Week Six: The Birthday Party
JULY 19, 2023 • CAMP TOB WEEK SIX
The Birthday Party
second half discussion
Welcome back to Camp ToB 2023, where this week we’re continuing our reading vibe of “Let’s go abroad (with three lone girls)” and discussing the conclusion of The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier (translated by Daniel Levin).
Now here’s Activity Leader Serena (aka @bonkrae in the Commentariat) to take us the rest of the way through The Birthday Party!
-
Buried deep in rural France, little remains of the isolated hamlet of the Three Lone Girls, save a few houses and a curiously assembled quartet: Patrice Bergogne, inheritor of his family’s farm; his wife, Marion; their daughter, Ida; and their neighbor, Christine, an artist. While Patrice plans a surprise for his wife’s fortieth birthday, inexplicable events start to disrupt the hamlet’s quiet existence: anonymous, menacing letters, an unfamiliar car rolling up the driveway. And as night falls, strangers stalk the houses, unleashing a nightmarish chain of events.
This has been excerpted from the publisher’s summary and edited for length.
Serena: Thank you! Here are some questions to start this week’s discussion:
Oof! I’m still reeling from the ending of The Birthday Party. I need to catch my breath. Let’s start the discussion with a general question. What aspects of The Birthday Party worked for you and which aspects missed the mark?
How did you feel about Christine’s storyline? What purpose did she play in the storyline? Could her sections have been dropped entirely? How did you feel about not knowing who was sending her the letters? Did you look up the David Seymour photograph reference?
Do you feel that the hamlet is aptly named Three Lone Girls?
The novel is very cinematic at times. Do you feel that it could be adapted to film or is it best as a literary thriller?
I’m sure The Birthday Party will be a favorite for some and for others the style just didn't work for them. I'll discuss my opinions in the comments, but I think chapter 13 is brilliant. The way the POV switches and the use of music in that chapter is so effective. What does Christine hear? What does she think she hears and what does she deny hearing? Fantastic!
Welcome to the Commentariat
To keep our comments section as inclusive as possible for the book-loving public, please follow the guidelines below. We reserve the right to delete inappropriate or abusive comments, such as ad hominem attacks. We ban users who repeatedly post inappropriate comments.
Criticize ideas, not people. Divisiveness can be a result of debates over things we truly care about; err on the side of being generous. Let’s talk and debate and gnash our book-chewing teeth with love and respect for the Rooster community, judges, authors, commentators, and commenters alike.
If you’re uninterested in a line of discussion from an individual user, you can privately block them within Disqus to hide their comments (though they’ll still see your posts).
While it’s not required, you can use the Disqus <spoiler> tag to hide book details that may spoil the reading experience for others, e.g., “<spoiler>Dumbledore dies.<spoiler>”
We all feel passionately about fiction, but “you’re an idiot if you loved/hated this book that I hated/loved” isn't an argument—it’s just rude. Take a breath.