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Book of the month

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Original poster

MAY BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION NIGHT - post your questions for the author here, and join this thread on Tuesday 27th May for bookclub chat

59 replies

TillyBookClub · 18/05/2008 10:23

This is the thread to come to for May Book of the Month discussion night, where we'll be getting to grips with Orange Prize shortlister When WE Were Bad by Charlotte Mendelson.

Charlotte can't join us on the night due to a prior engagement, but she is very happy to answers our questions in advance. Can everyone post their questions up here and I'll send on to Charlotte on Thursday 23rd May. Then I'll put all her answers up on Tuesday for the discussion night.

so, anything you want to ask, put it right here as soon as you can...

OP posts:
strawberrylace · 27/05/2008 20:49

i loved Norman's portrayal as 'everydad' - ie the dad from that generation who doesn't really know how to deal with the bizarre-ness of his family, and just can't deal with emotions. a much more realistic dad than the dads in the last two book club books - atticus & james

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 27/05/2008 20:54

I loved the book but really couldn't get to grips with Claudia. IU am not Jewish but know something of Jewish mothers and I somehow couldn't reconcile to the fact of her being a Rabbi. How common is it for a woman to be a Rabbi and how did she manage that and look after the four children - there is no mebntion of any chilcare!

billybass · 27/05/2008 21:00

Yeah we do have female rabbis and they do tend to be well known.As I am Jewish it was nice to see the utter madness of immigrant families .

If families have undergone the trauma of fleeing in the past does this send the subsequent family a bit do lally when they settle?

Original poster
TillyBookClub · 27/05/2008 21:01

I thought Norman was touching too. Much more like my dad than any of the other charactrs were like any of my family, iyswim.

What did you think of Claudia's decision not to tell anyone about her illness? Courageous? Or in denial?

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billybass · 27/05/2008 21:04

I thought it was sweet in that her intention was to shield norman of the worry. I thought that was a touching thing to do and did it prove that she really did love them underneath?

Original poster
TillyBookClub · 27/05/2008 21:11

by the way, lemurtamer, I really liked that 'naked excpet for her clothes' phrase too. I think the language is very succinct - there is never a spare word. Its all very tight. All the dialogue sounds completely believeable, which is usally so hard to achieve.

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sophiewd · 27/05/2008 21:11

I don't think she did do the childcare tghat was what Norman did, and the children were brought up to do everything to make Claudia look good, sorry can' remember the younger daughters name but I remember her going on we must pulkl together for Claudia.

strawberrylace · 27/05/2008 21:14

i think Claudia didn't tell anyone about her illness because it would feel like another bit of control that she'd lost

strawberrylace · 27/05/2008 21:17

Tilly - i agree that the book is beautifully written

Original poster
TillyBookClub · 27/05/2008 21:21

billybass, yes, I think she did truly love Norman. the last part was very moving, when Norman says 'We did our best, we weren't pefect but we couldn't have done anything else' and she agrees with him 'quietly into his neck' - she admits that they were good enough, rather than being perfect.

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Original poster
TillyBookClub · 27/05/2008 21:23

By the way, has everyone got questions they'd like to ask the author? I'm going to email her tomorrow with our list...

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lemurtamer · 27/05/2008 21:24

I'm going to retire now, but my question to the author is "Why did no-one have mobile phones?" Even I had one in 2001, and I found it unlikely that busy Claudia or the hip younger children didn't have them. Given most of them were hiding things, mobiles would have been very useful.

sophiewd · 27/05/2008 21:24

And Simeon was the most obnoxious person going.

billybass · 27/05/2008 21:25

What does everyone think the ending was?

Did Claudia die or was she given more time?

I like to think that she was given more time, and that life carried on as usual...

sophiewd · 27/05/2008 21:25

Did she intentionally have a big divide in the family, i.e. Norman, Leo and Frances who were the quiet dutiful side versus Claudai, Simeon and ? who were the buterflies of the family? is my question

lemurtamer · 27/05/2008 21:28

I'm going to retire now, but my question to the author is "why did no-one have a mobile phone?" Even I had one in 2001, one of last to get one. I thought it unlikely that busy Claudia and the hip younger children didn't have one. Given the secrets kept they would have been very useful.

billybass · 27/05/2008 21:31

I think that would be my question.

What happened to claudia the next day?

I really enjoyed this book and was disappointed that it ended.

Original poster
TillyBookClub · 27/05/2008 21:33

I thought the ending was absolutely 50/50 - I didn't have any clue about whether she would survive or not.

If pushed, I think she probably does survive and have surgery and is a more mellow character but essentially remains the same slightly overbearing control freak.

(I love the fact that she 'cannot shake the feeling there are other things she should be doing' when she reaches for the paper to write her family love letters. That touch made it completely in character and realistic)

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sophiewd · 27/05/2008 21:38

I also imagine that Claudia was pretty shook up that her rocks were getting indpendent lives from her, Frances leaving Jonathan,Lwo mivng in with Helen and Norman having her book published, she wasn't the center of ehr world anymore.

strawberrylace · 27/05/2008 21:46

My question would be - who is the character that the author most identifies with, and why?

Original poster
TillyBookClub · 27/05/2008 21:50

Will pass on the questions and post answers up here early next week - thanks everyone.

Its very short but just in case you want to hear her voice, here is the author talking about the book on Meet the Author - in place of having her live...

I think this has been my favourite bookclub read so far, here's hoping she wins the Orange Prize on June 4th.

And finally, our June Book of the Month poll is ready to go - there are four men up for grabs this time and you've got until Thursday 5th June to vote.

OP posts:
sophiewd · 27/05/2008 21:52

Thank you Tilly, I would agree with being a favourite and madly passing around friends at home.

strawberrylace · 27/05/2008 21:52

I am hoping she wins too! For once I am actually interested in the Orange prize (bad thing to admit not being interested before perhaps) so thanks for making this a bookclub read Tilly

Original poster
TillyBookClub · 27/05/2008 21:56

Pleasure all mine - I'm so glad it won our vote. I'm giving it to my sisters for sure (hope they don't think I'm making any sort of point)...

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billybass · 27/05/2008 21:58

Thank you all for this bookclub chat.

I will now be interested in the Orange prize too.

Will be voting for the June book.

Goodnight all