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Book Group: Oct 2014 Big Brother - Discussion thread

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McGoohan Oct 2014 8:19pm, 14 Oct 2014 12,794 posts	0 McGoohan SPOILER ALERT! This is the thread for discussion of Big Brother by Lionel Shriver, the (main) book for the Fetch Book Group for Oct 2014. There will be discussion of plot points below. So beware! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK AND DON'T WANT IT SPOILED!
McGoohan Oct 2014 8:21pm, 14 Oct 2014 12,796 posts	0 McGoohan Well, I liked it. Sits back
northernslowcoach Oct 2014 8:24pm, 14 Oct 2014 11,932 posts	0 northernslowcoach I liked it too but was a bit disgruntled with the ending
McGoohan Oct 2014 8:26pm, 14 Oct 2014 12,797 posts	0 McGoohan Many of the negative reviews on Amazon focus on the ending. I think a lot of people feel it's the equivalent of 'and then I woke up' and feel a bit cheated. I don't feel that way, but I understand the reaction.
becca7 Oct 2014 8:26pm, 14 Oct 2014 5,737 posts	0 becca7 I was disgruntled with the ending but could understand why she did it. I think that if somebody that we know has self-destructed it is natural to wonder if there is anything that we could have done to change that. The narrator would obviously have had guilt but would be trying to convince herself that, even if she had sacrificed her marriage, the outcome would not have changed.
McGoohan Oct 2014 8:26pm, 14 Oct 2014 12,798 posts	0 McGoohan That's way too much 'feel' for one paragraph.
McGoohan Oct 2014 8:26pm, 14 Oct 2014 12,799 posts	0 McGoohan (xpost - referring to me...)
northernslowcoach Oct 2014 8:33pm, 14 Oct 2014 11,933 posts	0 northernslowcoach I was thinking as the story went on that it was all going too well for a Lionel Shriver novel
Bintmcskint Oct 2014 8:41pm, 14 Oct 2014 18,928 posts	0 Bintmcskint I liked it a lot until the ending. And, yes, I did feel it was a bit "It was a all a dream" That said, I've thought about it a lot since and I'm not sure how she could have ended it to make me happy. It was almost like she painted herself into a corner and couldn't decide if he should stay thin, get fat again or what. I identified with a lot of things in this book. I'm glad you picked it, McG. I probably wouldn't have got round to reading it otherwise.
mulbs Oct 2014 9:47pm, 14 Oct 2014 10,811 posts	0 mulbs what Bint said ^^^ I can't think of anything to add just now . . .