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Post by wireman on Jan 27, 2021 14:01:50 GMT
Today we will discuss The Juniper Tree by Peter Straub from the collection Interior Darkness
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Post by edwardjohn on Jan 27, 2021 14:53:10 GMT
Today we will discuss The Juniper Tree by Peter Straub from the collection Interior Darkness
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Post by edwardjohn on Jan 27, 2021 14:56:53 GMT
What an incredibly dark story this is, I told you this was even darker than Blue Rose. 
This is a story of child abuse and neglectful parents, a brutal, honest, excellently written story. It was fascinating to read how this one incident ended up affecting the protagonist for the rest of his life, it was quite excellent. I wondered where the name of the story came from, its from a Brothers Grimm story which also deals with child abuse, one of the more realistic Grimm stories. I don't know what anyone else expected from this collection but I already find it much darker than any of the other SK short story collections which I've read. I'll be interested to hear what others thought of this. Excellent story.
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Post by wireman on Jan 27, 2021 16:25:22 GMT
What an incredibly dark story this is, I told you this was even darker than Blue Rose.
This is a story of child abuse and neglectful parents, a brutal, honest, excellently written story. It was fascinating to read how this one incident ended up affecting the protagonist for the rest of his life, it was quite excellent. I wondered where the name of the story came from, its from a Brothers Grimm story which also deals with child abuse, one of the more realistic Grimm stories. I don't know what anyone else expected from this collection but I already find it much darker than any of the other SK short story collections which I've read. I'll be interested to hear what others thought of this. Excellent story. Parts of this were very difficult to read but it's a unflinching story of abuse and buried memories. The story is well written. realistic and horrific. I thought the last story was disturbing but this story is even more disturbing than the last. As horrific and difficult the subject matter has been with these two stories, the writing is superb and makes these difficult stories gripping and impossible to put down.
That's an interesting observation about the Brothers Grimm story.
Both of the stories we've read so far have dealt with children without much parental support and Straub has hammered home a message of how devastating that can be to a child.
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Post by edwardjohn on Jan 27, 2021 17:32:06 GMT
What an incredibly dark story this is, I told you this was even darker than Blue Rose.
This is a story of child abuse and neglectful parents, a brutal, honest, excellently written story. It was fascinating to read how this one incident ended up affecting the protagonist for the rest of his life, it was quite excellent. I wondered where the name of the story came from, its from a Brothers Grimm story which also deals with child abuse, one of the more realistic Grimm stories. I don't know what anyone else expected from this collection but I already find it much darker than any of the other SK short story collections which I've read. I'll be interested to hear what others thought of this. Excellent story. Parts of this were very difficult to read but it's a unflinching story of abuse and buried memories. The story is well written. realistic and horrific. I thought the last story was disturbing but this story is even more disturbing than the last. As horrific and difficult the subject matter has been with these two stories, the writing is superb and makes these difficult stories gripping and impossible to put down.
That's an interesting observation about the Brothers Grimm story.
Both of the stories we've read so far have dealt with children without much parental support and Straub has hammered home a message of how devastating that can be to a child.
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Post by spideyman on Jan 27, 2021 18:31:05 GMT
Some background info from an interview with Peter Tremblay
“The Juniper Tree” was written while I worked on Koko. It was one of those stories that arrived with a thump. I was having lunch in a rotisserie chicken restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue and reading this little novella called The Lover by Marguerite Duras; it’s about an affair between a 13-year-old French girl and an older Vietnamese man. The interesting thing is the power isn’t completely held by the man. The girl has a certain degree of power in the relationship, which she understands. I then started thinking about a story about sexual abuse and the more I thought about it the more I knew I had to write it immediately. So I spent a summer off from Koko writing “The Juniper Tree.” I was very pleased but also very distressed by it. I didn’t show it to anybody for a year. Didn’t even look at it for a year. When I did, I rewrote the whole thing by hand and then I put it away again for another long time. I dug it out only when Doug Winter asked for a story for his anthology Prime Evil. That story undoubtedly was helpful in writing Koko and it began a thread of imagery and plot events that wound all the way through most of my stuff and culminated in The Throat.
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Post by edwardjohn on Jan 27, 2021 18:38:49 GMT
Some background info from an interview with Peter Tremblay
“The Juniper Tree” was written while I worked on Koko. It was one of those stories that arrived with a thump. I was having lunch in a rotisserie chicken restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue and reading this little novella called The Lover by Marguerite Duras; it’s about an affair between a 13-year-old French girl and an older Vietnamese man. The interesting thing is the power isn’t completely held by the man. The girl has a certain degree of power in the relationship, which she understands. I then started thinking about a story about Saxual abuse and the more I thought about it the more I knew I had to write it immediately. So I spent a summer off from Koko writing “The Juniper Tree.” I was very pleased but also very distressed by it. I didn’t show it to anybody for a year. Didn’t even look at it for a year. When I did, I rewrote the whole thing by hand and then I put it away again for another long time. I dug it out only when Doug Winter asked for a story for his anthology Prime Evil. That story undoubtedly was helpful in writing Koko and it began a thread of imagery and plot events that wound all the way through most of my stuff and culminated in The Throat. |
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Post by spideyman on Jan 27, 2021 22:36:03 GMT
Very hard read. Had to take a break in parts. Straub does go into dark places, very dark places!
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Post by cat on Jan 28, 2021 0:07:47 GMT
I did not like this story. Too too icky. I did like the beginning parts of the boy telling about his movie experiences, I thought they were insightful as far as learning to "read" people or "hear" the words behind the words, tone, etc. But when it turned dark, it turned DARK. I almost set it aside and did not finish it.
The ending few pages were just as disturbing, realizing that he was supremely messed up because of what happened to him, but that IS what happens. It was as unflinching in its truthfulness as in the graphic nature. Very uncomfortable story.
The little one page story was very strange, too. Lots of imagery in that one short page.
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Post by wireman on Jan 28, 2021 13:26:28 GMT
For next week, how about another HG Wells story? I've got Pollock and The Porroh Man in mind.
Here is a pdf that I made from a website.
This is the website
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Post by spideyman on Jan 28, 2021 15:58:25 GMT
For next week, how about another HG Wells story? I've got Pollock and The Porroh Man in mind.
Here is a pdf that I made from a website.
This is the website
Jan 21, 2021 at 10:10am wireman said:
spideyman Avatar
Jan 21, 2021 at 8:04am spideyman said:
Back to Straub for the next group read with: Into the Realm of Dreams.
Cat's suggestion for Feb. 3, 2021 - The Turn of The Screw by Henry James
www.gutenberg.org/files/209/209-h/209-h.htm
I don;t have my book in front of me but I think the Into The Realm Of Dreams is only 1 page long. If that's the case, we should do the next one. (plus we can still talk about the one pager) If you have it handy, take a look and see if that's the case.
Turn Of The Screw sounds good for 2-3. I've never read it but it's always been on my TBR list |
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Post by wireman on Jan 28, 2021 16:05:14 GMT
For next week, how about another HG Wells story? I've got Pollock and The Porroh Man in mind.
Here is a pdf that I made from a website.
This is the website
Jan 21, 2021 at 10:10am wireman said:
spideyman Avatar
Jan 21, 2021 at 8:04am spideyman said:
Back to Straub for the next group read with: Into the Realm of Dreams.
Cat's suggestion for Feb. 3, 2021 - The Turn of The Screw by Henry James
www.gutenberg.org/files/209/209-h/209-h.htm
I don;t have my book in front of me but I think the Into The Realm Of Dreams is only 1 page long. If that's the case, we should do the next one. (plus we can still talk about the one pager) If you have it handy, take a look and see if that's the case.
Turn Of The Screw sounds good for 2-3. I've never read it but it's always been on my TBR listI'm sorry, I completely forgot that.
Yes, next week Turn Of The Screw
I'm looking forward to reading this, I can't believe I forgot it. I screwed up.
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Post by spideyman on Jan 28, 2021 16:26:36 GMT
Not a problem; it's Thursday and a full moon to boot! wireman
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Post by edwardjohn on Jan 28, 2021 19:49:43 GMT
Not sure If I'll have the James story finished for next week with College stuff and all but I'll get it done eventually!
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Post by spideyman on Jan 29, 2021 12:17:19 GMT
Not sure If I'll have the James story finished for next week with College stuff and all but I'll get it done eventually! |
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Post by wireman on Jan 29, 2021 14:40:51 GMT
Next Wednesday, we will discuss Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
Be there, Aloha.
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Post by edwardjohn on Jan 29, 2021 15:36:52 GMT
Not sure If I'll have the James story finished for next week with College stuff and all but I'll get it done eventually! |
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Post by neesy on Feb 3, 2021 17:56:47 GMT
Next Wednesday, we will discuss Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
Be there, Aloha.
I'm attempting to read it now but finding it quite unusual (it must have been written a long time ago)
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Post by wireman on Feb 3, 2021 18:06:58 GMT
Next Wednesday, we will discuss Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
Be there, Aloha.
I'm attempting to read it now but finding it quite unusual (it must have been written a long time ago)
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