Book discussion in Madison last night–lots to talk about, mostly trying to separate “real” events from the imagined or delusional, an interesting distinction when talking about a work of fiction, to say the least. All agreed that reading the book along with a larger community did add something to the experience, from something to talk about with the neighbors to raising awareness of certain issues. Most agreed that Bohjalian’s weaving Gatsby settings and characters into the narrative was seamless and believable. Many found reading the book frustrating, but felt less frustrated after reading the ending that places the pieces of the story into context. Everyone agreed that the novel was expertly and tightly constructed and admired Bohjalian’s ability to pull together all the elements into a cohesive story.

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