Responsibility

Because nearly everyone in this story dies, and Henry probably dies in spirit, could you lay responsibility in any one place here? More than one place?

Tragic means

This is the second novel by Cook I have read, and in both cases I was impressed by how the mysteries just unravel -- more tragic and chilling than all the foreshadowing properly portended -- and when you think you've heard the worst of the tale, the author delivers one more chilling revelation.

In this case it was pretty clear most of the key players wouldn't survive, so it would become how it all happened that had to emotionally hit the reader. Henry's role in the turn of events (provoking Mrs. Reed) was the first for me -- then Sarah's death as a bystander. But when I thought the worst of it was over, I was stunned to read the part about Henry going into the water and deciding to leave Mrs. Reed in the car. I mean, I think from the description of the blood flowing from her mouth that he had found a dying woman, but there must have been that moment on either side of the window where they look at each other and both know Henry will not fish her out. Why do you think he would have done that?

Miss Channing and Henry

There were times in the story that I found it remarkable how noble was Henry's admiration for Miss Channing, that he recognized her beauty but could better judge her as a teacher, mentor, friend. At times I thought Miss Channing and Mr. Reed were more like Henry's substitute parents. And yet Henry was nearly ready for college and Miss Channing quite young herself, that it seemed likely they only had six or seven years of an age difference. Was it odd to you at all that he didn't see her through a more sexual perspective, or could that have been rooted as deep as his other inhibitions, something he would be too polite to imply?

Chatham

What did you think of the small town Henry described throughout the book, a place both beautiful and Gothic, but also repressive and dull? He said of Miss Channing's arrival: "She drew in a deep breath, grasped the iron rail, and made her way down the stairs and into the village where no great artist had ever lived, no great event ever happened, save for those meted out by sudden storms or the torturous movement of geologic time." What was it for Henry, anyway -- a cage? A giant albatross? A safe haven from taking any more chances at life that could hurt another person?

Small town life

I spent most of the novel wondering why Henry, who so badly wanted to leave town and see the world, would instead remain the rest of his life. His revelations toward the end explained why he imprisoned himself there without a family of his own, but I wondered why he never visited (in such a small town) all the relevant sites of the Chatham School Affair or its other living victim, Alice Craddock. What do you make of that?

Next pick

"Stitches" by David Small

I thought we could revisit the graphic novel for the next pick. This is a memoir of a shockingly unhappy childhood that hopefully won't be too depressing.

British understatement

I thought this was a great description of William's personality — and also a funny way of saying how Brits and Germans differed 700 years ago in the same way as they do today:

Adso says of William: "I never understood when he was jesting. In my country, when you joke you say something and then you laugh very noisily, so everyone shares in the joke. But William laughed only when he said serious things, and remained very serious when he was presumably joking."

(cl, it occurs to me we work with a lot of Germans).

There are also some funny stereotypes of the French and Italians and Greeks.