52 Books: Book 8, Part III

If you have been following along with the online book club, Book Beginnings and Bookends, this is the final set of questions/answers in regards to the book, Ape House.
 
Question/Answers for Chapters 25-Epilogue  

How would you describe the relationship between John and Isabel?

The first 12 chapters set us up to believe that John and Isabel would have some type of romantic connection. While I didn't want John to cheat, I found it odd that so much effort went into making us believe that a romance would happen.

What was your reaction to finding out Peter's role in the explosion and capture of the apes?

Peter was a creep. I am sure he had no intention of hurting Isabel, and that his decisions were based on greed, but he should have come clean to Isabel.

Both John and Amanda ended up achieving their professional goals. Amanda ended up getting pregnant and John is excited about having a baby. Do you think this is the end to their problems? Can John and Amanda be happy?

I think John and Amanda have a strong relationship. They endured a lot through the course of the book. The both seem to be in a good place – both individually and in their relationship.

What did you find to be the most intriguing about the bonobos?

I thought it was amazing that they could identify the intruders that bombed the research lab. I think that the book would have been more intriguing if there had been more time spent on the bonobos – like if there had been a trial and the bonobos took the stand.

Which character did you enjoy reading about the most? 

I thought Celia was an intriguing personality. I would have liked to learn more about her.

Was the ending what you expected? Did things resolve the way you thought they would?

To me, there was never any doubt that Isabel would get the bonobos back. I'm glad it ended the way it did.

And finally, any overall thoughts or feelings that these questions haven't addressed? How would you rate this book for others? Any part that you loved? Anything you hated? SHARE!

Honestly, I didn't really care for this book. There were so many random things going on. I think it would have made more sense if the author spent more time discussing the bonobos. Water for Elephants was a much more compelling story. I think Ape House would work as a 30-minute mystery drama on television, but as a book, I didn't think the writing cut it. 

I rated Ape House as a 2 out of 5 on Goodreads. Even though I didn't care for this book, I enjoyed reading other participant's thoughts on the book.

52 Books: Book 8, Part II

Below are my answers for Part II of the book Ape House, for the online book club Book Beginnings and BookEndings. 

This was a difficult section for me. I found the storyline of what was happening with the apes to be very disturbing. Also, the glimpse into the horrific practices of companies that were using apes for "scientific testing" made me want to put the book down for good, but I stuck it out.

Question/Answers for Chapters 13-25 

{I am used to reading one book per week, so I ended up finishing the book this week. I will keep my answers specific to this section as to not give anything away} 

Would you watch or be tempted to watch a show like Ape House?

I strongly dislike reality TV and avoid watching it at all costs. I find documentary-type shows to be interesting and informative. I might {initially} be tempted to watch a TV show about great apes, but in general I was turned off this type of a show.

Do you think John did the right thing by quitting his job and moving to L.A.?

Definitely. John hated his job and being so far from his wife was having an adverse affect on their marriage.

We haven't seen a whole lot of Isabel in this section, but what do you think of Peter now that we know more about him?

The more I read, the more I felt like Peter was a complete creep. Isabel was right to cut him out of her life.

Can John turn the ape story for the tabloid into something he is proud of? Is he getting a little bit of redemption by being assigned to his dream story again even if it is for a tabloid?

I don't know if a tabloid can be something he would be proud of, but redemption seems to be on the horizon.

Have your thoughts on John and Amanda's marriage changed since last week? Where do you see their marriage headed?

Their relationship is hard to gauge. They seem to fluctuate between seeming to be okay and seeming to be on the brink of disaster.

What do you think will end up happening to the apes?

Isabel has to get them back, any other ending would be disappointing.

52 Books: Book 8, Part I

I am participating in the Book Beginnings and Bookends online book club and we are reading Ape House by Sara Gruen and answering three sets of questions over the next three weeks. So far I think the books has an interesting plot, but I am not enjoying it as much as Water for Elephants {which I LOVED}. I will have to wait until the end to give my final opinion.

Question/Answers for Chapters 1-12 {I have not read ahead} 

What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans?

I didn’t have a problem with this. I thought it was common knowledge that there are apes that have are have been taught to communicate with humans through sign language.

Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they're apes and know that the humans are humans, but they don't see any superiority with either... What do you think the major difference is between the two?  

The apes do not see the humans as superior, yet it is the humans that take care of them. Without the humans the apes would not have the life they have {i.e. Starbucks runs}. In the wild, the apes would still be able to function and communicate with each other, but it would be very different for them.

What are your thoughts on John and his feelings toward Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out?

John obviously has a physical attraction to Isabel. I think they are going to form a relationship at the expense of the other relationships they currently have. Whatever bond they form will be centered on finding the apes… for John it will mean getting a great story; for Isabel, it will mean getting her beloved apes back.

How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken?  

Isabel will search for the apes. She will do whatever she can to get them back.

Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center?

My initial feeling is that it is possible that she is a part, but ultimately I think she is just a scapegoat and that she is not involved.

What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda?

I truly feel sorry for Amanda. I am in a situation where I had to leave my job and move to a new place for my husband’s job. It is a tough transition. John seems to be in a place where he is torn between his love and commitment to his wife and the desire for something new. It makes me sad for Amanda because of what I see coming. She hasn’t been able to pull herself together and I see John drifting away from her.  

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 39, Part II

This is my Part II post for the book Commencement. I have been mulling over this book since I finished it. Mostly I was curious as to what the questions would be for the online book club.

1. What parts of the book could you most relate to? Least relate?

There is not a whole lot that I related to in this book. I had a hand-full of close girlfriend's in college, but I had a lot of guy friends too and I am a pretty independent person when it comes to my decision making process. I wasn't wild and crazy. I didn't plan on getting married, but I did end up getting married right out of college. After 8 years of marriage and post college, I guess I feel most like Celia – wanting more than my career has offered. Trying to figure out how to achieve those professional goals while balancing married life and personal goals.

2. If the author were to write another novel that followed one of the girls onto her next step of life, which one would you want it to be about? Whose story would you want to follow more of?

There were a lot of things left undone. It just kind of ended. Maybe the author is considering a sequel, but I don't feel like there is enough content to really continue with a series. 

3. What surprised you the most about this book?

I honestly thought the second half of the book was very predictable and boring.

4. Which character did you look forward to reading about the most? 

I was most curious about April.

5. Did this book meet your expectations? 

I read a lot, with a lot of variety. Fiction. Non Fiction. Comfortable topics. Uncomfortable topics. With all of my reading, I found this book to be boring and shallow. I have read non-fiction that is more interesting and fiction that is better written. I really thought that the idea of showing the internal struggles that women face today was an intriguing one, I just felt like the book didn't really get at a lot of the issues that women graduating from college are faced with {especially as they get older}.

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 39

This will be a two-part post because I am participating in an online book club with two sets of questions for this particular book. 

The selection for this edition of book club is Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan. It is a two part book and the questions are also broken up into two sections.

I was really excited about reading this book because it is supposed to explore {in the form of a novel} the complicated and contradictory landscape facing young women today... Instead I find an okay novel with deep roots in feminism. Not exactly what I was hoping for. I will write my full thoughts after I finish Part 2.

1. Which girl do you identify the most with?

I had a hard time determining which girl I identify with. Initially I felt like I didn't really identify with any of them {not as a whole character}, but with more reflection, I think that at this point in my life I identify with Sally the most. She had all of these ambitions of who she would be when she grew up but her life didn't turn out exactly like she thought it would. Even though life isn't what she thought it would be, she seems to be satisfied with her life.

2. If you're a college student or graduate, what similarities or differences do you see between this story to your own college experience?
I attended a small Christian university, so my education was probably vastly different from girls attending Smith. I did have a small, close-knit group of girl friends that I shared a lot with and I belonged to an all-girls "social club" {similar to a sorority} and lived in an all-girls dorm. Even so, a lot of my friends were guys and while I think it important for women to have equal rights, I am not a hard-core feminist. Also, I wasn't wild at all.

3. Which girl do you think has changed the most since her time in college? In what ways has she changed?

I felt like all of the girls changed to some degree, but they seemed to be the same too. They all appear to be questioning their life choices – which I think is normal for the stage of life they are in. April is the only one who seems to be where she really wanted to be. 

It really bothered me that in this ultra-feminist book April is in a controlling relationship with her female boss. I feel like the book is saying that it is wrong to let a man control you in any way, but it is OK to let a woman be controlling... I think people should not let other people control them. Period.

So far this is not my favorite book, but I will give the full verdict after I read Part 2.

Passages that stuck with me from Part 1:

One day her mother returned home from church and said, "When I was twenty-five, I met your father. And I brought him to my parents, and they said, 'If you marry this man, we will disown you.' He was white, a non-Catholic. I married him anyway. My father died without ever speaking to me again; my mother missed my wedding, and your birth. We don't always do the things our parents want us to do, but it is their mistake if they can't find a way to love us anyway."

This was something Sally hadn't realized about weddings until she started planning one – no matter how simple, they were never just about the bride and groom. Those in attendance who were in love felt all the happier; their love strengthened by being in the presence of a new, hopeful marriage. For those who hadn't been lucky in love, a wedding was like a bad paper cut – annoying and painful and impossible to ignore.

In college, half of what they had talked about was what came next – what they would do for work, where would they live, whom would they fall in love with? They recognized that they were the first generation of women whose struggle choice had nothing to do with getting it and everything to do with having too much of it – there were so many options that it felt impossible and exhausting to pick the right ones.

What daughter didn't hold her mother up as a measurement of all she hoped to be, or all she feared? What mother could look at her young daughter without a bit of longing for her own youth, her lost freedom?

 

If you would like to participate in an online book club, check out Book Beginnings and Bookends.