A language learners’ forum

Wow, what a whirlwind! I loved this book, and I feel it has a lot to say about the promises people do and don't keep, the things people are willing to trade to get what they want, the relative arbitrariness of how people treat others...I could go on....

Spoonary, in response to your question, this also threw me for a loop! I *think* perhaps he was jumbling together his retelling of events, and the first part (on the bicycle) was part of the bad dreams he had just been describing earlier? The second part, however, actually happened. At least that's how it makes sense to me! Hopefully someone else has better luck with this passage.

treblezen wrote:Spoonary, in response to your question, this also threw me for a loop! I *think* perhaps he was jumbling together his retelling of events, and the first part (on the bicycle) was part of the bad dreams he had just been describing earlier? The second part, however, actually happened. At least that's how it makes sense to me! Hopefully someone else has better luck with this passage.

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that it wasn't just me. Yeah, I had considered that the bike part may have been part of Michele's dream, but it just wasn't clear.

Wow, you're a fast reader (or just not as easily distracted as me) to have finished the book already! I loved it too, but I just didn't expect it to get quite so dark

I'm sorry to say that I got busy with work and just returned from a couple of weeks in Tokyo so never got around to listening yet. I plan to spend some time listening to it this weekend so I may discuss.

dampingwire wrote:

Spoonary wrote:There was a bit in chapter 8 that really confused me. On page 183, Michele had decided that he was going to do something and he was riding on his bike. Then, on page 184, he was playing with his friends and there was no bike. I actually thought it was a printing error so can you tell me if you all have that issue too please?

..., so maybe I can point my bike that way this Saturday ... assuming no-one else pipes up before then ...

It took me slightly longer than "this Saturday" but I picked up the book yesterday.

I've not re-read it yet but I started at p 181. He's out cycling with his friends. As he cycles he remembers a promise he's made and how he's now about to break it (I think this is because his friends are heading to a place where he's promised he won't go). The description continues and on p183 the heavens open. The kids all head into the barn for shelter.This is obviously the place where he's supposed to never go again. There's stuff going on in his head at the same time that he's talking with his friends.

Hopefully that's not too much detail for anyone who stumbles across this before they read the book for the first time. Sorry it took 18 months