This book I read when it came out, thinking that maybe once it got to paperback it would make a good summer reading selection. I gave the first couple of pages to my spring semester honors class, and they all said "We love it." It's all about loss, grief, desire, self-discovery, family dynamics, and lots more.
Here are a couple of optional supplemental readings:
- An article about the author, entitled "In Praise of Prose". (It mostly mentions her other works, but you should find it insightful.)
- An article about Shakespeare's Hamlet, focusing on the melancholy prince as grief-stricken over the death of his father. (I have a lot of issues with the play, but it is still Hamlet, after all, and we'll be covering it some fashion early in the semester.)
- Hamlet itself. (If you're done early with your summer reading -- I know how dedicated you Honors kids are [wryly ironic smiley face goes here] -- and want to get a headstart.)
Oh -- and here's what Nico looks like after she gets her haircut.
Does anyone else think that maybe the "staircase spirit" is Margaret's spirit?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy this book! Very interesting!
Meghan Pugliese
Meghan I thought the same thing when I was reading!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this book, but at the same time I felt the urge to yell out to Nico to stay away from Aaron each time she went to visit him. Even in the beginning I had a funny feeling about him. Anybody else?
Emily, I was thinking the same thing! I found this book kind of frustrating because Nico just kept making all the wrong choices, like hanging out with Aaron and lying to her parents and basically just torturing herself. I liked the book, but it was really sad and I was so disappointed in Nico the whole time.
ReplyDeleteAlison Farrish
The staircase spirit annoyed me. I agree Meghan that it was Nico's spirit/subconscious. I think the book would've been fine without it- I guess everyone has that "voice" telling you to say/do something....I just think it threw off the dialogue a little bit-made it a little choppy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Nico was making the wrong choices, since her judgement was off because of Margaret's death. I did feel sorry for her. I think that since Aaron was the only one who was one the same page, and there was no one else to turn to, she had no other option. Also, Nico had the pressure to impress Aaron,she didn't want to ruin their relationship-which is ironic because he did-and she would do anything to be with him- lie to her parents, sneak into her house, wear Margaret's clothes... I think she was almost addicted to being with him, even though she knew it was harmful (he was her drug). I thought her judgement was bad to get back together with him after she had the flu and get into the car when he was drunk. She felt that she was doing the crane thing for her sister, but the dream was most likely just an excuse to see Aaron again. At least she made the right decision to leave, and finally tell Elaine and her parents.
I actually did see Vertigo before reading this book, and I noticed the parallels as soon as it was mentioned. It was an incredibly close parallel; the only difference is that Kim Novak's character in Vertigo knows what Jimmy Stewart's characteris doing to her and doesn't understand why he's doing it, and Nico doesn't realize what Aaron is trying to do to her, but can understand all too well.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Shanks
I loved this book, I read it all today because I couldn't put it down.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what I think of the staircase spirit. It felt a little odd, like Taylor said, but I think it may have been the author's way of putting a little "commentary" to Nico's actions without interrupting the mystique of the story. I think it was definitely a bit off, but it worked.
I liked the uncomfortable feeling we get when Nico hangs out with Aaron. She needed to make poor choices and explore that darker side of life before she could stitch up the gaping hole in her heart that Margaret left. It was Nico's way of putting herself back together...before she could rebuild, she had to knock everything down with bad decisions.
I found the writing absolutely breathtaking.
Taylor, my feelings exactly! By the end she knew that Aaron did not see her as Nico, but the girl that was replacing Margret. He had no right to use her and physically hurt her. The pistacio ice cream incident was way over the top. He put her emotions on a spiral; always wanting to impress him by being more like Margret by wearing her clothes, having her smell like her, and doing the same activities he did with Margret.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if his initial intentions were to recreate Margret or if he thought that doing the activities together would actually help the healing process.
Emily, I feel like Aaron was basically using Nico to recreate Margaret because he obviously missed her and he figured he might as well hang around with the sister and entise her to ty to be like her sister and since Nico is an insecure person, she will obviously do anything for Aaron to stay around in her life and give her the attention no one else seems to give her in the way she wants it. I still loved the book a lot but the dynamics between the characters were a bit odd.
ReplyDeleteMeghan Pugliese
Taylor Hammeke- I just finished reading Goldengrove. I really liked it because the plot went super fast, and the characters were relatable/normal plot. I didn't really read the summary on the back, so I was surprised when Margaret drowned so suddenly. It just seemed like such an ordinary day, and the tragedy that occured seemed like it could happen to anyone. Even though there was a lot about mourning after Margaret's death, I thought that was normal. All of Nico's familiy took to different things/outlets to cope. I thought Aaron's intentions with Nico were genuine at first, however, I predicted that Aaron would eventualy "use" Nico, just because she reminded him of Margaret. Throughout the book, I could feel Nico's lonliness-the way something happened, and the only person she wanted to tell was Margaret, when obviously that was impossible. She had no choice but to turn to Aaron, because they were the only ones who understood. She was going through an extremly difficult summer, especially after what happened with Aaron, and I thought that overall she was very strong to get through it by herself (with all those lies... without a psychologist). I thought that mostly all of Aaron's actions after the first few meetings were to re-create Margaret. I'm not sure if he was doing it conciously, or it was just a part of his grieving process. I defidently don't approve of what he did, it played with Nico's mind too much. I knew that his kiss wasn't love to Nico- but for Margaret. I'm glad, though, that the family moved to Boston, where they could recover easier (being able to look out the window, and walk around town without being constantly reminded of Margaret). I'm also glad that she never saw Aaron again- I think it would've been too emotionally painful. Overall, I admired the way Prose allowed the characters to be normal-have flaws and have large emotional responses to horrific events. I thought that the plot was very beleivable, because sadly life can be as unexpectantly upsetting as Nico's was.
ReplyDeletep.s. this is the post that i accidently put on the quote pg
I agree with Taylor that the stairway sprit was Nico's subconscious. I don't think it was really Margaret's sprit, only Nico's thoughts based off of Margaret.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I see Aaron and Nico a drug to eachother, not just a one way feeling for Nico. They both had the feeling of need for Margaret, and they grasped on whoever represented her. They actully needed eachother and couldn't stop seeing eachother.
Emily- I think Aaron started off actully wanting to heal, but the more time he spent with Nico, the more he needed and missed Margaret. So slowly Nico turned into a subsatnce that could fill the void of Margaret.
What did you guys think of the poem 'Goldengrove'? I thought it was really beautiful. Like Nico, I didn't quite understand it at first, but the poet really conveys a sense of grieving and almost nostalgia. I think Nico's reading and reaction to the poem was my favorite part of the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aly about the poem 'Goldengrove', it really added to the overall complexity of the story and feeling of grief.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the spirit staircase was Nico's unconcious. I agree with Taylor that it was kind of unneeded and made the text seem choppy. I think it could simply just have been referred to as what she was thinking.
The relationship between Aaron and Nico totally creeped me out. I think that the story correctly dipicted grief and the grieving process, and I do think that something like the Aaron and Nico relationship could have happened. I found it completely predictable, and I think that Nico saw it coming...
I had a hard time trusting Nico in the story. How can someone fall asleep in mere seconds like that? I don't understand how she didn't realize that her sister didn't resurface. Margaret wasn't a swimmer and she smoked, so I don't think it was normal for her to be under the water for a couple of minutes. If I was Nico I hope I would have realized that my sister, my beloved sister, my hero, hadn't come up for air. The whole event just struck me as weird...
When I read the 'Goldengrove' at the start of the book, and then got into the first chapter, I thought that the poem was such a strange choice for the story. The first chapter or so was happy, and Margaret seemed like such a sunny person. But it made much more sense when the plot starts to develop and Nico's feelings start to mirror the poem.
ReplyDeleteI felt terrible for Aaron. He was obviously very close to Margaret, and when she suddenly died it tore both him and Nico apart. He was doing all he could to try and find Margaret in Nico again, even if it was terrible for Nico (and really, both of them). In the end, Nico definitely made the right choice to end things and tell Elaine and her parents.
I actually think the staircase spirit did add some character to the story. I agree that it was both Nico's subconscious and it did make the story somewhat choppy. In a way, incorporating the staircase spirit showed how distorted Nico's mind had become following the death of her sister. I believe that the only reason why Nico kept going back to Aaron, despite her suspicions of his bad intentions, was because she too would have liked to be Margaret. Like Meghan said, Nico is a very insecure person and as Katie said, Margaret is her hero. Therefore, it seems to me that at that moment in time, Nico was content with abandoning who she was.
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was odd how on page 154 and page 198, 'Only Remaining Child' was capitalized. It sort of stood out to me the first time but I thought nothing of it but when I saw it a second time it made me wonder if there was some profound meaning for it. The only problem is that I have no idea what that meaning is.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read and ended up being a page turner. I was somewhat disappointed with the ending and how decades past within pages. The book just seemed to end suddenly...
Jeff Gilcreast
I think the Staircase Spirit was Nico's subconsious telling her that what she said wasn't something that Margaret would have said. The Staircase Spirit was most predominant when she was with Aaron and trying to be like Margaret. I think it kind of served as a reminder to Nico that she wasn't actually Margaret no matter how hard she tried because it would always pop up after she said something very "Nico."
ReplyDeleteI think the Only Remaining Child thing was supposed to be a sarcastic way of looking at how differently her parents started treating her after Margaret's death. They became very protective of Nico because they were deathly afraid that something would happen to the only child they had left. The 4th of July weekend is probably the best example of this.
I agree with Katie that the whole drowning event was a little bit strange. I don't think you would fall asleep that quickly/not even wait to sleep until your sister resurfaced.
I thought the ending was ok. I appreciated that it explained how Nico and her family kind of found themselves again in Rome and how they were able to start over in Boston. I also liked how it gave you a glimpse into Nico's adult life. One thing I wish it explained more of was what happened to Aaron after their last encounter. I was fine with the fact that they never saw each other again, but I was kind of hoping that the picture of the lake would have been painted by him just so that you could imagine that maybe he was finally able to pull himself together again.
Overall, I thought Nico was a very relateable character. The author really made the grieving process very realistic and raw. She looked at the broader effects of grief with Nico and the dynamics of her family and relationship with Aaron, but also the little details: how certain words and phrases trigger instant tears, how uncomfortable people's reactions to the situation can be, how you replay certain memories over and over again. I really enjoyed the book despite being very sad and slightly creepy.
Cristina Macklem
Cristina, I also wish that the book revealed what happened to Aaron after his last encounter with Nico. At one point Nico tries to justify seeing him by observing that she has her parents to lean on, and they understand her grief, but Aaron has nobody - except Nico. She was really just looking for an excuse to make something totally twisted seem okay, but in a way she's right - Margaret's death kind of leaves Aaron stranded. When Nico goes home at night she has two parents there who understand what she's going through because they've lost Margaret, too. But when Aaron goes home all his parents can do is watch and hope he doesn't fall apart (they may have done well to occasionally pop into the cabin and make sure he wasn't about to molest a thirteen year-old girl).
ReplyDeleteOne thing I didn't understand was Nico's reaction to the poem. I thought the poem was more about Margaret feeling sad that the leaves in "Goldengrove" are falling, which implies that even in her youth with her "fresh thoughts", Margaret is beginning to realize that one day she too will die. The poem doesn't really bring up the idea of Margaret dying young or in an unusual way, so why does Nico think that her sister's death is related to the poem?
Nina Barbero
Oh, and the more I think about the ending, the angrier it makes me. The whole book is this dramatic, depressing, poetic mess and then it feels like Francine Prose was just ready to be done so she pasted on an easy ending. I mean, Nico grows up to become a geologist and then she marries a geologist and together they have the perfect one son, one daughter family that travels the world together? I understand the need for a happy ending, but this one feels fake. I would have been content if the book had ended with the family in Rome, or right after the family moved and rebuilt their lives.
ReplyDeleteNina Barbero
I completely agree with Nina about the ending. It seemed as if Prose was ready to just finish the book with an expected happy ending. Also, like Cristina said, it would have been nice to get a final glimpse of Aaron. I think that the ending that Prose used didn't give the story much closure. Personally, I would have liked a more in depth and emotional ending rather than an abrupt happy ending.
ReplyDeleteJeff Gilcreast
Maybe if the ending had included something about Aaron and how his life didn't turn out perfect like Nico's it would have provided enough of a contrast to keep it from being such a "fairytale" ending. Prose definitely should have played the Aaron card once more.
ReplyDeleteI agree Nina, I thought it was very weird that Aaron's parents didn't check in on him more (or at all) at the cabin. Every time they were together in the cabin I thought, "What are his parents doing?! If they are so concerned about him and his grieving, I would think they would be practically living there with him to comfort him."
Wow, that was a good book. Sad and slightly creepy, but it was definitely good! I read the whole thing in a day! After I finished it, the first thing that popped into my mind when I thought about the blog was that I should say something about the staircase spirit. I loved that element of the novel, and I was surprised that many of you thought it detracted from the story. It was able to make her realistic by showing what she was thinking without making everything she said the perfect thing to say, because that never happens in life, but in books the characters always seem to know exactly what to say. I thought that name was perfect for that feeling, those words that come creeping up to you later about what you should have said or done. I thought it represented her confusion and insecurity about herself, especially after Margaret died. Although I didn't think it was Margaret's spirit, I felt at times that it was Nico trying to be like Margaret because she looked up to her so much.
ReplyDeleteI actually felt really bad for Aaron and I was really disappointed with his ending. At first I felt bad that the only person he could connect with was Nico, and yet everything she did reminded him of Margaret. But then he took advantage of that and he started using her to fill Margaret's space. I was disappointed that he had to go and do that, because it ruined his chances of healing and I felt like it just plunged him even deeper into grief. I was also disappointed that he was portrayed as the bad guy, because although his actions were bad, I never felt like he was trying to hurt Nico; instead he was just trying to get over the terrible loss of Margaret. Like a few of you said, I wish how he was doing had been mentioned at the end, because it would have tied everything together. But maybe the author didn't want to tie the ending into a nice, neat bow. Maybe having it end not the way we expected was her way of saying that your life won't always turn out the exact way you want it to, but no matter what, you will get over the hurdles in your life.
I just finished "Goldengrove" and I can say that it is my #1 favorite summer reading book that has been assigned through the last four years. "Goldengrove" was a very interesting book and I was very shocked by the penultimate and ultimate meeting between Aaron and Nico. If anyone has seen the tv show "Dead Like Me", the sister relationship can easily be compared (accepting the loss of a sister, etc.). Comparing this book and the show, both parents deal with their daughters in the same way, both not believing, nor accepting, what has happend.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a good idea that Aaron and Nico started hanging out, but when Aaron asked her to wear Margaret's clothes, it was a bit odd. There were also several comments that he made to Nico that sounded like he was talking to Margaret. I feel bad for Aaron because he lost his girlfriend whom he truely loved, but trying to replace her with her sister and even giving Nico the Pistachio ice cream so that Nico tasted like Margaret is taking it way too far.
To me, I am not dissappointed in Nico. She was only 13 years old and she is lost and heartbroken due to her sister's death. Her parents did not try to help Nico nor were they stable enough to. Almost every person that talked to Nico was always so sympathetic and pitied her. So when Aaron and her first started hanging out, it was in hope that these two could work together and try to get over the loss of a loved one. Nothing seemed bad between Nico and Aaron until he started acting a bit sketchy. In what Julia G. said, I agree in that I did feel a bit uncomfortable and perhaps she did need to make mistakes and do what was wrong to make everything right once more.
I also liked how Aaron was nice and seemed like a good guy until the day he had Nico listen to the "My Funny Valentine" song by the famous Nico
and he started acting very rude. I think he didn't want her to talk at all becuase he was trying to recreate experiences that he had held with Margaret and when Nico talked, it was always the wrong thing and he couldn't stand it.
One more thing, what actually happend to Margaret? Did she have a heart attack of some sort right when she dived into the water or what? Right after they find her in the water, the author mentions an autotopsy, but I don't ever recalling if we actually find out what happend. There are several references to Magaret's poor heart, but her death is never actually clarified.
I have about 100 pages left in this story and so far I don't really know what to think of it. The whole plot is sad, obviously, because Margaret died. The family doesn't seem to be recovering very successfully from their loss. It's interesting how the author continually describes the family eating dinner. Dinner is supposed to be a time when families come together and interact. In Nico's case, her family pretends to eat, either playing with their food or simply pushing it around on their plates. This says a lot about the severity of their grieving process and their inability to discuss anything in their time of mourning. I also think the relationship between Aaron and Nico is a little weird. Nico is a lot younger than he is, and the whole scenario of dating a dead girlfriends little sister is odd. I can understand it may help them recover from the loss of Margaret, but it looks bad on so many levels. I hope nothing happens between them... and if Nico's father actually is Tycho's father and is having an affair with Elaine... I don't know what I'll do! I'm excited to see how it ends.
ReplyDeleteAnd Alex I totally agree with your question about Margaret! I don't understand how she died exactly... did she just drown in the lake? I'm guessing she had a heart condition based on what Nico's parents discussed at the hospital with the doctor, but her cause of death is a little unclear.
ReplyDeleteTo Alex and Jess, I got the feeling that she dove in and was swimming to shore when her heart stopped because of her heart condition, so she drowned. The doctor had said that she had a heart condition, but said it was fine and to just keep an eye on it. One of the major reasons they had trouble accepting her death was because they felt it could have been preventable, which may or may not be true.
ReplyDeleteTo Katie, I also thought it was really weird that Nico didn't notice anything was wrong when Margaret didn't surface right away. And yet when she got back to shore she was very worried about her. I wasn't sure how she jumped from not noticing anything to basically knowing that Margaret had drowned. I wouldn't say it made me mistrust Nico, but I just thought it was odd, and it confused me.
I just finished Goldengrove and loved the ending! I really liked how the story explained her going off to college and starting a family of her own. She was able to move on and live as normal a life as she could, especially when it explained how she was able to tell people she didn't have any siblings without explaining how she used to have a sister. The whole episode with Aaron weirded me out. I honestly thought he was going to rape Nico and was releaved when she ran away! Elaine turned out to be a better person than I anticipated. Even though she had a small affair with Nico's father, it seemed like she knew her limits and stopped everything before any permanent damage was done. The last scene of this story was touching because Nico realized her life was perfectly fine even without Margaret. She reflected on her final moments with her sister at the lake and instead of getting wrapped up in the loss of those final moments like she used to, she thinks about the good parts of her own life. Nico sees the value in living in the moment instead of being caught up in the mourning of her dead sister. The ending left me satisfied and smiling. This story is one of my all time favorites.
ReplyDeleteI just finished Goldengrove while on vacation...not exactly the uplifting story I expected. As the reading delved deeper into Nico's gloomy and (later) overtly cynical thoughts concerning every aspect of her life (except for Aaron, of course), it became apparent to me that maybe Nico was manipulating her sister's spirit and memory to become part of Aaron's world. Suddenly Nico begins to take Margaret's shape, body and soul. Slimming down, wearing Margaret's clothing, desperately attempting to show-off a more 'artistic' and philosophical outlook to grab Aaron's attention. Unabashed by her sister's death, she seems to pride herself in slowly molding into a newer version of Margaret. It is evident that the grief and pain of her sister will never subside, but it made me wonder whether some...alter ego is shaping in Nico and attempting to take over? As the story went on, a mutual friendship fast became a 'love'-enticed emotional (and sexual) craving for Nico and Aaron. Her whole world began to revolve around him-- skipping her parent's trip and sneaking behind their backs to go out with him. Fabricated stories held together Nico's life and her versions of right and wrong...quickly faded together. The desperation with which she longs to find a solace in Aaron is what scared me the most that he would hurt her in ways unrepairable. Was there really a 'screw loose' in Aaron that would threaten Nico in those ways? My fears weren't subsided until the very end, with a short epilogue describing her abilities to (miraculously) get over all her troubles and 'move on' so to speak. The ending was somewhat misconstrued as to whether Nico is actually happy---there really isn't any mention of a loving relationship between her and her new family. The picture frame she believed was Mirror Lake leaves the reader even more in doubt as to whether she really 'moved on'. All in all, I can say the book traveled through the grief-stricken recovery of a temperamental teenage outcast...whether the ending would have worked out to be so short and sweet in real life, I think not...
ReplyDeleteOh! As for questions I was hoping someone could explain to me the significance of the staircase spirit? Also, what is the purpose in including Nico's fear of a heart condition like her sister's? Is this just another way of showing the reader the sisters are closer than they thought? I was a little confused as to the purpose of that? Does anyone think Aaron might have moved on from Margaret's death and his relationship with Nico? Thanks for anyone who answers, sorry I can't mention any names, I browsed most of the above comments, hah.
Now, on to Return of the Native...
This was honestly my least favorite book. I was creeped out by the relationship Aaron and Nico had. I was even more creeped out when I realized he was trying to make her into her sister. I found the way he was grieving to be entirely wrong. I did enjoy the end of the book, though. I liked that even through losing her sister, Nico was able to live again once she lost the notion that her sister was trying to send her messages to give to her boyfriend.
ReplyDeleteJosh,
I consider the staircase spirit the self conscious part of Nico. Whenever she speaks to Aaron the staircase spirit would mimic her and make her feel insignificant.
I believe Nico's fear of a heart condition was just a side effect of her sister's sudden death. I feel that because she kept reading the books about heart condition that she inherited the symptoms. Obviously, she didn't have the heart condition, but it was a fear of gaining it and dying like her sister.
I think Aaron probably moved on from his relationship with both girls because I feel that time heals all wounds and eventually he would find another. He probably still misses Margaret, but is able to have another relationship.
-Kelsey Gallant
I really enjoyed Goldengrove and thought that it was a very good book. Although it wasn’t my favorite, it was a lot better than past summer reading assignments! A major part of the book was the relationship between Nico and Aaron. The beginning stages of their relationship seemed acceptable. Nico and Aaron were the two people most connected with Margaret, and they were helping each other to get through this painful loss. Their relationship started with something as simple as getting ice cream. However the time Nico and Aaron spent together slowly moved away from simple and innocent. Aaron gradually began to transform Nico into Margaret. Although Nico didn’t realize that she was being transformed, I don’t think she minded what was going on. In a way, she got to reconnect with her sister. Aaron slowly brought back things about Margaret that Nico missed. One such example would be bringing back Margaret’s scent. When she put on the oil for the first time she said that she “sensed Margaret’s presence nearby”. This was one of the first stages of Nico’s “transformation”.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people have been mentioning the staircase spirit. This was something that stood out to me in the book, and I’m glad it did for so many others. For me, the staircase spirit was very important in relation to Nico’s transformation into Margaret. The staircase spirit is Nico, and not the “Margaret” version of Nico. The staircase spirit was the little part of her brain that was still the real Nico. It was the little piece of herself that kept trying to tell her that what was going on was wrong. She was being warned. One exchange with the staircase spirit was on page 201 after Aaron asks for a favor. “‘Sure. Whatever you want.’ Whatever you want, mocked the staircase spirit.” Little things like this show that the “real” Nico wouldn’t agree to such things. Her old self is making fun of her so that she hopefully realizes what is going on. The staircase spirit was one of the ways that you could see the true Nico throughout the entire book.
One thing that hasn’t really been brought up, and that I thought was very interesting is the way that Nico always referred to herself as the “dead-girls sister” or how she was wearing her “dead-sister’s shirt”. Thoughts like these were very harsh. I think Nico kept saying these things because she was subconsciously trying to remind herself that she was not Margaret. Margaret was her dead sister. That shirt wasn’t hers, but it belonged to her dead sister. It was hard to read these words, but I think it helped Nico to differentiate who she really was. And in the end, she finally figured it out.
-Emily Howard
As of now, I am slightly more than half-way through Goldengrove and I am truly enjoying it! I agree with most people that it has a darker side which is plagued by both grief and danger. Nico and her family are clearly struggling and actually appear to fall deeper into depression as time elapses. In addition, Nico’s parents seem to be losing touch with reality. Her father’s crazy excursions to find a special aura in certain places are hopeless attempts to feel better. They are also having trouble carrying out daily tasks such as driving. Nico, struggling to recover from the loss of her sister, seems to have fallen into a dangerous relationship with Aaron. Although nothing horrific has occurred to this point, the relationship has an immoral and shady appearance. I believe Aaron is trying to transform Nico into the way he remembers Margaret (her smell and clothes) for his own benefit. Aaron looks as if he is also trying to test her emotions by making her do things that she has associated with Margaret such as eating ice cream and watching old movies. Goldengrove has captured my attention and I can’t wait to see how all the crises unfold!
ReplyDeleteBrendan Perra
After reading Goldengrove, I agree with Kelsey, and this book was my least favorite out of the three. I think it was well written, but there's just something about it that made me hesitant to like it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nina about the ending, it does seem like Francine Prose was just ready to wrap everything up, so she just wrote a happy ending. I think it was a decent end to the book, it was just so against the flow of the rest of the story, and it struck me as off.
I do agree with everyone that Nico and Aaron's relationship was strange, but I like what Michelle said about Aaron. Even though his actions were bad, I don't believe he ever had bad intentions. I don't necessarily view him as the "bad guy" of the story; he was just taken over by the sorrow of Margaret's death.
I also noticed, like Emily H. did, how Nico kept referring to herself as "the dead girl's sister." I think while Margaret was alive, she felt like she lived in her shadow, but never really complained about it or thought of that as a negative thing, because she admired her sister so much. Even though Margaret's death was tragic, I think it really helped Nico to find herself, even while Aaron was trying to make her someone she was not.
I agree with Nina about the ending of the story--it seemed like a cop-out. Of course at first I liked the fairytale ending, I grew up on Disney where everything was "happily ever after". However, the more I considered it, the more it annoyed me. I think Emily Howard made a really good point that the staircase spirit was the "real Nico". I agree that having the "real Nico" was important in the story, but I still am not a fan of how it was written into the story. Like Megan and Kelsey, this wasn't my favorite book, but I appreciate the overall poetic nature of the text.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree, I really liked your interpretation of the staircase spirit, Emily. I imagined it a little differently that you had, but I like your version much better. She was so far gone into her transformation into Margaret that the only time she let the real Nico out was in the safety of her own mind. If it every spilled out, she would risk losing her "relationship" with Aaron.
ReplyDeleteI think it's safe to say that I'm in good company in feeling a bit confused and disturbed by this novel. The relationship between Aaron and Nico, as well as the relationship Nico had with different aspects of herself, was quite appalling at times. However, it was these unusual and often shocking aspects of the book that made it the most interesting of the three for me. I believe that the "shock value" of it all is what made it such a compelling read. This book held my interest because I found myself needing to know how it was all going to resolve. Nico continually sank deeper and deeper into her relationship with Aaron as the story progressed, and I grew curious as to how/if she was going to save herself. Her dependency on him was frightening.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I felt that Aaron was beginning to take control of who Nico was as a person. As she grew closer to him, she further lost sight of who she really was. Certain phrases made me feel that at times Nico began to think of herself as Margaret.
Many of you have mentioned the staircase spirit. For awhile in reading this novel, I thought that the spirit was Margaret's - continuing to hold a presence in Nico's life. But in reading some of your responses I've began to hold a deeper interpretation of it's purpose. I think I agree with Emily in that the spirit was likely the "true" Nico speaking. As I'd previously said, I felt that Nico lost who she truly was to the power of grief and her yearning for Aaron. In this way, it held a necessary role in the plot by reminding the reader that Nico's soul had not left with Margaret's. She was still very much there, but merely clouded by a wave of different emotions.
I think that this book was a very good read, and is something I might've picked out on my own, were it not assigned. Like others, I felt that the ending was a bit too "Disney" for the rest of the book. Nevertheless, it was still a pleasure to read.
I agree with everyone who thought the relationship between Aaron and Nico was strange. Their relationship made me feel awkward. I did predict that Aaron would attempt to keep Margaret alive through Nico, but I didn’t think he would take it as far as he did. The first reference to Aaron having a “screw loose” was what hinted to me that he was a shady character. I believe that Nico began to physically look like Margaret because she wanted more attention from Aaron specifically. Multiple times in the novel Nico mentioned that a boy (Aaron) was saying honest, sweet things to her. Any compliment she got made her feel on top of the world and she was willing to do just about anything to get that feeling. It wasn’t until the end of the book when the staircase spirit was able to control Nico’s actions to prevent any further relation between her and Aaron, which was the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThe staircase spirit was a little strange in my opinion, but I viewed it as Nico’s conscience when I was reading the book. As Emily said, it always referred back to what the real Nico would have wanted to say. This was the one piece of Nico that helped her regain her true self in the end.
The ending of this book was not as satisfying as I had anticipated. It unexpectedly crept on me as I was finishing up the book and made me feel a bit rushed. The happy ending did contrast with the rest of the book, but if it had a gloomy ending, I would be even less satisfied. As a whole, I enjoyed this novel, despite the overall dreary feel.
-Kayla Croft
Goldengrove was an interesting book to say the least. It was depressing, unpredictable, and detached, but at the same time intriguing.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of this book I felt bad for Nico and her family. Such a loss seemed so unexpected, especially the way it happened. But after I thought more about it, Nico must have seen it coming. She saw Margaret smoking everyday, and Margaret may not have stopped before, but it's her sister. I know that if my sibling was doing something that continually hurt their body, I wouldn't just give up like that. This seemed like a betrayal to her sister while she was still alive.
A big aspect of this book was the relationship between Nico and Aaron. It seemed innocent and positive in the beginning. Both young and understanding of how the other felt. But when Aaron started to request that Nico wear Margaret's comet shirt, things got weird. It moved away from a supportive relationship to an older boy trying to recreate an old dead girlfriend. Nico wanted that attention. She would do whatever she could to feel wanted.
Initially the staircase spirit seemed like Margaret giving Nico advice, but as the book progressed it seemed like the staircase spirit was mocking her. So as a lot of you have said, I too think it was a real Nico coming through. Deep down she knew that her association with Aaron was wrong. Aaron was one of Nico's strongest links to Margaret in the past and so she would do whatever she could to cling on to her sister.
The ending was kind of corny, but I guess it's good that the family could move out and leave a lot of their problems behind, but at the same time the author didn't really explain how they ended up dealing with the grief. Overall I thought this was a good book and I was glad to read something more modern.
Kristin Carr
Goldengrove was actually my favorite book out of the three. I found it very easy to read, and, despite being incredibly depressing, I enjoyed this novel. Like Michelle and Katie I didn't really understand the beginning when Nico didn't notice anything after Margaret jumped out of the boat and she decided to rest for a bit, and then she suddenly just knowing something was wrong later. I feel like it would be kinda of hard to miss that Margaret had drowned or that she hadn't gotten out of the water.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I agree that the staircase spirit is more what Nico wanted to say, but instead she was acting more like Margaret. I agree with Kelsey, that the staircase spirit expresses her insecurities about what she did say or what she thinks she should have said.
Obviously, the relationship between Nico and Aaron was just weird and unhealthy. When Nico first started hanging out with Aaron, I thought it would be a good thing for the both of them, so they could stop avoiding anything that reminded them of Margaret. But when Nico continued to lie to her parents and Elaine, I started to think that it was a little off. Despite Nico's denials, it is quite obvious that she had a crush on Aaron, and we Aaron was using Nico as a way to have Margaret back. Their relationship became completely disturbing when Aaron kissed Nico for the first time. I got really annoyed with Nico after that incident, when she kept saying that she wished she could talk to Aaron and, despite knowing that it was a terrible idea, going to see him again. I was glad at the very end when she said that she never saw Aaron again. Both Margaret and her dad said that Aaron was "a little nuts" and had " a screw loose", so I could not understand why Nico would continue hanging out with him, even when he treated her more like Margaret than Nico.
At some points it seemed like Aaron was deliberately trying to hurt Nico, like when he made her listen to the recording to "My Funny Valentine" and telling her Margaret only sang it for laughs. Also, he would get angry when Nico wouldn't act like Margaret did, like when he asked her about his painting and all she said was that it was great. I thought that he was hoping that she would respond like Margaret would have.
I agree that the ending was too happy compared to the dark mood of the rest of the book and that it seemed like the author had no idea how else to end the book.
Megan Giangrande
I definitely agree that the ending was not satisfying. However, I though that the rest of the book was well-written and interesting. I couldn't always relate directly with what Nico was going through, but I could usually connect with some of her thoughts. For example, while I've never lost anyone as important as a sister, I understand how certain places and things in her life (such as the bookstore or going for ice cream) can remind you of important people.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the many allusions Ms. Prose included. Whenever she mentioned any music or movie characters or anything, I found that it helps to google them and see what they're really like. I found the same picture of Jean Seberg as Joan of Arc, and listened to "My Funny Valentine" and some Velvet Underground. It made the story a little more real.
To me, Goldengrove was the most interesting book out the three. There was just something about the mystery that intrigued me, and like many of you I finished it in one day!
ReplyDeleteI thought that is novel was the most relatable, because of Nico's age and the stuff she had to go though and deal with, certainly her tragedy was to the extreme but everyone has tough stuff that life puts them trough and this story is a wonderful example of the way a person copes and grows through that tragedy.
Casey, I totally agree with you, the allusions that Prose had in this novel completely made this book. I found my self researching the poem and the song, doing this made me feel like I was in Nico's shoes.
My favorite part of this story was the thought provoking lines that Prose included, like; "they always said lying was worse than whatever the lie was about." page 11 and "we were the wallflowers left behind after Margaret waltzed away." page 32.
At times Aarons and Nicos characters really creeped me out, the way they were remembering Margaret did not seem like a healthy way to do so, but as I would read about the vanilla perfume and other things they were doing I would remind my self that all they had was the support of each other, and that was how they coped with tragedy.
I was actually happy with the way the novel ended, while it did seem to end quickly I think that maybe that was Proses way of telling the reader that happiness can sneak up on a person when least expected. Call me crazy but I think everyone deserves a happy ending and I'm glad Nico found hers.
Briana Penney
After reading what Briana had to say about the ending, I started to like the ending more. She was right that everyone deserves a happy ending especially after what the family had to go through. I still wish that the ending could have been prolonged. It seemed rushed to me because the author just crammed a couple decades together, but by doing this the reader lost a lot of details as to what the family did to get through it, it mislead the reader to think that from the point they moved things were smooth. This may have been the case, but in reality it takes longer and people continue on a rougher path to get through such a death and possibly never have a chance to move on.
ReplyDeleteKristin Carr
It's been a while since I commented on this book because I'm not sure how I feel about it. Like I said, I was very frustrated with Nico's choices, but I wasn't surprised when she started becoming Margaret. Maybe that's because she wasn't so far off from being a clone of Margaret to begin with. It's important to remember that this family wasn't perfect even when Margaret was alive - Nico still defined herself by doing whatever Margaret did or told her to do, and their parents weren't even invested in their children's lives enough to stop Margaret from dating a guy with "a screw loose".
ReplyDeleteMy problem with this book is that the characters just don't seem like real people to me. They're all flat - Nico's parents, her friends, Aaron, Margaret, even Nico herself. The parents didn't seem at all interested in how Nico was doing, because they were too busy trying to make themselves feel better. It's like they forgot they had another daughter, one who was still alive. And the way Nico's friends just kind of faded away when Margaret died? I know Nico was pushing them away, but if a friend of mine lost her sister and was having trouble talking to people, I wouldn't leave her alone to stew in her thoughts, I'd try to help her in any way I could. Maybe the author meant to show you that they weren't good people, but it just seemed to me that they weren't real people at all. It's hard to believe that anyone is that cold that they'd give up on a friend in need.
Nina and Briana and Kristin, you've given me a lot to think about about the ending to this book. I guess when I was reading along I just wanted Nico to get out of her depression and be happy so much that I didn't notice that the ending was maybe a little too happy. While I still agree with Briana that Nico deserved happiness after all that she'd been through, I think Nina's right that it was too perfect and I absolutely agree with Kristin that it glossed over the rest of Nico's long healing process.
When I first read Goldengrove, I found myself very absorbed, and curious as to how the story was going to pan out. When I was done with the book, I was very happy with it. Now, however, as I read more and more through everyone’s comments, I am becoming more unsatisfied with the book. As Shelby brought up before, the book had a “shock value” that kept you reading. When I think back to that “shock value”, I believe that it kept me from noticing things about the book. I was so appalled with what was going on between Nico and Aaron, that I hardly acknowledged other aspects of the story. Ali, when you brought up the fact that you thought all of the characters were flat, I had a hard time accepting that. Then I thought back on it. The more I thought about it, the more I agree with you. It almost seems like the author was so focused on the relationship between Nico and Aaron that all of the other relationships in the novel began to feel fake and flat. I didn’t notice that until now, because while I was reading I was immersed in the relationship between Nico and Aaron.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that a lot of people have been bringing up and questioning is the end of the story. Personally, I liked the ending. The “shock value” of the story increased throughout the book in a way that was almost uncomfortable. The happy ending was a reprieve from the rest of the novel. I like what Brianna said in how everyone deserves a happy ending. I would have like the book a lot less if it ended in a depressing way. One thing that I am really missing from the ending, however, is the lack of information about Aaron, and what happened to him. I’m not sure how Aaron could’ve been incorporated into the ending, but I would still have liked to know what happened to him.
Im really happy to read all of these other opinions about the ending, its has defiantly changed my perspective a little bit. I agree with Kristin that it skimmed over many years, and those were perhaps the most important years.
ReplyDeleteAlison, I'm so glad you brought ip the point about the friends fading away, that was one of my questions too, maybe the author wanted to focus on nico and her family? Maybe she wanted to make it seem like they were living in their own little world, away from the real world?
Emily, I am on the same page as you, I still want to know what happened to Aaron, Elaine and Tycho. Prose left us all wondering with that.
Briana Penney
At the beginning of the book, Nico somewhat describes the staircase spirit. To me, it meant that after something happens or one says something, they wish they could have changed what happend or what was said. The staircase spirit is part of the conscience and Nico's conscience mimicks her a lot, almost mocking her. I think that when this happens, she wishes she hadn't said what she did. There are several times that the staircase spirit echoes something different than what Nico had said and that's when Nico wishes she had said something different.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Emily H.'s view on the staircase spirit, I agree that this part of her conscience is the Nico that was sane and wouldn't let Margaret's death interfere.
Many people are commenting on how the story ended and I agree that the ending was "too" perfect. I didn't like how it wraped up quickly and had fast forward like 20 years into the future. I like how Ali F. looked at the ending; "I just wanted Nico to get out of her depression and be happy so much that I didn't notice that the ending was maybe a little too happy." After reading this, I think I also felt the same way. I never really thought about the ending in full detail until I read some of the other posts.
I also wonder how Nico did not notice when Margaret didn't come out of the water. This part in the story annoyed me a bit because it's just impossible to not notice something so big! If Nico was still in the boat and she had to bring it back to shore, she most likely should have noticed her sister was no where to be found.
In the book, Nico has to listen and talk to a countless number of people who are very sorry for her loss. I can relate to Nico in understanding how after so many people say the same thing over and over again, the phrase "I'm sorry for your loss" loses its' original genuineness; it no longer means anything.
I strongly agree with Ali about the whole friends situation. The author described Nico as, in a way, hating her friends after Margaret's death. Nico would ignore them and get angry or frustrated with them when they tried to reach out and help her. This to me seemed extremely irrational and unrealistic. Friends are some of the first people that teenagers, especially girls, go to when something awful like this happens to them in life. Instead of leaning on her two close friends, she distanced herself from them. This aspect of the book made me angry as I was reading. Nico thought that they were doing something wrong by reaching out to her and trying to support her. I thought that maybe it as going to just be a phase where she is still trying to accept the fact of her sisters death and trying to figure things out on her own, but she never went back to her friends the way I predicted she would.
ReplyDeleteAlso, back to the matter about the ending. Emily and Briana had said that they would have liked to know what happened to Aaron, I agree that I would like to know exactly how things turned out with him, but at the same time the only way we could have found out what happened to him would have been through the thoughts and experiences of Nico. This would have meant that Nico would have had to run into Aaron or find him, and I don't think that I would have liked her seeing him again. It would have brought up bad memories rather than Prose sticking to the happy ending. Maybe Prose wanted us to come up with our own ending for Aaron, the type of ending we thought he deserved whether good or bad. It still would have been nice to know what happened though.
Kristin Carr
I just listened to "My Funny Valentine" because it kept being brought up in the book, and I felt like I would have more insight if I knew how it sounded. I thought that it was clever how Prose connected this song to Nico's experience with Aaron.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would be unbearingly painful for Nico to live right next to the lake that her sister drowned in. You are constantly being reminded of the painful incident, and there's no escape. I'm glad that they eventually moved.
I liked the use of the picture of the three girls doing yoga in the front yard. It shows that although it was a tragic death, there are still good memories of the happy times they spent together. I thought the use of the picture added some humor and lightened the mood.
Kristin, I really like the idea of coming up with our own ending for Aaron. When you bring it up, I'm glad Nico did not associate with Aaron again. I think it would have only resulted in bad memories, and would have detracted from the "moving on" ending. Aaron seemed to have so much trouble moving on from Margaret's death. He was so distraught that he tried to turn Nico into her sister. Because of this, I am very unsure of whether he would be able to move on later in life like Nico did. Now that you mention it, I guess it is a good thing that we can only imagine what happened to Aaron, and not have his story taint Nico's happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling a lot better after hearing Kristin's response to why Prose didn't tell us what happened to Aaron, I totally agree with not wanting Nico to meet Aaron again.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I agree that the staircase spirit was mocking her at times, I think it was Prose's way of giving the reader what would have been the BEST thing to say or do. This then shows the reader the "mistakes" or "wrong turns" Nico made.
Taylor, I listened to My Funny Valentine a little while ago and after reading this book. It seemed kind of creepy or eerie to me, did you get that feeling at all?
Briana Penney
Briana, I just listened to "My Funny Valentine", the Frank Sinatra version, and it did seem a bit weird to listen to. The song is slow and although it seemed a complete different song from the way it was always described in the book, I still felt the connection to it
ReplyDeleteI just listened to it, as well. I didn't find it all that creepy. However, I was reminded of a more recent song - "WWhen I see your face, there's not one thing I would change..."
ReplyDeleteI suppose the song has the poltential to be creepy, but the Frank Sinatra version sounded okay to me.
Matthew Shanks
I'm sorry if I seem like a downer, but did anybody find this ending to be a little too Disney like? By the end of the summer, everything just worked itself out to have a happy ending that didn't really fit with the rest of the book. Does anyone think that actually happens in real life? The news always tells stories of tragedies and the only miracles are in fictional shows/movies.
ReplyDeleteI actually think the ending was very fitting, the entire book was a struggle about grief and letting go of things you couldn't change. I agree that the ending with Nico was a bit of a surprising, at least when she's speaking as an adult, but the ending itself, how the love/lust combination felt between Aaron and Nico didn't work out, I believe showed the progression of both characters. Each one had to deal with their individual grief over Margaret. The grief broke Aaron when he found out he couldn't bring her back, but Nico and her family relied on each other to get through and get past that. The ending is symbolic of the family finally letting go and moving on. They were happy before the accident, and they were finally happy when it was all over, and the ending shows that.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're trying to get across and I understand the symbolism (you said it very well I might add) but the one problem I have is your concluding sentence. You said "They were happy before the accident, and they were finally happy when it was all over, and the ending shows that." This brings it back to what I'm saying about the Disney ending. This sounds like the Lion King, Simba (Nico) is happy when he (she) is young. Then there is a death in the family (Margaret) that is devastating to his (her) psyche and then our main character meets Timone and Pumba (Elaine) who helps our main character deal with their problems. Then, at the end Simba (Nico) confronts his (her) problem which is actually a person, Scar (Aaron). After, everything turns out happy and everyone has progressed to a better state. So you see, this book is in fact unrealistic because I just linked the summary of it to an actual Disney movie, the Lion King.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the Lion King, and I can now see where your coming from. Although the settings are definitely different, your argument does hold water. The Lion King although a less serious story, does share a significant amount of plot with Goldengrove. What the Lion King is missing is the tension between Nico and Aaron. This is the driving factor in the progression of Nico throughout the story, without Aaron she would not have been able to cope with the sadness of her loss. Even though Aaron, without realizing it was trying to recreate Margaret through Nico, the relationship was beneficial until the two blurred together to Aaron. Like in the Lion King how Simba was being raised to take his father's ,Mufasa's, place as king of the pridelands, Nico was being changed to take the place of her sister. Throughout the story she changed the way she looked, acted, and even smelled, the vanilla perfume. This not only temporarily helped Aaron cope with the loss, but also made Nico happy for the first time since the accident.
ReplyDeleteOh great job spotting the symbolism with Mufasa and Nico's replacement of Margaret, I hadn't thought of that. But I did have one other problem with this book relating back to Margaret's death. We can all attest to the fact that as a child you will have nightmares, there is a boogeyman, and ghosts can haunt you. I ask then, why would there parents not try to move away from the lake right away? Even for an adult if they stay close to the site of a loved one's death, the mourning process will be prolonged substantial amounts. If they had moved away after Margaret's death, I believe that Nico and her parents would have been able to overcome the tragedy much faster than they did. By staying there, I think that it will have an everlasting effect upon Nico. The effect being that when she loses someone close to her again she will go into another state of depression because that's the only way her mind knows how to deal with it. The parents, quite frankly, did an awful job at being parents because they permanently damaged their living daughter psychologically.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with that argument, by staying at the lake for so long the healing process only took longer. The lake was symbolic for Margaret, it force the whole family into a deeper depression because it was the place Margaret died. By staying there it caused each family member to sink to new lows. The mom took solace in drugs, extorting the doctor that could have saved Margaret. The father took solace in his book working on it non-stop. And Nico took solace in Aaron, the only person she felt comfortable to talk too. If they had moved earlier in the story there grief would have subsided much earlier.
ReplyDeleteI definitely see what both Colton and Ben are saying, but I can also see some reasoning behind staying by the lake. Having a sister close in age and being really close to her, I cannot fathom losing her, especially to something like drowning. I think that part of the reasoning behind staying by the lake, for both Nico and her parents, was to not lose or forget Margaret. I think they felt that if they left, they would leave Margaret and the memories they had of her behind at the house. The grief definitely would have subsided earlier if they had moved, but I think it would have also hindered the grieving process by creating more chaos and unrest that moving causes at a time when the family needed sameness and normality. By staying by the lake, they could have even a false sense that life was normal because they could live their day-to-day lives without the stress of leaving. Each person sank to new lows, definitely, but I think it probably would have been much worse if they had had to deal with the upheaval of moving. Also, if they had moved, that would have meant packing up Margaret's possessions, which none of them were ready for. They would have had to go into her room and deal with everything that had been Margaret's, which they had been avoiding.
ReplyDeleteEmily Davidson
I certainly agree with what Colton and Ben said. It did to follow the story line of the Lion King a little too eerily. As Colton said, it was very Disney-esque. One may also conclude that it was like the story the Little Mermaid. Ariel wasn't happy with who she was, and she underwent major changes in her life, such as getting legs, until she realized she was happiest being herself--fins and all. I think that this shows that the underlying themes of this story can be found across many types of literature and media because they are all things we can connect and that we sometimes struggle with.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily D. in her reasoning behind why the family did not move away from the lake right away. Right after Margaret's death, the family was in too much shock and depression to even think about something like leaving the lake. As they slowly began their healing process, I don't think moving away was ever an option. Staying where they were allowed them to all try and get back into a day-to-day routine. Nico's father and Nico herself spent time at the book store, which helped them regain a little normalcy in their lives. The family had to say goodbye to Margaret once. Moving away would almost be like saying goodbye again. They had so many memories of Margaret at the lake, causing them to not want to leave. Those memories were the only things they had left of Margaret. If they left, they wouldn’t have them anymore. The only thing that would have helped them to let go of those memories was time. Another point Emily made was that in moving, they would have to pack up. This would involve going through all of the possessions in their house, finding possessions of Margaret, and solidifying the truth that she wasn’t with them anymore. The family wasn’t able to do this until they were ready, and they were definitely not ready right after Margaret’s death. Although living by the lake was painful, the family couldn’t let go of it until the time was right. And that’s what they did.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading everyone’s comments, now that I hear it I agree that the staircase spirit was Margaret’s spirit or at least Nico envisioning her spirit. I also agree that not leaving the lake must have been hard for the grieving process, but at the same time keeping something constant in their life was probably good for them so it seemed as normal as it could at that point. Also as Emily said how they would have to pack up all of Margaret’s things if they were to move. This book was very sad because it wasn’t like other stories about death that you read. I felt that Prose described Nico’s day-to-day feelings, towards the beginning, as well as accented the differences after Margaret’s death, such as the hairdresser and Nico looking more and more like Margaret. I did agree that the book could’ve described the missed years near the end as well as Prose did at the beginning/middle of the book. This book did leave me wondering. I wished I could know what happened with Elaine and Aaron but then I can leave it to my imagination which is interesting because it changes when I hear other’s outlooks.
ReplyDeleteEmily D. and Emily H.- I now see why Nico's family would remain at their home on the lake after Margaret's death.
ReplyDeleteI understand that they were healing, however, I don't think that they would forget Margaret if they moved. Margaret left such a mark on the family, they would never forget about her. I think it was more painful staying at the house. Having to walk by her room, seeing the lake-it's all too emotionally difficult. People have a difficult time driving by the scence of a loved one's death, but living next to it would be unbearable for me.
I agree with everyone that the ending was too quick, easy, and happy. It didn't agree with the rest of the book, however it gave me relief that Nico would have a happy life and never see Aaron again. Although nothing could patch the hole in Nico that Margaret held, she seemed to have as satisfying life as possible. As most of you said, I was curious about what happened to Aaron afterword.
Did any of you think that Nico's father was cheating on his wife?
Taylor, I think Nico's father was definitely cheating, perhaps not physically, but certainly in an emotional sense. As her mother's state deteriorated from grief and stress, etc., he grew emotionally attached to Elaine. It was, while understandable, definitely not commendable.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on previous comments, I also see that people have listened to "My Funny Valentine" after reading the book. I knew the song very well before I read Goldengrove, and thought it a fantastic choice for the mood of the story. It's a strange song to begin with...of course, the story I now associate with it is so depressing that I find the song has taken on new meaning. Now when I hear it on my iPod, it's not just a love song, but something of a lament.
Taylor H.—I understand what you are saying. Seeing the lake and knowing that Margaret drowned there would be horribly unbearable. I want to revise what I said a little. I agree that if they moved, they would never forget Margaret because of the mark that she left on them. To rephrase what I said, I think that they were afraid of forgetting Margaret if they moved. They found it hard to start a new chapter in their lives without Margaret. Moving on would be acknowledging her passing. They were trying desperately to hold onto a world and a life with Margaret that no longer existed, and would never exist again.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Julia in your question about Nico’s father. I think he was cheating on his wife in a way. After Margaret’s death, her mom became detached and distanced herself from everyone. This led Nico’s father to try and find some sort of relationship to replace the one he was losing. I don’t know if he was doing this on purpose, or whether it was the result of his emotional state. He may have not wanted to “cheat” on his wife, but in his depressed state, he was grasping for someone to lean on. That person ended up being Elaine.
Emily, I like your curiosity about the mystery of Aaron after Nico left. I wish they had explained his whereabouts because he became an important character because of his relationships with Nico and Margaret, and then he dropped off the map. Hearing about where he turned out would have given the story a lot more closure. And Katie, I love your connection to the Little Mermaid! I think Nico and Ariel were very similar in their transitions into adulthood and discovering the happiness life contains even without certain family members present all the time.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to read everyone's opinion on such an emotionally stirring book! I thought Goldengrove was definitely the best out of the 3 summer reading books. It kept me interested the entire way through, which made it a fast read. I thought Prose did a great job of putting the reader inside Nico's head. She made it effortless to feel the extreme grief Nico was going through during the novel. Everyone has lost someone close to them and is able to compare to her on some level. Grief is common among all people and in this novel you are able to see in depth into the grieving process. I agree with the others who said that staying by the lake only made moving on more difficult. Margaret's spirit lived by the lake as well as in their home. It was impossible for the family to move on if they were living with the past. Margaret's death loomed over them throughout the entire story becasue they just couldn't get away. I also thought the relationship between Aaron and Nico was very strange, but that only made it more curious to read about. Nico figured out that something bad could become of their relationship, yet she couldn't pull away until that something actually happened. To me it seemed like she was hoping Aaron liked her for more than being like Margaret. Overall it was a heavy story to read, but it ended with a glimpse of hope. Knowing that Nico was able to get on with her life and find happiness proves that the grief truely can come to an end. It would have been nice to know how some of the other characters were doing such as Aaron or Elaine, but Nico was the one who captured my heart and became the person I was most concerned about. Although the ending left you wondering it satisfied me to know that Nico found genuine happiness without her living sister.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I would like to say kudos to Colton for the analogy he made between Lion King and Goldengrove. That was awesome. I also completely agree because I thought that the story was given too quick of an ending. I think the term that you guys gave it, "disney-esque", fits perfectly and works on all levels. Also, just to add my two cents, I don't think Nico's father was cheating. Elaine owned up to a previous occurrence of infidelity involving herself and Nico's father and I think that was the epitome of the relationship. I think Elaine and Nico's father simply shared an emotional connection because of the relationship they lacked with their respective spouses. The father of Elaine's child was in no way involved with Elaine, leaving her to take on the responsibility of raising a mentally handicapped child. Nico's father not only had to cope with the loss of his daughter, but he also had to help his daughter cope as well as his wife. Nico coped with Aaron, and his wife coped by using prescription drugs and alcohol. Her abuse of drugs therefore led to her emotional estrangement from the family. So I think that Elaine and Nico's father simply shared an emotional connection but that was the extent of their relationship.
ReplyDeleteJeff Gilcreast
Although many people have taken dark and sinister themes out of Prose’s novel, I believe that it is contains many positive and healing themes such as loss and recovery and time will heal all wounds. I do not believe that Prose intended for people to view her book in a bad light because of the wrought acts that transpired (such as the dangerous sexual interactions, drug additions, or affairs); rather she wrote to uplift by showing how people will surface from the most terrible event imaginable: the premature death of a loved one. Don’t get me wrong, years later Nico still experienced some psychological tribulations; however she was able to rebound and live a normal life with a good job and a happy family.
ReplyDeleteLike many of you, I feel the ending was rushed and left a lot of questions unanswered, but at the same time I agree with what Taylor A said in that leaving things open for one’s imagination and interpretation can be a good thing—especially for a blog where people’s views on the book are subject to others’ views.
Brendan Perra
Okay, so I finished Goldengrove about a month ago, and I have to say it was probably my favorite book out of the three. Unlike Return of the Native, it was exciting from the beginning to the end. Once I started reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. I thought Prose portrayed the grieving process excellently and you could really connect with each character. I really felt for these characters as they all managed to deal with the grief of losing Margaret in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteI thought Nico was a fascinating character. She made some stupid decisions but she was never completely unaware with her surroundings, which is what I liked the most about her. Her relationship with Aaron was her most senseless decision in this novel. Although it would have been nice for Nico and Aaron, both, to have a friend to talk to other than their families, once the relationship turned into something peculiar, Nico should have known better than to stay close to him. I liked the relationship Aaron and Nico had when it began because it seemed to help Nico by allowing her to have fun, and get out of the house. Once he started asking Nico to wear Margaret’s clothes, and to eat the pistachio ice cream, I wanted Nico to realize what she was getting herself into. He was trying to turn her into her sister, and I’m glad she stuck up for herself in the end.
I agree with what Katie previously said about Margaret’s actually death. How could Nico not notice that Margaret wasn’t swimming under the water, or that she wasn’t coming back up for air? Why didn’t she go to get help sooner, or jump in and try to save her? She knew that her sister had a heart condition, and that she was smoking before she jumped into the lake, so it confuses me why she didn’t do more or think about what was happening in order to at least attempt to save her sister.
The ending was both good and bad for me. I was a fan of the happy ending, as extreme as it may have been. The perfect life that Nico ended up with may have been a little more than Prose needed to include in order to make the ending satisfying but I can’t say that I hated it. The only part I didn’t like about the ending was that there was no mention of how Aaron ended up. It would have been nice to hear what happened to him and if he ever moved on from the grief he was experiencing and if he was able to live a normal life.
I just wanted to comment on what Katie and Kaitlin said about Margaret's death. I do think it was strange that Nico didn't jump in to save her and go for help sooner, but Nico was only thirteen. Her fisrt thought was probably not that her sister was drowning. When looking back at the text it seemed like Nico was making excuses for why Margaret hadn't appeared on the dock or popped of for air. Before Nico got worried about not seeing Margaret Prose wrote, "I need to rest awhile first. Sunspots ticked the back of my eyelids." (Prose 19). This leads me to believe that she wasn't looking at Margaret the entire time she was in the lake. Nico was too busy thinking about the phytoplankton and what not. It's hard for me to believe someone fell asleep that fast, but I think she was in a state where she was oblivous to her surroundings because she was so involved in her thoughts about her sister and herself. It wasn't until she "sat up and looked for Margaret" that she came back to the present and realized Margaret was nowhere to be seen (Prose 19). There was no way for Nico to predict that her sister was going to drown so she didn't feel the need to take special attention watching her sister swim across the lake since she has done it before. Going to the lake was something Margaret and Nico have done many times before, which made even harder for Nico to believe that her sister was actually gone.
ReplyDeleteDory, I agree with you. Nico was young and not really paying attention. In that situation, she didn't assume the worst when she didn't see her sister. To her, the logical explanation was that somehow her sister went back. I don't think it even crossed her mind that something went wrong. To Nico, Margaret was indestructible, and the last thing that she would've thought was that her sister drowned.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Taylor and Julia that what Nico's dad was doing was wrong. The fact that he cheated on her mom before Nico was born really annoyed me, and I don't think that Nico should have ridden it off as something that happened a long time ago. If I was her, I would have wanted to confront my dad about that, seeing as it sounded like her parents already had Margaret when he cheated. And even though he didn't physically cheat after Margaret died, there was definitely something emotional going on between her dad and Elaine. I didn't understand how Nico's opinion on Elaine and her father didn't change after she found out.
ReplyDeleteMegan Giangrande
Did anyone else think that Margaret's death itself was incredibly odd? It seemed strange to me that someone who grew up by a lake, and who seemed as confident in the water as Margaret would face death by drowning. Not only that, but isn't it odd that no one ever heard her struggling? I'd have thought that a victim of drowning would've made a lot of noise splashing or crying for help. I honestly expected that as the plot progressed, we would learn more about some "truth" behind Margaret's death. For awhile I even suspected that Aaron might have played a role in it, since he had a "screw loose". Maybe I watch too much dramatic television, but I felt that her death was under-developed. No one seemed to put much thought into how it all happened, and merely accepted that the girl just drowned. It all just seemed a little too simple.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the connections to the Lion King and The Little Mermaid are fantastic. I would've never seen that resemblance before, but there are a surprising amount of similarities!
Shelby - I think you make a good point about her death being a little improbable. I think Prose was using the fact that Margaret smoked to explain why she would have drowned so easily; her lungs were weakened by the smoke and she struggled to breathe. Had the story focused more on the strange nature of her death, it would have been less about Nico's loss and her struggle to recover and come to terms with everything, and more of a mystery about Margaret's passing. It would have been an entirely different book, but I like the idea as an alternate turn of events for the book. I guess Prose just wanted Goldengrove to be more of an emotional journey than an investigative one.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Julia. Although it would have been nice to understand everything about Margaret's death, it would have taken away from Nico's emotional journey. The focus of the book was strictly on Nico's healing process and not the details of the drowning. The details would have been too distracting and wouldn't have added to the story as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI agree that without details of Margaret's death, it seems improbable. You can easily find flaws in what happened, and question it. Another “improbable fact” that I question from the book was how fast Nico’s mom recovered from her prescription drug addiction. All it took for her to stop was to go to the dump and scatter her pills around. Nico says, “Once more, Officer Prozak proved to have been a deep well of misinformation. My mother’s recovery was less difficult and more permanent than the DARE program had warned” (266). It might be just me, but I felt as if things were too easy and not realistic. After spending a lot of the summer abusing prescription medication, she seemed to very easily kick the habit. This little part bothered me because it seemed really unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteWell right off the bat, this was absolutely my favorite required summer reading book this summer. Probably ever. The language is modern, the situations are (for the most part) believable, and the characters are pretty relatable for us as high school kids. I just loved it so much.
ReplyDeleteI had the same thoughts about the staircase spirit as mostly everyone else who has posted about it. I wondered early on if the spirit was Margaret's spirit communicating to Nico somehow. Shelby brought up a point I was also trying to figure out myself about Margaret's death. I kept trying to imagine a situation where she grew up swimming in the lake, but one day dove in and never came back up... I too would think she would've surfaced and made some noise at least once while struggling to breathe and regain control in the water. On the other hand, I agree with the people who have mentioned that knowing exactly what happened would have taken away from the story's meaning. It would have de-emphasized the journey Nico made and the entire healing process for all of Margaret's loved ones.
I totally agree with Emily's post just above this about Nico's mother. I was skeptical to believe that anyone could just stop taking medication that had become a habitual and addictive substance for them. This was another one of the parts I felt wasn't too realistic or believable
I like how the title of the book is the name of Nico's dad's bookstore. It's one of those titles that you can find the connection more easily in the book than others. The name is right in the book, and the bookstore was an important place for Nico. It was the first place her parents could really get her to go to consistently after Margaret passed. She had a set schedule, and I think knowing that she would meet her dad for lunch then go run the cashier's desk was good for her. The bookstore was also the first place where she really had a conversation with Aaron after her sister was gone. The beginning of their friendship was a fabulous thing for the both of them. They were both lost and didn't know where to turn. I think if they had stayed true friends then it would have been the perfect friendship. They bonded over the same person/event/loss, (whichever you'd like to call it all) and that brought them together. They both needed someone to be there who understood what it felt like without words to try to explain anything. They just needed someone who knew. Turning to each other was a wise move I think, but when the relationship got to be anything but friends hanging out with friends, Nico should've taken a step back and re-assessed the situation.
Overall, I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Absolutely my favorite we have ever had for required school reading. While it had some flaws, most novels will, and I looked past them to find an awesome book that I really liked.
Julia and Dory - you guys made a great point that I hadn't considered before. I guess the story really would've been entirely different if that were the case. Margaret's death wasn't the focus of the story, but instead a means to creating Nico's story of loss and healing.
ReplyDeleteNico's mother's recovery also seemed very unrealistic to me too. An addiction like that would take a long time to recover from.
Carolyn, I like your thoughts on the title. It was nice that you didn't have to dig in order to find a connection between the title and story. While reading the book, the title sort of just clicked. Then reading further made the title have an even stronger connection to the story. In other books, even after reading the entire story it's hard to figure out the meaning of the title. For this particular book, Goldengrove, I thought it was a wise choice to pick a simple title that fit right into the book. Searching for the meaning of the title might have taken away from real focus of the story. This way at the end of the book, the reader can admire the story and Nico's journey instead of being confused by a title that has a hidden connection.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book! It was by far the best of the three summer reading books. The storyline was easy to follow and it was extremely easy to relate to. I didn't find myself searching for a way to connect this story to my own life; the connection was already there. For this reason, this novel is great for highschoolers. I also found it interesting to read the comments that other students had about such a depressing story. I agree with Nina on the ending. It seemed as if Francine Prose was done writing therefore she used an easy ending. Sending Nico back to school and having her no longer known as the "dead girl's sister." I was generally disappointed with the ending but in my opinion it didn't make up for the rest of the novel. I was also confused on how Margaret had drown in the lake. As Alex had stated it wasn't well explained what happened. Francine Prose described the events leading up to the incident but never thoroughly described what truly caused the drowning. Besides the few questions I had after completing this book, I thought it was a great read. Especially for summer!
ReplyDelete-Amanda Landry
Also...Julia- I never considered Margaret's death as a basis for Nico's story. That is a great way to think of it that I had never even considered. Margaret's death pointed the spotlight on Nico's suffering and cry to Aaron for help. This new way of thinking that I found by reading your post has definitely changed my outlook on the novel. Rather than focusing on the death of Margaret, it has caused me to think of it as Nico's story instead of the ending of Margaret's.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Shelby. Their mother's addiction seemed to be resolved quite quickly which I also found unrealistic.
Carolyn and Dory, I like both of your thoughts about the title. I agree that it was simple enough so that you didn’t have to search for the meaning in the book. It just fit so well.
ReplyDeleteOften, I will read a book and find the title word for word in the text. Sometimes I find that the author just slips the title into a part that doesn’t make sense. When this happens, I often find the title to be cheesy, or just not picked well. I did not feel this way at all with the title for this book. Somehow it just worked. Goldengrove wasn’t just the name of her father’s book store, but it was also the name of the poem relating to Margaret. I thought the poem was beautiful and fit into the book so well. The book store and the poem were very important parts of the story, but they were not the only important things. Naming the book “Goldengrove” was not too much. It emphasizes the bookstore and the poem, but not in a bad way. I think the title contributes to the success of the book as a whole.
The title "Goldengrove" works well, I agree. I think it's interesting if you think of it in terms of songs... "My Funny Valentine" is, of course, the song which is most pivotal to the story, and you can find the title of the song in the lyrics. Some songs have titles totally unrelated to the words. So it's a tiny parallel to the idea of the title of the book being found in the story itself, multiple times - sort of like a song. And the book flows sort of like a song, too...emotional and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one--it seemed sort of slow in parts, but only in a purposeful, melencholy way. The depiction of the grieving process was very real, and incredibly frank--an uncomfortable, idle silence seemed to follow the story, especially evident in Nico's family. Margaret, to me, seemed more likable than Nico--initially, I thought it would've been preferable if Nico died. But as the story progressed, it became obvious that Nico's personal growth following her sister's death was the central point of the story--it simply couldn't have happened the other way around. I also found it interesting that Nico was only thirteen--although she certainly can be seen as very naieve and young, she is also dealing with events and ideas most girls her age don't need to face. The book as a whole was poetic, but perfectly natural, and more than any other book I've read, depicted death as what it really is--ordinary, but still heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteKaitlin Flynn
You’re all posting comments to fast!!
ReplyDeleteTo give some thought on the “realism” of Margaret’s Death, to be honest, I never really gave it a second thought after reading it. I didn’t, perhaps, because of the rapid pace of the story in the early chapters. Margaret is deceased by Page 20 (!), and her concluded funeral a few pages later. My actual thought at time, instead of pausing on Margaret’s death, was really something along the lines of,” She’s dead already! Damn, That was quick!”. To another reader, this pleasant thirteen-year-old, if you had skipped a chapter, suddenly would have been transformed from an ordinary, decently happy girl, to a grief-stricken recluse, already withdrawing from society. The reason for the rapidity, of course, is in large part due to the focus of the story, as Julia pointed out, this is not a story regarding the conditions during and after the death of Margaret, but rather, how Nico coped with life in the aftermath. To waste time on something other than this would be a drag on the story, and a distraction none the less. Margaret died, in the lake, having drowned. Nothing will have ever changed that. She may have drowned because of a heart attack, she may have drowned because should couldn’t breathe properly due to smoking. Prose refrains from giving a thorough description, because, beyond telling us that she had died, nothing else is needed to be told to advance the story. For all we know, Jaws could have appeared to killed Margaret for his afternoon snack. In any case, how Margaret died is irrelevant, all that is relevant, is that Margaret did die.
In all honesty, the ambiguity surrounding Margaret’s death only adds to the power of the story. Grief, THE dominating element of Goldengrove, is just as ambiguous as Margaret’s sudden death. What is Grief? Can you, in your our words, even explain what Grief really is? Can you explain why Grief drove Nico to do feel what she felt, and to do what she did? How about her parents, Mom and Dad? Or Aaron? Or anyone who has ever lost something close to them? You can’t. You quite simply can’t. And perhaps, nor will anyone else ever be able to either. In this fashion, the ambiguity of Margaret’s death, and the avalanche of tumultuous feelings afterwards, Grief foremost among them, fit together perfectly, like a pair of puzzle pieces. Just as those puzzle pieces add to the picture of the puzzle, for Goldengrove, the ambiguity of Margaret’s death and Grief, together, add to the mystique of the story. To think more of Margaret’s death, to question it, would have only served to ruin my immersion, that mystique, as I tried wrap my head around why the hell Nico was fooling around with Aaron the further I went into the story.
Even though it is a pretty disturbing story, Goldengrove was probably my favorite book out of the three. It's not typically they type of novel I pick out, but it was an interesting change. To me Margaret is the seemingly perfect character on the outside, but deeply troubled soul on the inside. Everything in the novel basically revolves around her. Although she died right in the beginning, she was probably one of my favorite characters. I just thought a lot about her was fascinating, as did everyone who knew her. Margaret and Aaron seemed like the perfect couple, as if they were made for each other. It's deeply saddening that a tragedy like this could happen to a young couple in love.
ReplyDeleteJenna Lovett
Matt, I agree with what you are saying about Margaret's death. When I first read through it, I didn't really question anything about it. Through the blog we started to dissect things about it. Wouldn't there have been noise? Didn't Nico pay more attention? I think now it makes sense to consider these things. Personally I question them only because I didn't completely notice the lack of details while I was reading. I found myself moving through the book at a fast pace. I question things about Margaret's death out of surprise that I didn't think of them right away. Margaret's death definitely had an ambiguity surrounding it. I agree that it didn't really need to be explained because the focus of the story was really on Nico. However, I think it is definitely something interesting to think about.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Shelby and Emily. Some of the things mentioned in the book were just so unrealistic, like Margaret's death. Even if Margaret's heart condition was the reason she drowned, I think that she would have struggled in the water, which Nico should have heard. And I didn't think of it while reading, but the mother's recovery did seem to quick. If she was that dependent on the drugs to get her through the day, she would have had to go to rehab, and her recovery would have taken weeks. Since so many changes occur in Nico's family life so quickly, it was easy to forget that the novel takes place over one summer. At some parts it seemed like years had passed instead of just weeks.
ReplyDeleteMegan Giangrande
I agree with Carolyn and Dory as well about the title. Goldengrove definitely fits the novel especially since it is the name of the bookstore. I didn't find myself searching for a reason why the title was so; this is very uncommon for many of the books I have read. The poem "Goldengrove" also set a tone for the novel. I enjoyed Nico's opinion of the poem because I was also curious if her parents did name Margaret after this poem; considering the bookstore was named Goldengrove. I also thought that the title fit because the book store was the location where Aaron and Nico were first reunited and the beginning of their friendship.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Landry
I have to say that I did the same thing as Amanda. I knew there was some significance to the title of the novel, the poem, and Margaret but I never really bothered to connect any of them or find a deeper meaning. But after the past few comments from Carolyn, Dory, and others, I can now slightly appreciate this book a little more. I always enjoy finding underlying meanings and I'm slightly disappointed I didn't dig a little deeper into the title of the novel. But with the help from the recent comments, I was able to find further closure.
ReplyDeleteJeff Gilcreast
Amanda, you brought up a really good aspect of the story - how relateable it is to teenagers. I think that the reason I was able to connect to this novel in a stronger way than the others is because it offers a perspective that is unique to teenagers. Nico was dealing with the loss of her sister in a way that was different than her parents. Beyond just grieving, Nico also had the selfish struggles of wondering how her peers would perceive her after Margaret's death. She fought with herself about who she really was in an effort to fight being known only as "the dead girl's sister". Having the story told from the perspective of the victim's younger, admiring teenage sister added many unique elements to its overall feel. I found it easy to connect to because I could understand not only Nico's grief, but also her internal struggles created by teenage emotions.
ReplyDeleteShelby and Amanda- I'm so happy you guys brought up the fact that it was easy to relate to. Although not many people can relate to Margaret's death and healing, Nico's personality was very relatable. I loved her sense of humor. It reminded me of the book "Speak". Both Melinda and Nico are alone with huge burdens to take on. While Melinda turned to art for comfort, Nico turned to Aaron. Although their outward appearances might've seemed timid, these two girls were very strong characters. It takes a lot of strength to carry something as heavy as they did alone, and although they made some bad decisions, I think they deserve some props. Also, I loved the way both of these girls narrated. They did it in a unique style, as if they were talking to you, and at the same time pouring out their entire selves just to you.
ReplyDeleteJulia and Emily- I see what you mean by Nico's father "cheating" on his wife (if not physically- mentally). I know that most of the book is focused on Nico's healing process, however no one really thinks about her parents. I agree that her father would've felt abandoned by her mother, and the only person he could turn to being Elaine. I think that each member of the family felt alone. Nico felt that her parents couldn't help, her father couldn't talk to her mother, and her mother turned to drugs. I think that it would be difficult to be any one of the three family members because each had their own struggle. I think that if they came together after Margaret's death, not only would they get through it easier, but they would strengthen their relationship. I think that if they really talked about it, they would realize that they weren't really alone. I think that they thought that they were alone because each family member had a different relationship with Margaret, however they were all part of one family unit, and had more in common than they thought. This also would've benefited Nico because her parents would've been paying more attention to her, and kept her away from Aaron.
ReplyDeleteBecky Lavernoich I completely agree with everything you said in your first post! I thought the staircase spirit was Nico's conscience, with maybe a little bit of Margaret in there. Michelle, I also really like your interpretation of it as the words you wish you knew at the time.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Hammeke, I like how you said that Nico was addicted to being with Aaron. I thought that was the perfect way to put it. Becky I also like that you added Aaron is also addicted to spending time with Nico to "be with" Margaret.
Julia, I really, really like when you said Nico had to knock everything down before putting herself back together. At first I didn't really understand why she was making these decisions, I know as all part of the grieving process. When you put it in those words it really made sense to me.
Emily Elsner, at first I think Aaron thought spending time with Nico would help him heal, but later he was obsessed with bringing Margaret back to life. Emily Howard, I also like how you brought up Nico saying "the dead-girl's sister," as a way for her to differentiate herself from Margaret.
Ali, I felt primarily the same as you regarding the "Goldengrove" poem. I found it a little bit confusing at first, but after the repeated it a couple times in the book I began to understand it.
Katie Jacobs, I really agree that Margaret's whole death was weird. I still feel like it's kind of left at unrest, but I guess some things can only be left unexplained.
Jeff, I like how you picked up on the "Only Remaining Child." I also kind of read over that in the story and didn't think anything of it. Cristina, I really like your explanation of this and it makes a lot of sense. Jeff, I also agree that the story ended kind of suddenly and I wish Prose wouldn't have rushed it, or at least ended with the family in Rome or rebuilding as Nina said.
Nina, I also really like what you said about Aaron being stranded after Margaret died. I only thought of him as the bad guy who was wrong to Nico, but I didn't really think of his feelings.
Briana, I love the lines you chose to share from the book. I really like those and I loved the figurative language used throughout the novel. I also like your different interpretation of the happy ending, with happiness creeping up on those who least expect it.
Ali, I also agree with you on the subject of Nico's friends and I'm glad you brought that up. I thought it was strange that they just disappeared, and it sort of reminded me of Speak. I know they were in different situations, but both Nico and Melinda suffered tragedies and their friends bailed on them.
Shelby and Emily Howard, I really like your opinions on the "shock value" of Goldengrove. That is the perfect word to explain it. Now that I read all these different opinions on the book, I start to question my own and feel a little unsatisfied as well.
Taylor Hammeke, it's great that you brought up the yoga picture. I was kind of wondering its relevance in the story, but it makes sense that Prose would have put it in to lighten the mood.
Emily H., I truly agree with your view on why the family didn't move after Margaret's death. It would be unbearable to pack up and go through all of her possessions, and relive that grief again. I also like that you mentioned at one point how Nico thought Margaret was indestructible.
Brendan, I admire that you took the positive outlook on this story and concentrated on the healing messages. That was probably what the author intended us to take away from this book.
I really enjoy this bloging process because it helps me understand all of the books better and answer all of my questions. I love hearing what all of you have to say about the staircase spirit, Margaret's death, the title, and the ending in particular.
Jenna Lovett
I think Margaret's death was supposed to be confusing. Nico was young and naive and she wasn't paying attention to everything that was going on. I liked what Dory said about how going to the lake was something Margaret and Nico have done many times before, which made it even harder for Nico to believe that her sister was actually gone. I also think that her grief was part of why Margaret's death was so confusing. I think that Prose wanted to portray her grief as part of her confusion.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I like what Megan G. said about how so much happened in one summer and it felt like it should have occurred over a period of a few years. I think that if it had been spread out over a few years, certain aspects, such as the mother's recovery, would have seemed much more realistic.
And Jenna, I totally agree that the blogging process helped make me understand all of the books better too. I think other people's comments brought certain questions or different points of view that I hadn't thought of earlier. I think it would be a little easier though if we were able to comment under someone's post instead of having one long strand.
ReplyDeleteJenna and Michelle- the blogging process definitely helped me understand the books better especially with A Moon for the Misbegotten because I couldn't relate to the characters. I enjoyed reading everyone's opinions on different situations. This process was extremely effective because it gave me a better understanding of the books. I now feel more comfortable with the books therefore I am excited to discuss them during class. I do agree with Michelle that it would simplify this process if we could comment on individual posts rather than having one long strand.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Landry
Amanda Landry
Michelle, I also agree that it would be easier to comment on someone's post.
ReplyDeleteAfter Margaret's death I thought Nico would turn into an introvert, but I was surprised that wasn't the case. The relationship between Nico and Aaron was very disturbing to me, but the plot was quite suspenseful and engaging. I thought the author did an excellent job foreshadowing Nico's transformation into her sister. For instance her getting a haircut, losing weight, wearing Margaret's clothes, and acting a bit like her. I didn't really understand why Nico tried to turn into her sister. Did she want to replace her or bring her back to life?
At first I didn't realize why the title is named after the father's bookstore, but maybe it more relates to the poem which Margaret was named after. Carolyn, I like what you had to say about the title and how going to the bookstore got Nico back into a routine. I didn't think about that and it makes more sense now why the author chose this title.
I liked the characters Elaine and Tycho. I thought their stories were interesting and I wish they were involved more in the novel. Although Nico isn't fond of Elaine, I think Elaine is a good, positive role model for her.
Toward the end, I was nervous that Aaron was going to crash his van, with Nico in it, as he was driving in a mad, drunken stupor. That part was very unpredictable and kept me on the edge of my seat! I was also pleasantly surprised to read that Nico's family traveled to Rome to clear their minds. I think this was probably the turning point for Nico to move on with her life, since she saw the beautiful buildings in Italy and realized there was still good in the world.
Jenna Lovett
Michelle: Agreed! It would be sooo much easier if we could comment like that. I also love the way you thought of Margaret’s death. How Nico was too young to understand what happened. And to her, it was hard to believe.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree how these blogs helped me understand the books. I wouldn’t have thought of some of the ideas other people came up with. And the different comments made me rethink and question what I thought.
Taylor: thanks for bring up the yoga picture. It was kind of like the anchor which, I believed, helped Nico together. It was proof that life could be simple, together with people she loved. To me ,I guess, when Margaret died, Nico was thrown into sadness and change. And she really didn’t know what was real life again. I am not sure if I was suppose to read into this picture as much as I did, but I think I might have over thought it a bit…
We all know that Aaron started to physically change Nico, but for some reason I was concentrating on another aspect of changed for Nico. She started to lie for herself and for how own wants. Before Margaret’s death, Nico would lie for the sake of Margaret and Aaron. The stories she told to her parents were for the happiness of Margaret. But after the death, she started to lie for her own benefits. She lied to see Aaron to her parents. For some reason this caught my attention more than other details. Nico didn’t just physically change, but also the way she is.
Shelby: I didn’t question the death of Margaret when I read the book. But thanks for bringing it up! It doesn’t make sense to me either. How would a heart condition effect the swimming and cause a drowning? And wouldn’t someone who grew up on a lake know how to swim well enough to get to shore? Now that I think of it, the whole incident just doesn’t make sense.
One aspect of the story that I kept pondering over and over again was about Nico and her science. Nico came off as a scientist. Some who thinks logically and realistically. She was also described as that by her family. But she ended up believing and trusting the ghost of Margaret, such as the case of the paper crane. I found this an interesting contrast between character, and I am just wondering if anyone else found this weird, or is it just me?
I liked this book. I could have finished this book in one read because it was just an interesting story. I can easily relate to different aspect of the characters and understand what they did. I am curious of what happened to Aaron and how he turned out. I thought he was one of the most affected by the death, and I wonder how he would put his life together again. But I understand that this is a question that needed to be in the story. If Aaron’s end was just as happy and cheesy as Nico’s, I would have just made the ending way to surgery and perfect.
Ah! I mean sugary not surgery in the past comment... sorry
ReplyDeleteColton, your comparison to the Lion King made my day. I agree that it is a lot alike to Goldengrove and of course has a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteShelby, everything you said about Margaret drowing, I agree. How could she not show even a littl sign of struggle, I just feel like Nico is oblivious to things at times. I wish that the author had explained a little more about the death. The question of what happend hung there throughout the whole book and it kind of made me mad how it was never clarified. Though, like Julia said, telling more of Margaret's death would detract from Nico's story, Prose could have mentioned a little more than she did. Like I said before, there was the mention of the autotopsy in the book. That would have been a good part to explain, if a only a little, what happend to Margaret.
Jenna and Michelle, I agree with both of you that blogging can help one understand the book better. In most cases, after reading comments, I could view the book from a different perspective, question what I originally thought I knew, or gain insight that I never thought of. Also everyone has to say something so it's better than talking about it in class when there's only several people commenting about a book.
Michelle, you had said "I think Margaret's death was supposed to be confusing.", and that really got me to thinking. I honestly have no clue what the author was going for in writing the scene that way. When I first brought up how strange her death seemed, I assumed the author was simply being careless about details. But perhaps it really was supposed to be confusing. Maybe the details of Margaret's death are a little fuzzy because they are told from Nico's naive vantage point.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys think? Was the vagueness of Margaret's drowning pure laziness on behalf of Prose, or was it actually intentional due to the fact that the story's told by Nico?
I feel like it was intentional because throughout the story Nico worries that she might die just as suddenly as her sister. She wasn't paying attention when her sister dived into the water and only realized Margaret was drowning when she didn't see her surface.
ReplyDeleteThe death of Margaret was sudden and Nico never really got to know what exactly happened. The fact that Margaret's heart condition acted up just at that moment was something difficult and obviously life changing for Nico.
I definitely believe it was intentional.
-Kelsey Gallant
Golden Grove was my favorite of the three books assigned to read this summer. I could really relate to the beggining of the book, becasue I know how Nico felt towards her sister Margaret. I have a twin sister, and like Nico I love doing everything with her and really COULD NOT imagine life without her.
ReplyDeleteOnce Margaret passed away I felt that the death really hit Nico the hardest of all the characters. Of course the parents were mortified, but Nico blamed herself for letting Margaret jump off the boat, and not noticing the whereabout of her sister.
I agree with Colton when he asks why didn't they move away from the lake as soon as the accident occured. I would think the lake would hold to many horrible memories and feelings. Evertyime they look at the lake the family has to be reminded of their daughters death. Who would want to live with that symbol sitting right outside of their home to view everyday?
I aslo agree with Emily and Shelby with the "shock value." I like the book alot and found myself picking it up more often then anyother assigend school book, or let's get serious any book for that matter. Then after reading some comments I realize that I didn't notice some of the issues until after finishing the book.
- Erin Guittare (Tiwn #2)
This book was the most relatable to my own life. Losing somebody in your family is not only hard, but also changes everything. The changes may be noticeable, for example Nico's mother's use of drugs, or maybe subtle like Nico's urge to be rebellious. She may not have consciously known what she was doing but Nico was changing, and growing up to adapt to her own situation. I could also relate to this book becasue, having a twin sister, I completely understand how strong a sisters love can be and how life could never be the same after that kind of loss.
ReplyDeleteI would say that this book was probably most students favorite becasue Nico was closer to our age group and was going through the same things any teenager would go through, opposed to the farm book (Moon for the Misbegotten) because Tolland students don't know much about farms from what I have seen, or the book set in England (Return of the Native) chances are most students haven't made it to England yet.
I think if I were in Nico's situation I probably would have made the same mistake to hold on to Aaron's friendship and begin a difunctional relationship. I say this because Nico probably did not truthfully love Aaron, but she loved the connection she could feel with her sister when she was with Aaron, because Aaron was once Margarets.
Molly Guittare
Although this wasn’t my favorite of the summer books, I mostly enjoyed this book. The thing that bothered me the most was the way Nico suddenly became upset or annoyed or angry about everything. Since I have never lost a sibling, I can’t imagine the pain and loss she went through, but from an unbiased standpoint, her behavior annoyed and frustrated me. One thing was that she completely cut her friends out of her life and even said she couldn’t remember why she liked them to begin with. I felt like that was harsh and unrealistic. Like Ali, I didn’t like that Nico, both before and after Margaret’s death, lived in Margaret’s shadow and completely worshipped her sister, and she seemed to be completely okay with that. To me, she didn’t really have her own identity and individual personality until she was forced to live without Margaret and grow up on her own. She even thought that her parents loved Margaret more; I wonder if she really believed that or if she was just inflicting unnecessary pain upon herself. I thought that Nico was extremely selfish at times, such as when she wanted her mother to stop grieving so she could help Nico through her own grief. I also found it annoying when Nico got irritated by every little thing, such as her dad’s little quirks while they were waiting for their lunch to arrive or when they drove to find the place where the fifty thousand people went when they thought the world would end. I think that Nico was also irrational sometimes, such as when she first read the poem “Goldengrove” and she thought that naming Margaret after the poem caused her early death.
ReplyDeleteI thought, like most of you, that Nico’s relationship with Aaron was creepy. I also thought that Aaron’s intentions were pure in the beginning and that he was trying to heal through reliving his memories of Margaret. At first I thought that it was good because they were helping each other through their grief, but as soon as Aaron asked Nico to wear Margaret’s shirt and gave her the vanilla oil, I realized that Aaron was trying to mold Nico into a version of Margaret. The ice cream incident was really weird and I was glad that Nico realized what Aaron was doing and got out of there. I found it annoying that Aaron was always telling Nico to shut up, and I think it was because even though she could look and smell and seem like Margaret on the outside, Nico’s thoughts and words would never be exactly like Margaret’s.
I hated how Nico lied and manipulated people so that she could go see Aaron, such as when she begged Elaine to take her back to her house so she could get Margaret’s shirt or when she flattered her parents so that they would go to Boston and leave her home alone.
There were things I did like about the book. I liked the comparison in the beginning of the lake to an actual mirror that was shattered by a pebble or raindrop. I think it was symbolic of their peaceful lives (the mirror) that were shattered by Margaret’s death (the pebble). I liked that though Nico was experiencing a lot of grief over the loss of her sister, she didn’t have any suicidal thoughts; I remember her saying that the thought of having heart problems scared her because she didn’t want to die and join Margaret yet. I liked that at the end, Nico realized that she was solely in control of her thoughts and actions, not Margaret’s spirit. I liked their trip to Rome and how that made her happy to be alive, and that was when she said goodbye to her old self and began the healing process. I agree with Nina that that would have been a nice place to end the book.
Although the ending was a happy one and didn’t seem to fit the tone of the rest of the book, I still enjoyed it and was glad that Nico’s life turned out all right and she was able to gain her own identity and move on from her sister’s death.
continued:
ReplyDeleteCristina- I also liked the fact that Nico never saw Aaron again and she was able to end that chapter in her life, but I also wanted to see what had happened to him. I agree that a good contrast to Nico’s happy ending would have been hearing about Aaron and his possible unhappy ending.
Nina- I really like the point you made about how Nico can go home to her parents and grieve with them because they also lost Margaret, but Aaron is alone in his family. I think that was part of the reason why Nico wanted to see him—she felt that he needed help healing even more than she did.