Meeting: March 30 2:45 A 238
Moderator: Marcy Gamzon
A brilliant novel and instant New York Times bestseller from the author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette, about a day in the life of Eleanor Flood, forced to abandon her small ambitions and awake to a strange, new future.
Eleanor knows she's a mess. But today, she will tackle the little things. She will shower and get dressed. She will have her poetry and yoga lessons after dropping off her son, Timby. She won't swear. She will initiate sex with her husband, Joe. But before she can put her modest plan into action, life happens.
Today, it turns out, is the day Timby has decided to fake sick to weasel his way into his mother's company. It's also the day Joe has chosen to tell his office -- but not Eleanor -- that he's on vacation. Just when it seems like things can't go more awry, an encounter with a former colleague produces a graphic memoir whose dramatic tale threatens to reveal a buried family secret.
Today Will Be Different is a hilarious, heart-filled story about reinvention, sisterhood, and how sometimes it takes facing up to our former selves to truly begin living.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
https://www.cmlibrary.org/sites/default/files/TWBD%20Study%20Guide.pdf
Parker’s blog reflection on Maria Semple’s Today will be Different.
ReplyDeleteThe title itself mirrors Eleanor Flood’s Groundhog Day life, and the futile desire, much like a New Year’s resolution to change one’s life superficially, without the hard work that comes with actual self-reflection and or therapy. I know I’m being somewhat cruel, but I found her irritating. Yes, she was bright and kind enough- that pitiful woman that she lunched with-but her frenetic energy, which I am guessing was supposed to be funny, left me wanting to tie her to a chair, so I could breathe. That the whole chaotic mess took place in the space of one day perhaps was symbolically meant to reflect the enduring conflict many women still encounter between home and career. Obviously, Eleanor’s scale was completely unbalanced. Her chaotic life suffocates the character and this reader. What’s next? There were times when I felt I was reading a comic. Incidentally, I checked out Semple’s bio, and her father wrote the pilot for the Batman television series. Perhaps some paternal influence? The events of her day jarred, as she sliced her way through Seattle. Were her adventures supposed to make us laugh or sympathize with her? (Off track, I really liked Timby and his makeup)
So here’s my summary. Maybe this was meant to be a bit of satire. I’m thinking Marx Brothers and A Night at the Opera, some slap stick and some smidgens of profundity that give one pause. Eleanor understood that “the world is not your friend” and there was no point in complaining and, while there was no fat lady singing, there was her husband Joe joining the choir.
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ReplyDeleteBelow is my write up for the choice book for April. From Sea to Stormy Sea edited by Lawrence Block. I had accompanying photos. Unfortunately, they will not post on the blog.
ReplyDeleteFrom Sea to Stormy Sea: 17 Stories Inspired By Great American Paintings edited by Lawrence Block
The title accurately sums up the book, but the selection of stories inspired by American Art is without question an ideal collection for adolescents. In the forward, Block recalls as he would explore museums, he would think how particular painting were catalysts to stories and how wonderful if someone would actually write one. Block’s sole contribution rounds of off the collection with his The Way We See The World, inspired by Raphel Soyer’s 1936 Office Girls. Block’s story imagines a viewer at an eponymous exhibition at the Whitney gazing at the painting imagining the potential dynamics among the painting’s figures. Her musing seem eclectic, as she analogizes the characters interactions to a chess board, comic Ben-Day dots and the works she recalled from The National Gallery from Rembrandt to Vermeer to Bierstadt. A shared conversation with a man, who too was intrigued by the painting, leads to coffee, conversation, a shared night and “the warm satisfaction of knowing that a warm and personable man found her warm and attractive”, which leads her back to title The Way We See the World.
I began with Block’s story, as this captures the thematic unity of the collection. The stories and images vary. I’ve included some images below. All the storytellers are establish, well-known contemporary American writers; this assemblage attests to Block’s draw. The images too are all American, but vary. Some are narrative images, others abstract; there are portraits, landscapes, realism and modernism. Brendan Du Bois Adrift Off The Diamond Shoals is inspired by Winslow Homer’s Reeling Sails Around Diamond Shoals, the story’s singular substitution from the painting’s “adrift” to “reeling” shifts the tone of the painting to one of the freneticism and ultimately a passive aggressive murder.
Mother of Pearl by Charles Ardai took Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie for his inspiration. The setting mirrors the graphic map of New York, the streets crossing and seldom intersecting, much like people. But when they do… There is a sense of agitation, a vibrancy, Pearl from suburban New Jersey searches for “Harry Castle, who sold penknives, the sort with phony mother-of-pearl handles”, her long abandoned father and the truth of her mother, who had parked the infant to be raised by the more stable sister. Our unnamed first person narrator hints with half-truths and lies to Peals, as he equally justifies his actions to himself.
Probably this a variation on this idea has been used in Creative Writing. But in an ELA class the writings and art could be paired outright with students explaining and analyzing the validity of the connections. Of course, painting inspired poems and stories are not uncommon, but Block’s collection serve as excellent models. Some other images that inspired the stories.
Rothko The Prarie ..Havey Dunn Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitey Robert Henri Hollywood Thomas Hart Benton
The email address is from Matt but it really is me!
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoy reading Maria Semple's texts because of their quirkiness, however the protagonist in Today Will be Different was a bit frustrating. It was a light read that had parts that were truly humorous. I love that Semple writes her female leads as strong, brilliant, flawed but relatable. I absolutely could relate to starting each day fresh, as teachers I feel we do this on a daily basis. As a mom, it is nice to know you can try again each day. This part definitely brought humor into the reading. I like how she followed the same setting ideas as in previous novels where this wasn't the first stop the protagonist had made before settling in Washington, and how they never really felt like it was truly home. It was frustrating to continuously see our main character make decisions that were not in the best interest of anyone involved - herself, daughter, husband, dog, the "friends" she seems to have. I can see how the husband needed to find himself in another way because of the way Eleanor may have reacted to situations that came into their lives and what happened in his own past. I thought that the twist of needing to find himself, through religion, instead of the typical affair that we saw in Where'd You Go Bernadette? was fresh, but hard to believe. I struggled to believe that their lives could continue with this new discovery from Eleanor about her husband, but Semple seems to leave the resolution as hopeful, which is positive.
I will definitely pick up another Semple read, however do not feel I would recommend this to my students. I actually recommended Bernadette to students in the past, but I do not see how this could be brought into the ninth grade curriculum.
An admission of slight ignorance ... I didn't realize that Semple was also the author of 'Where Did You Go Bernadette?' until I had finished reading and saw WDYGB referenced in the "Discussion Questions" at the end of the book. I say this because I continually found myself finding parallels to WDYGB, going as far as referencing WDYGB in discussing this book as a potential recommendation to someone. As a read I found it very "pop" - but not necessarily in a bad way - while I agree with much of what was said in other responses, I don't necessarily fault the author/book for being "fluff-ish", sometimes that's a welcome relief. I found the protagonist to be all-over-the-place and certainly immature (potentially with comedic intent) but I did also appreciate her moments of clarity and insight - certainly little kernels to be appreciated. Would I recommend this book - sure, right time/right place, but do I See it being used in an academic setting - that may be a little tougher.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zach, this book was SUPER similar to WDYGB. With that being said, I did enjoy it. I can also see Dolly's point in her review in regards to her annoyance with Eleanor, it seems like she used mental illness as an excuse for her being really an inconsiderate and neglectful person and parent. Granted, she was raised by the same type of parent, so I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Still, I found it entertaining, I guess just because it was something on the lighter side and a really quick and easy read. I really enjoyed the Barnaby Fanning character. Interestingly enough for some reason I pictured him as a Capote-like figure (maybe because I'm reading In Cold Blood with my AP class) and was surprised when we finally had the description of him. I also really liked Timby, he seemed so much older than he actually was. I don't see our students really getting into the text though, as I think the intended audience is middle aged women, what do you all think? The ending was interesting. Her husband is cheating on her with...wait for it...church. The one thing that bothered me about that was that it seemed like a cult-ish congregation, or was that just the way that Eleanor saw it? It wasn't the most believable ending nor was it the most satisfying. So as I continue to ramble on in this post, I am coming to the realization maybe I didn't like the book as much as I thought, I think I wanted to like it because I really did love WDYGB.
ReplyDeleteI read this book during Christmas vacation after picking it up in a quaint little bookshop in Martha's Vineyard. I found it very entertaining and witty. Semple's characters are quirky, admittedly.
ReplyDeleteEleanor is immediately a flawed character seeking a semblance of order in her life. From there, the plot can go anywhere and it certainly does. Timby is adorable--a wise young one. I particularly liked the sections where Eleanor was trying to memorize poems and the Costco episode. The relationship with her sister, their estrangement, struck a serious chord with me in the midst of what was supposed to be a funny novel. I agree with others about the ending, though. I was really thrown by it. Why would her husband find a return to religion? That little plot twist seemed an unusual way out from the set up of conflicts Eleanor was experiencing and trying to resolve. Would I recommend it? I think WDYGB was much better overall!
I am confused about the selection of this book. I do not teach any middle age, upper-class white women. The story is mostly about how hard it is to live in a world where everything is provided for you, a world where you leave your child with strangers as the main character goes on her selfish quest. The addition of some sort of history to a US president, seemed as an attempt by the author to make this book not a fluff piece, but ultimately was just that. In my opinion the book has anti-gay overtones that are loosely referenced several times throughout the story, and the ending has a blatant religious overtone. After I finished reading this book I was left with a deep concern, I just read at best a suburban middle age book club selection, that was presented as a possible selection for urban middle school and high school students, am I out of touch. Over the past 8 weeks, I have read at least 4 other books that would certainly have more relevance to our students.
ReplyDeleteIt was cute. I liked the inclusion of the "flood girls" chapter and the dialogue was snappy and sometimes made me smile, but I never laughed out loud while reading this. My sense of humor, maybe. Elenor's character was recognizable in my circle of friends. But I'm not sure this would be a hit for students until they reach "maturity"--but then again, I'm not sure any book we've read this year has given me the reaction as...OMG, I need to share this with all my students. Maybe a book like that doesn't actually exist. This was a quick, senseless read (didn't require any thinking). I think "Where'd You Go Bernadette" was a better book overall, but this was okay. I'm late to these comments so a lot of what I would have said has been said. I agree with y'all. I've felt like Tilly's comment above all year, frankly.
ReplyDeleteP.S.: Dolly you taught me again! I didn't know Semple's father wrote "Bat Man" episodes...so, cool.
I read The Cthulhu Casebooks: Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows which was a fun read for me--not sure its for everyone. The writing is descriptive and is a good example of a portmanteau of Lovecraft and Doyle's writing style. Here's a link to reviews:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Shadwell-Shadows-Cthulhu-Casebooks/dp/1783295937
https://crimefictionlover.com/2016/11/sherlock-holmes-and-the-shadwell-shadows/
https://swordsandspectres.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/sherlock-holmes-the-shadwell-shadows-by-james-lovegrove-a-book-review/
https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/the-cthulu-casebooks-sherlock-holmes-and-the-shadwell-shadows-book-review/
https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/sherlock-holmes-shadwell-shadows-review
And info about the author:
https://www.jameslovegrove.com/
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/james-lovegrove/
Etc.
Oops. Typo (it's) in the first sentence. I've been out of class for too long. But then again, I have no class (as you know).
ReplyDelete