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Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:54 pm
by lindad_amato
Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Part I

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:57 pm
by lindad_amato
So, The Falls starts off with what might have been the end of the story. How do you feel about this approach?
Even though we know what happens from the beginning did anyone get a sense of foreboding from Chap 2 and 3?

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:16 pm
by WildCityWoman
Worked ok for me - I liked the way the story was told. Opening with the gatekeeper's take on things.

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:56 pm
by smileyface123123
Starting out with the anonymous man throwing himself over the falls was a good way to begin the story. We get right into the action. It also opens up all kinds of questions that make us want to read more.

The sense of foreboding was there in both Ariah's and Gilbert's chapters. In Ariah's chapter, she wakes up immediately knowing something is very wrong. As the chapter continues you can really feel her fear and her disgust with herself. She shows glimpses of how she wanted things to be such as seeing herself going down to find him sitting and sipping coffee, the way they would act like a normal couple. Her anguish is felt when she reads the note.

In his chapter, I love the mantra Run for you life. He kept thinking this although he was running to his death. The story really showed his disgust of her and how desperate he was.

I love the way she writes this novel. The touches of details that bring it alive.

I'm looking forward to reading more and seeing everyone's thoughts.

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 3:37 pm
by giselle
Hey .. finally have my book so I'll be joining this discussion soon .. :D

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:06 pm
by giselle
I don’t want to say too much because I will give away the story and others may not have read the upcoming chapters, but I think the gatekeeper somewhat resembles St. Peter and the Falls could symbolize the Pearly Gates … might be quite apt given that spraying water in bright sunshine has a gleaming, pearly look – of course, this could also be the River Styx and the Gates of Hell. The gatekeepers final words to the man (which he doesn’t hear) are: “Don’t do it! Mister! God damn ---“. There is ambiguity here - hell or heaven --- I think we'll see more of this theme.

I felt his ‘sockless’ flight was full of symbolism ... this isn’t just about not having time to put on his socks … this is about him leaving behind something that was once important to him, that he thought was essential to his life. Significant foreshadowing I think.

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 1:22 am
by Pegasus796
I'm not sure I'm going to finish this book, I'm getting sea-sick from all the back and forth plotlines.

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:25 am
by lindad_amato
Pegasus796 wrote:I'm not sure I'm going to finish this book, I'm getting sea-sick from all the back and forth plotlines.
Keep going. It smooths out.

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:28 am
by lindad_amato
Giselle,
I think you have a good point there about the socks. He lived such a rigid life that the lack of them shows how very disassociated and desperate he had become.

I think there is definitely a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter. We'll see what happens.

Re: Part I: Gatekeeper's Testimony, The Bride, The Fossil-Seeker

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:25 pm
by giselle
Pegasus796 wrote:I'm not sure I'm going to finish this book, I'm getting sea-sick from all the back and forth plotlines.
This does make the story harder to follow, especially if you put the book down for a while and come back to it. In The Falls, I think Oates uses this technique to some advantage because the non-sequential narrative emphasizes the sate of mind of the main characters, perhaps confused, disoriented, stressed and leading lives that are fractured by events.