So Monday when I started the book and got most of the way through the first chapter, all I could think of is "I'm so sick of hearing about sex!" Not even good sex, and let's not forget top mention that she is mad at him because he isn't being a good enough sadist for her (?). Now I should clarify something: for the last ten years my job required me to listen to stories about sex or sexual violence or relationships. I was listening to a LOT of it and have pretty well heard directly or been in the field where I will read or hear from others every sexual problem, abuse, fantasy or relationship issue. Part of the reason I dodn't think much about Carol and Dennis working out in the last book is that they are as good a couple as a good many that I have seen.(Isn't that scary?) In that book(hang my head for this fact) we had the F-word and crudity and boob talk. Now we have sado-machocism. (Spelling?) And I realize that I am sick, really tired of reading or hearing about sex. (Funny because when I was working I didn't think about it too much. I knew I heard a lot but with all the more horrendous stories of abuse and rape, I didn't think about geting tired of hearing about sex.) Given the amount of abuse and rape there is and what I have heard and know, I can't say I have any urge what-so-ever to listen or read anything involving sadism in sex. A- I didn't know what my choice was really about and you couldn't have known either. Alas.
E, it's true I didn't research this one very well. Lately I have been picking titles from 1001 Books To Read Before You Die, based on the quick summary given in that book. I just assume that the editors knew what they were talking about when they picked them. That being said, I also didn't realize that this book was so short. At least since this isn't an international downer it fits well into my "smut" genre, and won't take you long to buzz through all the S&M.
Some Things I Liked: - short chapters - chapter titles (amusing ones, even!) - telling 3 years of plot in 1 day - Willard - overall comedic style
Some Things I Didn't Like: - excessive sex descriptions - not knowing how the trophies went from cabinet to abandoned car - unresolved Logan sisters - the abrupt ending (feels like it needs another 5 chapters or a sequel)
Overall, I really liked this book and I think it would make a great movie. I can see now why the beginning scenes were so detailed: to give the reader a good base for the routines of both couples, even though we only get a glimpse at a few hours of their lives. It seems like a hard thing to do, creating likeable characters in such a few words, and shows considerable talent on Brautigan's part.
I loved Patricia and John, they talked to/about Willard like Harold and I talk about Panda (our cat). I especially enjoyed the scene with John laughing through his turkey sandwich. I really want to believe that it was taken from the author's personal experience because it seems so true to life. Also, how John turns the TV off before the end of the program - I always open the microwave door before it beeps and I wish it was because I was protesting being regulated by the down-to-the-second timing of modern convenience, but really it's just because I find the beeping annoying.
The Logan brothers are harder to comment on because their personalities were so very obsessive. First fixated on bowling, then getting the trophies, and then the older one at least, on violence. The alcoholism makes sense. Then there is the mother, who is obsessed with baking. Are we to assume that they have some sort of genetic chemical imbalance? Or that the brothers are mimicking the unchecked compulsion modeled by their mom? Even though we spend the most "time" with them, their characters feel the least developed.
I'll comment on the ending later, don't want to spoil it for anyone.
I'm finished! Wow, this book was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be more about bowling and less about bad sex.
For some reason that I can't pinpoint, this book reminds me of 12 Angry Men.
Unlike Beth, I do not read or hear about other people's sex life with any frequency. Therefore, this book held some weird fascination for me. I was totally grossed out by the wart thing. But it was like watching a murder on tv for me. Although I find it repulsive and horrible, I couldn't seem to take my attention from it.
I was disappointed in the ending. But, I won't comment on it yet because I am not sure who has finished the book and who has not.
Wow, what to say about "Willard"? I'm sorry, A, but I really didn't care for this book. I didn't mind the explicitness (is this a word?), but I found it sad and pointless. Now I know not to read it again, right?
I liked the writing style and I agree with A that the writing style reminded me of The Book Thief. If only the plot had been so good. There were even several places that amused me:
P. 11: "She thought he was only going to be gone for a moement but he was gone for almost 10 minutes." Ken does this to me all the time. We'll be talking and he'll walk out of the room and I assume that he'll be right back to finish the conversation, except that it takes him 10-15 minutes and by then I've forgotten what we were talking about. Is this intentional? Maybe. :-)
P. 36: "...he couldn't find a rational reason. He just liked it and did it." I have some things that are like that (and I don't mean S&M).
P. 61: I've never seen "phantasmagorical" ever used in a sentence. This made me happy, although I would have picked a better sentence to put it in.
P. 124: "She felt as if she'd subconsciously set a trap for herself and then fallen into it." Been there, done that.
P. 155: "It had burned out the day before and hadn't been replaced yet. Either Patricia or Constance would take care of it." Of course it is the women who end up taking care of it. Because no man can change a lightbulb on his own initiative.
I did rather like the characters, especially Willard. However, I found their lives to be utterly depressing. Constance and Bob are so sad that it made me want to cry. Even Willard couldn't make up for that.
A, I don't think Bob was that old, for dementia. I got the feeling he was being affected by the STD.
What I didn't like: -I hate short chapters. Abhor them. -The ending. If you can call it that. -Like A, the sisters. WTH? Why keep bringing them up if you aren't going to tell us what they are doing?
As a final note, I don't think you are supposed to flush used rubbers down the toilet (p 55). I foresee plumbing problems from such practices.
I have been procrastinating posting for several days because I have not finished Willard and had a dilemma. I tend to give up things for Lent that are unhealthy for me in some way at the time I do so. I had decided to give up all computer games and puzzles this year because I am not only obsessive about doing them but they also drain my energy rather than build it up. The health problem I am trying to overcome makes energy a very precious commodity. Unluckily books also are draining me. While I LOVE reading, I both read when I should be sleeping and the emotions and thoughts use energy that I don't have enough of. So despite wanting to take part (and Tracy's pick sounds more fun than Angie's seemed to be, sorry Angie since that might not end up being true), anyhow, I am regretfully withdrawing for 40 days. You can leave my name on because I plan on being back, but I really want to take this next month to see if I can make more progress regaining my energy.
I hope you feel better soon Beth. I am sure when my new baby comes I will also have to take some time off. With the exception of the short chapters, I agree with Melissa in her list of dislikes about Willard. Ha ha M., the condom comment was funny. I have to wonder who wrote the 1,000 books/movies lists. I have watched a few of the movies on the one list and I have yet to find one that is enjoyable. I am hoping that the book list is better. But, after Willard, I am starting to wonder.
I find Tracy's comment about the 1,001 book list funny because as soon as I was done reading Willard I returned to the list to see how many other "losers" I had read on it. Of the list, I've read 82 (I have a ways to go to finish the list). Of those 82, I disliked only 10 (including Willard). I was not enthusiastic about some, but wouldn't say that I actively disliked them. So, I still have faith in the list. In fact, my next choice is also coming off the list!
I must admit I did enjoy this book - not the sex part (THAT was different) but the bowling trophies part (which is the book title).
I loved the Logan brothers and their father and mother(I know a couple just like them, right A?). The Logan brothers reminded me SO much of the Hanson brothers in the movie Slap Shot, rather childish crazed hockey renegrades.
Then Constance and Bob. Inside - really!?!?!? The best part of their story was Bob bringing Constance a sandwich when she REALLY wanted a glass of water. That was CLASSIC! I can SO relate to that!
And I found Williard rather endearing. And hope he lived a long happy life with the bowling trophies.
I really enjoyed the style of this book. I LOVED the chapter titles. And I think Brautigan is either VERY creative or messed up on drugs. This book almost seemed like a challenge, OK Rich, let's see you write a book and include the phrases "bowling trophy", "wart", "Greta Garbo", "Greek Anthology" and "transmission". Well, he did it.
The ending yes was rather abrupt but somehow suitable.
11 comments:
I just want to say, I had NO IDEA this book was going to be so explicit. *hangs head in shame*
So Monday when I started the book and got most of the way through the first chapter, all I could think of is "I'm so sick of hearing about sex!" Not even good sex, and let's not forget top mention that she is mad at him because he isn't being a good enough sadist for her (?). Now I should clarify something: for the last ten years my job required me to listen to stories about sex or sexual violence or relationships. I was listening to a LOT of it and have pretty well heard directly or been in the field where I will read or hear from others every sexual problem, abuse, fantasy or relationship issue. Part of the reason I dodn't think much about Carol and Dennis working out in the last book is that they are as good a couple as a good many that I have seen.(Isn't that scary?)
In that book(hang my head for this fact) we had the F-word and crudity and boob talk. Now we have sado-machocism. (Spelling?) And I realize that I am sick, really tired of reading or hearing about sex. (Funny because when I was working I didn't think about it too much. I knew I heard a lot but with all the more horrendous stories of abuse and rape, I didn't think about geting tired of hearing about sex.) Given the amount of abuse and rape there is and what I have heard and know, I can't say I have any urge what-so-ever to listen or read anything involving sadism in sex.
A- I didn't know what my choice was really about and you couldn't have known either. Alas.
I picked up my book yesterday and find myself morbidly eager to start it after reading these comments. I mean, how bad could it be?
E, it's true I didn't research this one very well. Lately I have been picking titles from 1001 Books To Read Before You Die, based on the quick summary given in that book. I just assume that the editors knew what they were talking about when they picked them. That being said, I also didn't realize that this book was so short. At least since this isn't an international downer it fits well into my "smut" genre, and won't take you long to buzz through all the S&M.
Some Things I Liked:
- short chapters
- chapter titles (amusing ones, even!)
- telling 3 years of plot in 1 day
- Willard
- overall comedic style
Some Things I Didn't Like:
- excessive sex descriptions
- not knowing how the trophies went from cabinet to abandoned car
- unresolved Logan sisters
- the abrupt ending (feels like it needs another 5 chapters or a sequel)
Overall, I really liked this book and I think it would make a great movie. I can see now why the beginning scenes were so detailed: to give the reader a good base for the routines of both couples, even though we only get a glimpse at a few hours of their lives. It seems like a hard thing to do, creating likeable characters in such a few words, and shows considerable talent on Brautigan's part.
I also like the idea that even the perverse and risqué will become routine, boring and unexciting if there's no variety. "..it was very seldom that she liked being gagged and those few, very rare times were only because she remembered liking it in the beginning." (p 36) I think most people can relate to being in a relationship and just going through the motions, relying on memories to get you there. What I do find odd is that both Constance and Bob dislike all aspects of this ritual, yet to continue to go through with it. Why?
Did anyone pick up on how old they were? I'm not sure if Bob's cognition was being affected by the STD or if he was suffering from dementia/sundowning, but I'm leaning towards the latter. I also got the feeling that Bob's S&M was his own little way of punishing her for cheating on him and getting the warts in the first place.
I loved Patricia and John, they talked to/about Willard like Harold and I talk about Panda (our cat). I especially enjoyed the scene with John laughing through his turkey sandwich. I really want to believe that it was taken from the author's personal experience because it seems so true to life. Also, how John turns the TV off before the end of the program - I always open the microwave door before it beeps and I wish it was because I was protesting being regulated by the down-to-the-second timing of modern convenience, but really it's just because I find the beeping annoying.
The Logan brothers are harder to comment on because their personalities were so very obsessive. First fixated on bowling, then getting the trophies, and then the older one at least, on violence. The alcoholism makes sense. Then there is the mother, who is obsessed with baking. Are we to assume that they have some sort of genetic chemical imbalance? Or that the brothers are mimicking the unchecked compulsion modeled by their mom? Even though we spend the most "time" with them, their characters feel the least developed.
I'll comment on the ending later, don't want to spoil it for anyone.
I'm finished! Wow, this book was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be more about bowling and less about bad sex.
For some reason that I can't pinpoint, this book reminds me of 12 Angry Men.
Unlike Beth, I do not read or hear about other people's sex life with any frequency. Therefore, this book held some weird fascination for me. I was totally grossed out by the wart thing. But it was like watching a murder on tv for me. Although I find it repulsive and horrible, I couldn't seem to take my attention from it.
I was disappointed in the ending. But, I won't comment on it yet because I am not sure who has finished the book and who has not.
Wow, what to say about "Willard"? I'm sorry, A, but I really didn't care for this book. I didn't mind the explicitness (is this a word?), but I found it sad and pointless. Now I know not to read it again, right?
I liked the writing style and I agree with A that the writing style reminded me of The Book Thief. If only the plot had been so good. There were even several places that amused me:
P. 11: "She thought he was only going to be gone for a moement but he was gone for almost 10 minutes." Ken does this to me all the time. We'll be talking and he'll walk out of the room and I assume that he'll be right back to finish the conversation, except that it takes him 10-15 minutes and by then I've forgotten what we were talking about. Is this intentional? Maybe. :-)
P. 36: "...he couldn't find a rational reason. He just liked it and did it." I have some things that are like that (and I don't mean S&M).
P. 61: I've never seen
"phantasmagorical" ever used in a sentence. This made me happy, although I would have picked a better sentence to put it in.
P. 124: "She felt as if she'd subconsciously set a trap for herself and then fallen into it." Been there, done that.
P. 155: "It had burned out the day before and hadn't been replaced yet. Either Patricia or Constance would take care of it." Of course it is the women who end up taking care of it. Because no man can change a lightbulb on his own initiative.
I did rather like the characters, especially Willard. However, I found their lives to be utterly depressing. Constance and Bob are so sad that it made me want to cry. Even Willard couldn't make up for that.
A, I don't think Bob was that old, for dementia. I got the feeling he was being affected by the STD.
What I didn't like:
-I hate short chapters. Abhor them.
-The ending. If you can call it that.
-Like A, the sisters. WTH? Why keep bringing them up if you aren't going to tell us what they are doing?
As a final note, I don't think you are supposed to flush used rubbers down the toilet (p 55). I foresee plumbing problems from such practices.
I have been procrastinating posting for several days because I have not finished Willard and had a dilemma. I tend to give up things for Lent that are unhealthy for me in some way at the time I do so. I had decided to give up all computer games and puzzles this year because I am not only obsessive about doing them but they also drain my energy rather than build it up. The health problem I am trying to overcome makes energy a very precious commodity. Unluckily books also are draining me. While I LOVE reading, I both read when I should be sleeping and the emotions and thoughts use energy that I don't have enough of. So despite wanting to take part (and Tracy's pick sounds more fun than Angie's seemed to be, sorry Angie since that might not end up being true), anyhow, I am regretfully withdrawing for 40 days. You can leave my name on because I plan on being back, but I really want to take this next month to see if I can make more progress regaining my energy.
I hope you feel better soon Beth. I am sure when my new baby comes I will also have to take some time off.
With the exception of the short chapters, I agree with Melissa in her list of dislikes about Willard. Ha ha M., the condom comment was funny.
I have to wonder who wrote the 1,000 books/movies lists. I have watched a few of the movies on the one list and I have yet to find one that is enjoyable. I am hoping that the book list is better. But, after Willard, I am starting to wonder.
I find Tracy's comment about the 1,001 book list funny because as soon as I was done reading Willard I returned to the list to see how many other "losers" I had read on it. Of the list, I've read 82 (I have a ways to go to finish the list). Of those 82, I disliked only 10 (including Willard). I was not enthusiastic about some, but wouldn't say that I actively disliked them. So, I still have faith in the list. In fact, my next choice is also coming off the list!
I must admit I did enjoy this book - not the sex part (THAT was different) but the bowling trophies part (which is the book title).
I loved the Logan brothers and their father and mother(I know a couple just like them, right A?). The Logan brothers reminded me SO much of the Hanson brothers in the movie Slap Shot, rather childish crazed hockey renegrades.
Then Constance and Bob. Inside - really!?!?!? The best part of their story was Bob bringing Constance a sandwich when she REALLY wanted a glass of water. That was CLASSIC! I can SO relate to that!
And I found Williard rather endearing. And hope he lived a long happy life with the bowling trophies.
I really enjoyed the style of this book. I LOVED the chapter titles. And I think Brautigan is either VERY creative or messed up on drugs. This book almost seemed like a challenge, OK Rich, let's see you write a book and include the phrases "bowling trophy", "wart", "Greta Garbo", "Greek Anthology" and "transmission". Well, he did it.
The ending yes was rather abrupt but somehow suitable.
Oh yes, and what about Matthew Brady? At least, the Logan sisters got a mention at the end.
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