Hey! So glad you are joining me again. This week please read the section called The Sandman and answer the questions below for a chance to win one of the 3 fabulous prizes: 1 PBS credit, $5 Amazon Gift Certificate, or a Handmade gift.
This week for the Handmade gift I have a copy of the Sequel to Dreamhunter, Dreamquake (which I enjoyed more than Dreamhunter) a bookmark and 3 fabulous glittered close pin magnets.
1. Who remembers where Chorley's camera is and where is it?
2. What is the plant life in the Place like?
3. What 3 letters are on the Sandman's head? What letter does Laura add?
4. How does Nown see people in the Place?
5. How does Laura undo the Sandman when Rose and Chorley are about to discover him?
Discussion:
1. Do you think because Rose has lived with Dreamhunters that she is more likely to doubt what is in her mind, like information about John Gregg?
2. How does learning more about the physical description of the Place change your mental picture? Do you think the author left this description to late in the story?
3. With all the mystery and fantasy of the Place do you feel the added element of magic to be too much?
I finally caught up!
ReplyDelete1. Rose remembers Tziga telling Grace that the camera is in a dry stream with a blue clay bed two days In.
2. Plants look to be on the verge of death. Grass is brittle and dusty, etc.
3. N-O-W. Laura adds "N".
4. Nown can see things that have what he calls "soft fire", or things that have heat. Or at least I think so.
5. She erases the "W" and he disintegrates in a pile of sand.
Discussion:
1. I actually never thought about people doubting what's in their mind due to the penumbra or manipulation of dreams. I would guess no, because even children of Dreamhunters are very sheltered from the practice of catching dreams. (On a side note, this really reminds me of the movie "Inception").
2. Yes! I think the description of the Place would have been better suited to Part II. Why couldn't we, the readers, journey with Laura on her Try to experience it as a Dreamhunter, and also as Rose, to experience it as everyone else does? I think things like this may be why some readers had a hard time getting into the book.
3. Undecided. I don't think there is much fantasy in the first place; it's more supernatural. Magic is an intriguing element in fantasy, supernatural, and paranormal stories, but is too often a deus ex machina. I think some authors truly don't know how to explain something or tie it up, so they just have a character develop a special power or find a magic talisman to fill in the plot holes. I like this world as it is, a seemingly normal one with boarding schools, vacation homes, and trains but with a somewhat eerie unknown place perfectly titled as The Place.
From the peanut gallery, running on 3 hours of sleep and a bag of M&Ms:
- Anyone else visualize this world as sort of steampunky? The description of leather dusters and veils, etc.
- I really want to know more about how dreams are caught and how they're used. It seems that more than one dream can be caught by more than one dreamhunter. So does the Place have a replenishing supply of dreams, or can they be exhausted? Will a nice dream like Starry Beach go extinct? Maybe that's why the Place appears dead. Once a dream is used, what happens to it? Does it waft back to the Place or is it gone forever?
3. The timing seems off. This country has a very regimented process and culture regarding the Place, the Rainbow Opera, the Try, an arbitrary age of 15 before attempting to enter the Place, etc. But it's only a recent discovery. Immediate culture shift and acceptance always bothers me in books (my key reason for finding The Handmaid's Tale to be frustrating). Are there people who resist the use of dreams?
Thanks Caroline for this Read ALong.
Rose remembered that tziga told ma that hed left the camera in a dry stream... It was lying on a patch of sand..
ReplyDelete2. The place was full of vegetation that wasnt dead but wouldnt revive.
3.N O W. She adds an N.
4. People shine thru dead forests. Only people burn everything else is dead.
5.She erased the W...he collapsed.into sand
1. Who remembers where Chorley's camera is and where is it?
ReplyDeleteRose recalled that it was "in a dry stream with a blue clay bed about two days In".
2. What is the plant life in the Place like?
Almost not like life...very dry and brittle.
3. What 3 letters are on the Sandman's head? What letter does Laura add?
N-O-W. Laura adds another N at the end.
4. How does Nown see people in the Place?
Nown sees people as soft fire, as creature fire.
5. How does Laura undo the Sandman when Rose and Chorley are about to discover him?
She erases the W on his forehead.
Discussion:
1. Do you think because Rose has lived with Dreamhunters that she is more likely to doubt what is in her mind, like information about John Gregg?
No, I didn't get that feeling. I'm not sure she's even thought of that aspect yet.
2. How does learning more about the physical description of the Place change your mental picture? Do you think the author left this description to late in the story?
It has defined it a bit, confirmed some of what my imagination had already created. No, I don't think it is too late. I think too much too early and it wouldn't have been as useful, as we wouldn't have understood enough about the Place to know what details may be significant.
3. With all the mystery and fantasy of the Place do you feel the added element of magic to be too much?
No, not yet. We'll see where the author goes with it, of course. Magic can enhance a story, or it can de-credit it. (I'm sure there is a better word than 'de-credit', but I can't seem to come up with it this morning, LOL!)
almost forgot ! EEEKKKK ! !
ReplyDelete1 - rose remembered it - in a dry stream with a blue clay bed 2 days in
pg. 193
2. full of vegetation that wasn't dead but wouldn't revive. pg. 199 i pictured it very dry
3. NOW and she added the 'N'
pg. 205 and 206
4. see's them as a soft fire they shine pg 209
5. she erased the 'N'
as far as the dq - i think it needs more magic :)
off to read part 3 !
1. Who remembers where Chorley's camera is and where is it?
ReplyDeleteRose remembers that the camera is in the dried up stream with blue clay.
2. What is the plant life in the Place like?
Surreal almost like a mockup or real life.
3. What 3 letters are on the Sandman's head? What letter does Laura add?
N-O-W Laura adds an N
4. How does Nown see people in the Place?
As glowing fire. Real fire is brighter but out of objects People burn brightest.
5. How does Laura undo the Sandman when Rose and Chorley are about to discover him?
Erases the N
Discussion:
1. Do you think because Rose has lived with Dreamhunters that she is more likely to doubt what is in her mind, like information about John Gregg?
I think Rose is more likely to doubt people because it is more in her personality.
2. How does learning more about the physical description of the Place change your mental picture? Do you think the author left this description to late in the story?
No i think it is the right timing she leaves you questioning just like the girls do before they Try.
3. With all the mystery and fantasy of the Place do you feel the added element of magic to be too much?
I am not adverse to the magic it is one way for her to get messages through but I would be interested to see how the story would have played out without magic. Magic never upsets me though :)