This was an unusual book in that the twist at the end left us not knowing what really happened earlier in the story. The story was presented as fact in the eyes of a woman who had a mental illness that was brought on by a traumatic event. At the end of the book we learned that her story deviated from reality. As a result, much of our discussion centered on what was "fact" or fiction, and which characters were "real" or imaginary. We never came to complete agreement on what we believed really happened in the story! We also wondered whether or not those conclusions were important in order for one to enjoy this book.
Following are major points and opinions of The Double Bind:
- It was a story of homelessness and mental illness.
- It was important that we had previously read The Great Gatsby, as that story line was an integral part of this book.
- Several members said that this was a fun read, and another thought it took too long for the story to develop.
- Some thought it was "cleverly done" and liked the way it was intertwined with The Great Gatsby.
- Some liked being surprised, while another felt cheated.
- Does it matter that we didn't know fact from fiction? Some thought it was important to have complete understanding and others did not.
- Some of us figured out the surprise ending, and others were completely duped!
Author's website: http://www.chrisbohjalian.com/
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