Minutes July Book: The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster

The Book of Emmett

by Deborah Forster

(Chosen by KE)

KE chose this book after seeing an article about it in The Age which highlighted "the inventiveness of the telling". She was particularly interested to see whether the book would examine the possibility of changing behaviours between generations, thus breaking ongoing inherited cycles of dysfunction.

Deborah Foster grew up in Footscray, Melbourne. She worked as a staff and freelance journalist for many years and was a This Life columnist on The Age and The Sunday Age. Deborah Foster is married to Alan Kohler and they have three children. The Book of Emmett is her first novel.

(general biographical detail from the publisher's website.)

What the publisher says about the book:

Emmett Brown is as dark as Heathcliff, and as unpredictable. Sometimes he's an inspiration, but not often. He's a man of booze and obsessions: one of them is his 'System', an attempt to bend the laws of probability. But when the lottery numbers and horses fail him, so do love and reason, and he becomes an ogre to his wife and children.

For the innocents - Louisa, Rob, Peter, Daniel and Jessie - the bonds formed hiding in hedges at the end of the street, waiting for the maelstroms to pass, are complex and unbreakable. Over the years, the consequences of Emmett's rages shape both their spirits and psyches, but as he lies dying they discover that love - however imperfect - is the best defence against pain. The Book of Emmett is a novel about hope and love and surviving.

What we discussed about the book:

• Who was the real Emmett? How did he appear in the eyes of the children?
• Did the occasional softness he showed (the encyclopedias, taking them to the ballet) make it difficult for the children to hate him?
• To what extent did we feel this was a memoir as opposed to totally fiction? Did we think Louisa was representative of the author?
• If an author denies that a novel is autobiographical, are we able to accept that is is totally fiction? Does it matter?
• To what extent was this a novel "entirely about forgiveness and hope" (Quote from Deborah Forster)
• How affected were we by the graphic nature of some of the scenes?
• In what ways did the texture and beauty of the language Forster employed heighten our experience of the story?
• What did we think about Ann (the mother). What were her options in that time and culture? Why don't we know more about her back story?
• In what ways did Ann protect her children, or minimise the impact on them?
• How did their upbringing impact differently on each of the children?

And then we were sidetracked into:

• Is it possible to break cycles between generations? or is it inevitable that history repeats?
• How resilient children are to rise above their domestic situations. Why do some children carry issues into adulthood and others don't?
• Deborah Forster was 53 when this novel was published. She was inspired by Olga Masters whose first piece of fiction was published at 63, and Elizabeth Jolley who published her first novel at 53. Is there hope in this for all of us?!
• How important it is to have at least one significant adult in your childhood to steer you on the right path (teachers, friends, grandparents, godparents)
• The importance of mentors in achieving better outcomes...not just in times of adversity.
• Will children always love their parents no matter how badly they behave?
• Is it easier to resolve issues by remaining in an abusive environment than it is by leaving?

And in other news we discussed:

• Breath tests for fructose intolerance, epiglottis malfunctions, reflux and vomiting....
• Could we last 21 days without complaining?
• Who would ask their partners to return two excess brackets to the hardware store for a refund of $4 and who wouldn't.
• The differences in ethnic and cultural attitudes to looking after the older generation.
• Skype. As one No.1 Lady stated, "It's better with a camera, but you need to get dressed."
• Approaches to pocket money for children. Should they work for it? Is it a reward or a right? Can they spend it however they like?
• The current focus in the media on violence in the city at night. Have youth become desensitised to violence through exposure to TV, films and computer games?

Ratings:

Ratings range: 7 to 9 (lowest score was a DNF)

Ratings average: 8.25

Next book: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (chosen by KM)