we need to talk about kevin

[starj]

Just finished we need to talk about kevin for the second time,and again find the whole book fascinating, disturbing and amazing. Anyone else feel the same?

yeah, she's known him since she was 12 or something , as she doesn't time travel she's a constant but because he met her in his 30's (or so) up until that point in rl he doesn't know her, but she knows him..?! It's odd. But a good story.

3D that's what i can't get my head round - perhaps it#s the two glasses of wine, will persist though and report back

Wasn't the whole point of the book that we didn't empathise with the mother or find her portrayal of motherhood convincing? I thought its strength was the growing realisation you got of hang on, is this kid really a monster, what's going on with the mother here? No, she didn't ring true as a mother, but that's because she was deeply flawed and the book, written from her point of view, was an attempt at self-justification. You read it and it is impossible to tell whether Kevin is the monster or she is. I don't think the book is perfect, but that way it teases with ambiguity is its major strength.

But yes, I did see the ending coming a long way off!

Ooh, I'm back for more. And the unconvincing portrayal of the daughter was precisely because the mother projected onto her all the motherlove that she was denying her son. In fact, too much of that love - she suffocated her daughter and the suggestion was that she was going to grow up with deep problems too.

Completely agree Hester!

Oh me too - I just read this thread mentally composing an account of why I thought it was well-written (unlikeable, yes, but terribly good) only to find that hester had said it all, only much more articulately.

I really enjoyed "kevin" and time traveller.
You could try Middlesex by jeffrey eugenides...fab book and a bit different.

I've decided I'm not clever enough for 'Book Club' .. I just thought it was shite .. but am quietly enamoured of Hester's precis too

I dunno, don't be too hard on yourself- "it was shite" has a certain succinct charm

succinct ... yup .. dat's me

wow Hester you are good. I was transported back to A level English then.

I can' remember it all (not a good sign but then my memory is crap) did the daughter die too?

yup, he shoots her & father before going school I think (good to get a head-start on the day

I found it fascinating, but read it while I was 8months pregnant so that wasn't probably a good idea!

Lent it to my sister and I've never seen it again.

Yes, I read it when I was pregnant too - scared the bejesus out of me!

I read this book very disturbing. The relationship between Kevin & his Mum. I sobbed when killed his sister.

Completely agree with you, ggirl - Middlesex is a great book. I was determined to decide that the author couldn't inhabit a female mind - but he did, brilliantly.

Hi book club, this just caught my eye cos of the post about Middlesex. Can i join it? I'm new so i'm not sure if you just, er, talk about books or is it like a formal book club where you read one at a time and discuss it?

Can i just say I loved Middlesex so much but i read it when i was pregnant and ended up getting all paranoid that i was going to have a hermaphrodite baby.

Anyway i'd be most grateful if someone could enlighten me about book club and hope i haven't just crashed a thread where you all know eachother ...

Hi dotcotton. This isnt an official book club thread but I was thinking of joining it too.

There was a thread about it a little while ago where you had to out your name down and then find out what book will be read and discussed. I will try and find it now.

Oh dotcotton, you're more than welcome

book club thread

if that doesnt work (not very good at links)just look up book club on the topic list and the thread is about how to join. Might see you there for the next review.

Jumping on to revamp this thread - I presonally loved it and even though I had guessed what would happen to everyone, it was still far more than I could bear - I couldn't sleep that night because it was so vivid!

I find it really interesting that I have never heard anyone say they thought it was the father's fault - I totally do! I thought Eva had the good measure of her son and between them they could have been able to work out the best way to handle him. But what Franklin did was terrible - he underminded her all the time, allowed him to get away with anything, and more importantly, taught him how to play the game: that manipulation and deceit really do work and he learnt how to puppet everyone around him and therefore never learnt the value of relationships and thats what made him so full of hate and meglomania!

Anyone?

estar, I thought it was excellent too. I agree that the father was at fault - he was totally blinkered as to Kevin's true nature. I did guess towards the end about what happened to the daughter, but not the father, oddly enough!!! I think the mother's ambivalent attitude towards pregnancy and motherhood was really interesting. It was one of those books that I didn't want to end!

I really enjoyed this book too, but I have one major gripe with it. Considering Eva's knowledge of Kevin's character I find it hard to believe that she had no misgivings at all about having a second baby. I wish there had been more more in the book about the years when Celia was a baby.
I also agree about Franklin being partly to blame. His attitude to Eva's second pregnancy showed that he knew well that Kevin was no angel. If he had been more willing to face up to reality Kevin might have had a chance.
I thought the way she dropped hints throughout about what ultimately happened to Celia was brilliant. It was one of the few books I've read recently which kept me completely hooked to the end.

Not read rest of thread because I'm still reading this and enjoying it. However, this is tempered by what I know of Lionel Shriver and her views of parents. So far, what has pissed me off is her being hospitalised for having mastitis in both breasts . Now, so did I [polishes hard knock knuckles emoticon] so I know it's vile but, hospital?