I have now finished part 1 of the book (yes, I know I am a slow reader). In the end of this part you can read a lot about Robert being in the military and about his family back in Toronto. I have realized that Robert's family loves him unconditionally, like every family should. I didn't quite know how much he meant to them before he was sent to participate in the war. His mother is devastated, and I guess it kind of came as a surprise because she handled Rowena's death so well. He loves his family too, but he doesn't appear to be missing them as much as they miss him.
I have also seen an interesting development in Robert's character. He seems to have gotten remarkably more mature and calm. He acts more experienced and wise. I think the military often does that to young men, it forces them to realize that they are adults and that they should act like mature men. Robert wasn't immature before, but he seemed a bit more insecure.
If you can see it on the picture below, there is a line there that confuses me. I think it is based upon a thought Mrs. Ross is having when she has to say goodbye to Robert. It simply says "this is the wars" and I made me wonder; are they referring to the actual war going on, or are they talking about the inner pain and conflict the friends and family of the young men killed in the war?
Monday, February 25, 2013
Reflection 02.26.2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Reflection 02.21.2013
I have thought of many questions about Robert Ross as a character. I don't quite understand him, what is it about him that makes him different from everyone else? There are no certain characteristics I have found about him that makes him strange, but he is different from the others his age (that he meets in the military). He tries to fit in, he does what the others do, but he is still different. When you think about the way he acted with his first girlfriend, he seems very nervous and not romantic at all. He doesn't seem to be attracted to any girls, and the only one we know for sure that he has ever really cared about is his sister.
The descriptions of world war 1 and 2 in this book are very good, and I wonder how Timothy Findley has gotten such a clear image of the wars? Has he talked to old veterans or has he been in a war himself? I checked his date of birth, and he is born in Ontario in 1930. Growing up during the second world war must have affected him, but how close was he actually to it when he lived in Canada? The fights weren't going on here, they were all located in Europe. So my guess is that he has talked to many people involved in the war.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Reflection 02.20.2013
Today I have read about the whores of Lousetown. This is the scene where Robert discovers that Taffler, a well respected captain, is homosexual. Robert has a surprised and aggressive reaction.
I discussed with Helen if Timothy Findley is a good author or not. We both agreed that he writes well and uses good, percice descriptions. It is a hard story to tell and he has done a good job. It' s not that easy to make it big as a Canadian author, but Findley shows us his good writing skills in this book. Helen is also a bit confused, because none of us are used to reading books in this perspective. I think that the book is different from what we have read earlier, and it might be directed towards older, more mature agegroups.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Reflection 02.19.2013
Robert Ross has now joined the army. I wonder if he is the kind of person that will enjoy it. He doesn't seem to be bothered by having to take orders from others. But what I think would bother him is killing a person. He was disturbed by the thought of killing a rabbit, so could he kill on comand in the war? I don't think so.
I am enjoying this books imagery, the descriptions are what I like the best about it so far. Findley seems experienced and talented, and he gives you a good, clear image of the situation. He uses variation and different writing techniques. This makes the book more interesting. What I haven't found as interesting is the plot. I have trouble getting engaged and wanting to read more. I guess the urge to continue reading will come when I have read a little more and it gets more exciting.
One thing I have thought of is that the character of Robert Ross and the character of his mother are quite fascinating. Findleys character descriptions are creative and a bit different, but he doesn't overdo it either so that's good. He makes the people special and you develop a kind of personal relationship with them in your head when you get to know them.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Reflection 02.16.2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Reflection 02.12.2013
Something that made me really curious was the transcript of the conversation with Marian Turner. She repeatedly talks about "what he did", referring to Robert Ross. I wonder what he has done. She also talks about what he did to the horse, and how horrible it was. I wonder what he did to the horse, was it the one he rides on when he is all bloody and beaten up? The shiny black horse with the dog by its side? I also don't quite understand when all of the stories are from. When talking about the pictures, I think the plot is set many years after the incidents we also read about. Honestly this book is making me very confused.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
02.07.2013
I also like the descriptions of characters and animals in the book. They are simple and not too obvious or revealing, but they still give you a good picture of the person or animal. The setting is also well described in short, but very appropriate descriptions. A good atmosphere is created, and it feels like you know how the situation is affecting the characters.
Some questions I have in mind are mostly about the time and perspective the book is written in. Sometimes it refers to the main character as "I", but sometimes it just refers to "you" doing things and asking things. I also think the entire novel is a story told about something that happened in the past, but some times there comes a description of something happening in the present. This sometimes confuses me.