At our
last meeting we had stimulating discussions of both books. We were divided 4-4-1
on Icefall. Four of us loved it, four didn't, and one was ambivalent.
Those who loved it noted that they thought the writing was wonderful -- even
poetic; they liked the inclusion of Norse mythology; they loved how the story
showed the growth of the main character, Solveig, as she dealt with issues of
family, sibling rivalry, death, hunger, survival, love, and betrayal, and --
best of all -- they loved how the 'power of story' played such a signifant part
in the narrative. The others weren't so thrilled by the writing, wanted a more
realistic portrayal of Norse history, and didn't feel at all engaged by the
characters.
As for
the picture book, Infinity and Me, we also didn't have consensus. We
all agreed that it was a good way to attempt to explain the concept of infinity
to young readers, and we liked the author's notes at the end of the story. Some
of us felt the story was just OK, but didn't love the illustrations. People who
had read the book to young children reported that the children's reactions were
positive, so one could assume that that fact may be more important than what a
group of grown-up ladies thinks!
