• Welcome to EarlyWord

• EarlyWord is the home of GalleyChat, monthly online discussions where library staff share excitement about upcoming books. More information here.

  Summaries of chats and announcements are posted to the right. Use them to add to your own TBR piles and for collection development.

  Links on the far right of the site offer information useful to readers advisors.

  Hope to see you during our next chat,

  GalleyChatters

• Pages

  • GalleyChat
  • Privacy Policy

• Archives

  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023

Chat with Benjamin Wood, BELLWETHER REVIVALS, Begins at 4 p.m.

Live Chat with Benjamin Wood, BELLWETHER REVIVALS

(06/01/2012)

  

Close

3:58	Nora - Earlyword:  Our chat with Ben Wood, author of Bellwether Revivials begins ins just a few minutes. Friday June 1, 2012 3:58 Nora - Earlyword

4:00	Nora - Earlyword:  Hey; I see a bunch of readers out there! Welcome -- I was worried, since it's a Friday and all. Friday June 1, 2012 4:00 Nora - Earlyword

4:00	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  Looking forward to the session. Friday June 1, 2012 4:00 colldev00

4:00	[Comment From ReadingEnvy ReadingEnvy : ]  Hi there! Friday June 1, 2012 4:00 ReadingEnvy

4:01	[Comment From Kristin Kristin : ]  Hello! Friday June 1, 2012 4:01 Kristin

4:01	Nora - Earlyword:  I see I had no reason to worry about turnout! Friday June 1, 2012 4:01 Nora - Earlyword

4:01	[Comment From readingreality readingreality : ]  it's a rainy friday here in Atlanta. Might as well be reading! Friday June 1, 2012 4:01 readingreality

4:02	[Comment From BethMills2 BethMills2 : ]  No problem making this one--it's my day off Friday June 1, 2012 4:02 BethMills2

4:02	Nora - Earlyword:  Spoken like a true librarian, Beth! Friday June 1, 2012 4:02 Nora - Earlyword

4:02	[Comment From Theresa Theresa : ]  Hello! Getting ready to rain here in PA Friday June 1, 2012 4:02 Theresa

4:02	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  I've been listening to the Audio interview (again) while waiting for the chat to begin. Friday June 1, 2012 4:02 colldev00

4:03	Nora - Earlyword:  Just heard from Ben -- trying to get him added in now. Friday June 1, 2012 4:03 Nora - Earlyword

4:04	[Comment From Anne Anne : ]  Yes, and I am not up in an airplane - so this is good Friday June 1, 2012 4:04 Anne

4:04	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  I like having the Chat session on a Friday afternoon too even though I am at work. Nice break but still dealing with books Friday June 1, 2012 4:04 colldev00

4:04	[Comment From Carherine Carherine : ]  Happy to join the chat. Friday June 1, 2012 4:04 Carherine

4:05	[Comment From Lesley Lesley : ]  Happy to be here on a Friday afternoon. I have 4 more pages of the book left to finish Friday June 1, 2012 4:05 Lesley

4:06	[Comment From Donna Zmrazek Donna Zmrazek : ]  Hello. I'm looking forward to the live chat too! Friday June 1, 2012 4:06 Donna Zmrazek

4:06	[Comment From Sue D Sue D : ]  Hello from Kansas City. On vacation but wouldn't miss this! Friday June 1, 2012 4:06 Sue D

4:06	[Comment From Guest Guest : ]  I'm here for now. I have a feeling someone might try to get me back out at a desk. Friday June 1, 2012 4:06 Guest

4:06	[Comment From Guest Guest : ]  Hello, Nora - hello, everyone! Friday June 1, 2012 4:06 Guest

4:06	[Comment From Cynthia Cynthia : ]  Just joining the chat. I've only just started the book. Friday June 1, 2012 4:06 Cynthia

4:07	Nora - Earlyword:  No worries if you haven't finished the book; we hope this chat will help you enjoy reading it. Friday June 1, 2012 4:07 Nora - Earlyword

4:07	[Comment From Shanella Shanella : ]  Joining from NYC! Friday June 1, 2012 4:07 Shanella

4:08	Nora - Earlyword:  Just heard from Ben; he'll be joining shortly (tech problem from my end! -- I was losing my mind!) Friday June 1, 2012 4:08 Nora - Earlyword

4:10	Nora - Earlyword:  OK -- still waiting -- I know Ben's out there, but having trouble patching him in! Friday June 1, 2012 4:10 Nora - Earlyword

4:12	[Comment From Cynthia Cynthia : ]  Thanks, Nora. That's my thinking too. Friday June 1, 2012 4:12 Cynthia

4:12	BENJAMIN WOOD [Comment From BENJAMIN WOOD BENJAMIN WOOD : ] Hello, everyone. Friday June 1, 2012 4:12

4:13	Nora - Earlyword:  Somehow, we made your avatar HUGE! Friday June 1, 2012 4:13 Nora - Earlyword

4:13	[Comment From Guest Guest : ]  Will there be spoilers, other than what was in the audio? - haven't read yet... Friday June 1, 2012 4:13 Guest

4:13	[Comment From Melanie Melanie : ]  Hello from North Carolina. Friday June 1, 2012 4:13 Melanie

4:13	[Comment From Donna Zmrazek Donna Zmrazek : ]  I thought the book was good. The story really stayed with me. I hope you will enjoy the book too. I listened to the live chat from earlier. The author is very interesting. Friday June 1, 2012 4:13 Donna Zmrazek

4:13	[Comment From Jackie R. Jackie R. : ]  Really enjoying the book ... can't wait to hear what he has to say! Friday June 1, 2012 4:13 Jackie R.

4:13	Benjamin Wood [Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ] Hello from London! Friday June 1, 2012 4:13

4:14	Nora - Earlyword:  Hi Ben, it’s 9 p.m. in London – you should be heading out on the town. Thanks for spending it with your American librarian readers. Friday June 1, 2012 4:14 Nora - Earlyword

4:14	[Comment From Catherine Catherine : ]  I finished the novel several days ago and find I'm still haunted by these tragic characters. This doesn't often happen to me. Friday June 1, 2012 4:14 Catherine

4:14	[Comment From Laura B. Laura B. : ]  Warning, I submitted questions with spoilers! Friday June 1, 2012 4:14 Laura B.

4:14	[Comment From Diane Diane : ]  Can't see the eyelashes Friday June 1, 2012 4:14 Diane

4:14	Nora - Earlyword:  The previous comment will be explained later! Friday June 1, 2012 4:14 Nora - Earlyword

4:14	[Comment From Lesley Lesley : ]  I literally just finished your book. It was a page turner. Friday June 1, 2012 4:14 Lesley

4:15	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  It's my pleasure to be here. Great to meet so many librarians and readers in the US. Friday June 1, 2012 4:15 Benjamin Wood

4:15	[Comment From shayes732 shayes732 : ]  I really loved the book Ben Friday June 1, 2012 4:15 shayes732

4:15	[Comment From Christine Christine : ]  Yes, it kept me up too late one night. Friday June 1, 2012 4:15 Christine

4:16	Nora - Earlyword:  Hi Ben -- give us a brief synopsis (minus spoilers!) Friday June 1, 2012 4:16 Nora - Earlyword

4:17	[Comment From Sue D Sue D : ]  I have enjoyed the atmosphere you have created Ben. Even without the prologue, the descriptions of the College, the weather, what the surrounding town was like, I had feeling the tension was building and building. Great job! Friday June 1, 2012 4:17 Sue D

4:17	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Thank you, everyone. Wonderful to hear that you're all enjoying the book. For those that haven't read it yet, here's a synopsis: Friday June 1, 2012 4:17 Benjamin Wood

4:17

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  The novel follows Oscar Lowe, a bright young nursing home assistant in Cambridge. He falls in love with a medical student at King’s College, Iris Bellwether, after he is drawn into an evensong service at the chapel by the ethereal sound of an organ. Soon, he becomes embroiled in the machinations of Iris’s older brother, Eden, who is a rather self-confident but troubled musical prodigy. Eden believes he can adapt the theories of a forgotten Baroque composer for healing purposes, and he lures Oscar into a series of experiments to prove his claims. The novel is a love story at heart—the graduating romance between Oscar and Iris is very much at the foreground. It adopts a different viewpoint from most campus-set novels, in that Oscar isn’t a student at the university but an outsider looking in on a world of scholarship and privilege. With Eden’s musical claims at the centre of the plot, the novel explores the partition between genius and madness, touching on wider themes along the way, such as the conflict between science and faith. Friday June 1, 2012 4:17 Benjamin Wood

4:18	Nora - Earlyword:  Let's take a look at the cover, which tells us the setting and a bit of the theme (can you see the music score in the background?)... Friday June 1, 2012 4:18 Nora - Earlyword

4:18	Nora - Earlyword US Cover Friday June 1, 2012 4:18

4:19	[Comment From shayes732 shayes732 : ]  I kept thinking as I was reading, how much research into music and psychology did you have to do? Friday June 1, 2012 4:19 shayes732

4:19	[Comment From Laura B. Laura B. : ]  You write so well about the music. Do you play an instrument? Friday June 1, 2012 4:19 Laura B.

4:20	Nora - Earlyword:  It's interesting that the UK cover emphasized the music theme by using the metronome... Friday June 1, 2012 4:20 Nora - Earlyword

4:20	Nora - Earlyword UK Edition Friday June 1, 2012 4:20

4:21	[Comment From Shanella Shanella : ]  I loved the font on the UK cover Friday June 1, 2012 4:21 Shanella

4:22	Nora - Earlyword:  Look what the Canadian publisher went with... Friday June 1, 2012 4:22 Nora - Earlyword

4:22	Nora - Earlyword Canadian Cover Friday June 1, 2012 4:22

4:22	Nora - Earlyword:  I think we've lost Ben -- keep trying -- Friday June 1, 2012 4:22 Nora - Earlyword

4:23	Nora - Earlyword:  One of the things Ben told me about was the origin of the term "bellwether"... Friday June 1, 2012 4:23 Nora - Earlyword

4:23

Nora - Earlyword:  It’s the lead goat in a herd, identified by his bell. Wether is an old English word for a gelded ram – I read it could come from a term meaning a yearling, since rams were castrated at one year old (a related term is “veal”). Here’s a great shot of a real bellwether… Friday June 1, 2012 4:23 Nora - Earlyword

4:23	Nora - Earlyword An original bellwether Friday June 1, 2012 4:23

4:24	[Comment From Theresa Theresa : ]  I think I like the UK cover better. Friday June 1, 2012 4:24 Theresa

4:24	[Comment From Anne Anne : ]  It is always interesting to see the difference between the Us & UK covers. I usually like the UK covers better. Friday June 1, 2012 4:24 Anne

4:24	[Comment From Melanie Melanie : ]  I like the US cover the best. Friday June 1, 2012 4:24 Melanie

4:24	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  Does the Canadian cover deliberately cut off the top of the head or did the image not come through completely in the chat box? Friday June 1, 2012 4:24 colldev00

4:24	Nora - Earlyword:  I keep wondering if there is a cultural significance to the difference in covers. Friday June 1, 2012 4:24 Nora - Earlyword

4:25	[Comment From Kristin Kristin : ]  Golly - hard to just look at the covers and imagine them being for the same book! Friday June 1, 2012 4:25 Kristin

4:26	Nora - Earlyword:  Ben keeps emaiing me in frustration -- he can see your comments, but can't get in. I may shut down the whole system and start again -- don't go away... Friday June 1, 2012 4:26 Nora - Earlyword

4:26	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Sorry, everyone. I'm having some real technical problems at this end. Must be the extra Diamond Jubilee traffic! Friday June 1, 2012 4:26 Benjamin Wood

4:28	[Comment From Laura B. Laura B. : ]  I thought Bellwether might refer to the warning bell atop a weather buoy, sounding an alarm of rough seas. Iris is that Bellwether, so maybe Eden is the lead ram? Friday June 1, 2012 4:28 Laura B.

4:29	[Comment From Diane Diane : ]  probably the newspapers hacking in Friday June 1, 2012 4:29 Diane

4:30	[Comment From Kristin Kristin : ]  @Laura B I had the same thought! Friday June 1, 2012 4:30 Kristin

4:30

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  @Shayes732 and Laura B: Thanks for reading. I engaged in plenty of research into music theory over the course of writing the novel, particularly into an area called music aesthetics. I am a self-taught musician (guitar and a little piano, but only enough to bash out a version of The Long and Winding Road), so it took some time to get acquainted with the theoretical side of music required for the novel. Most of all, I wanted to be able to convey the sensory aspect of music in the prose, rather than rely on too many precise technical terms or jargon to represent it, which I often find distancing in fiction relating to music. Friday June 1, 2012 4:30 Benjamin Wood

4:31	Nora - Earlyword:  Hey; there's Ben -- guess we'll have to have him chime in as a "guest' -- so sorry, Ben! Friday June 1, 2012 4:31 Nora - Earlyword

4:32

Nora - Earlyword:  So, back to the question of names -- love this one from a participant: I love to discuss an author's clever character names with my teen book discussion group, and I found your names wonderful, particularly Bellwether. Any special significance to "Oscar" or "Iris," since she proved not to be a genus but a fragile and fleeting flower? Friday June 1, 2012 4:32 Nora - Earlyword

4:32	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  About the Bellwether - it's a sheep (usually a castrated ram) with a bell around its neck, whom the rest of the flock follow... Friday June 1, 2012 4:32 Benjamin Wood

4:33	Nora - Earlyword:  Ben -- we'll give you some time to adjust to this new arrangement -- I wanted to get your thoughts on this quote on the UK jacket: Love the quote on the UK cover -- “there is no great genius without some note of madness” Friday June 1, 2012 4:33 Nora - Earlyword

4:34	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  I felt it was a pertinent name to give someone such as Eden - but I really like the suggestions for the connotations in relation to Iris. Friday June 1, 2012 4:34 Benjamin Wood

4:34	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  No special relevance. With Oscar, I wanted a name that sounded soft and compassionate, and which seemed almost classless... Friday June 1, 2012 4:34 Benjamin Wood

4:35	Which of these famous writers is not a Cambridge University graduate? Michael Frayn  ( 9% ) AS Byatt  ( 0% ) Nick Hornby  ( 45% ) Sebastian Faulks  ( 0% ) Kazuo Ishiguro  ( 18% ) Zadie Smith  ( 27% ) Friday June 1, 2012 4:35

4:35	Nora - Earlyword:  We've just posted a poll -- see how you do! Friday June 1, 2012 4:35 Nora - Earlyword

4:35	Nora - Earlyword:  We will give you the answer later. Friday June 1, 2012 4:35 Nora - Earlyword

4:36

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  With Iris, I was looking for a name that seemed intelligent and yet welcoming. It was probably a residual name from an early draft (insider info here) in which Eden Bellwether was once called Michael Iris. Somehow, it stuck. Friday June 1, 2012 4:36 Benjamin Wood

4:36	Nora - Earlyword:  We've been talking about the various covers, Ben. Which is your favorite? Friday June 1, 2012 4:36 Nora - Earlyword

4:36	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  Isn't an Iris a hothouse flower with all the connotations that might carry as well. Friday June 1, 2012 4:36 colldev00

4:37	Nora - Earlyword:  I don't know -- I've seen some pretty tough irises out in fields! Friday June 1, 2012 4:37 Nora - Earlyword

4:38	Nora - Earlyword:  Love the quote on the UK cover -- “there is no great genius without some note of madness” And, on the other hand, one of your characters says, "Hope is a form of madness. A benevolent one, sure, but madness all the same." Friday June 1, 2012 4:38 Nora - Earlyword

4:38	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  Not a gardner or into plants, just thought I'd heard that somewhere. Friday June 1, 2012 4:38 colldev00

4:38

Nora - Earlyword:  Let's talk about the "eyelashes" issue -- You got a great review in the Independent, but it had this unusual line: …images of Benjamin Wood's beautiful hair and long eyelashes are becoming familiar … Your writer friends must have LOVED that! Coming up, the author photo that inspired the above... Friday June 1, 2012 4:38 Nora - Earlyword

4:39	Nora - Earlyword The author photo that got almost as much attention as the book Friday June 1, 2012 4:39

4:39	[Comment From AndrewSalchert AndrewSalchert : ]  My irises grow so tall they can't stand on their own. Friday June 1, 2012 4:39 AndrewSalchert

4:39

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  My favourite cover is actually the US cover. I like all of them, and they all have their own differences and finishes (the UK version is velvety to the touch, because of the paper that they used). But the US cover image is the one that I think best reflects the mood and themes of the book. Friday June 1, 2012 4:39 Benjamin Wood

4:40	Nora - Earlyword:  Eden is taken with the Baroque composer Johann Mathesson. Tell us a bit about him. While you’re answering, here’s a bit of his organ music – we used it for the intro to our podcast interview… Friday June 1, 2012 4:40 Nora - Earlyword

4:40	Johann Mathesson organ music  Play Friday June 1, 2012 4:40

4:40	Nora - Earlyword:  Sounds like this moody image of Cambridge... Friday June 1, 2012 4:40 Nora - Earlyword

4:41	Nora - Earlyword King's College and Chapel Friday June 1, 2012 4:41

4:41	Nora - Earlyword:  And, seen from another angle... Friday June 1, 2012 4:41 Nora - Earlyword

4:41	Nora - Earlyword King's College Chapel Cambridge Friday June 1, 2012 4:41

4:42

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Funnily enough, I'd never really thought much about my own eyelashes (who does?) until that review. But I suppose a national paper is a decent forum for such a discussion. The review began with a paragraph talking about my author photo, which was worrying, but then it said some rather pleasing things about the novel - so I can have no complaints, even though people still tease me about the eyelashes and call me "the pompadour". Friday June 1, 2012 4:42 Benjamin Wood

4:42	[Comment From Susan Susan : ]  It also sounds moody like Eden is moody. Friday June 1, 2012 4:42 Susan

4:43	Nora - Earlyword:  Ben -- what's the answer tot he first poll? Friday June 1, 2012 4:43 Nora - Earlyword

4:44	Which of these famous literary figures once lived in Grantchester, where the Bellwethers reside? Tom Stoppard  ( 0% ) Ford Maddox Ford  ( 11% ) Sylvia Plath  ( 56% ) Michael Ondaatje  ( 22% ) VS Pritchett  ( 0% ) J.G. Ballard  ( 11% ) Friday June 1, 2012 4:44

4:44

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Mattheson is one of those almost forgotten figures of the Baroque era, in some ways. He was a greatly talented composer (of sacred music and opera) and he was a contemporary of Handel (they were friends, and almost killed each other in a duel). But what he is most known for is his critical theory, in particular a work call Der Vollkommene Capellmeister (rough trans. The Perfect Chapelmaster) which made a case for manipulating the properties of music for certain emotional effects. Friday June 1, 2012 4:44 Benjamin Wood

4:45	Nora - Earlyword:  How did you learn about him? What happened to his theories? Friday June 1, 2012 4:45 Nora - Earlyword

4:45	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Answer to the first poll, Nora, is KAZUO ISHIGURO - though I can see why most would plump for Hornby or Smith... Hope everyone is bearing with me here. I'm trying my best to keep up with the lag! Friday June 1, 2012 4:45 Benjamin Wood

4:46	Nora - Earlyword:  Don't worry -- Americans are more patient than we are usually given credit for! Friday June 1, 2012 4:46 Nora - Earlyword

4:47	Nora - Earlyword:  The bit of Mattheson music, hat you heard earlier is played on a 1966 Moller organ by David Christensen in Riverside, California. If you want to listen to the full version, it's on YouTube -- http://youtu.be/jKYA0rAO-_0 Friday June 1, 2012 4:47 Nora - Earlyword

4:48	[Comment From ReadingEnvy ReadingEnvy : ]  Oh I can imagine most Baroque composers not exactly embracing that philosophy! Friday June 1, 2012 4:48 ReadingEnvy

4:49	Nora - Earlyword:  You describe Eden playing Mattheson on the organ -- he hovers "his fingers above the keys like a puppeteer" -- a great image, since Eden also acts as a puppeteer to his band of friends. Friday June 1, 2012 4:49 Nora - Earlyword

4:49

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  I learned about Mattheson through my research into music aesthetics. His name kept cropping up in texts I was reading, to see if anyone had tried to explain music's emotional effects in definite terms. And the more I read, the more Mattheson kept popping up. So I found out as much as I could about him and his works. And he struck me as a historical figure that someone like Eden would become quite obsessed with. Friday June 1, 2012 4:49 Benjamin Wood

4:50	[Comment From shanellareads shanellareads : ]  [I have to head home - will this chat be available after?] Friday June 1, 2012 4:50 shanellareads

4:50	Nora - Earlyword:  Thanks for the question -- yes the chat will be archived and you will also be able to listen to the Podcast of my interview with Ben (no tech difficulties there!) Friday June 1, 2012 4:50 Nora - Earlyword

4:51	[Comment From kellydcurrie kellydcurrie : ]  We've been talking a lot about Eden, but to tell you the truth, I was fascinated with Oscar. He seemed like such a gentleman and a wonderful contrast to the larger than life Eden. Friday June 1, 2012 4:51 kellydcurrie

4:51	Nora - Earlyword:  That ties in to a question that was submitted in advance -- the person wanted to know why Oscar worked in a nursing home. Friday June 1, 2012 4:51 Nora - Earlyword

4:52	[Comment From Susan Susan : ]  I agree, I think Oscar was just as strong a character as Eden with a completely different outlook. Friday June 1, 2012 4:52 Susan

4:52	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Thanks, KellyDCurrie. I'm really pleased you connected with Oscar as character. Friday June 1, 2012 4:52 Benjamin Wood

4:52

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  I relied on my personal experiences of growing up in a nursing home to depict Oscar’s working life at Cedarbrook. The fondness he feels towards the residents at Cedarbrook, the genial atmosphere of the place, were born of my own recollections of childhood, growing up in the care home my parents owned when I was about six or seven. Friday June 1, 2012 4:52 Benjamin Wood

4:54	Nora - Earlyword:  Wait! You "grew up" in a nursing home? That makes me understand the great relationship that Oscar had with Paulsen (my favorite character in the book). Friday June 1, 2012 4:54 Nora - Earlyword

4:54	[Comment From kellydcurrie kellydcurrie : ]  Wow, living there must have made a big impression on you. If I were in a nursing home, I certainly would want someone like Oscar caring for me. Friday June 1, 2012 4:54 kellydcurrie

4:55	Nora - Earlyword:  By the way, here's a portrait of the Baroque composter, Mattheson -- he was a real person... Friday June 1, 2012 4:55 Nora - Earlyword

4:55	Nora - Earlyword Johann Mattheson, baroque composer Friday June 1, 2012 4:55

4:55	Nora - Earlyword:  I'm betting HE had great eyelashes! Friday June 1, 2012 4:55 Nora - Earlyword

4:55	[Comment From BethMills2 BethMills2 : ]  Enjoyed character of Dr Paulsen--elderly too often caricatures or invisible in fiction. Friday June 1, 2012 4:55 BethMills2

4:56	[Comment From Laura B. Laura B. : ]  His profession makes Oscar, the Lowe among the aristocrats, a very compassionate but also down-to-earth character. Friday June 1, 2012 4:56 Laura B.

4:56

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  It did, Kelly. There's a line in the book about Oscar feeling that the residents are "a cast of elderly relatives he was grateful to have adopted" - that reflects my own feelings. It was like have an extra 20 sets of grandparents in the house. Friday June 1, 2012 4:56 Benjamin Wood

4:56	Nora - Earlyword:  This may be an odd detail to focus on -- but I was curious about the clove cigarettes that Iris smoked continually. Friday June 1, 2012 4:56 Nora - Earlyword

4:58

Nora - Earlyword:  It's one of the details that made the novel feel so specific and therefore more real -- as one of our early commenters put it... I just wanted to comment on how wonderfully detailed the setting was; I love a richly detailed narrative that engages all the senses without being overwritten: I could hear the sounds Oscar heard, smell the things around him. It was very easy to get lost in his world Friday June 1, 2012 4:58 Nora - Earlyword

4:58	[Comment From Laura B. Laura B. : ]  And Herbert was a great character, too. I wish I could read his book -- the version with Eden. Friday June 1, 2012 4:58 Laura B.

4:58	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  I agree, BethMills2 - and they are often stereotyped. I hope that Dr Paulsen comes across as bad-tempered but compassionate. Friday June 1, 2012 4:58 Benjamin Wood

4:58	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Ah, the cloves. They're banned in the USA, I hear. Friday June 1, 2012 4:58 Benjamin Wood

4:59	Nora - Earlyword:  We ban a lot of strange things -- now Mayor Bloomberg wants to ban large sugared sodas! Friday June 1, 2012 4:59 Nora - Earlyword

4:59	[Comment From Theresa Theresa : ]  Ben - which character do you most identify with? I'm guessing Oscar. Friday June 1, 2012 4:59 Theresa

4:59	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  ".. an extra 20 sets of grandparents", what a lovely sentiment and portrayed in Oscar's character so well in the book. Friday June 1, 2012 4:59 colldev00

4:59	[Comment From kellydcurrie kellydcurrie : ]  Are clove cigarettes popular in the UK? Friday June 1, 2012 4:59 kellydcurrie

4:59	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Theresa - I related most to the protagonist, Oscar, yes—his observations as a non-student living in the shadow of the Cambridge colleges partly reflect my own. Friday June 1, 2012 4:59 Benjamin Wood

5:00	Nora - Earlyword:  Before we have to end... tell us who lived in Grantchester? Friday June 1, 2012 5:00 Nora - Earlyword

5:00	[Comment From Sue D Sue D : ]  I was reminded of The Secret History by Donna Tartt when reading this book. That is one that sticks with you just like this book pops up in your thoughts unexpectedly. Friday June 1, 2012 5:00 Sue D

5:01

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Cloves are available in the UK, but not hugely popular. They have a rather sweet, cloying scent (not too dissimilar to pipesmoke). The high tar content makes them VERY bad for your health (as if regular cigarettes weren't bad enough, eh?). Friday June 1, 2012 5:01 Benjamin Wood

5:01	[Comment From Susan Susan : ]  As far as popular characters, Eden certainly had his followers. Friday June 1, 2012 5:01 Susan

5:02	[Comment From Laura B. Laura B. : ]  Ben, you caught the feel of Iris' experiences and even the singers' experiences in Eden's plots very well. Friday June 1, 2012 5:02 Laura B.

5:03	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Sylvia Plath shared a farmhouse with Ted Hughes in Grantchester Meadows. A lot of people knew that one, it seems! Friday June 1, 2012 5:03 Benjamin Wood

5:03	[Comment From kellydcurrie kellydcurrie : ]  Hmmm. So Iris was maybe doomed one way or the other! Friday June 1, 2012 5:03 kellydcurrie

5:03	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Sue D - that is wonderful to hear. Thank you. If if can stay in people's minds for 20+ years, like Donna Tartt's debut, I will be thrilled and humbled. Friday June 1, 2012 5:03 Benjamin Wood

5:04

Nora - Earlyword:  Thanks for joining us, everyone. Sorry for the tech difficulties. We will work them out before the next chat. We're looking forward to the book's publication here, Ben. Always fun to talk to an author on the eve of a launch. Will you be touring here? Friday June 1, 2012 5:04 Nora - Earlyword

5:05	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Thanks, Laura B. It is difficult, when writing ensemble scenes with lots of action, to make sure that every character's emotional state is hinted at. So I'm glad you connected with these scenes. Friday June 1, 2012 5:05 Benjamin Wood

5:05	[Comment From ReadingEnvy ReadingEnvy : ]  I've got to run but I'm looking forward to finishing, and novels incorporating music always mean more to me, so thank you. Friday June 1, 2012 5:05 ReadingEnvy

5:06	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  Thanks Nora for the chat session and a big THANK YOU to Ben for joining in from the UK. Friday June 1, 2012 5:06 colldev00

5:06	[Comment From kellydcurrie kellydcurrie : ]  Thanks Nora and Ben for a great chat! Friday June 1, 2012 5:06 kellydcurrie

5:07	[Comment From Donna Zmrazek Donna Zmrazek : ]  This was a great chat session! Thanks! Friday June 1, 2012 5:07 Donna Zmrazek

5:08	[Comment From Theresa Theresa : ]  Thank you for a great chat - wish it could have been longer! Friday June 1, 2012 5:08 Theresa

5:08	[Comment From Anne Anne : ]  Wonderful chat. it helped to enhance my reading. Friday June 1, 2012 5:08 Anne

5:08	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  Waiting to 'see' the answer to Nors's question about touring here. Friday June 1, 2012 5:08 colldev00

5:08

[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  THANK YOU, everyone, for joining me. Sorry that tech problems slowed things down. It was a great pleasure to be able to chat with you all. When I sat down to write this book, I hoped to see it on the shelves in the US one day, and it's such a privilege to hear from so many American librarians engaging with the characters and story. I'm not sure if I'll be doing any events in the US, but I hope I'll be over soon. It's a fine country. Great meeting everyone. Bye! Friday June 1, 2012 5:08 Benjamin Wood

5:08	Nora - Earlyword:  Thanks for hanging in with us, Ben -- you were a great sport! Friday June 1, 2012 5:08 Nora - Earlyword

5:10	[Comment From colldev00 colldev00 : ]  Thank you, again. Bye! Friday June 1, 2012 5:10 colldev00

5:10	[Comment From Benjamin Wood Benjamin Wood : ]  Any time, Nora. Thanks for moderating through the tech issues. It was fun! Friday June 1, 2012 5:10 Benjamin Wood

 

 

This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2012 at 2:30 pm and is filed under 2012 -- Summer, EarlyWord Sponsor, Fiction, Literary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.

• Publisher Contacts

  • Library Marketing — Adult
  • Publisher Contact Sheet (with email formats)

• Diversity

  • Upcoming Diversity Titles

• Best Seller Lists

  • Amazon Movers and Shakers (Sales Spikes, Last 24 hours)
  • Amazon.com Top 100
  • Graphic Novels (Publishers Weekly)
  • Indie Bestsellers
  • New York Times
  • Publishers Weekly/BookScan
  • USA Today
  • Wall Street Journal (may require subscription)

• Consumer Media, Book Coverage

  • Aggregrated Book Reviews, (LitHub/Book Marks)
  • Books on the Air