Literary Award Winners Fiction Book Club discussion

Please discuss the second half of Lila here.

Here is the review I wrote for this book which I completed last evening.

Lila by Marilyn Robinson

This third in the Gilead sequence is the account of Lila, the young wife of the wise, beloved, older Rev. Ames. Robinson is lauded for her ability to capture the tiny details with a lyrical voice. This character driven, poetically written novel is the type of book that I gravitate to, so I am surprised that I did not enjoy it. The third person narrator closely mirrors the internal voice of Lila which travels in tight loops from her childhood as a migrant farm worker raised by a loving unofficial foster mother to her early squatting in Gilead to her marriage to John Ames and back again. As is true for most of us, that internal voice continued to tread the same ground, making tiny advances in the narrative. I think this is what I disliked about the novel, its repetition. I realize that this is exactly how our thoughts go, but I am bored by my own repeating inner voice, so I was even more frustrated by that of Lila.

So you didn't like it Irene, I kind of enjoyed it. Sure, it was off here and there especially when some repetitive themes already discussed where coming back. Nevertheless I found it very interesting that Lila living almost all her live on the outskirts of society was questioning her sanity all the time. It made me wonder what sanity is - sticking to rules and norms set by society, is it something objective or it's just subjective valuation of a person by societies norms.
I very much enjoyed seeing the story from two different perspectives, and how different and challenging they are. Revered as a voice of Gilead sees his wife very different and we all that have read Gilead started reading a book with version of Lila that is constantly challenge by this particular novel, being Lila's version of events. I fond quite charming and captivating. All in all enjoyed it quite a bit.

No, I really did not enjoy it all that much. But, neither did I like Gilead all that much. I am beginning to fear that I may be becoming a lazy reader. There have just been too many books recently that have received literary acclaim that I have not really enjoyed.

Irene wrote: "No, I really did not enjoy it all that much. But, neither did I like Gilead all that much. I am beginning to fear that I may be becoming a lazy reader. There have just been too many books recently ..."

I liked it but I don't think it's anything particularly mind blowing. It triggered some interesting at least for me questions. But I understand that sometimes we might be burned out of reading on the other hand, I noticed the more I read the more demanding I become. More and more books seem to be same thing for me, like a 3 stars read. Ok, I enjoyed it but well, could live without reading it. I was easier to please when I read less.

Yes, I would say the same is true for me.

I finished Lila today and agree with Kamil and Irene that this book was well written but I didn't engage with it the way I'd hoped I would. I didn't enjoy being in Lila's head and I never believed that the Reverend Ames would have married Lila - the age and power differential seemed to be such a huge gap that it felt inappropriate. But then, if there hadn't been a sexual relationship and a late in life child, those lovely letters from Reverend Ames to his son in Gilead wouldn't have been written.

Don't you think that those two paradoxically have quite a bit in common when philosophical aspect is considered? Those questions they were asking were in essence the same although Lila's where coming from secular point of view and Reverend’s form theological, they were addressing the same issues. I think that this is the only explanation of their relationship, otherwise I'd have to absolutely agree that its bananas.

I agree, Kamil, the deep questions Lila & the Reverend Ames were asking about life and the possibility of grace help explain their attraction to each other and their alliance. I've really enjoyed the discussion about this book.

Kamil wrote: "Don't you think that those two paradoxically have quite a bit in common when philosophical aspect is considered? Those questions they were asking were in essence the same although Lila's where comi..."
Thank you Ginger, I do enjoy it quite a bit myself probably more than reading the book itself, although I still quite liked it, wasn't blown away though.