"Small Island" book discussion

[Magician]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nunya</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I often laughed out loud at his musings. I liked the book because of Gilbert. </div></div>

Me too. I think Gilbert is the only likeable character in the book that you want to see succeed and care for. When Gilbert trying to make Hortense feel welcome and everything goes wrong, you want things to work out for him. Although as Evan said, I too don't like his high tolerance level for racism and other English BS.

The characters were not fully believable, they did things that I don't think were realistic (even considering the time period) and the book ended without all the questions answered. And there are books that end in this way and leave you with that satisfying feeling of questions to ponder. Rhetorical questions. But this 'blinking; book ends with the reader going 'huh'.

Speaking of 'blinking' Nunya, I never notice the copious blinks. Many people have their standard sayings that they always use, and you get used to it. Like Gilbert's "Cha!" for example. Man did this man 'cha' nuff tings daily.

Now what was that with Bernard's 'roll in the hay'? I don't remember that.

[Blackstar*]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Magic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The characters were not fully believable, </div></div>Yes, they are. Cha.

[Nunya]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

... and Bernard had the 'nothing for it' thing. Which, btw, explained his erection when he was piled in the ditch with the other soldiers. It wasn't hinting at homosexuality, but that he, though being a bank clerk, tall, bony and unremarkable, was a 'typical' Englishman who would go 'once more into the breach'... he was being drawn a quiet hero...

She gave him more credence, or nobility than she gave Gilbert. Gilbert's tolerance for racism was supposed to be believable because of the times, but considering that he came from an island peopled with persons of his hue, I think he would've rebelled more than he did. The author made him too quickly adaptable I think...

Regarding Bernard's roll in the hay *shudder* yuh gwine haffi find dat one pan yuh own maasa...

[CeaBee]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlackStar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Magic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The characters were not fully believable, </div></div>Yes, they are. Cha. </div></div>


[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img]...mi still a try fi fully articulate why me neva like it...and it really has nothing to with the fact that I couldn't relate to the experiences. Still thinking...

[Nunya]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

I knew I smelt smoke!!!! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek2.gif[/img]

[Magician]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: smaddy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Magic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The characters were not fully believable, </div></div>Yes, they are. Cha. </div></div>

Yuh fresh yuh know! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

OK. So tell me why when they moving outta Navern St. and into the new house, Gilbert still nuh know what's inside Hortense trunk! Come now, after a whole month of Hortense living there he never look inside of it? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70400-talktohand.gif[/img]

It never cross mi mind until you just mention it now. This whole Bernard erekshan ting. Di man start smell a bit chichi'ish to me, nuh true? Dis would explain de way im business wid Queenie once a year for 30 seconds (or do all British a gwan so)
and it would explain why im neva find a girl a India, or when im reach back a England and hide away in Brighton. Come now, EVERY man would either...
1) come back to im wifey ASAP after war done
2) tek a 2 year sabattical from di marrige and live it up with a gyal or two a Brighton.

(this, Nunya, is another example how di characters nuh behave logically)

So is Bernard a ********? Mek a aks Blugi fi read it an come with di verdict! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

[Blackstar*]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

BOAL aftah di hole ah unoo. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[Nunya]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

So wait, yuh nayin read mi explanation uppa tap deh??? che... Bernard is not a - whe dem call ie? Puffter??? ~lol~ - im was jus arouse becawse a de action.

Im is a action hero. Dammit.

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[CeaBee]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nunya</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I knew I smelt smoke!!!! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek2.gif[/img] </div></div>

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70373-kiss.gif[/img]

[Nunya]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

So what, you've taken a pause from all that 'thinking' bizniz??? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70456-eyebrows.gif[/img]

It hurts, doesn't it??? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif[/img] hush...

[CeaBee]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nunya</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So what, you've taken a pause from all that 'thinking' bizniz??? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70456-eyebrows.gif[/img]

It hurts, doesn't it??? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif[/img] hush... </div></div>

u sound like u know how di pain hot too [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70459-hugs.gif[/img]

[Magician]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nunya</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Im is a action hero. Dammit.

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img] </div></div>

Action hero? &lt;kissteet&gt;
Di man loose im one gun dem give him. If it wasn't for war dun dem woulda court martial his backside.

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img]@ Pufter.
Sound like di new pruduk by Hoover.

[Blackstar*]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nunya</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Gilbert's tolerance for racism was supposed to be believable because of the times, </div></div>You'll have to trust me on this one: black people in Britain during the 40s-50s were not hell raisers. Fiya bunning did not start until the late 60s when Enoch Powell said black people should "go back where they came from".

In the early 50s while riding the bus, one white English woman asked my uncle if had a tail and where he put it. He told me he just laughed. My dad was fired from a job when the foreman came back from holiday (on his bike) and saw my dad's little Prefect parked out front. My dad doesn't take things lying down, but what was a little 21 y-o far from home going to say or do about that? He just got in his car, drove home and started looking for a job the next day. I could recount plenty more anecdotes just like those...

Other than that, I agree with the theory re. Bernard's sexual preferences.

[Nunya]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

Bernie lose im gun cawse im was goin to de aid of his fellow noble Englishmen.

An oh yeah, as regards de reason why im stay whe fram Queenie so long: memba say im did find one pus sitn pan im greasy sausage eno...afta im did doggy style de 12yo [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif[/img] an im did belee say im contrack syphilis.

So there was 'nothing for it' he jus had to de right thing, the noble thing, the gentlemanly thing, the white thing and stay away from his wife.

Par fi de course an all dat...

[CeaBee]

Re: "Small Island" book discussion

and this baby....that Queenie did so in love with, (she had been so calm and accepting of whole situation)...u mean one day she just get up and decide that her child would be better off with an (almost) perfect stranger ?

I find it hard to believe that Hortense, would just tek the baby soh...

btw, is the baby suppose to represent something? Britain's rejection of its black children?

(mi memba a likkle bit from mi speed reading [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70361-embarassed.gif[/img])