Reading the Chunksters discussion

I got a head start on the reading for this section too. And yes, Lorna, I had the same thoughts about Amy. I felt like she totally overreacted! It didn’t seem in character for her, at least what we know of her. Now I’m wondering if it was a way for Stephenson move the plot ahead by getting her to be in the U.S. and be able to then travel home with Randy, although I’m sure there could have been a different way to do that.

Anyway, the beginning of this chapter had my stomach in knots in regard to the earthquake damage. When Randy said that his house was not attached to the foundation, but that he had been meaning to get around to doing that, thats’s exactly what my husband and I have been saying about our house but it never gets done. We live near Seattle where we are due for “the big one” and our house was built in 1926 before any sort of earthquake precautions were taken. Thanks, Stephenson, for reminding me to worry over this again! :D

Lorna wrote: "Do you think Amy was a bit overboard by following Randy to San Francisco then hitting his car because she thought he was talking to Charlene on the phone? I liked Amy's character but some of her actions seem unrealistic, thoughts?"

Just a little, yes! I agree it seems out of character. It also sounds like seriously scary behaviour to me. I think most guys would run a mile from a woman who did that (and vice versa - even more scary if a man did it.) Not just following him, but showing up with two armed cousins ... what did she plan for their role to be? Were they going to shoot Randy and/or Charlene if she caught them together, and take the bodies back in the U-haul to bury in the Tennessee hills? LOL

Linda, I hope your house will never be hit by an earthquake! But in case it is, I hope this book will be the prompt that makes sure you get that fixed!

Thank you, Rosemary!

I finished this section, but did not have time this week to comment after each chapter like I have been doing so I don’t have any quotes ready. There were some great chapters in here, maybe not as action-packed as some of the previous chapters, but either entertaining or informative. I can slowly start seeing the two timelines come into focus with each other, and this is definitely encouraging me to read on.

I think my favorite chapter was Origin. It started out on the boring side, but then I loved the visual it gave with the Waterhouses all out in a huge parking lot moving furniture around on an an imaginary graph to create a tactile scatter plot. I can’t believe they were able to talk everyone into participating in that, especially in Eastern Washington in the cold of March.

Oh, I do remember there was a Bobby Shaftoe quote (of course!) at the end of one of the chapters. Something about Shaftoe knowing his cue and lines and immediately responding ”Sir! Yes, sir!”

I just read that one, Linda! That's a hilarious chapter with Shaftoe and General MacArthur driving straight through a bombing raid while everyone else is running for cover.

The description of the machine in COMPUTER was funny too - based on a church organ, with all the programming done by sound waves? It sounds nothing like the digital computers we know and love.

Oh yes, the MacArthur chapter was pretty good! I liked how at the beginning of the chapter Shaftoe mistook him for a mannequin with a pink silk robe on. Lol. :D

I loved the Origin chapter! The description of dust devils at the beginning was wonderful (if long), and I laughed out loud at them all moving furniture around the parking lot to plot their inheritance wants. I must remember that in case I'm ever involved in a family property carve-up!

I thought Amy’s behavior was out of character too and it didn’t seem to add a whole lot to include her in this section of the story.

She just didn’t seem as dynamic like she did before. I would have much rather seen how they got together considering what an odd pair they are. Then, Amy could have stayed in character more as a love em and leave em type. This is how I pictured her before.

Although, maybe this is supposed to show her Shaftoe side? Maybe this is just the thing Shaftoe would have done for Glory and Stephenson is trying to say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? That is the only way I can make sense of it.

I also loved this line in the chapter Seattle.

“Randy’s father dumps the contents out on a ping-pong table that inexplicably sits in the center of the rec room at Grandma’s managed care facility, whose residents are about as likely to play ping-pong as they are to get their nipples pierced.”

Another unique comparison.

I am still hoping I’m gonna catch up here before we reach the end. :)