p.56 "Going Forth to Lutsk"
First, let me say that I really liked your last post and the whole idea of plastic surgery in reverse. Very nice. I've been feeling the same way as I've been reading. I like that we are finally adding some meat and muscle to the skeleton that a movie so often has to become. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the movie, but I was left with some questions (that are definitely still being answered or not even close yet) and I'm excited to hopefully find some answers in the book. Overall, I'm not yet sure of my overall opinion ie, "I really like this book" or "Yikes, I will never read anything by Jonathan Safran Foer ever again." As of now, I am involved and interested. Yes, I agree that there are "in your face" moments that I'm still not entirely sure are necessary. Thank you for the gratuitous language and alllusions to sexual acts. It really helps with the plot.
Anyway, I'm sure you are looking for comments that have a little more depth and I will do my best. Bear in mind that I have been out of academia and neck-deep in stay-at-home-ness for awhile now :) I've been thinking a lot about reconstructing history as I've been reading. Essentially, the book has two narrators and the reader is privy to their writing via their correspondance and letters. Now, I am jumping ahead because of the movie and making the assumption that Trachimbrod was destroyed during the war and therefore, Jonathan is reconstructing every inhabitant of the city because he has no real way of knowing just what happened. He is filling a void and possibly giving us a genuine reflection of himself and his own values in the process. Alex is doing the same thing but in a different way. He lived the story he is telling, yet he gets to revise it and make himself taller or smarter etc. He gets to revise history while Jonathan gets to recreate it. What do you think?
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Really, I don't think you're anymore out of it than I am. You may be home with a baby, but I've basically been cut off from academia since my last class ended in December. So I feel pretty much out of it myself. My point being, this is really for the two of us and anyone else who wants to eavesdrop, so you don't have to worry about impressing me.
I like your idea about re-creating history. Not to get too academic on you, but it sort of reminds me of Benjamin's ideas about history and stories. Okay, I don't really remember what he said, but I think this is very much about our perceptions and what happens when we tell other people's stories, like Alex describing his grandfather or his brother. And it all makes me wonder why he started in the 1700s with his grandmother. Really he could have started with the beginning of the town or the beginning of the 1900s. Definitely something to chew on. Thanks for the great idea.
Sigh of relief. Mental note: I do not need to impress Timid Tripper--she likes me as I am . . .
Sidenote: We're applying to a firm in SLC. Maybe we'll be doing monthly lunches in the future. We can talk about revising history, feminism, deconstruction, Derrida, and Burke over pizza. Especially Burke because supposedly (our theses would have you believe) we know sooooo much about him.
I hope that bit about impressing me was said with a wink and not out of annoyance because I came off sounding obnoxious. I'm so insecure. Anyway, good luck with the job interviews. I'd love it if we could have lunch meetings, but I think Portland would also be a great opportunity and although I don't know much about Boise, I'm sure you'd love to stay there soon.
I meant stay there too. Not sure where the soon came from.
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