pointless Friday ramblings: A Supplement

[donovan]

Reading and Discussion, that is.

Full text here: http://blog.renren.com/share/232273240/3359406412

Last paragraph:

She looked down at her husband's bare feet. She stared at his feet next to the pool of water. She knew she'd never again in her life see anything so unusual. But she didn't know what to make of it yet. She thought she'd better put on some lipstick, get her coat, and go ahead to the auction. But she couldn't take her eyes from her husband's feet. She put her plate on the table and watched until the feet left the kitchen and went back into the living room.

What did she find so unusual about her husband’s feet? Had they shriveled?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

N.B. That website that I linked to looked much better on my mobile when I posted it (no ads, no japanese script, one single page) than it does on the desktop. It was the only online text I could find of the work.

This works better, starting at page 39.
http://docplayer.net/55848606-Raymond-carvir-cathedral-contains-astonishing-achievements-which-bespeak-a-writer-expanding-his-range-and-intentions-boston-globe-isbn-d.html

[Mr.DeMartino]

Read the first page (at first I thought this was a game where we were supposed to continue the story after that blurb)-

Guy is a roofer who has been working long enough and at a decent enough place to get unemployment and he doesn't know anyone who can help him find work and no one is hiring in that line of work?

Dude must have seriously effed up bad if no one is helping him find a gig.

[eujunseo]

I just read the story, and I think it was the weirdest story I've ever seen.
Anyway, I think Sandy's husband's feet have some connection with that illustration that Sandy found in the book she received from the book club. However, I'm not sure what Raymond Carver's intentions were when he presented Sandy's husband's feet in a similar way as the illustration in the book Sandy got.

[eujunseo]

I like these 'R&D series'. This was a very interesting and fun idea, Donovan.

[donovan]

Dude must have seriously effed up bad if no one is helping him find a gig.

It’s safe to say that there’s more going on with this guy than meets the page. Perhaps his termination from his job was an act of self sabotage. Maybe his feet shriveled? Whatever it may be, he finds himself in a state of entropy and is helpless to dig his way out of it.

I'm not sure what Raymond Carver's intentions were when he presented Sandy's husband's feet in a similar way as the illustration in the book Sandy got.

He’s certainly a shriveled shadow of a man metaphorically, but whether his feet are literally shriveled is what I’m wondering. it doesn’t seems in line with what I know of Carver’s style to insert fantastical elements like that into his fiction beyond the metaphor.

I like these 'R&D series'. This was a very interesting and fun idea, Donovan.

Thanks, Junseo. I hope you’re sincere in saying that. I’m certainly sincere in posting it. The story itself isn’t long and it might turn out to be a worthwhile idle until the ‘Friday ramblings’ thread gathers some steam.

[donovan]

When her husband came in she was more shocked by the water on the table.  The first time, I read it, I thought he'd peed himself, but not.  So wherever the water on the table came from could have been a final straw.

I think the water on the table is simply from the freezer items thawing as she cleared it out.

Looking at the pork chops and not thinking they were 'meat' could have been signals showing she wasn't thinking properly.

Yeah, I think she was having a momentary breakdown. At the very least she was lost deep in thought over the memory of her parents, so much so that she burned the pork chop beyond recognition (yet served it to her husband anyway, "I want you to eat this."), hence it no longer looked like meat. It looked more like something from an archeological dig, either the instrument for digging or a section of skeleton that was being dug up.

[AvecPommesFrites]

Needs more Asian typography. I wonder what he watched on the TV during the daytime though? Do they not have internet access? 

[donovan]

Needs more Asian typography.

I swear you get none of that crap if you load it on your cell phone and the text loads to one page.

This is better:
http://docplayer.net/55848606-Raymond-carvir-cathedral-contains-astonishing-achievements-which-bespeak-a-writer-expanding-his-range-and-intentions-boston-globe-isbn-d.html

Starts at page 39.

I wonder what he watched on the TV during the daytime though?

The Price is Right followed by the Bold and the Beautiful.

Do they not have internet access?

It might have been written pre-AOL.

[donovan]

So at that moment she realised that her husband's appearance could well have disgusted her.  Why would she still be married to him if he's going to stay in bed for years more? Like the bog body.  He repulsed her for that moment.  Then she snapped out of it.

She looked down at her husband's bare feet. She stared at his feet next to the pool of water. She knew she'd never again in her life see anything so unusual. But she didn't know what to make of it yet. She thought she'd better put on some lipstick, get her coat, and go ahead to the auction. But she couldn't take her eyes from her husband's feet. She put her plate on the table and watched until the feet left the kitchen and went back into the living room.

If she's repulsed by her husband, saying "she knew she'd never again in her life see anything so unusual" is a funny way for the narrator to express it. It does seem like she snapped out of it though, whereas her husband appears to be slinking back to the bog he made for himself in the living room.

[eujunseo]

Thanks, Junseo. I hope you’re sincere in saying that. I’m certainly sincere in posting it. The story itself isn’t long and it might turn out to be a worthwhile idle until the ‘Friday ramblings’ thread gathers some steam.

I am sincere about what I said :)
Additional fact, my first name is Eujun - Seo is the surname.

[eujunseo]

Looking at the pork chops and not thinking they were 'meat' could have been signals showing she wasn't thinking properly.

I think the porkchops were just in bad condition, due to the fridge breaking.

So wherever the water on the table came from could have been a final straw.  Then she snapped herself out of it, by saying she had to put on some lippy.  Maybe her being reminded of her dad and his problems made her realise she was in the same situation.

Ooh, interesting and valid analysis, I think.

[eujunseo]

Needs more Asian typography. I wonder what he watched on the TV during the daytime though? Do they not have internet access?

French fries! You are back!

[donovan]

Thanks, Junseo. I hope you’re sincere in saying that. I’m certainly sincere in posting it. The story itself isn’t long and it might turn out to be a worthwhile idle until the ‘Friday ramblings’ thread gathers some steam.

I am sincere about what I said :)
Additional fact, my first name is Eujun - Seo is the surname.

I did think 의 or 위 would have made for a strange surname. Sorry to doubt you, Eujun. There are a lot of weirdos out there. Gotta protect yourself, you know.

Quote from: eujunseo on Today at 12:10:39 AM

    I'm not sure what Raymond Carver's intentions were when he presented Sandy's husband's feet in a similar way as the illustration in the book Sandy got.

Care to venture a guess? That his feet have shriveled like the bog man's is the only way I can make heads or tails of the line (then again, if his feet were shriveled he probably wouldn't be able to walk to the living room), but that was just my idea and the author never actually presented Sandy's husband's feet in that way, as you say. It's just my best guess. What's yours?

[eujunseo]

I did think 의 or 위 would have made for a strange surname. Sorry to doubt you, Eujun. There are a lot of weirdos out there. Gotta protect yourself, you know.

It's fine, everyone thinks I'm a catfish anyway :)

[donovan]

I did think 의 or 위 would have made for a strange surname. Sorry to doubt you, Eujun. There are a lot of weirdos out there. Gotta protect yourself, you know.

It's fine, everyone thinks I'm a catfish anyway :)

I thought you was a turtle. but you should hear what others have been saying about you...

(It's a link CO2, go ahead and click it.)

[eujunseo]

I did think 의 or 위 would have made for a strange surname. Sorry to doubt you, Eujun. There are a lot of weirdos out there. Gotta protect yourself, you know.

It's fine, everyone thinks I'm a catfish anyway :)

I thought you was a turtle. but you should hear what others have been saying about you...

(It's a link CO2, go ahead and click it.)

Oh no! They think I'm a toad??? It's worse than I thought!!!!