House of Sand and Fog

[aruna]

Just put it down and am dying to talk about it... anyone else read it? My rating: nine and a half out of ten. This is one book I won't forget so quickly.

[davidhburton]

I'll need to read it. The movie was brilliant...especially Ben Kingsley as Behrani!

[aruna]

I haven't seen the movie but Ben Kingsley sounds just perfect.

[DeniseK]

I read the book first and then saw the movie, both excellent, and yes, unforgettable. Ben Kingsley will send shivers up your spine, he does this character so well.

[Inkdaub]

I want to read it. I saw the movie and Kingsley was great but that is no surprise.

[Perks]

The movie was great. Great! I forgot to read the book. Thanks for the reminder!

[David Erlewine]

I thought Dubus 3 was amazing at shifting POV between the Colonel and "Jennifer". I finished the book much too quickly. Initially I avoided it to show up Oprah. I loved the book, liked the movie.

[maestrowork]

Great book and movie. It also shows you how to do 1st person (past or present tense) right with shifting POVs. Great characters and a gripping plot.

[aruna]

All I know is, now I've got to see the movie!

[Lyra Jean]

Didn't know it was a book. I did see the movie but I didn't get it. So perhaps I'll get the book and see if it makes more sense.

[estateconnection]

I haven't read the book, but I've seen the movie about five times. My father, on the other hand, read the book, but would not watch the movie because the book disurbed him so much. I want to read it to see if the book is more disturbing than the movie-doesn't seem possible. I am currently going through a business tax "snafu", and I keep thinking about the movie! Although, I haven't befriended a wayward cop or put my stuff in storage-yet;)

[aruna]

To all those who've read it: which of the characters irritated you the most? They were all flawed but had redeeming qualities, and all had the capacity to piss the reader off big time. I had a few words with the friend who lent me the book last night; she said she identified with Kathy completely in that she also does not open some of her mail, but that Behrani was the one she couldn't stand.
In my case, I could most identify with Behrani and his need for stability for his family (being in a similar situation, I guess!) but I uttery and completely couldn't stand Les. What a jerk, form the start. Why did he have to hit on Kathy, he was married for goodness sake, with kids! Why did he have to intervene! OK, OK, I know the answer - because there would be no story otherwise! But that just shows how much I was involved. I was totaly exasperated with him; without his fooling around the other two could have sorted out the mess in time.

This is one book where present tense really worked for me (apart from The Pacific Between, of course!)

The half-grade I subtracted from a perfect ten was the long flashback when we got to Lester's narrative. It distracted me and I skimmed and finally skipped it.

SPOILER

Except, after Behrani died, I had to wonder how he got to write the story! A total surprise, BTW. I just wasn't expecting it.

[pdr]

you forget to tell the rest of us who wrote it!

[aruna]

Oh! Andre Dubus III

[CaroGirl]

Oh, wow. I liked it too. It has some flaws, but the breakneck pace toward the inevitable conclusion was just fantastic. It was a real wild ride and I could not put it down.

Personally, I hated Kathy. But I liked Behrani, and sympathized with him. I also really liked his wife. I'm neutral on Les, but found his attraction to needy, damaged Kathy a bit baffling. She must have been really good looking or something. (I haven't seen the movie)

Dubus intrigued me with the way he shifted pov and each character had such a strong individual voice.

[maestrowork]

[SIZE=2]...She must have been really good looking or something. (I haven't seen the movie)

Oh yeah, she's gorgeous... in the movie ;) Played by Jennifer Connelly.

[CaroGirl]

Oh yeah, she's gorgeous... in the movie ;) Played by Jennifer Connelly.
Oh, yeah, sure. She can be cute. In certain light.:rolleyes:

[aruna]

I don't know Jenifer Connolly. But somehow, gorgeous doesn't really tie in with Kathy's character which I suppose is really, really mean and "lookish" of me. I imagine someone with her character flaws to be slobbish in looks as well: overweight, slouching around, greasy hair, unkempt, most unattractive.

[maestrowork]

It's Hollywood -- they have to cast a beautiful woman. Also, Les wouldn't be so interested in her if she wasn't halfway decent-looking.

This is Jennifer Connelly:

http://www.mundodelocio.com/cine/imagenes/actualidad/jennifer-connelly-dark-water/jennifer_connelly3.jpg

But she's also played "ugly" before, such as her role in Requiem for a Dream.

[CaroGirl]

I agree, but she did have a doe-eyed, vulnerable air about her. Les must have like that. In the absence of stunning looks, why else would he be attracted to her? (This was a flaw in the novel for me)

[aruna]

It's Hollywood -- they have to cast a beautiful woman. Also, Les wouldn't be so interested in her if she wasn't halfway decent-looking.




Yes, I'm aware that her being attractive is part of the set-up, so as to get Les drawn in. Looking at the book from more of a distance, the whole Les thing appears to me a bit unrealistic. How could he risk everything for someone as dysfunctinal as this? Was it really love or just his groin speaking in a rather .. uh... :tongue overwhelming way? How could he exchange his beautiful family for such a loser? Yes, she HAD to be a real looker; that was the only thing she had going for her. But it makes Les all the more shallow and unlikeable for me.

(Carogirl, I wrote this before reading yours. I agree with you here.)

[maestrowork]

I think that's the thing. Without a clear picture of whether Kathy is attractive or not, we can only speculate, and it makes it difficult to understand why someone like Les would, as you said, "risk everything and his family for a loser like her" unless there's something for him either physically or emotionally. I do know men who like dysfunctional women -- somehow they feel like they can fix these women.

That's the risk a writer takes when he's not specific about the character's descriptions. Using our own imagination, the readers don't necessarily associate Kathy's character with "beautiful" and that makes Les's attraction to her and his action rather baffling. We must, then, assume that she must be a looker and even so, there's something really dysfunctional and unlikable about Les.

[Valkyrie1]

I saw the movie, but haven't read the book.

I initially sympathized with Kathy, but ended up despising her for her self-pity and narcissism. She reminded me of a parasite as she sucked the life from everyone around her to gain her own ends.

I disliked Wes from the get-go. A man who would dump his family to play the White Knight to such a skank elicits my contempt, not pity.

I disliked Behrani at first, but came to admire him. When he realized how much others were suffering from his pride and arrogance, he took stock of the situation and became a better man.

He began to take responsibilty for his actions. His code of ethics and innate goodness kicked in. He thought of both the consequences of his actions and the poor example that he set for Ismael, his son.

He saw that he could protect his family--an absolute MUST for Muslim men from Middle Eastern societies--without being a bully or a tyrant.

Now I must read the book to see if he is as sympathetic as the Kingsley character.

[aruna]

Thanks, Valkyrie, you have summarised my own feelings about th ebook very well.
At first I thought Behrani rather pompous, and I had questions about his past in Iran - I felt he was an unreliable narrator, and probably did more nasty stuff than he admitted to. ( I doubt that the movie could have gone into this as well as the book - but I will check.)
But as the story developed I found my admiration for him growing - regarding his relationship to both his son and his wife, and his daughter, and even regarding Kathy. Of all the main charcaters, he was the only one who grew. Kathy and Les just went downhill - fast.

[Valkyrie1]

You're right, Aruna. Les and Kathy really buckled when under pressure.

Unlike Behrani, neither appeared to have the spiritual or moral resources to face their challenges with any measure of grace. Instead, they chose to wallow in the muck. That's what makes them so revolting to me.

[ChaosTitan]

I haven't read the book, and the movie made me want to avoid it at all costs. I rented the film because I'm a fan of Ron Eldard (Lester), and he tends to pick pretty unique roles (although I almost ran out of the room at the end of Bastard Out of Carolina).

Even with its pedigreed cast (and the incomparable Shohreh Aghdashloo) I found the film too slowly paced. I didn't like any of the characters, although I eventually found myself sympathizing with the Colonel. The ending depressed me.

My roommate had read the book before we watched the film, and insisted the book was better (aren't they always?). I may read it one day, if only because it has been suggested as a good study of alternating first person POV narration.

[MyFirstMystery]

I was surprised to find that I didn't like the book or the movie. The quality of writing was excellent, but for me it felt like a group of annoying people doing stupid things until they came to a bad end. I didn't get anything out of the experience of reading it.

Glad others liked it though. I see I'm in the minority.

MFM

[aruna]

I saw the movie and was very disappointed. The book was much better. Though Ben Kingsley was excellent. Kathy came across as totally lame and bland. I couldn't believe she'd react that way when they came to reposses the house; hardly a protest. Les too was boring.
The book had so many more layers to it.

[TrainofThought]

To all those who've read it: which of the characters irritated you the most? They were all flawed but had redeeming qualities, and all had the capacity to piss the reader off big time. I had a few words with the friend who lent me the book last night; she said she identified with Kathy completely in that she also does not open some of her mail, but that Behrani was the one she couldn't stand.

In my case, I could most identify with Behrani and his need for stability for his family (being in a similar situation, I guess!) but I uttery and completely couldn't stand Les. I was totaly exasperated with him; without his fooling around the other two could have sorted out the mess in time.

SPOILER

Except, after Behrani died, I had to wonder how he got to write the story! A total surprise, BTW. I just wasn't expecting it.I finished the book today and was somewhat disappointed. The writing is very good, but I could not identify with any of the characters. I was aggravated from the start by their stupid choices. All of the characters irritated me. I had a problem connecting with their thoughts and decisions most of the time and already knew nothing would turn out right. Lester’s infidelity caused a lot of problems with the situation, but I don’t think Kathy was bright enough to work it out with Behrani and he was too stubborn to come to an agreement. My two cents.

[aruna]

You;re right. And in the meantime - though I stil think the writing and characterisation is great, I've come to see a huge plot hole which pretty much spoils the whole book for me:

When they sold her house why didn't they give her the equity? If she only owed a couple hundred how come they got to keep all of it?

[eldragon]

I never read the book, but I very much enjoyed the movie.

[Unique]

When they sold her house why didn't they give her the equity? If she only owed a couple hundred how come they got to keep all of it?

It was my impression that they kept it for back taxes. That's why it was sold in the first place.

I never did finish this book; I tried, but I liked the behrani character (the former officer). When it switched from his POV to hers it wasn't as interesting. I wanted to hear his story; she was a dingbat. I know plenty of those. YMMV

[aruna]

It was my impression that they kept it for back taxes. That's why it was sold in the first place.



Oh OK. I agree with you about whathername. Peole like her swarm around in their millions.

[sunna]

So my husband's birthday is this Sunday, and I want to get him a good book as part of his present. We both loved House of Sand and Fog, and I know he'd like to read more of Dubus' (III) work. All I've found on the B&N site is The Cage Keeper & Other Stories and Bluesman.

Anybody willing to recommend one over the other? I haven't read either. :)

[Will Lavender]

I also really, really liked The House of Sand and Fog.

You could get your husband something that is Dubusesque. I recommend John Burnham Schwartz's Reservation Road. The way the book moves is similar to The House of Sand and Fog, and the tension Schwartz builds is also something like the way Dubus III did it in his book -- by switching narrators and perspectives.

Reservation Road is coming to the theaters this summer, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Connelly.

[gerrydodge]

I also really, really liked The House of Sand and Fog.

You could get your husband something that is Dubusesque. I recommend John Burnham Schwartz's Reservation Road. The way the book moves is similar to The House of Sand and Fog, and the tension Schwartz builds is also something like the way Dubus III did it in his book -- by switching narrators and perspectives.

Reservation Road is coming to the theaters this summer, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Connelly.

I read RESERVATION ROAD in late spring when I was supposed to be grading essay. It is a vey fine novel. I've just finished my WIP and I'm now beginning a novel in that same format: three different voices telling a tragic story that ultimately involves all three of them.

[sunna]

Thanks Will! I was hoping I'd hear from you, as I thought I remembered that you were a Sand and Fog fan as well. :)

I'll definitely give Reservation Road a shot. I definitely loved the way the perspective shifts in Sand and Fog drove the story.

Thanks for the recommendation!