Part Three Discussion
- Ben and Griffin state that Henry mentioned that he knew Jack from another place and that he’d be “different.” They then asked Jack if they were there, too, and he said he hoped so. Do you think they exist in Jack’s other existence?
- We are starting to get glimpses into the past life of Seth. Any thoughts on the parallels between Seth and Jack?
- Oh hell. Conner saw Marbury through the glasses, too! He tells Jack that he got all these memories but he can’t remember Jack in Marbury. Also, Jack recognized people there but Conner did not. Do you think there is any significance to this strange difference?
- Jack seems to show real concern for Ben and Griffin, when he doesn’t appear to care about much back in his other er, life. Do you think Jack’s personality is different in Marbury? Name some noticeable differences.
- When I first read this book, the homophobic undertones rubbed me the wrong way. What are your thoughts? Do you feel they are important to convey messages or give meaning to characters?
Schedule
Please feel free to visit past discussions and continue on!
- 9/8: Part One: The Amethyst Hour, Chapters 1-17
- 9/15: Part Two: The Strange Boys, Chapters 18-30
- 9/22: Part Three: Blackpool, Chapters 21-42
- 9/29: Part Four: The Marbury Lens, Chapters 43-48
- 10/6: Part Five: Seth, Chapters 49-59
© 2012, Smash Attack Reads. All rights reserved.
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I’m really at a loss at trying to put the bigger picture together.
I do think Jack is more confident & important in Marbury. It makes sense to why he would prefer to be there despite the danger. I think Connor’s & Jack’s experiences there speak to who they are. Jack is more observant & sensitive, so he sees the people and builds the connections. Connor is selfish and is wrapped up in himself while there. But I find it intriguing that he can be pulled in. Was Nickie able to see it too? The wink through me off.
The homophobia is really off settling. 1) I want to smack Connor 2) do the friends like each other more intimately? Is that why Jack is akward & needy and Connor is trying to cover it up with his macho womanizing?
I think the thing that is under my skin is…Is this for real world building? or Is this all an imagined manifestation in Jack’s head?
You will be at a loss even once the book has ended. That is what I love about this book. It’s hard to discern reality from Marbury, or maybe reality is not reality. Honestly, I have no idea!
I agree with what you say about the boys. Conner is self-involved, and maybe that warps him into that ugly creature he is in Marbury? I dunno, but the parallels to their personalities is so fascinating.
*tackles you* You mean I won’t know if Marbury is real or imagined by the end?!?!?
You will have to determine it for yourself at the end. But don’t fret, Passenger comes out 10/2.
[...] Read-along: Marbury Lens Week 3 @ Smash Attack Reads [...]
Just when I think things might clear up a little, another wrench is thrown into the works.
I think that there are definite parallels in the personalities between the boys in the two worlds. I hate to say ‘real’ world for either place, because honestly I’m not sure exactly what is real right now.
The homophobia is a little much, but maybe Connor is protesting too much? Just an observation. It’s almost like he has to constantly prove his maleness and sexuality and constantly question Jack’s.
Seth is turning into one of my favorite characters and maybe it’s because of the similarities between him and Jack.
One thing is for sure, I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like this one before. It really has me curious about Andrew Smith’s other books.
Isn’t this book nuts? Heh.
Yea, using reality is kinda hard, seeing as we aren’t sure which way is up at this point. Seth is one of my favorite characters, too! There are definitely similarities between Jack and Seth.
I think you should read more of Andrew. None of his other books are quite like this, but they will blow you away regardless. He is a magical story teller and I love the strong male/brotherly relationships he writes.
Hmm. I don’t think that Conner has romantic feelings for Jack. The whole book has a pattern of boys (young men) repressing emotion, and I think that Conner’s not entirely comfortable showing affection for Jack in any way but with humor. And, as much as I hate it, homophobic jokes make up a large part of teen male humor. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the middle schoolers where I work use the word “gay” as an insult. What I’m not sure of is if Andrew Smith is trying to make his characters realistic. It would be out of character for Jack to call Conner on his jokes, but then again…Jack doesn’t seem to mind any of the things that I find seriously obnoxious about his best friend.
I like the Marbury Jack better than the real-world Jack. Mostly because it’s the first time we see him really care for anything.
I don’t think Conner has romantic feelings for Jack, either, and what you say makes a lot of sense. Andrew writes a lot of books about boys with interesting personalities.
Ugh on the homophobic crap. It irked me so bad when I first read the book. I get that it’s part of young male interaction, but it felt overdone to me. Yes, Marbury Jack definitely appears to be more “involved.”
I’m done trying to guess my way through this book. I do think there’s a parallel between the personalities of Jack and Connor and what they are in Marbury. I hadn’t thought much about the fact that Connor doesn’t remember anything about Jack in Marbury because if I remember correctly Jack didn’t remember Connor there until he saw him.
Although the homophobic remarks are annoying, it’s nothing I didn’t hear in high school. Many teenage boys just joke with each other that way. I don’t think it means anything more than that.
I also don’t think Jack doesn’t care about his “real” life. He does care. He cares about Connor and he seems genuinely interested in Nikki, but it’s a different world in Marbury. Ben and Griffin are literally struggling for their lives there. I think it’s totally normal for him to feel a need to be there and protect him. I do think he switched roles a bit. In the “normal” world he seems to need a lot of support from friends, and in Marbury he becomes the support for Ben and Griffin. Of course, he still has Seth, who I think plays a role of support for him.
[...] 9/22: Part Three: Blackpool, Chapters 21-42 [...]