 Hi all! Sorry this post is a little later than I would have liked--we went out to get something to eat and it ended up taking much longer than I expected. But let's get started! Remember, we want to dicuss the themes of the book and what resonated with us, rather than simply whether or not we liked the book. And despite appearances to the contrary, we try to be nice here. So let's jump in! The first discussion item for the day comes from Mr. Henry, who isn't around but agreed to give me a few tips and helpful points while I moderate my first book club ever. Dead to Me opens with a Woody Allen quote ("There is no question that there is an unseen world. The problem is how far is it from midtown and how late is it open?") and Anton's love of New York City is evident througout. Would Dead to Me have worked in a small-town setting? Why or why not? How else does that quote relate to both the novel and Simon's particular neuroses? I may post more dicussion items later today, or twice tomorrow, as I've got a lot of stuff to discuss--this week and next (when we do Happy Hour of the Damned) are going to be quite busy! |
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I enjoy the conflict, both expressed and implied, between a psychometric and the biggest city in the US.
I could see a related tale set in another place, maybe smaller, but Simon's world needs the crush of 10 million neighbors and the ensuing bureaucracy.
The threat of so many individual objects for him to come in contact with is overwhelming.
I had this torturous image of Simon stuck in the middle of a junk yard and having to dig his way out, touching one thing after another and sparking visions left and right.
Ech.
I don't think it would work in a small town. Part of the lure of NYC is the fact there is so many people that you can't really know them all. It gives a reason for needing a full department to actually handle the problems. If it was a small town, then everyone would already know where the ghosts are and it would be more of the problem of... say a single slayer and support crew *cough* than needing the full bureaucratic mess that causes almost as much problems as solving the cases. It's that conflict between personal drives (the antique stuff) and professional that really helps keep the story in an interesting set of tension.
Without one, he's just a creepy little twerp who trades memories for cash. If there wasn't that bureaucratic mess, which can only come from a larger organization, then it wouldn't be as interesting when he tries to juggle those personal interests with the professional all while trying to do the right thing and not get fired. None of these would really come into play if he was in a town of a 100k and secrets get around.
As for the quote: Simon needs that community. With the lovely density of different people, ideas, and things. Coupled with the tiny little stores at the end of alleys and shadows, it gives a grand playground for both having things nearby and yet so far away. I don't know NYC very well, but there are some places in Chicago that if you don't know about them, its amazing if you stumble on them. One of my favorite restaurants is in the basement of a building, and the only entrance I learned about is at the back of an alley. And they had damn good fish. :)
At least, that is some of my opinions on the matter.
Oh, I agree. I think the idea of all those people and things around makes Simon's situation much more difficult. You need a place full of secrets--millions of them--if you're going to make knowing those secrets difficult instead of amusing or interesting.
Stacia's post makes me think of Charlaine "cover blurb" Harris's Sookie Stackhouse. She's a telepath, not a psychometrist, but the "knowing secrets" thing is a key component of the character. Small town Sookie is defined by knowing everything about those around her, while in contrast, big city Simon seems to be taking steps to build distance and avoid knowing too much.
I find having NY as a setting to be a delicious place to put poor Simon. Because it is a major city full of people and museums, temptation is everywhere at all times.
For me, it makes his struggle to be "good", a relative term, all the more meaningful.
And in a city with a million stories, a man could make a career in that!
I think another portion is his power itself... they say there are no strangers in a small town and that's relatively true. You put Simon in a small town and hiding his abilities becomes more difficult. Then it would most likely feel even more invasive when he came into contact with objects at friends' places rather than in the city where it's random.