My apologies for my tardiness...on to the book.

I have a completely different take on Joe from the get.  I really liked him.  He seems to be a bit of a contrarian, what with his opposition to the war, his love of art, and his desire to work hard despite his privileged upbringing.  Twenty-one straight days banging in fence posts seems like no small task from where I'm currently sitting.  And I truly admired his confidence....confidence that he could earn the respect of Overstreet and his fellow wranglers, confidence that he could win over Ellen, and confidence that he could handle Billy - though not in the most traditional of ways.  I wish I could have displayed more of that when I was his age.

Overall, I think we are off to a great start.  McGuane has set a wonderful backdrop for what I expect to be the future crux of the story - the encircling of the "upstart" family farm set against the expanse of the Overstreet behemoth.  I suspect the Ellen will certainly come back to the fore, making for an interesting turn of events.  I look forward to pressing on, happy to have guysWHOREad on the front burner once again.  Cheers. - Ryan    

Joe at a glance

I have enjoyed up to chapter 5. McGuane has set the seen that no doubt will be the main stage of the novel, it appears to be a beautiful, but not entirely profitable section of Montana frontier. Through the introduction and interaction with the supporting cast we get a good idea of who main character Joe is. We also can catch a glimpse of with whom and how the conflict will play out. Joe's family appears to be well off and upwardly mobile, this seems to be driven solely by his father who is perhaps singularly focused on that movement. Joe is the unfortunate product of that vision. The relationship with his aunt and uncle is cordial at best and he appears to respect the authority of Mr. Overstreet, but only because of Overstreet's position.

I don't like Joe at this point, he is a privileged kid from away who is there for the summer to 'work', but really he is there to spy on the operation. Although he works, and works hard, no one really cares. I respect him for this. Like any young man left to his own devices he sets his attention to Mr. Overstreet's only daughter. He does so with skill and singular drive that appears to have been learned at private school from the older boys. Maybe he steals away with Ellen because of who she, what she is or perhaps that she is the only girl around, I'm not sure. His affections for Ellen do appear earnest, even if those feelings come with an expiration date. I think that I don't like him because it is all coming together for him with what appears to be little effort. Another example of thing just falling into place for those who are lucky enough to be born into privileged society. I am not trying to say that his life is perfect or easy, it just appears to be going in a direction that is working well with little effort. I did enjoy it when he, dutifully, walked over to Billy Keaton and got his lights knocked out just before leaving Montana. I think I liked him a little more at that moment.

J

Return to the written word- Keep the Change by Thomas McGuane

We have decided to start reading and sharing again. After a longer than expected break from active reading, a brief but rewarding reunion at the 5th Annual D.H.L. on Nantucket confirmed that there is time and interest. For our next book, we chose Keep the Change by Thomas McGuane. The inside jacket describes the story as follows:
     The picaresque and heartbreaking adventures of Joe Starling, one of the last great American heroes, in his quest for his roots and his rightful inheritance.
     Keep the Change is an American odyssey, a romance, and adventure- by a master storyteller in the tradition of Mark Twain and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in Montana, Key West, and the Yale Club of New York, this story is the story of one man's declaration of independence. It portrays loneliness, family ties and betrayals, seductions and chicaneries and the haunting memory of a faded painting of white hills.

Enjoy

Temporary time out. Thank you all who are reading, due to familial restraints we will be taking a brief time out  to conquer the pages at home. We look forward to posting in two weeks.
Jake, Matt and Ryan

The Lighthouse at the End of the World P. 158 Jake

I reccomended this boat based on a list from some mens magazine as one of the top 100 books for men. After reading approximately half of the book, I am not sure why it has made the top 100 list. That is not to say that I am bored, in fact I am enjoying the book very much. I am enjoying the simple language and the realness of the situation created. The circumstances may be over a century old, but the reality of piracy and terrorism are still a contemporary concern. The Lighthouse at the End of the World is a classic tale of good versus evil; and to that extent Verne has created an excellent arena for the battle to take place.
Vasquez, what a great man, he is a strong old salt, level headed and well liked, at least as far as we can tell. He was chosen from thousands of applicants to be the lead watcher for first three month hitch on the new lighthouse. Vasquez also had enough pull to get the two other men selected. All that being said, I feel that he is a little under-developed. I wonder if Jules Verne were to have lived longer would he have developed the characters a little more? The dreaded pirate Kongre seems to be just your run of the mill crafty pirate. The two main human characters are seemingly equal opposites. The only character that has been truly developed here is the island and the elements. I think that the detailed descriptions of Staten Island create the feeling of despair and aloneness that put me squarely in Vasquez's corner. At this point I have just discovered Davis and look forward to reading about he and Vasquez as they attempt to thwart the departure of the Maule.
I appreciate the fact that Verne has not cartoonized, not sure if that is an actual term, but I think you get the point. Both Vasquez and Kongre seem very human and the band of pirates are not all nincompoops. At this point Vasquez does not seem to have some super powers either. I do find it rather convenient Vasquez happens to speak English, not completely inconcievable, but fortunate. Verne could have just as easily had a Spanish ship crash the shores of Staten Island.
I hope you are all enjoying the story as much as I am.

Tourist Season, through the end

In response to Jake's question: Is Hiaasen Keyes? I would say no. Obviously, this novel strays fairly far from any actual events, and I would say that no one character is based entirely on any one real person. However, I would theorize that Hiaasen would more closely align himself with Wiley. I think that Wiley does some of the things that Hiaasen wishes he could do, but can't.
Wiley, like Hiaasen, is a home grown Florida native. Jake has seen the development of Maine, and I have seen the development of Nantucket, and that is but a taste of what Hiaasen has seen Florida. He has had to endure Florida being bulldozed, buried and paved for decades.
Wiley, like Hiaasen, is a fabulous and talented columnist. Both seem well cut out for the newpaper business, whereas the more sensitive Keyes is not.
Certainly, I would say that Hiaasen probably gave a little of himself to both characters, Wiley and Keyes, but I think the closer alignment is with Wiley. Whereas Hiaasen stops short of feeding tourists to crocodiles, I would guess the idea has appealled to him from time to time. While Wiley is free to commit murder and mayhem to save Florida, Hiaasen only has his writing, and he makes a compelling statement.

The Lighthouse at the End of the World

For the next novel, I have chosen something that is a little more closer to my chosen profession. Written in 1901 by Jules Verne, The Lighthouse at the End of the World, was published posthumously in 1905. Inspired by an actual lighthouse, Jules Verne spins a tale of survival. Three light keepers at the Isla de los Estados, or Staten Island Lighthouse, in Argentina are attacked by pirates, only one survives. The story centers on Vasquez, the light operator, who makes himself scarce and survives on the hidden stores of the pirates located in a cave. His only chance of survival is to wait for the return of dispatch boat which is not due for several months. Lucky for him, an american ship crashes on the island, due to the lack of an operational lighthouse, only the ships First Officer survives. The two men join forces to prevent the pirates from escaping and secure the safety of the island once again.
The Lighthouse at the end of the World is not one of Jules Verne's more popular novels, but I think we will enjoy it.
-Jake