My Sister's Keeper
I'm about 100 pages into the book I'm currently reading for my book discussion group and with 300 more pages to go I'm going to write out a few thoughts about the story and characters and see if I change my mind later. The book is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Blurbs on the book cover tell me it's about a current moral dilemma, that it is full of insight and so on. One interesting comment says it is a "tense, high-concept piece of women's fiction." Hmm? Chick lit? I don't usually enjoy books that are specific to one gender, but will reserve judgement on that aspect for now.
The story is about a teenage girl, Anna, who is literally keeping her older sister Kate alive. Kate has leukemia and Anna has been the one to give her transfusions, bone marrow, and other interventions. Anna's match to Kate was ensured before birth by her parents and a geneticist. Almost like Kazuo Ishiguro's clones in Never Let me Go Anna seemingly has one purpose in life - to give of herself physically to someone else. But as the story begins, Anna is in revolt and has hired a lawyer to get her body back prior to the demands of her parents that she give a kidney to Kate.
Each chapter of the book is told by a different person -so we have a melange of points of view - which makes for interest. So far we have met Anna, Jesse (a brother, the oldest sibling), Sara (the mother), Brian (the father) and Campbell Anderson (the lawyer). Kate has not "spoken" yet in her own words.
Now, for my opinions so far:
The mother: I can't stand her. Who in their right mind makes one child save another's life? Will the author be able to make any case for this mother as a loving individual? Does she not realize the terrible consequences of focusing on one sick child at the cost of "losing" two? Isn't there a time when it comes for letting go? Anna and Jesse: I am sympathetic. Amazingly, Anna is still torn with love for her mother and sister and wanting her own independence. The tension in the book is set up by her ambivalence. And the "lost" Jesse, the maverick oddball intent on getting himself killed or imprisoned, what does he want? Perhaps just attention? the need to feel wanted and worthwhile?Brian (the father) so far, sensible, steady and relatively fair. And yet, Sara doesn't make these family decisions on her own. So what does that say about him?
In the words of Anna they are "a mixed up family not saying what we ought to and not meaning what we do." Cameron Alexander (the lawyer): so far, I don't like him for some reason. Why is he always dissembling about his dog Judge? Why does he have a service dog? Is he blind? If so I must go back and re-read to see if that is clear. Why can't he give an up-front answer instead of his smart-ass quips as to why he has a service dog: "I'm nearsighted. The dog helps me read the road signs," or " I have SARS. he's tallying the people I infect." And, finally, Kate: her character, as revealed by the others (so far) - spoiled, self-centered, nasty and manipulative - altogether unlikeable; it is hard to feel sorry for her even though she is dying.
I wonder: how will things develop? Will I change my mind? More, in a week or so when I finish reading the book.
The story is about a teenage girl, Anna, who is literally keeping her older sister Kate alive. Kate has leukemia and Anna has been the one to give her transfusions, bone marrow, and other interventions. Anna's match to Kate was ensured before birth by her parents and a geneticist. Almost like Kazuo Ishiguro's clones in Never Let me Go Anna seemingly has one purpose in life - to give of herself physically to someone else. But as the story begins, Anna is in revolt and has hired a lawyer to get her body back prior to the demands of her parents that she give a kidney to Kate.
Each chapter of the book is told by a different person -so we have a melange of points of view - which makes for interest. So far we have met Anna, Jesse (a brother, the oldest sibling), Sara (the mother), Brian (the father) and Campbell Anderson (the lawyer). Kate has not "spoken" yet in her own words.
Now, for my opinions so far:
The mother: I can't stand her. Who in their right mind makes one child save another's life? Will the author be able to make any case for this mother as a loving individual? Does she not realize the terrible consequences of focusing on one sick child at the cost of "losing" two? Isn't there a time when it comes for letting go? Anna and Jesse: I am sympathetic. Amazingly, Anna is still torn with love for her mother and sister and wanting her own independence. The tension in the book is set up by her ambivalence. And the "lost" Jesse, the maverick oddball intent on getting himself killed or imprisoned, what does he want? Perhaps just attention? the need to feel wanted and worthwhile?Brian (the father) so far, sensible, steady and relatively fair. And yet, Sara doesn't make these family decisions on her own. So what does that say about him?
In the words of Anna they are "a mixed up family not saying what we ought to and not meaning what we do." Cameron Alexander (the lawyer): so far, I don't like him for some reason. Why is he always dissembling about his dog Judge? Why does he have a service dog? Is he blind? If so I must go back and re-read to see if that is clear. Why can't he give an up-front answer instead of his smart-ass quips as to why he has a service dog: "I'm nearsighted. The dog helps me read the road signs," or " I have SARS. he's tallying the people I infect." And, finally, Kate: her character, as revealed by the others (so far) - spoiled, self-centered, nasty and manipulative - altogether unlikeable; it is hard to feel sorry for her even though she is dying.
I wonder: how will things develop? Will I change my mind? More, in a week or so when I finish reading the book.
posted by mamie @ 11:25 PM
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