Let’s discuss the friendship between Nick and Timothy. I’m fascinated by the way friendships evolve and ebb and flow over time. How did you feel when they started drifting apart in college? What are the biggest factors that affected their closeness? Who do you think was a better friend to whom, and did you ever change your mind as you were reading? How did Nick’s emerging relationship with his father affect his friendship with Timothy? Have you ever gone through a friendship breakup or reconciliation? In what ways do changes in platonic relationships differ from romantic ones?
Also, what should we ask Rachel in tonight’s discussion?
I loved how ambitious the concept of the novel is--with three interlocking POV stories to tell this bigger story about money, choices and what happened in one family. The Timothy character was a surprise. He was much more developed in my mind than the other non-POV character Matthew. I would love to know how the character evolved in the author's mind. Friendships are the golden relationship since they are often equal and balanced unlike the dynamic seen between parents and children or even between lovers.
Following Sofia's question, how did she choose the order of the perspectives? I always find myself attaching to the first narrator (for better or worse). She did a wonderful job of layering the information and helping us understand each character in what was revealed as the story went along.
I love Timothy's character! I was devastated when they started drifting apart, and so relieved to find out that their friendship survives after college. I felt that Timothy was a better friend pre-college, and Nick seemed to take him for granted, especially when Matthew entered the picture. They both had some self-exploration to do in college, which caused them to drift apart. Friendships are so powerful and sustaining - and friendship breakups can hurt worse than any romantic relationship. I'm so glad that theirs is the kind of friendship to survive the ebbs and flows.
I loved how ambitious the concept of the novel is--with three interlocking POV stories to tell this bigger story about money, choices and what happened in one family. The Timothy character was a surprise. He was much more developed in my mind than the other non-POV character Matthew. I would love to know how the character evolved in the author's mind. Friendships are the golden relationship since they are often equal and balanced unlike the dynamic seen between parents and children or even between lovers.
Following Sofia's question, how did she choose the order of the perspectives? I always find myself attaching to the first narrator (for better or worse). She did a wonderful job of layering the information and helping us understand each character in what was revealed as the story went along.
I’d like to know why she chose to narrate the story in the structure of three blocks of singular perspectives
I think she did it that way because of the quote mentioned earlier in the book from Kierkgaard that life can only be understood backwards
I love Timothy's character! I was devastated when they started drifting apart, and so relieved to find out that their friendship survives after college. I felt that Timothy was a better friend pre-college, and Nick seemed to take him for granted, especially when Matthew entered the picture. They both had some self-exploration to do in college, which caused them to drift apart. Friendships are so powerful and sustaining - and friendship breakups can hurt worse than any romantic relationship. I'm so glad that theirs is the kind of friendship to survive the ebbs and flows.