ok....late again. but better late than never!?!??! i've finally found a computer that works and...well, here we go. i quite enjoyed "we were the mulvaneys". i agree w/ frank and others who said they liked the detail and character development. this book, despite it's length, was an easy read for me. tough subject--rape. i think joyce carol oates did an amazing job of portraying marianne's character as a life long survivor of sexual assault. and the effects it had on the rest of the family----wow. tough stuff i say.

and i must comment on the contrast between "the bean trees" and "we were the mulvaneys". wow---now there's two entirely different writing styles! the first being quite simple with relatively undeveloped characters as compared to the depth of information and detail given in the latter. i'm realizing as this course goes on that my ability to approach these novels with "critical" thinking is lesser than i had anticipated. i've enjoyed reading all four (i'm done with "the shining" already) of the novels assigned.....yet am struggling to truly tear them apart/disembowel them for the sake of literary education. there's a fine line between appreciating literature and potentially mis-reading what could have been an innocent work of fiction. i question if the authors of these novels really meant for there to be hidden motifs, etc. i'm not trying to be a drag---just venting my opinion about the way we sometimes "digest" literature. i can appreciate knowing how to compare different works, yet am looking forward to once agian reading books without trying to figure out "what it all means"! please don't misunderstand me.....i really am enjoying this class, and despite my absences, am up-to-date on all the readings and looking forward to the rest of the term.thanks for your patience christina!