Ducks, Newburyport - week 3

links to previous threads:
prep: https://www.librarything.com/topic/316270
week 1: https://www.librarything.com/topic/317507
week 2: https://www.librarything.com/topic/317667

Discussion Plan for Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman

(Page numbers are from two editions: US Biblioasis and UK Galley Beggar Press. All weekly breaks occur at a break in the text of some sort, as noted.)

March 7: US 1-189 : UK 1-199 ending at the PTA sign: LET THEM EAT CAKE, ~19%

March 14: US 189-397 : UK 199-406 - 4-dot break begins: “Puddles favored by crows have a sweet, earthy taste.”, ~39%

today: US 397-581 : UK 406-591 - 4-dot break begins: “The shock of losing her cubs reverberated like rain on water.”, ~57%

March 28: US 582-777 : UK 591-786 - 4-dot break begins: “A lot of wilderness exists between the cracks,”, ~76%

April 4: US 777-988 : UK 786-998 and appendix

Some quotes from today's section:

p422
the fact that I wonder if Newcomerstown would be any different if I’d never been born, the fact that I don’t think it would, the fact that as far as I know I haven’t contributed much to this place, the fact that I haven’t saves anybody’s life, except maybe with my own kids now and then, as any mom would, without even noticing

p438
the fact that it still seemed to take everything that I had in me to stop sicking my thumb, and to learn to ride a bike too, and I think I used up all the willpower I had in me for life on those two tasks

p503
the fact that I’ll wake up one day and find everyone will have suddenly changed their minds about me, or about moms in general, or pie, and I won’t realize because nobody kept me in the loop

p504
the fact that I just realized that when this monologue in my head finally stops, I’ll be dead, or at least totally unconscious, like a vegetable or something

p533
the fact that after Mommy got sick, I read the phonebook, just to feel even more alienated

p575
I’m busy, tired, and home alone

p575
the fact that motherhood sometimes makes you feel unfit for normal everyday activities like parking

page 443:

the quiet back alley, the fact that the dandelions are just coming out, the fact that they look so small and compact that I didn’t even recognize them as dandelions at first, the fact that they look good with their petals still clenched up like that, dandy lions, the fact that I think maybe brand-new, uptight dandelions are better-looking than the older, laidback dandelions, even better than daffodils maybe, or marigolds, the fact that many things are just starting to turn green now, the fact that the seasons still come and go despite climate change, floods, the fact that it’s always a relief though, to see them come, the seasons, not the floods, the fact that on some level I think I still believe I can fly and might just take off in a high wind one fine day if the mood strikes me, the fact that today the sun was out and there was a nice breeze blowing and every red-winged blackbird was declaring his love, and it really seemed like I just might be able to fly, and then there was a big commotion, wild whooping sounds and laughter coming from behind me, and knew I was in for trouble, keys, Adam’s apple, pinching temples,

Again, more of the same, but also different. Some details came out, like that she has gone through open heart surgery, and we finally got the ages of Ben and Stacy (did we know it before?). Ben is 9, and Stacy is 15. (I had thought Ben was more like 14...oops). We learn Stacy should be a dental psychologist. !!?? We learn a lot about Frank, and we have a really creepy scene where Ronny visits her while she's home alone for no reason, only to say hi...and she lets him hang around talking for ten minutes or so. Finally she makes a family day out to the mall. Before that I had lost track of the plot line. But she plans a day at the mall with the kids, and gets them all ready and spends some time at the mall, and they're eating hot dogs as we sign off. Meanwhile, our poor mountain lion is going through hell, encountering people in ways she can't understand. We close with her in torment.

Meanwhile, real life. The world has changed on us, so I'm sure we're all just trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. Reading of any kind has to fit in in a new way - both in time, and in mental place. I think at this point most of us are behind. I want to encourage everyone to take their time and enjoy the book. And, if you're not enjoying it, don't torture yourselves. Take a break, stop, slow down, read something else, whatever is best for you. We're here to enjoy a very strange and long book, and that's are only real purpose. I don't want anyone to feel they are getting dragged along. So, of course, relax on your pacing. You can still comment here now, and you can revisit when you catch up. We'll all still be following all these threads.

This weeks questions

1. How is your progress?

2. How has COVID-19 impacted your reading of this book?

3. What are your thoughts on these pages?

4. So, we reading about all these movies (and novels), most of which I haven't seen. I'm not sure I could even identify Katherine Hepburn, or most of the other famous actors for the era before my cinema life. Tell us a movie of book Ellmann has inspired you to check up on.

For what it's worth, my notes on section 3

• All that Heaven Allows p397
• Pie p405?
• Silver Bridge collapse. 1967 p414
• Open heart surgery p422
• Julie Andrews p434 etc
• P443 is really beautiful
• Mary Kondo p460
• Ronny just passing by p469
• Sue Bender, author, on Amish p478
• Global dimming was noticed in 1961 p489
• Fanny Trollope p556
• She dwells on disturbing stuff – thinking of goiter where she tells us we shouldn’t even have to think about it, and then goes on and on telling use about it.

Hi everyone, I'm all caught up. Despite resisting picking this book up, when I do I generally enjoy the reading experience.

COVID-19 has impacted my reading overall - I'm just reading less. Having my kids home all day and trying to develop some sort of learning plan for them is taking a lot of time. We're also watching family movies at night and letting the kids stay up a little later, also cutting into my reading time. And then I'm reading the news way more than normal. The family part of this is a good thing, but the general anxiety is not.

I had two big "moments" in this section. One was figuring out the title. Every time I pick this book up my kids ask "What page are you on now?" and "did you figure out the title yet?". I'm not surprised that it has to do with her mother since it seems to be her deepest, most returning thought to think of her mother and say "I'm broken", "it broke me".

I also am embarrassed to admit I was envisioning the lion and her cubs living in some far off country so figuring out the the lion was an American mountain lion struck me. And seeing the sad interactions with humans shifted that story for me.

We are well past the half way point and I will keep going.

I’m not reading any of the messages yet, because I’m waaaay behind—first a major issue with my Kindle, then the major distraction of covid—but I just wanted to chime in that I’m still reading ( @ about 30% on Kindle), and hope to chime in by next week at the latest.

>7 japaul22: "I'm broken", "it broke me". Thanks for highlighting this. !!

Kudos, Jennifer, and power to you to keep going! But sorry about the general anxiety. You're a good mom. My kids aren't doing anything yet, but supposedly tomorrow they will start receiving some remote instruction.

About the title, do you mind explaining more. I think I might have missed parts. I know her mother lived in Newburyport (Connecticut?)...but I don't remember any reference to ducks there. I wrote down what I think is the section, p491-496. And...really cute about your kids. My kids are curious too, but older and with some eye-rolling type of curiosity.

>8 arubabookwoman: thanks for the update, Deborah! I think your pace is nice for this book. Just comment as you catch up, or as the noting strikes you...and tell your Kindle to behave!

>9 dchaikin: Re: the title, on page 491 "ducks, Newburyport, the fact that Mommy grew up in Newburyport, Mass"

page 494 "the fact that Mommy was about two when she walked straight into the pond saying "Ducky! Ducky! Ducky! and Abby rescued her"

and then it goes in to Abby and her mother's relationship during her illness

page 495 "the fact that Abby saved Mommy's life in that duck pond"

page 496 "ducks, Newburyport"

>11 japaul22: Thanks so much!

>11 japaul22: I just reread those pages. Rich with family history. Thanks for highlighting those quotes in one place here.

I've caught up with week 3 (but I guess overall I'm still a bit behind).

I don't have so many thoughts on this week's reading. I've found it difficult to concentrate on it - a combination of what's going on in the world and at home, and also I think I've reached my interest level with the book. It feels like a task rather than enjoyment at the moment - about 15 pages seems to be my reading max, and I feel like I'm getting slower and slower in my speed to read one page.

This section again felt different to the previous two. Less stress about her business and global issues, and more feelings of loss and regret over her parents and Abby.

One quote that really struck me:

p537:"the fact that kids grow, while their parents gradually subside and disintegrate".

This resonated with me. I think that there are many times as a parent when you're putting so much effort into doing the best for your kids that your own needs and time to nurture yourself get put on the back-burner, and rather than continuing to grow yourself at times it can feel like you're getting crushed with the weight of it all.

I'm not knowledgeable on old classic films, and I'm getting increasingly irritated with the many, detailed references to them. It's like a friend boring you with the minutiae detail of a film you've not seen in the cinema - unless you've seen it yourself there's nothing to connect to. Also, the detail on the many dreams she has - I don't think anyone is ever interested in anyone else's dreams.

I find myself looking forward to the mountain lion scenes. They offer some respite, both in form and subject matter, from the intensity of the rest of the book.

Ploughing on, nonetheless. I'm definitely stressed by COVID-19 for reasons put on that other thread, which is affecting my reading. If it was on my normal commute and dipping into this twice a day on the bus I feel I'd be getting a lot more out of it. For the moment, I only seem to have time to read after 10pm, and this feels the wrong type of book to be reading at that time of night.

Alison - well, damn, you caught up. Kudos. And powerful line - parenting... But...ok, I want to encourage you, but your post makes me sad. I'm happy to be hear and help you through...that's part of the idea behind the group, but I don't want you tormented through reading torture. Of course, I want you to enjoy your reading. And, I mean especially now, we should be reading what we enjoy.

I'm enjoying Ellmann, but I prefer this in small bites. And I noticed you mentioned 15 pages, which, in hindsight, is I think the ideal pace. Read 15 pages and be done for the day, satisfied (perhaps even enjoying the dream parts.) Maybe it's time to have that as the daily goal. I'm certainly happy to switch to that myself. Plough on...but with a smaller ploughshare.

Please forgive me, I actually like the dreams and the movie talk. I find the dreams relatable, more so then most literary dreams, because they're all anxiety and that's exactly what my own dreams come down to. The only lesson in them is what's galling me (and typically what I just need to chill about). As for the movies, I haven't seen them either, but I'm curious and she makes me _want_ to see them. I'm curious about these iconic old films and movies stars. But I am with you on the parenting.

Wish you well.

Over on FB Darryl says he's started reading... I think he started today.

Glenn - I’ve decided to target 15 pages a day for myself. So i’ll be slowing down. I don’t need to stress about reading just now. I need to figure out a balance...and a structure.

Pilling a cat. Seems like the right phrase for that. One of ours needs a nightly liquid medicine - forever. He has serious allergies. It’s a lot easier than a pill, but still a struggle.

Glad you’re making progress.

I'm actually feeling the opposite. After passing the half way point, I'm itching to get to the end. It's my primary reading now. I'm finding that I can actually read it with other things going on. The more important sections are really jumping out to me and the "mental chatter" phrases I can sort of skim through. Does this mean I'm doing the closest reading ever? No, but it seems to be working for me and I think I'm getting the gist of it. Books in a different form can be read in a different way, I hope.

The lion's journey is really interesting to me as the shift from life in nature to human interaction happens.

Jennifer - Funny that at 200 pages a week, it’s only just now become your primary reading. You’re reading a ton. The 30 quick pages on permanence gave me a little boost today. Maybe a little momentum. If it carries over, great. But probably I’m going to ease up for sanity’s sake. I’m finally home-bound and need to figure out to manage all that. (My team at work was messaging like crazy through 9:30 tonight. Was I wrong to not be working then? Do they have down times?)

So I got totally sucked into this and finished this morning. I think we'll have lots to talk about once everyone gets to the end. There were things that I thought worked just beautifully and a couple things I have questions about that I'm hoping someone else figures out!

I found the second half of the book to really get into a flow and I ended up really liking this. I hope everyone else has a good experience too!

>20 japaul22: The whole book?!

I often find that I do better with long books when I just make it my primary reading instead of breaking it up into small parts. It helps me get the flow/pacing. But I know most readers are the opposite!

>20 japaul22: wow - well done! I'm getting more into it again in the week 4 set pages. But I'm still behind for this week, by about 100 pages. I only started this week's reading last night, so I hope I'll be caught up at least for week 4 by Monday or Tuesday.

>20 japaul22: wow. Encouraging as I had a bad day yesterday - sorry, need to be careful how I put that. I had a day where everything I did was wrong and it was really annoying and I barely read. I'm on page 715.

I'm going to put up the week 4 thread, even though I'm not there yet.

week 4 thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/318234

Has anyone else found bits and pieces of this seeping into their unconsciousness? A couple days ago I had a fragment of a song in my head -- didn't quite hear all the words, knew it was from a musical, googled it to be a bit of a song from Godspell, which I stage managed in a college production. And, of course, a few days later the musical phrase Turn back, O man, Forswear thy foolish ways... turns up in the text.

>26 ELiz_M: I've definitely gotten some of her songs in my head. I know all of those old musicals because my mom loved them - State Fair, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - so those songs have been in my head.

>26 ELiz_M: clearly you have a psychic connection. : )

>28 dchaikin: I was too lazy to go back and see if that particular phrase had already appeared in the book, but I'm assuming it had. :)

>29 ELiz_M: or that. Well, or a lazy psychic connection.