Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

Book: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
Basic Information : Synopsis : Characters : Expectations : Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : New Words : Book References : Good Quotes : Table of Contents : References

Basic Information:
Author: Phaedra Patrick
Edition: ePub on Overdrive from the San Francisco Publc Library
Publisher: MIRA
ISBN: 0778319334 (ISBN13: 9780778319337)
Start Date: January 15, 2020
Read Date: January 19, 2020
331 pages
Genre: Fiction
Language Warning: Low
Rated Overall: 3 out of 5

Fiction-Tells a good story: 5 out of 5
Fiction-Character development: 4 out of 5


Synopsis (Caution: Spoiler Alert-Jump to Thoughts):
Arthur Pepper’s wife died a year ago. He has withdrawn into himself. He is cleaning out his wife’s closet and comes across a charm bracelet he does not think he has seen before. There are eight charms:
  • Elephant
  • Tiger
  • Book
  • Flower
  • Thimble
  • Paint Palette
  • Ring
  • Heart
He finds a phone number on one of the charms and calls it and discovers another side of his wife which he did not know about. He works through all eight charms, finding out things wanted and unwanted about his wife. In the end, he rediscovers himself and his children and his life.


Cast of Characters:
  • Arther Pepper-69 year old widower, main character
  • Miriam Pepper-deceased wife of Arthur Pepper
  • Lucy Pepper-Daughter of Arthur and Miriam Pepper
  • Dan Pepper-Son of Arthur Pepper
  • Bernadette-Do-gooder neighbor and friend of Arthur Pepper
  • Nathan-Son Of Bernadette
  • Terry-Neighbor across the street
  • Mr Mehra-Indian doctor, connected with oe of the charms
  • Lord Graystock-keeper of tigers in a run down mansion
  • Lady Graystock (Kate)-wife and former photographer.
  • François de Chauffant-fictional writer and maybe a lover of Miriam
  • Sébastien-François de Chauffant lover and now caretaker
  • Mike-panhandler who rescues Arthur’s wallet
  • Lucy, the dog-Mike’s dog
  • Jeff-Jeweler
  • Sylvie Bourdin-owner of a wedding dress store. Close friend of Miriam.
  • Sonny Yardley-Miriam’s best friend until Sonny’s brother is killed taking Miriam out on a date.


Expectations:
Recommendation: Val S, Book Group
When: December 2019
Date Became Aware of Book: December 2019
How come do I want to read this book: Book group selection
What do I think I will get out of it?


Thoughts:


The Surprise in the Wardrobe
Story opens one year have Arther Pepper’s wife, Miriam, has died. Today is the day he will clean out her stuff. In doing so, he found a charm bracelet stuck in one of her shoes. It had charms, eight in all: an elephant, flower, book, paint palette, tiger, thimble, heart and a ring. This led to the question, are these significant? Arthur did not remember her wearing this. There is a phone number, in India, on the elephant. He phones it.

Arthur goes into a diatribe in his thoughts about the words passing away. The words are too gentle for what death offers and leaves behind. He missed her and what she brought to the house. Along with this, people, especially his son, recommended that he move on. But how do you move on when 40 years of your life has been removed? 
 
His two children, Dan and Lucy, were not close, as least in emotion. Lucy lived in the same town while Dan was in Australia.


The Elephant
Arthur finds out about the elephant. It is an emerald, not colored glass. Mr Mehra gave it to Miriam when she took care of him in India. She was removed from care when she kissed a boyfriend. Arthur knew nothing about a time she was in India. This leaves him wondering what else he does not know about his wife.

Arthur enjoyed his hands on job as a locksmith. But as the Internet gave direct access to his customers from the lock companies, he ended up traveling less and being phone bound.

Arthur is the type who does not like confrontation nor even talking on the phone. He has thoughts about hanging up, but then Mr Mehra answers. Arthur would rather not know than to talk. Mr Meha talks about how Miriam was his nanny and how much she meant to him. At the end, Mr. Mehra asked if Miriam had forgiven him. Arthur says yes-a lie since he did not know. But hearing Mr Mehra’s reaction, he felt good about himself, because he felt useful.


The Great Escape
Arthur has a confrontation with his neighbor and ultimately with himself. Who is he? Is he a lost cause? Or a person who is honest? Or someone on the verge of chasing down a mystery?

Arthur does not want to forget his wife. He realized that discovering the charm bracelet may lead him to a wife he had not known before. Finding the charm reveals a difference in personalities. His wife is much more likely to let them come to her, such as a mystery; while Arthus tries to solve things.

Bereaved people act in one of two ways: Those who cling to the past and those who get on with their lives.

When his neighbor Bernadette comes over, he usually tries to hide. After talking with Mr Mehra, he realizes the burden of lying is, so he tells he the truth about his avoidance of her. He realizes the truth feels surprisingly good.

Do people really trade stories about how loved ones die?

Arthur realizes that he took a lot of meaning from being a husband and a father. Now he was no longer a husband, and his children were getting emotionally distant from him. What is his identity now?


On the Way
Bernadette convinces Arthur to go the next leg of his journey to find out about the mystery of the charms. This is to Bath. Bernadette’s son Nathan is driving them so that he can check out the University his Mom wants him to go to. Nathan is not the most socially likeable character. They stay at a B&B in Bath.

When he comes out of a dream, he thinks, why hadn’t he appreciated those moments when they were happening? This is true, we complete or in a moment, but then want to advance to the next one before savoring the current.

When Nathan makes an insensitive comment about his wife dying, Arthur feels like ripping apart the young man. He thinks that young people dismiss death much too easily. Something which is way out there, like a foreign country you may visit one day, but not now. And that goes with the comment above. It is all about now and worry about the next sensation rather than enjoying the now because we will not always be there with someone you want to be with.


Lucy and the Tortoise
Lucy, Arthur’s daughter, shows up at his house. He is gone. His neighbor Jerry told her that he had gone off with his neighbor, looking like an overnight stay. This causes Lucy worry as her father has been very much a homebody.


Bed-an-Breakfast
A description of the bed and breakfast where they stayed. Arthur has to change to their schedule, not his schedule. He makes travel arrangements as he will be going to Graystock to inquire about the tiger charm.


The Tiger
Arthur goes to Graystock Manor to find out about the tiger charm, because Graystock is well known for keeping tigers on the grounds. He finds the gates locked. But he finds a weak place in the fence and intrudes upon the grounds. He is confronted by a lion and is scratched. Graystock calls off his tiger and chews him out and brings him inside. He says that You’ve stared death in the face. You need a drink. There is a dialogue between Graystock and his wife Kate if she saved him or was it love. The charm came from Graystock, but more as a calling card than as a sexual favor. He stays overnight. This does not lead to anymore information about Miriam. Kate would try to locate a photo of Miriam.
.
References a painting by Henri Rousseau. Probably the Sleeping Gypsy.


The Photograph
After a night’s sleep and a few hours of healing, Arthur and Kate goes through her old photos looking for Miriam. He did not find Miriam with Graystock, but another man, François de Chauffant. Graystock and de Chauffant had a falling out over some of the material used in a book. This may be the next charm, a book. Hidden inside of the book charm was the inscription, Ma Cherie. He realizes that after finding the charm bracelet his life will not return to “normal”

Arthur realizes that this search was no longer finding out about Miriam’s past, but about himself. He had experienced things which he had not known before. He was on the road to discovery. He felt alive.


Lucy and Dan
Lucy calls her brother concerned with their Dad. Of course a message saying you have gone to a well-known manor, talked with the Lord and Lady and been attacked by a tiger probably leaves one with the idea that maybe the stress of losing your wife has finally driven you batty. On the other hand, Lucy and Dan cannot hold a civil discourse without fighting and a sort of sibling rivalry.

Lucy is thinking that her Dad is off his rocker. She will need to give up her independence. Then she has a wry thought, how will living with an aged-Dad looked on a dating site?

I love the description that Lucy thinks of her father-permanently bewildered air about him as if everything was a surprise. She then goes on and thinks that he is no longer acting the way she would imagine him to be.


Mobile Technology
Arthur enlists Nathan to find out a bit more about this François de Chauffant. Nathan finds a London address

Good question: What type of a man steals from his friend, especially family stories. When you steal a person’s story you are stealing a bit of who they are.


London
Arthur goes to London, by himself-he is coming out of his shell. He wanders around London, heading towards the writer’s place. He stops in a cafe for lunch and a stranger strikes up a conversation with him.

Arthur is in a place foreign to him. So he does not mind the strangeness of people jostling him. He knew at worst he could return home.

There is guilt on Arthur’s part. Miriam wanted to go to other places. He had always said no. Miriam had accepted this without question. Now he was seeing a world which Miriam had experienced. He now wanted to experience it with her.

When Arthur stops in a cafe, a stranger strikes up a very private conversation with him. He listens and asks Arthur’s advice on who he should marry? The one whom he thinks could last a lifetime with or one who is exciting and he has already bedded? Arthur’s response is that today there is too much choice. Because he has too much invested in both women, Arthur’s advice is none of the above as he is of divided mind. Then Arthur talks about himself and wonders if he was good for Miriam. The stranger’s answer is yes-he is kind and listens.


The Book
Arthur goes to François de Chauffantt house and realizes what Miriam gave up for him-a large house with an interesting man with a worldwide reputation. Arthur could only give her himself and very limited monetary gain. On the other hand, Miriam always felt that he was good enough for her and never made him feel inferior to anything. When he goes to the door, he finds out that François de Chauffant has Alzheimer’s. Here he meets Sebastian, Francois de Chauffant’s lover. There he sees the man the author has become. But Sebastian also opens a light onto the relationship Miriam had.

Arthur makes a statement to Sebastian that with each story I hear, I feel as if I am changing and growing. Interesting because he was going to find out about others.

When François de Chauffant sets his mattress on fire (accidently), Sebstasian knows that he will never be brilliant again. Such a sad line. I wonder if François de Chauffant knew that he would never be brilliant again. Also does Sebastian know about the underside of the author-that he steals other’s stories?

Arthur asks if Sebsatian is his caretaker? Sebastian is now. There is now nothing between them. I wonder what there was in the beginning. Even if one has changed, involuntarily, wouldn’t there still be a tie between them if there was anything in the first place?

The book charm had Ma Cherie inscribed on it. Sebastian knew that in one of the books of poetry the author had written, there was that poem.


Lucy the Second
When he left the author’s house, there was no plan, so he wandered, trying to search out an identity. He ends up in a hostel, bunking with three German girls, one of whom brings in a pickup date. He thinks about his honeymoon. He tries to get on a subway, but gets mugged in the process. He gives chase, but is being outrun. .Mike, a panhandler, gives chase but not before handing Arthur his dog’s lease. Mike takes Arthur to a jeweler friend of his, Jeff. Jeff is able to talk about the remaining charms.

I do not like the way it is said that he walked until he did not know where he was or who he was. There seems to be something missing here. He leaves Sebastain reasonably OK and then. He starts to flash back about his son and his wife, the man in the cafe. He starts asking himself, who is he? He thinks he cannot be defined by his wife’s death

He meets Mike and then Jeff the jeweler. Jeff is able to see certain things on the bracelet. Such as the ring is probably from his mother-in-law. The artist's palette has SY on it. He does not know an SY jeweler. He then goes on and says the Charm bracelets are special to people. The charms usually mean something significant and important. It’s like wearing memories on your wrist.


Mike’s Apartment
Arthur stays at Mike’s apartment. The first thing Arthur notices is that there is a 6’ bookshelf, full of books. Mike observes that Arthur has 20 years on his life and wonders what will Arthur spend those years on? When Arthur wakes up the bracelet and Mike are gone. But Mike returns and shows where he stashed it-he had been robbed last month of his father’s watch-stolen by his neighbors.

Arthur notices the books on Mike’s bookshelf. Mike is a bit jumpy thinking that Arthur thinks that just because he is on the street, he lacks intelligence. I actually go the other way around. I look at what kind of books a person has on their shelf and then make a judgement about what kind of person they are.
.
Arthur talks to Mike about how when the kids were younger, he liked to read to them.

Everyone has a good story to tell.

Between friends there should be more than a goodbye. Actually with friends, that is all which is really needed as they will know you.


The Flower
He went back to his town. As he walked home, he mulled over the what if’s and the possibilities.
He visited his mother-in-law’s house-now home to a couple of mothers and their children.One of the mothers invites him in and he looks around. This rekindles a memory of a map The memory had three pins: India, London and France. From the post office person, he finds out a bit of background on his wife. He also decides he wants to clear the air with his daughter.

Arthur reflected on his experiences so far. He had become stronger with more depth. He had discovered new things about himself. He realized that he now had a desire to live. Bernadette noted that there is no stopping him in his travel or his quest to solve the bracelet secrets.

He noted that without Miriam, the family had not found a rhythm to their relationship. As he had tracked down the charms, he needed to orient a drive to bring back some control of these relationships with his family.


Green Shoots
Back at home, Arthur is going to see his daughter. Lucy is worried since Arthur is out of character. Lucy does not know how to react to the explanation of the charm bracelet. When they sit down to talk, they do not look at each other. Lucy tells why she did not go to the funeral-she had a miscarriage. He explains the bracelet and they are reunited. As part of the reconciliation, Lucy gets a box down with old pictures.. They also find a receipt for a place called “Le De a Coudre d’Or - the Gold Thimble. There is a thimble on the bracelet.

He enjoyed ignoring his routine. You do need a routine to depart from in the first place. I guess for a person without routine starting to have a routine is a departure.

The bit about being reconciled, seems a bit contrived.


The Timble
Arthur and Lucy goes to Paris. He visits the wedding dress store alone. He meets the owner., Sylvie. Arthur found out that Miriam used to wear the charm bracelet all the time. He also found out the Miriam worked for Francois de Chauffant, not so much one of his girlfriends. Sylvie tells the story of how Miriam helped her set up the shop.

Being in Paris was OK. But being with his daughter made his search worthwhile.

As Sylvie tells her story, there are some remembrances of what Miriam had said to him. He now wished that he paid more attention to what she was saying.


Paris Match
Lucy and Arthur goes out shopping. Lucy goes out for a walk with a waiter. Arthur goes on a date with Sylvie. Arthur and Sylvie walk along the Seine after dinner. They kiss at the end of the evening. Sylvie asks Arthur up for coffee at the end of the evening, and more. But Arthur refuses as he thinks this will be untrue to Miriam.

Irony here: Lucy says to Arthur that he knew her so well. Arthur feels like he is discovering a new Miriam.

Arthur worries that Miriam’s dreams did not match up to her expectations. Did they really come true?

The question of should he come to Sylvie’s room or not boils down to, will Arthur be happy afterwards? He does not think so. So he does not.

Sylvie gives the next clue-Sonny Yardley. But she also warns Arthur that she may be able to tell you what you do, or do not want to know.


Bookface
When he got back from Paris, he thought about Sylvie and what might have been. He knew he was right, but still wondered.Three charms left to discover. He goes on a search for Sonny Yardley. Nathan comes over to talk. Nathan wants to be a chef, not go to university. Also concerned with some appointments at the hospital. Nathan wants Arthur to talk to Bernadette about his choice as she will not listen to him.

He wondered what would have happened with Sylvie. Curious but repulsed by the thought of being with another woman.

Bookface is really Facebook.

Bernadette thinks that by keeping secrets she protects Nathan. Such as what is she being tested for at the Cancer Ward.

Not sure that Arthur’s advice of being honest with her, confronting her is good.


The Paint Palette
Arthur now tries to get in contact with Sonny Yardley. No answer to his calls. But Terry, his next door neighbor starts asking questions about Lucy. At Scaraboro College he tracks down Sonny, but she has been working part-time. But he gets mistakenly swept into being a model for a class, a nude model. But as he goes in, he sees a painting of a young nude Miriam.


Bernadette
Bernadette comes over. They talk, like real people. He gave her a gift he got in Paris, excepting some sort of outpouring. Got none or the type of words said to be social. They talk about was Miriam bored with Arthur. From Bernadette’s point of view, Miriam adored Arthur. She then confesses that tomorrow she gets the results from her breast cancer test.

Arthur questioned so many things. How could a wife pose nude without telling her husband? He wanted the days of quiet and routine. But isn’t that what Miriam got? The quiet, boring Arthur? Bernadette notes that Miriam saw Arthur as her protector. What else did she hid? Did she really love the sunshine as much as she professed?

Arthur asked Bernadette about what was happening to her-she looked down. She said that she was alright. But Arthur knew that when women said things it could sometimes mean the opposite. But when?


The Ring
He meets a hostile Soony. She was the one who created the paint palette charm. But she would rather forget that she did. He pursues what she knows of Miriam. He finds out that according to Sonny, Miriam killed her brother. It was she who bought the charm bracelet. Sonny and her were best friends. When Miriam returned from her travels, she grew interested in Martin, Sonny’s brother, the painter of the nude Miriam. They were engaged to be married. It was the ring charm which Martin gave Miriam. Martin died while taking Miriam on a car ride, before he had his license. Sonny thought that she coerced him. He ends the phone call with that he loved Miriam, no matter what.


Crappy Birthday
Arthur turns 70 years old. He writes a letter to Sonny. He goes out to think about the bracelet and his life. He then goes to the ocean and thinks about throwing away the bracelet into it, he thinks about throwing himself into it. Who would care? He then thinks about his family. He forgives Miriam for her secrets.

He realizes, once again, that the reason why he did not know about Miriam’s life before is that he did not expect her to have one.

At the ocean, he thinks that he needs to get back into life rather than just continue on with it.


Memories
Arthur comes home from his day long trip to a darkened house. Then comes the surprise 70th birthday party. His neighbors and daughter were there. The biggest surprise was that his son Dan from Australia was there.

Interesting thoughts about the past. In this case, Lucy is saying that what happened with Miriam before Arthuir met her does not take away from what they had together. I wonder about that. If Miriam really did murder someone, that should not matter? Or in politics. If it is found out that a politician was a child molester 50 years ago, does that not matter as a politician today?

Living alone after his wife’s death had caused him to lose all the color out of his life.


The Heart
The family meeting with Lucy, Dan, and Arthur the day after the party. The one charm left was the heart. Dan had bought it for her. The author wraps up a lot of stories and memories Arthur has by having his children remember them.

The wrapping up the stories seems too contrived.

The present happiness driving out the memories of the charms.


Letters Home
Sonny sends back letters from Miriam with the request for him not to contact her. In one letter she explains that she has met Arthur and is ready to settle down and be content. Arthur realizes that he did fulfill her.


Finders Keepers
Arthur sells the charm bracelet, except for the elephant charm. He goes to the author’s house-died that morning and Sebastain had cleared out a couple weeks before. He sends money to Graystock for tiger food. Then off to Mike’s apartment. He is not home, neither is his neighbor. He steals Mike’s father’s watch back for Mike.

Arthur stood for a while looked at the gold bracelets, necklaces and rings in the window. What stories they could tell of love and happiness and death. And here they were waiting for new people to buy them and to create new stories. Semi-inspirational. Just does not have quite the content or rhythm to make it so.

You can make memories out of money, but you can’t make money out of memories.


Journey’s End?
Arthur packs to go on a trip overseas.

You were never a lost cause, Arthur. Just one who had lost direction a bit.

It is easy to judge a person by their appearances or even a rough/crude facade. Nathan turned out to be pretty sensitive.


The Future
The trip is not to Australia, but to India to visit Mr Mehra. Arthur feels that it ws Mr Mehra who started him on his adventure and recovery.

Difference between you are getting old and you are old.

Mr Mehra notes he is a man of routine. Arthur thinks he is spoiling his routine, but Mr Rehra says that his routine is being enhanced.



Evaluation:
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is an easy, feel-good, enjoyable read. One that you can get through rather quickly. It takes a 69 year old pensioner who lost his wife a year ago through his deceased wife’s life before he knew her. Along the way he discovers not only his wife’s past, but a part of life he lost after losing his wife. While I did not find anything life changing in this book, it would be enjoyable to read on a cold evening under a blanket.

 
Notes from my book group:
For my book group:


Overall I found this book an easy, enjoyable read. I am not sure I would rate this up there with Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. But it was in the same vain. One thought I had was, is there a “profound” thought in this book? Or is it mostly feel good stuff? What did you find which had depth in the book?


What seemed real about the book and what seemed contrived?


Charm bracelets are special to people. The charms usually mean something significant and important. It’s like wearing memories on your wrist. (From Jeff the jeweler) Did you or do you have a charm bracelet? If so, what did it mean to you?


Did any of you think of the Newlywed Game?


When Arthur Pepper does not want to answer the door, he goes into what he calls his National Trust Statue pose. What do you imagine this pose to be like? Why does he not want to answer the door? What does this indicate about him? Is it effective?


What did the charms on the bracelet mean to Miriam? What would you have done with the bracelet if you were Miriam?

GK Chesterton says in A Man Called Thursday that I should think very little of a man who didn't keep something in the background of his life that was more serious than all this talking. Is Arthur right about digging into Miriam’s past? Or is this something which should be left a mystery? I am not going to ask you about your past, but more do you have something in your past which you have not shared with a loved one? Would it surprise them?


Several places in the book, Arthur lies to a person, telling them what they wanted to hear. Such as Mr. Mehra is told that Miriam had forgiven him. Do you think Miriam had forgiven him? Do you think that Arthur lied to comfort or was inferring that Miriam had forgiven him? What does this reveal about Arthuhr’s character?


It is obvious that Bernadette has a good heart and wants to do well for others. Do you think she is effective? Do you think others are receptive to her giving of herself? How could she be more effective?

Arthur thinks while they are driving to Bath, why hadn’t he appreciated those moments when they were happening? Is this something which you find happening in your life? How do you get around it?

How does searching for Miriam’s prior life lead to discovery of Arthur’s own life?

François de Chauffant was shown to be a taker of another man’s family story. Was this ethical? How did Graystock feel about it? Did it make the stories anyless Graystock? How do you cherish your family’s stories? Do they belong to you?


The question of should he come to Sylvie’s room or not boils down to, “will Arthur be happy afterwards?” Do you think Arthur would be or would not be? Do you think he backed out due to courage, morals or honor?

When you read that Arthur knew that when women said things it could sometimes mean the opposite. How did you react? Was it OK for a female author to make the statement? Would it have been OK if a male author said it?

As Arthur’s search is winding down, he finds that he no longer wants to know about the charms. He feels depressed about it. Depressed enough to consider suicide. Was this chapter convincing?


Why does he go to India first and not Australia?

Lucy says that no matter who Miriam was before she met her Dad, it does not matter as Arthur and Miriam loved each other. Is this valid? Does a past not matter?

Do you think Miriam would have told Arthur about the charms? Do you think he would have listened?


Which character or charm story was the most convincing? Least?
  • Which character did you identify with?
  • Which one did you dislike?


What place does regret have in a marriage, particularly once one of them have died?

Do you think the term passed away should be used? How and in what circumstances?

Is there a story or phrase which you like in this book? I am partial to Lucy’s description of her father: bewildered air about him as if everything was a surprise. On the other hand, the saddest line in the book comes from Sebastian about François de Chauffant he will never be brilliant again.

Many of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.
  • Why the title of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper?
  • Does this story work?
  • Did the ending seem fitting? Satisfying? Predictable?
  • Which character or charm story was the most convincing? Least?
    • Which character did you identify with?
    • Which one did you dislike?
  • Every story has a world view. Were you able to identify this story’s world view? What was it? How did it affect the story?
  • In what context was religion talked about in this book?
  • Was there anybody you would consider religious?
    • How did they show it?
    • Was the book overtly religious?
    • How did it affect the books story?
  • Why do you think the author wrote this book?
  • What would you ask the author if you had a chance?
  • What “take aways” did you have from this book?
  • Describe the culture talked about in the book.
    • How is the culture described in this book different than where we live?
  • How did this book affect your view of the world?
    • Of how God is viewed?
    • What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?
  • Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?
    • What was memorable?


From Fort Bend Texas, AAUW:
1. There are many themes in this book: how people cope with loss, how hard it is to get out of our own safety zones, self discovery, family and friendship relationships, secrets in a marriage, etc. Which themes resonated with you the most? Comment.
2. A book club discussion about a novel should include answering these questions: Is the book well written? Does it have an interesting plot? and are the characters well developed? How would you answer these questions?
3. Arthur encounters many people on his travels including tiger-crazy Lord Graystock, young homeless man Mike, Sylvie the French wedding boutique owner, Bernadette the busybody neighbor, caring daughter Lucy, illegal immigrant Sebastian, novelist Francois de Chauffant and Indian doctor Mr. Mehra. Which character that Arthur met did you like the most and why? The least and why?
4. When someone rings his doorbell, Arthur often pretends not to be at home. ‘He screwed his eyes shut and pretended he was a statue in the garden of a stately home.’ Why do you think he does this? Is it something you might do?
5. How we mourn and how difficult it is to break out of our routines and open up our minds and hearts to new possibilities is a major theme of the book. If you were in Arthur’s situation, bereaved after a long marriage, would you also devise strategies and routines to get you through the days? What changed for him? Generally, do you think there is a difference between the way men and women mourn? Is there a difference in this as we age?
6. As we grow older, we become more aware of the challenge to communicate with our family members and to know what is in their hearts. Arthur appears to be a very decent man who has grown estranged from his own children. What caused that estrangement and what changes does he make to work on the relationship with his children? Comment on the first sentence.
7. Bernadette looks after her ‘lost causes’ with home-cooked food? Using food to communicate our “caring” is common. Why do you think she does this? Do you ever use food as a way of looking after yourself, or others?
8. Arthur comes out of his comfort zone by travelling to London, Paris and India. How did his experiences traveling to other countries match your own experiences in travel? What life lessons do you think that travel out of your comfort zone has enriched your life? How are those travel experiences different as you age?
9. What would you say is, ultimately, the most important thing that Arthur discovers about Miriam? About himself? About their life together?
10. Which is your favorite story behind the charms – heart, paint palette, ring, book, tiger, elephant, thimble and flower – and why?
11. Young homeless man, Mike, tells Arthur, ‘those charms might bring you luck.’ What is your own lucky charm, and what luck has it brought you? What would be on your charm bracelet and
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions from the Mount Prospect Public Library
1. How is Arthur set in his ways? How does his journey change his attitude toward daily routine and the comforts of home?
2. Arthur feels comfortable in his house and finds security in his daily routine. Are there any problems with this? If someone wants to stay home a lot, is that in and of itself a bad thing? How does one find the right balance of being home and going out, and can this change over time? What are the downsides of being a “homebody” as people age?
3. Is it more difficult to break out of routines (and comfort zones) as we age? Is it more difficult to open our minds to new possibilities?
4. How much does daily routine factor into the experience of marriage? How is Arthur’s routine disrupted after he loses Miriam? How can routine be helpful in coping with the loss of a spouse? How can it become a hindrance?
5. How does this book capture the experience of being a widow?
6. Speaking of their neighbor Bernadette, Miriam had remarked once to Arthur that “bereaved people act in one of two ways…” (pg. 32). Based on your observations and life experience, what do you think? Do you believe Miriam would have accurately predicted how Arthur handled bereavement?
7. How many secrets did Miriam keep from Arthur? Which revelations are most surprising?
8. How do Arthur’s discoveries affect his view of their marriage? How does Arthur’s view of Miriam change by the end of the book?
9. How does Arthur view the bracelet as he learns more about his wife? How does he balance his curiosity with the frustration of not knowing Miriam as well as he had thought? Several times he said he wished he never found the bracelet. Do you think by the end of the story he still wished that?
10. There are popular wedding shower games based on discovering how well the engaged couple knows one another – how would Arthur have fared in such a party game? If a fiancé doesn’t perform well on such quizzes, should it be a cause for concern? (How important is it for a couple to know details about their lives before they met?)
11. What are the different ways in which a relationship can change over time? Is it bad if the relationship doesn’t change? How are Miriam and Arthur similar to other lifelong couples that you know?
12. Ponder some of Arthur’s concerns about his marriage after he learns more about Miriam’s past – do you think Miriam was bored with Arthur and/or with married life? Did Miriam feel trapped? Had she settled? Did he keep her from doing things she enjoyed?
13. Did Miriam’s secrets prevent them from having a successful marriage? Were Arthur and Miriam happily married? (Was their marriage a good one?) Were they a good match for each other? Was Arthur a good husband to Miriam?
14. Does the novel provide enough info about their marriage for you as reader to form an opinion of it? Are you curious about Miriam’s perspective on her marriage with Arthur?
15. If he could start over again, what would Arthur do differently in his marriage with Miriam?
16. “They should have visited new places together” (pg. 112 ) — Do you think it is common to have some elements of regrets when looking back on a long, seemingly successful marriage? Even if they had traveled more, if Arthur and Miriam were always together is that another form of being “sheltered”?
17. How important is it for couples to get out of the house and do (fun) things together? How important is it for people to get out and do things (on their own or with friends) without their partner? Should couples encourage each other to pursue their own interests and strengthen connections with others?
18. Whether you are married or not, why is it important to seek out novelty, such as exploring new places and meeting new people?
19. Do you strive to seek variety and new experiences in your life? How do you balance the comfort of the old with the fun of the new? Has reading this book inspired you to shake up your routine, seek new experiences, meet new people, and/or travel?
20. Through his adventures seeking info about his wife’s charms, how is Arthur pushed out of his comfort zone? Do these experiences contribute to any personal change? How is Arthur better able to connect with other people by the end of the book?
21. Do you believe Miriam left the bracelet in a place where she knew Arthur would likely discover it?
22. When Arthur looks at the photos hung for his birthday celebration, what is the significance of his noticing Miriam wearing the bracelet in a photo when the children were young? How long ago do you think she stopped wearing it? (How long do you think it had been in the boot?)
23. If her illness hadn’t been so sudden, do you believe Miriam would have ever told Arthur about her past?
24. What’s next for Arthur after he returns from Goa? What kind of daily routine do you think he’ll develop, and how will it differ from before he discovered the bracelet? How do you see him interacting with village residents/neighbors/ acquaintances/friends? How about with Lucy and Dan? Do you see him becoming good friends with Bernadette?
25. Why can it be difficult for adult children and their aging parents to connect and relate to one another? Do you believe Lucy and Dan are emotionally distant? What about Arthur?
26. There are two chapters focused on Lucy. Would you have liked to read more from her point of view? Do you believe there should have been a chapter or two focused on Dan for balance?
27. How would you describe the interactions between Arthur and Nathan? How do they view each other?
----------------------------


New Words:
  • Ayah (The Elephant) : a native maid or nursemaid employed by Europeans in India.
  • Freesias (Paris Match): genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, fragrant funnel-shaped flowers, are cultivated hybrids of a number of Freesia species. Some other species are also grown as ornamental plants.
  • Paracetamol (The Ring): acetaminophen
Book References:

Good Quotes:
    • First Line:Each Arthur got out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m. just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive.
    • Last Line: Then they stood and watched as the orange sky darkened to indigo and the sun finally sank into the sea.
    • Everyone has a good story to tell. Chp Mike’s Apartment
    • You can make memories out of money, but you can’t make money out of memories. Chp Finder’s Keepers
      Table of Contents:
      • The Surprise in the Wardrobe
      • The Elephant
      • The Great Escape
      • On the Way
      • Lucy and the Tortoise
      • Bed-an-Breakfast
      • The Tiger
      • The Photograph
      • Lucy and Dan
      • Mobile Technology
      • London
      • The Book
      • Lucy the Second
      • Mike’s Apartment
      • The Flower
      • Green Shoots
      • The Timble
      • Paris Match
      • Bookface
      • The Paint Palette
      • Bernadette
      • The Ring
      • Crappy Birthday
      • Memories
      • The Heart
      • Letters Home
      • Finders Keepers
      • Journey’s End?
      • The Future

      References:

          Posted by at
          Labels: , , ,

          No comments:

          Post a Comment

          Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)