background info & discussion questions for Animal Dreams

Kingsolver on Animal Dreams:
"Animal Dreams was the first novel I wrote on purpose, so it's more calculated thematically than The Bean Trees. The question I began with was this: why do some people engage with the world and its problems, while others turn their backs on it? And why is it that these two sorts of people often occur even in the same family? I'm very curious about this because I'm a human rights activist myself. So I invented two sisters with apparently opposite personalities, and then I invested them with a family and began to work backwards to find the point in their shared history that would have pushed them into opposite directions."


Discussion Questions:

http://www.harpercollins.com/author/authorExtra.aspx?authorID=5311&isbn13=9780060921149&displayType=readingGuide

1. Why are Hallie and Codi different? What happened that caused them to take such different life paths? How and why does Codi change? Why does she become more engaged with the world?
2. One theme of the novel is the relationship between humans and the natural world. What does the novel have to say about the difference between Native American and Anglo American culture in relation to nature? How do creation stories, such as the Pueblo creation legend and the Garden of Eden story, continue to influence culture and behavior?
3. .How do you feel about Doc Homer? What kind of parent was he, and why? In what ways did his strange point of view serve as a vehicle for the novel's themes of memory, amnesia, and identity?

http://bookclub.meetup.com/422/messages/boards/thread/1795513

1. How would you characterize the relationship between Codi and the women of Grace since her return as an adult? How do you think the early loss of her mother affects these relationships?
2. Near the end of the book, what do you think made Codi decide not to leave Grace after all?
3. Do you agree with Loyd Peregrina's belief that animals and humans dream about whatever they do when they're awake? Why do you think the author chose Animal Dreams as the title?

Book Club Schedule

Book club discussions (as decided 6/28)

Sun 7/20 Animal Dreams

Sun 8/10 Wisdom of Whores

Sun 8/31 Oryx and Crake

Sun 9/21 Walk in the Woods

When are we discussing?

I've already forgotten...

Can we list the books we are going to be reading and when our projected discussion dates are for each one?

Very hard to put down indeed!

I found Animal Dreams very hard to put down and it was a pleasant distraction. I started reading it yesterday to avoid research deadlines and ended up finishing this morning...then totally cramming to get my write-up done minutes before it was do. The story was pretty compelling.

I was a bit skeptical about it at first and didn't think I would like it from summaries/reviews, but I found it pretty enjoyable. It sorta reminded me of a supermarket romance novel that I guiltily read once but was infinitely more well-written. I liked the character development and thought the message was worthwhile.

I look forward to discussing it with all of you!

Shila

Finished Novel 6/6

A few thoughts I'm jotting down before I forget everything I read:

I really liked the novel and definitely put aside other important things to read.

Codi's character bothered me. I know she was grappling with a lot of issues and was probably traumatized from being pregnant at 15, but I think she was really selfish. I was in love with Loyd, and she was so standoffish but seductive at the same time! She obviously didn't know what to do with herself, but all the moping and self-pity was irksome.

The interspersed commentary from Doc Homer was great. It was like this lens into the mind of someone losing his mind. The jumbledness, etc. was really enlightening.

**Teehee...I forgot to post this!

Hello everyone! I've already read Animal Dreams a couple of times. It isn't that common for me to re-read books anymore, so that is saying something. It seems like a very simple story though, and I'm not sure quite what about it drew me in so much. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts. I'm quite a fan of Barbara Kingsolver. My grandmother is always reading terrible murder mysteries or Mauve Binchy, and I managed to convince her to read some Kingsolver, (Pigs in Heaven I think), which she really enjoyed.

I've been in my post-school, reading for the sake of reading phase of things. This means I basically read as fast as I can just to be reading something, because my brain wants to be entertained all of the time. I just finished Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, which I really enjoyed. It's good escapism, because the book places you in such a different world and is wonderfully plot-driven.  I'm about to make the plunge into another book, and I haven't quite decided what. Does anyone have recommendations for California history? I need to educate myself a bit for my job I think.

I've been trying to think what times might be best for the gchat thing. I realistically probably can't do any time before 7pm on weekdays, which might be a bit late for East Coast people, but then weekends seem tricky because people might have commitments. I suppose we can just commit to a day on some weekend and make the effort to be there. Any thoughts?

Missing you all already...

Hard to put down...

I don't know how far you guys have gotten in the book, but I started it on the metro Monday morning. I'm one of those people who, when I like a book I drop (almost) everything and read! It's really a fantastic book, and I've been recommended to read Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Nicole Wires! I'll add that to my mile-long list. Hope everyone is faring (spelling?) well!

-R