buying Bel Canto to read too.

Ann: my question relates to the way you make your writing so visual. Reading the book is like watching a film, and I can see the characters and setting clearly in my mind's eye - yet you never seem to write long passages of description. Do you work hard at polishing your novels? Your prose is so satisfying (and wickedly funny at times too).

Hi, sarahsusannah,

People have told me before that they find my novels to be very visual. I don't mean from them to be, it's nothing special I'm trying to do, I think I'm just a visual thinker. And I do try to polish my work but I do it as I go along. I don't go on to chapter three until chapter two seems perfect.

Hi Ann, I'm only half way through so I'm trying to avoid spoilers. I'm really enjoying it and was wondering which character you found easiest to write?

Also, there are many moving moments in the book but the one that really had me in tears was when Teresa is in Switzerland at the meditation centre and she visualises Albie's death and the events leading up to it. I thought that was beautifully written and also quite surprising - what made you think of it?

bellababy do you mean Cal?

I read This is the sTory of a Happy Marriage last year and have gone back to read passages again and again. Do you plan on writing any more non-fiction and if so what would you write?
Also what other non-fiction (and in particular memoir) would you recommend?

@bellabelly

I just finished reading this today and am sad that it's over! Thank you for such a good read.

I want to know if Leo(n) Posen is based on anybody in real life and what, generally, you think about using real life situations as inspiration for your own writing? From your writing of Franny's experience, I'm guessing that you disapprove of how she is exploited by Posen?

Hi, bellabelly, (great name, by the way),

I don't disapprove of Posen because I AM Posen, I'm the writer and I was thinking about exploitation. Sometimes writing about the things you worry about is the best way through. Franny freely gives the story of her life to Leo and he takes it. They adore each other, they're intertwined. Still, I'm always trying to figure out what details from other people's life I can use. Does that make sense? I'm not saying I'm cheering on relationships between young women and much older men, I was just thinking about how ideas are exchanged.

Thanks Ann. I loved that you set the story over a long period too. I wondered if being labelled as 'the difficult one' by the children and adults made Albie grow up the way he did - being so unsettled for so long. There were references to labels applied to the other characters - the clever girl who was expected to succeed (and did so), the capable mother who was expected to care for and entertain all the children. It made me think about the labels we apply to people - do we label them because that's how they are, or do they conform to the label they're given. Was this something you intended to explore?

@cheapskatemum - yes I do!

@MagicPenny

I read This is the sTory of a Happy Marriage last year and have gone back to read passages again and again. Do you plan on writing any more non-fiction and if so what would you write? Also what other non-fiction (and in particular memoir) would you recommend?

Hi, MagicPenny

I recommend TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Cheryl Strayed! Best book ever. Also, Roxane Gay has a new book out called HUNGER that completely rocked my world. I recommend both of those highly. I love writing nonfiction. I'm writing a novel now but after that I'm going to write about about women getting the vote and the importance of voting.

@MonsieurBing

Hi Ann, I'm only half way through so I'm trying to avoid spoilers. I'm really enjoying it and was wondering which character you found easiest to write?

Hi, MonsieurBing,
Probably Albie. I really loved him and I had a lot of compassion for him. He was the starting point for the story.

I was interested by how it was significant to the younger Cousins children that they were not from Virginia, and how the movement between there and California took place. Is this something you feel is important to the children's identity and their sense of belonging (or not), or just another way their parents neglected them?

Thanks Ann, that does make sense. It's just that I felt that Franny was in love with the idea of him - the writer, Leon Posen, as opposed to the real man, Leo. And I was fuming reading about how she was expected to shop and cook and entertain during the summer at the actress's house. Over-invested, here!

@bellabelly

Also, there are many moving moments in the book but the one that really had me in tears was when Teresa is in Switzerland at the meditation centre and she visualises Albie's death and the events leading up to it. I thought that was beautifully written and also quite surprising - what made you think of it?

Oh, I like to meditate, and I wanted Teresa to have another moment with her son that wasn't in a dream sequence. I have a friend who told me I write too many profound dream sequences so I've been trying to cut back. I'd love to run off to an ashram in Switzerland. I think that would be my dream if I could bring my dog.

Me too, bellabelly, I cheered about the lobsters though.

If you couldn't have been a writer, what would you be doing?

@bellabelly

Thanks Ann, that does make sense. It's just that I felt that Franny was in love with the idea of him - the writer, Leon Posen, as opposed to the real man, Leo. And I was fuming reading about how she was expected to shop and cook and entertain during the summer at the actress's house. Over-invested, here!

Yeah, well, THAT is the truly autobiographical part of the novel. We have loads of lovely houseguests and I am forever making dinner for people who are just thrilled to be sleeping over. I love them and I want to kill them all at the same time.

I mentioned the character of Bert earlier. I find him interesting because autism runs in my family and aspects of his character suggest to me he's on the autistic spectrum. Were you aware of autism and the challenges of a parent on the autistic spectrum when creating this character ?

Also can I ask you about your shop - how are book sales in US? There seems to be a revival in books over e-books here - which is really exciting (two book shops have opened up on our high street in the last year). Is it the same in America? Your shop looks amazing. How much time do you spend there?

@GhostsToMonsoon

I really enjoyed Commonwealth and thought the writing was excellent. It reminded me a little of Anne Tyler, whose novels often describe ordinary families over many years. Ann Patchett's name rang a bell but I hadn't read any of her novels before. At first, I found it a little hard to keep track of which family the children belonged to, and who was living in Virginia full-time and who was just there for the summer (I could have done with some dates as well given the jumps in time).

I'd like to ask Ann following question:

The book has the usual disclaimer along the lines of "This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidential." Is the plot just based on events (i.e. parents remarrying and moving a long distane away), or do some of the characters bear a resemblance to your family? Should the characters have been angry at Leon for appropriating their story?

Hi, GhostsToMonsoon,

I think they put that in every novel. It's just a legal disclaimer. There were some events that were based on my family (divorce, remarriage, we aren't alone in that). Should the characters be mad at Leo? Who knows? I think what they're probably mad about is being forced to think about the past when they'd rather forget about it.

Merry - I also cheered for the lobsters! Loved that little episode.