Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,110
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Just finished We Need to talk about Kevin!!!!!!

@CANDLEQUEEN, so glad you were glad to have read it.  Her insight amazes me.  Whatever subject she writes about she does it with incredible depth, breadth and a keen eye for details.  She's just so wise!

 

One of the most striking things about the book was how she got in Kevin's head, his idolizing of the Colombine killers and others, how he wanted to be better than them.  I wonder if the Newtown killer and Aurora, both of which came after the book, if they actually thought like that, 'I will be bigger than all of them.'

 

Take a break.  Definitely read "A Man Called Ove" and maybe Bachman's second book too.  You won't be sorry.

 

And when you're ready for more Heavy (literally and figuratively) I strongly recommend reading Shriver's "Big Brother."  It's about weight and marriage and sibling relationships, will power and also a woman trying to keep it together, keeping everyone happy, being stretched. .  And it has another jaw-dropping ending. 

 

And if anyone reads it after you finish it tag me and I will tell you something about it that would be a spoiler now.

 

Funny, I don't cry when I read books but all three books I've mentioned, "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "Big Brother" and of course my beloved "A Man Named Ove", I cried at all three.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,401
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Just finished We Need to talk about Kevin!!!!!!


@LoriLori wrote:

@CANDLEQUEEN, so glad you were glad to have read it.  Her insight amazes me.  Whatever subject she writes about she does it with incredible depth, breadth and a keen eye for details.  She's just so wise!

 

One of the most striking things about the book was how she got in Kevin's head, his idolizing of the Colombine killers and others, how he wanted to be better than them.  I wonder if the Newtown killer and Aurora, both of which came after the book, if they actually thought like that, 'I will be bigger than all of them.'

 

Take a break.  Definitely read "A Man Called Ove" and maybe Bachman's second book too.  You won't be sorry.

 

And when you're ready for more Heavy (literally and figuratively) I strongly recommend reading Shriver's "Big Brother."  It's about weight and marriage and sibling relationships, will power and also a woman trying to keep it together, keeping everyone happy, being stretched. .  And it has another jaw-dropping ending. 

 

And if anyone reads it after you finish it tag me and I will tell you something about it that would be a spoiler now.

 

Funny, I don't cry when I read books but all three books I've mentioned, "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "Big Brother" and of course my beloved "A Man Named Ove", I cried at all three.


Thankyou Lori! I will have to check out A Man Called Ove, it has been mentioned quie a bit on these boards.....I will also look for Big Borther. Yes you are right, she was able to get inside his head and translate it very well in writing..I think after thinking about it some more, that Kevin just wanted his mom to love him all along, and everything he did comes back to his mother not loving him......It was a disturbing book, and I will see if my sis wants to read it, along with Defending Jacob!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,401
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Just finished We Need to talk about Kevin!!!!!!


@Lilysmom wrote:

@CANDLEQUEEN, just had an idea after seeing @sunaIa's thread on Stephen King's trilogy.  Have you read those?  They are fantastic.  Here are the titles:

 

Mr. Mercedes

Finders Keepers

End of Watch

 

I can't remember if Sunny's post has spoilers ... Thinking it does so don't read it.

 

I am late to Stephen King because I thought all he wrote were horror stories.  This trilogy is really good.  Wish I had it to read anew again.  He won an Edgar Award for Mr. Mercedes.

 

Enough already, I know!!!  LM


I will watch for these as well. I also thought that Stephen King only wrote horror books as well.......Thanks!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,110
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Just finished We Need to talk about Kevin!!!!!!

EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THIS IS A SPOILER THREAD CLEARLY MARKED, WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!!!:

 

@CANDLEQUEEN, interesting!  I had a very different interpretation (and Lionel Shriver is so great that we can both be right!  BTW her real name is like Mary Ann or something LOL and she changed it at a young age but I digress -- )

 

I thought the mother took upon herself the guilt and shame of Kevin's acts because she didn't really want or love him, or love him enough, or love him in the "right" ways". 

 

But I felt bad about her guilt trip because the way I read it, she gave birth to a monster, she didn't create him even though she took responsibility for it.  He was born bad and he made it so hard on her to the point of even refusing to be potty trained -- I think she was reexamining her life looking to put blame on herself that maybe she doesn't deserve?

 

But I totally see it your way too and I think there's a deliberate element of chicken/egg that makes the book work both ways.  He's a bad seed and she's a guilt-ridden victim.  Or she was a bad mother to a troubled kid and his victims paid for her failures which is so reminiscent of Newtown, which hadn't happened yet! 

 

Wonderful, thoughtful book.  The movie doesn't have the texture and it's more of a horror movie vibe, it didn't work for me but I know people who didn't read the book who liked the movie.  TIlda Swinton was wonderful.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,401
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Just finished We Need to talk about Kevin!!!!!!


@LoriLori wrote:

EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THIS IS A SPOILER THREAD CLEARLY MARKED, WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD!!!:

 

@CANDLEQUEEN, interesting!  I had a very different interpretation (and Lionel Shriver is so great that we can both be right!  BTW her real name is like Mary Ann or something LOL and she changed it at a young age but I digress -- )

 

I thought the mother took upon herself the guilt and shame of Kevin's acts because she didn't really want or love him, or love him enough, or love him in the "right" ways". 

 

But I felt bad about her guilt trip because the way I read it, she gave birth to a monster, she didn't create him even though she took responsibility for it.  He was born bad and he made it so hard on her to the point of even refusing to be potty trained -- I think she was reexamining her life looking to put blame on herself that maybe she doesn't deserve?

 

But I totally see it your way too and I think there's a deliberate element of chicken/egg that makes the book work both ways.  He's a bad seed and she's a guilt-ridden victim.  Or she was a bad mother to a troubled kid and his victims paid for her failures which is so reminiscent of Newtown, which hadn't happened yet! 

 

Wonderful, thoughtful book.  The movie doesn't have the texture and it's more of a horror movie vibe, it didn't work for me but I know people who didn't read the book who liked the movie.  TIlda Swinton was wonderful.


LoriLori-I can see your way as well. I think you are right, there are several ways of interpretation, just like Defending Jacob-was he guilty? Was he a bad boy? Or a bad seed? Also mentioned was a murder gene? It's sort of like ffod for thought-these both would be good books to discuss at a book club meeting for sure!!!!!