Reading Contemporary British Literature
YEAR 2013-2014
Group 301
YEAR 2013-2014
Group 301
GRACE NOTES
By Bernard MacLaverty
Part 1
pp.3-28 (up
to “She woke…”)
Evaluation. Summing up our today's discussion in class.
Were you interested in the events described? What attracted your attention - about the characters/ the situation, the atmosphere?, etc
Were you interested in the events described? What attracted your attention - about the characters/ the situation, the atmosphere?, etc
Part 2 pp.28-56 (up to “The crunch of feet…”)
Evaluation. Which of Catherine’s childhood
memories impressed you most of all? Why?
Part
3, pp. 56-83
(up to “The next day was cloudy and overcast…”)
Evaluation.
What
image of the Ukraine , a part
of the former USSR
Part
4, pp. 83-114
(up to “If her mother wanted…”)
Evaluation. Comment
on Miss Bingham’s statement: “You are
not the only one. I am where you have
been.” What does she imply? Do you agree with it?
Part
5, pp. 114-138
Evaluation. In
this Part the author introduces the words “grace notes”, what is the idea
implied?
Part 6, pp. 141-173
(up to “Catherine was the only one…)
Evaluation.
What is the role of the childhood
memory of Granny Boyd? What do you find interesting and peculiar about it?
Make
a list of the author’s statements which you liked, comment why.
Part 7, pp. 173-203
Evaluation.
- Cross-cultural issues: universal
and unique. Try to find in the text examples of the way the writer
depicts reality: things common to the Russian and English cultures (what we do,
how we do smth) and the way they are expressed; and things unique for the
English culture.
- Make
a list of expressions which caught your eye and which you liked.
Part 8, pp. 203 - 231
Evaluation.
- Cross-cultural issues: universal
and unique. Try to find in the text examples of the way the writer
depicts reality: things common to the Russian and English cultures (what we do,
how we do smth) and the way they are expressed; and things unique for the
English culture.
- Make
a list of expressions which caught your eye and which you liked.
In this part of the book, I think the most important thing is the death of Catherine’s father. The author described how hard it was to go through the grief. She reminisced and realized that it was the closest person to her. That was a turning point in her life. She returned to her hometown and didn’t recognize it. Everything had changed very much because of the conflicts in the Northern Ireland. This is a very tragic situation, and I hope that the main character could deal with the difficulties.
ОтветитьУдалитьI also think that is necessary to be mentioned that the author described Katherine as a true musician. In the minutes of her loneliness she paid attention only to the surrounding sounds.
The author created an atmosphere of sadness, but nevertheless a number of events attracted my attention. It's interesting to know that people in other countries have a lot in common with the Russian. For example:
«She stepped out of her jeans and left them lying on the floor»
«In the bus she choose a place towards the back and put her knees up against the seat in front of her»
«She had taken a baking tray from the table and had eased fluted paper buns from the hollows with a knife»
«I was always washing the sugar out of the bottom of your cup»
It brings a smile. Along with this, I discover something new in the culture and habits of the British. For example:
«She needed a toilet. Beside the sign for Ladies and Gents was one for a Baby Changing Room»
Also the author has a very exciting style of writing, and some of the expressions caught my eye and I liked them, I think I will use them in everyday life. For example:
«She took one of her red and grey capsules and washed it down»
«Pop music is just a noise pollution»
«Daddy could have downed the both of them for us»
Thank you, Luiza! Please next time give more examples, when you say that the character paid much attention to the sounds around it's desirable that you should name them and on this basis draw your own conclusion, this way it's more logical and interesting.
УдалитьI found this part of the book very melancholy. At the beginning of the book we deal with the description of the weather, the sounds and the traffic. We understand the main character’s state of mind by means of these details. During the whole part, the people, including the main character, and the whole town were unhappy. There were different reasons for their misfortunes. Firstly, between 1968 and 1998 people in Northern Ireland suffered a sporadic but bitter civil war with Catholics and Protestants. This war was the reason of devastation in the town. Secondly, we face with death in this part of the book.
ОтветитьУдалитьThe main character named Catherine. But the author doesn’t name her in the beginning of the book. He also doesn’t name her native town. I think that he intrigued us with this way. Well, Catherine’s father had died. The author shows us her feelings. She recollected her childhood and, from my point of view, associated it with her father. But when she saw the corpse, she couldn’t recognize her father. That was the most terrible moment in this passage.
When I began to read this book, I couldn’t understand the relations between the people in that town. But when I learnt about the civil war in Northern Ireland, it put everything into place.
There were some facts which moderated the negative impression. Well, I understood that Irishmen have a lot in common with Russians. For example:
“She blew her nose loudly”
«She had taken a baking tray from the table and had eased fluted paper buns from the hollows with a knife»
“She was staring down at herself in the rainbow mirror surface”
“She stepped out of her jeans and left them lying on the floor”
«I was always washing the sugar out of the bottom of your cup»
«In the bus she choose a place towards the back and put her knees up against the seat in front of her»
But I also found some unique for the English culture: their attitude towards funeral, there are Baby Changing Rooms in airports.
There are some expressions in this part of the book which caught my eye:
“Cheer up love, it might never happen”
“Pop music is just a noise pollution”
“A changeling”
Thank you, Alyona!
УдалитьOne thing: now we have this Baby Changing Room in our airports too but....in Russian it is Комната Матери и Ребенка - another case of using different words in different languages to name common things!!!!:)
To tell the truth, I liked this part of the novel, but it was not easy for me. New vocabulary and a special style of the author made some places difficult to translate. But the novel itself is interesting and exciting. Also I would like to say that I found the beginning of the book unusual. We got acquainted with the main character not at once. Firstly we saw the very atmosphere. The atmosphere of sadness, fear and changes... The author prepared us to the events of the novel in this way. I think it's a good trick which helps to interest readers.
ОтветитьУдалитьAs for the novel itself, I think it is worth reading. In it different problems are touched on: family relationships, religions, difference of opinions, political relationships and others.
So, the main character of the novel is Catherine. This woman returned home, where she had not been about five years. The cause of her return was her father's death. Catherine could not recognize her hometown. Everything had changed there. Now it was a place of devastation. But her old house had not changed in any way. The only change here was a new shower. Catherine's mother had aged very much. And she met her daughter warmly and gently. Though she was very strict with the girl in her childhood. We understood that Catherine's relationship with her parents was bad. Why did it happen? What was the cause of their quarrel? It remains to be seen.
And one more thing I would like to say about. There are a lot of useful expressions in the text of the novel. For example:
-to tell the truth
-to suit yourself
-to make a face
-to make oneself scarce
-take after
-cheer up
Thank you, Anzhelika! the only thing desirable is that you should give examples from the text, e.g., when you speak about the atmosphere the author creates - what words does he use? what effect is created? etc
УдалитьWell, in fact the beginning of the novel is not usual. We meet a main character not at once. At first, we see the atmosphere of the town; we try to understand the protagonist's spirit, thoughts and feelings. Due to some expressions, for instance «It was still dark», « there was no other city noise», « It was raining», author helps us to plunge into Catherine's world.
ОтветитьУдалитьWe should bear in mind that Catherine pays her attention to sounds and it is possible her profession is connected with music. And I will try to cite some examples from the novel: « If there was a car, then it sounded just like that…», «there was no other city noise», « somewhere a man was whistling», « trying not to listen to the airport chimes», « His voice was one of the greatest things in the world» and etc.
When Catherine arrives her hometown all her childish recollections emerge in her mind. And she begins crying again. « She bent at the knees, crouched to look out at where she used to live». She does not recognize her hometown, it was hardly recognizable.
Catherine is bound for her parents' house . And there she finds her mother. Catherine thinks that a changeling had taken her real mother and substituted this older.
In my opinion her mother was a very strict woman. We can get to know about it from the episode with the piano at the page 23. And of course I would like to say some words about Catherine's father. He was a really good man. And I will try to go into details proving it.
Firstly, he had a good sense humor. He always made usual things unusual. He invented interesting stories and he was merry, with a smile on his face.
Secondly, I think he was a respectable van among his pub's visitors.
Well to sum it up I should say that I had to speculate upon cross-cultural issues and I was surprised that many things common to the Russian, as I thought, common to the English too. For instance « something dragged through a hedge backwards», « put her knees up against the seat in front of her», « she stepped out of her jeans and left them lying on the floor» and many others.
But of course there are a lot of distinctions between our cultures. «The policemen went past in shirtsleeves – one hugging a machine-gun close to his chest», at the airport we can find a baby changing room and one more distinction is a changeling.
I have learnt many new expressions from the novel such as: to make a face, noise pollution, devastation, the lid of the piano, to down a glass, to suit yourself, swooning.
To cut a long story short this novel touches me to the quick. The part of the novel which we have read is not so big, but I have got to know a lot of information about Catherine's life. I would like to add that I was interested in history of Catholics and Protestants. I was taken with it.
Nastya, thank you for the detailed description with the examples! Only I wish you had explained what you mean when talking about "a changeling"!
УдалитьAs for me, I like the beginning of the book very much. Most of all, I like the author’s speech, he writes as he is speaking with us. It was very interesting for me to read about the atmosphere, which was around the main character Catherine. For example: “It was still dark and the street lights were reflected on the road surface. It was a way of not thinking- to concentrate on her surroundings”. The narrator paid our attention to different sounds, and we understand that Catherine has a perfect ear; we can guess that she is a musician. ”Somewhere a man was whistling- at least she assumed it was a man. Somebody was sawing wood by hand- better than the scream of a power-saw. Somewhere a baby was crying. It was very young – a week maybe two.”
ОтветитьУдалитьI feel sorry to Catherine, because of her father death. Her memories about him had touched my soul. She remembered how they had spent time together, how he had taken her hand, I think it is very important to feel it by ourselves while we are reading about it. I liked all her memories and feelings, because two years ago I felt the same about my grandfather, and I absolutely understand her. Also she saw a lot of changings in her native land; she didn’t recognize her home because of the conflicts, which were in the Northern Ireland. She came in the atmosphere of sadness, she saw her dead father, and she mentioned that he had changed a lot.She tried not to show her emotions but it was very hard. ”It was him and it wasn’t him. He was robed in a white shroud, his hands joined as if in prayer. His fingers were waxy, yellowish- interlaced and tied in that position by rosary beads.”
There are a lot of phrases and expressions in the novel, which I liked:
"Pop music is just a noise sollution."
"Show us the colour of your knickers"
"cheering up"
"to tuck back"
Thank you Jane for your reflections! It'd be good to know though why you like the beginning of the novel, a sound explanation would be desirable!:)
УдалитьI'm sorry, I have made a mistake. I don't like it very much, but there were some interesting moments for me.
УдалитьGood evening! Please, excuse me for being late, my Internet won`t work. I`ll post my evaluation in a couple of minutes
ОтветитьУдалитьAs we started to read and analize the book "Grace Notes" by Bernard MacLaverty, I`d like to say a couple of words about my first impression of it. In the episode describing the main character`s way to the airport, the author doesn`t reveal the woman`s name, thus creating the effect of certain mysteriousness and drawing our attention more to her inner state of mind. To speak in detail about the book, its action is set in the town of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It`s a town where Catherine grew up. In Belfast there are many significant place for Catherine such as the pub where she lived in her childhood and where her father was a bartender, the place on a hill where drummer`s matches took place, also particular things and places inside of the house belonging to Catherine`s parents like the piano, the safe, Catherine`s old bedroom. All of them make the main hero recall her childhood and get upset even more because the man having been the necessary part of it is gone forever...
ОтветитьУдалитьMost of all, Catherine`s attention is attracted by places she once knew and which changed much. It`s neccesary to mention that she pays great attention to sounds and thus we can consider her to be either a composer or a music teacher ( "How is the piano playing going?" - the mother asked). Besides, there are quite new places like "a Chinese restaurant", "a new grey fortress of a police barracks". Concerning Catherine`s feeling about the returning home, she feels sad because of the death of her father, she would like to come to Belfast on a better occassion, I suppose and then she would be completely, happy but this time Catherine is crying both of sadness and warmness caused by her home town`s closeness (" A mosaic of vivid greens and yellows and browns. Home. She wanted to cry again").
To speak about Catherine`s parents, her father was more concerned with music and literature (" Did you ever hear tell of the writer Lynn C. Doyle", "He thought pop music a kind of noise pollution") than her mother who "slammed the lid of the piano shut so hard it made the whole instrument tingle and hum". Still, she loved her husband very much and was crying about him absoclutely sincerely, I suppose. Catherine`s father was an outstanding man loved by everybody, the owner of a charming voice and a great sense of humor. It`s always a pity when such people should leave us and be gone.
It was interesting for me to search the chapter I read for things which are common both for English and Russian cultures. They are:
- listening to CD disks
- love for pop music
- the habit of pulling curtains in a dead man`s room
- wearing of gloves when tidying
- workers saying a lot of rude words
I also pointed out some things unique for British culture as far as the book`s events take place in Northern Ireland. Here they are:
- the existence of a Baby changing room
-such thing as a drinking fountain
- the fact policemen wear short - sleeved T - shirts and have machine guns with them (poor guys, it must be quite difficult to chase someone with such a thing in your hands)
-wooden crucifixes in bedrooms while we have icons as an equivalent
=pubs
-competetions of drummers
I also noticed for myself certain expressions. They are:
- "I don`t know which end of me is up"
-"A sole survivor"
-"Catch yourselves on"
-"They`re at it again"
Thank you Andrew for the very detailed answer! One thing is the name of C.'s home town, it's not Belfast, we discussed it and it's in the Commentaries btw!!:)
УдалитьFrom the first pages of the book the author described the weather ,the streets, the sky but he did not begin from the introduction of the main heros of the book .But why? Maybe he wanted to attract our attention by some unique thinks.
ОтветитьУдалитьWell,in my opinion , the author started like this in oder to attract our attention to the main heros mood and feelings. everything was dascribed in grey collours.I think it was connected stright on Catherine"s feelings.
She had been informed about her father"s death and, of course, she was very upset and devasted. So, what feelings could be inside her ,as, disappointment and compassion? Had been known about the father"s death Catherine immediately went to her native town.But when she came there she could not recognize it. Everything had been changed . There were very little changing at home.
The author paid attention to mather"s appearance. Catherine was away five years and in these years her mother changed very much . Her hair had gone grey and she looked too old to be Catherine"s mother.
But as for her father Catherine loved him very much . He had a good sense of humour and the author showed some examples in the text, like play-words.It sould be noticed that Catherine"s father was strict about her musical education. he thought pop musik a kind of noise pollution .So, whenthe other girls in the school talked about groups and lead singers, Catherine prefered to be doing someting else.
On the whole, the book was written in a very interesting style. Reading it , we can see the situation and attitudes towards countries , religion and culture. By the way, the author used a spesific structure of the language in some cases.
Also, i paid my attention to some words and words combinations which are not common for our country and our culture e.g ( wooden crucifix, machine-gun) and this is because of the history of the country.
Well, i think it will be interesting to read the book up to the end, to see what will happened to the main hero and if her father"s death somehow wil change Catherine"s life.
Vika, thank you for your post! It is desirable though that you should name these "specific language structures" you liked in the book and also please write in a more accurate way!!
УдалитьFor me, this part of book is rather unusual. There are many descriptions of surrounding atmosphere, descriptions of the sounds and descriptions of Catherine’s appearance (e.g. it was still dark and the street lights were reflected on the road surface; car sounded as it is going past in the wet; she tucked her hair back). Besides, the author takes attention to the details, such as the way how Catherine sits in the bus and the scale which she sees in the window (e.g. she put her knees up against the seat in front of her; a sky of yellow light and dark cloud).
ОтветитьУдалитьAlso, I found some interesting habits, which have both Russians and Englishmen, for example, to pull off jeans, to put much sugar to the tea, etc.
So, I found some thing which we can’t find in Russia, e.g. empty and warm buses, drum competitions, etc.
The most important event in this part of book, is the father’s death. The author describes the Catherine’s feelings, tells some facts about her childhood, about the life of her father, so we can understand, that she loved him more then mother. Also, we can know, that he has a character, besides, he liked to joke and struck about Catherine’s music education (e.g. he thought pop music is a kind of noise pollution).
All the persons in the house are distress him, I think he was an important part of lives of each of them.
So, It’ll be very interesting for me to continue the reading of this book.
Thank you Vladimir! But next time please express your ideas in a more detailed way - your idea, its explanation, examples from the novel which make you draw this or that conclusion!
УдалитьIn the 2nd part of this book there are many Catherine’s childhood memories. The author focuses our attention on it, I think, because these details could tell us more about the Catherine’s biography and character.
ОтветитьУдалитьBut, in the beginning, I’d like to concentrate on the Catherine’s feelings after her waking up. She felt bad, couldn’t say any word. She was devastated and even wanted to die. (e.g. not to wake again; her legs and between her breasts were slippery with sweat from the dream). Just therefore she began to memorize her childhood.
The 1st memory which attracted my attention was the memory about her geography teacher Mrs. Galbraith. It was so funny cause I think of us had such a kind of teacher (e.g. she was fat and had very bad skin). The girls called her Pudding stone. It’s so interesting cause in no difference of the country we can find the same kind of people.
The other memory is about Catherine’s music lessons when she couldn’t understand the teacher first time. Most of us faced with such a situation cause all of us were the beginners somewhere.
The next memory is when she took a tablet and compared it with the chemistry lessons imaging that the tablet dissolved inside her.
The memory about her teacher Mr. Huang Xaio Gang I think very important for her, he must have been her favorite teacher. The memories about the music classes were very sweet for her cause the music’s important part of her life. Also I very like the phrase of Catherine’s teacher ”do you compose the music or does the music compose you”.
Besides, I mentioned the memory about the story of Lenz (e.g. it was inside her head for the rest of her life). Everyone has the story or event in childhood which changed life very much and of course we remember it the whole life.
The other memory is a memory about her own 1st tune. It was “excellent, wonderful “. And of course she remembered that day, it was her 1st success in music.
The last memory I want to mark is a memory about her first French kiss. (e.g. whole body was falling through something warm and moist and lovely). Of course everyone remembers first kiss cause it was something new and unusual but in this case I think author tells us about to show how Catherine’s life changed since that time.
In this part there are many Catherine’s childhood memories, so I think they will help us to understand her character and actions in future.
Thank you, Volodya! It's desirable though that you should describe in a more detailed way why the Lenz story was important for her at THAT very moment!
УдалитьI think, that there are a lot of Catherine' s childhood memories in this short part of the novel. But a memory which is connected with her music teacher Huang Xiao Gang is more interesting for me. Because his method of teaching is unusual. And Catherine liked it. In my opinion this memory was very important for her. She thought about it for a long time.
ОтветитьУдалитьAnd of cause the memory about moment when she phoned home and said that she'd be staying at Geraldine's aunt's in Cookstown impressed me very much. Because in fact she wanted to meet with the boy. But Catherine was disappointed, when her parents got to know where their daughter was in fact. Her parents scolded her and precisely in this episode we find out new facts about Catherine's mother and father. All of us had to deceive our parents for their health.
Well, in general I should say that reading of this part of novel was more difficult for me. There is a majority of new words. Sometimes I had to look for a word for a long time? but in spite of it I like this part.
18:09:10
Nastya, it'd be interesting to know why the music teacher memory was so important for the character...
Удалить"Grace Notes". Lesson 3.
ОтветитьУдалитьAfter the first visit to Catherine`s world, we couldn`t help entering it once more. And again her sound aura surrounded us. As it was before, in Catherine`s aural environment there are sounds of crying, howling, claps of pianokeys, also bell tolling. But this time electric sounds joined them, that is static radio sounds, also sparrows tweeting and a sound of breathing which turns out to be very important. Some of the sounds Catherine hears, some of them she tries to recall. Why does she do it ? I think that Catherine worries whether she didn`t regress in her music job, so she recall her sound memories to calm herself down. Moreover, Catherine`s aural environment reflects everything that happens to her: sadness caused by her father`s death, reunion with her mother after being away for a long time.
In this chapter of the story, Bernard MacLaverty compares music with painting. We can see it in the episode when Huan Xiao Gang asks the students whether a man is a nib or a source of ink for music. Further on, in this very episode we can see a comparison of quick sounds with brush strokes in Chinese ideogram painting. I think, the matter is that Chinese culture is known for its pursuit of harmony. Thus, quick and short sounds can mean very much, just as Chinese ideograms do. Also MacLaverty gives Catherine`s allusion with Rembrandt`s picture "The prodigal son". I think this allusion is used because Catherine, a prodigal daughter, still came home many years after she had left it.
If we read further on, we come across the episode with a dead child. I think it expresses Catherine`s futile dream to ressurect her father. Also it may be MacLaverty`s way to say that people should rely on themselves and not on God, for the writer doesn`t believe in God, as he claimed in of interviews with him.
Speaking about Catherine`s leaving home, we should mention that she didn`t manage to return home because of her studies and, obviously, didn`t want to be restricted by her parents. Moreover, I`ve learned new facts about Catherine`s parents. As for her mother, she was a woman who appreciated time ("A woman with the family always knows the time"), was very strict and could bring up her children by putting fear of punishment into them. Both the mother and the father of hers were very religious people ("They made me go to confession that every evening"). Catherine`s mother could hit a child too if it should enrage her ("...mother smacked her across the face with her open hand"). I suppose that the mother didn`t approve of Catherine`s music job, she may have considered it to be wasting of time.
I can`t help expressing my opinion on certain statements in the text.
ОтветитьУдалить1. Silence could be any part of the sound.
I agree with this statement, because music exist in the background created by silence. If there were a continuous noise instead of silence, we wouldn`t hear music at all.
2. “The composer does not grub around changing this note and trying that note instead. A composer hears the thing in his or her head and writes it down.’
I agree with these words because in my opinion, if composers tried to use all notes before they write a song, they would be worn much earlier before they write the song.
3. Neglect your art one day and it will neglect you for three…
On the one hand, giving art up for several days won`t affect the skills you have already acquired, but on the other hand, when you do nothing about art for several days, it may be very hard to make yourself create smth after a period of having rest.
4. “Every child needs to be chastised. For its own good.”
I suppose that Catherine`s mother may have been right. You needn`t hit a child all the time, it`s enough to do it once ot twice and then the child will obey you out of fear.
5. - Do you compose the music or does the music compose you?
I think that if we could ask Catherine herself, she would have said that the question is two - faced. On the one hand, music can define our state - we cry, laugh, tremble hearing certain music and often can`t help it. But on the other hand, it`s a man who puts sounds together so that they could become music and be beautiful thanks to their union. Then I would agree with Catherine.
As before, I tried to find things unique for British culture and things common for both British and Russian cultures in the text. Here they are:
Some of things unique for Britain:
-putting a jar with hot water between one`s thighs
- immediate calling and thanking relatives for children`s staying at theirs
-confession boxes at churches
Some things common for both cultures:
- having potatoes and bread as basical food
-taking aspirin when one is ill
In conclusion, I`d like to mention phrases which drew my attention:
-to take smth to smth meaning "to punish"
-to manoeuvre (I like the way it sounds)
- to start to pour meaning "to begin raining"
Thank you Andrew for this detailed evaluation! Your "Chinese ideogram painting" idea is extremely interesting and just to the point!!
УдалитьPart 2
ОтветитьУдалитьThese part of the book was full of Catherine's memories. I think that the author uses this way to show us Catherine's character and her fortune. The passage begins with the description of Catherine's awakening.
She woke up with a noise in her throat, trying to be howling. Then also electric sounds of sparrows are mentioned. With Catherine's fingernail she picked at the flaw, tore a little more of it away to reveal the grey plaster. She started at the pattern of the paper close to her face. She ate a fragment of the plaster, chewed it, rendering it down to sand. She used to eat the tar off the roads in summer, chalk in the classroom, when she was a child.
Then she recollected her school teachers. Her history teacher said: "For the next three terms we are going to concentrate on the past". She also had a fat geography teacher, a Mrs Galbraith, who had very bad skin. The girls called her Pudding-stone.
The main memory was her meeting with the Chinese composer Huang Xiao Gang at a composition workshop in the University. She recollected his appearance and some facts of his biography( he had been born in a remote province of northern China and the only music he had heard before reaching manhood was ritualistic - funeral music, wedding music. It was only very much later he heard Western music). The composer tried to show Catherine and her group that music was not a simple piece of art but was an aural environment. He did it in his own technology (pp. 33-34). I think it was very helpful for Catherine's future job. It was interesting to read his thoughts about the phrase "do you compose the music or does the music compose you".
When Catherine was listening to the radio, she recollected the story of Lenz and a dead child. When Lenz saw the dead child he asked God for a sign by bringing the child back to life. He asked the dead child to stand and walk, but it was useless. The author describes the confrontation between Catholics and Protestants and being an atheist he shows us that a man should rely only on his own power and opportunities, only a man can create his life and future.
Then Catherine recollected her first French kiss and her feelings about it. She also used to go to confession every Saturday.
One day Catherine and her friend met up with the two boys. They decided to go for a walk. Catherine phoned home and said that she'd be staying at Geraldine's aunt's in Cookstown for her tea. Geraldine didn't need to phone anybody. And they set off up the fields. Her mother phoned Geraldine's aunt to thank her for asking Catherine to stay for tea. When Catherine came home, her mother began to ask her about their meeting. Well, Catherine began to lie. Her mother smacked her across the face with her open hand. It made Catherine's nose water and she began to cry with anger. This situation surprised me.
Thank you Alyona!!
УдалитьYou write that "Her history teacher said: "For the next three terms we are going to concentrate on the past"." - it should be important if you mentioned it, why?
This idea of yours is good too - "The composer tried to show Catherine and her group that music was not a simple piece of art but was an aural environment. "
Alyona, you'd better pick up just some things and dwell on them (as you did with the "composer"-episode and some others) as it'd be more interesting to learn your personal interpretation, not just mentioning facts.
When I read the next part of the story, I had a lot of questions in my head. Why did Catherine leave her parents` house? What should all those sounds mentioned in the text mean? etc. Then I sat in order to see into these questions.
ОтветитьУдалитьNow that we know for sure that Catherine is a composer ( her studying at a conservatoire proves it ) it looks absolutely natural that her life is connected with sounds. Among the sounds in her aural environment, we see cheep - cheep - cheeping of sparrows, radio creaking, the breathing of breathing gets more important as Catherine recalls that it can serve as a way of composing music. Do you compose the music or the music composes you ? I think that it`s more a man who creates music, gives sounds such qualities that they can rule our state.
There are a lot of hints in the text which say that the music is an instrument which allows you to talk in a different way ("Catherine, clap your name", "And clapped the rhythm of her name perfectly").
From this part of the story, we get to know that Catherine`s parents were strict people, they didn`t give much freedom to their daughter. Apparently, that was one of the reasons why Catherine didn`t return home after the conservatoire. She wanted to be independent. Also, Catherine`s parents were God - fearul people because they made their daughter go to confessions every evening. Inspite of that, Catherine loved her father very very much, the dead child episode proves it: she wishes she could ressurect her father with all her heart...but it`s impossible. Reading the book I see that Bernard MacLaverty has fulfilled the promise he expressed in on of the interviews - to write a book about relationship between mothers and daughters.
Thank you Vika! It's quite logical and well-grounded. It'd be nice if next time you could also dwell on some issues in greater detail giving your own interpretation!!:)
УдалитьGrace Notes. Pages 3 - 28
ОтветитьУдалитьAs I read this first extract, I understood that key words of it and it seems to me of the whole book, are "music", "sounds", "family". I suppose that Catherine`s job connected with music very closely, most likely she is a composer. Sounds greatly affect the main character`s life. The fact she composes music explains why Catherine remembers sounds very well - "It was a scary sound - like thunder".
Unfortunately, the reason for Catherine`s return home is a very sad one. Her father died. How could it happen ? We don`t know. So, too much changed in the town of Catherine`s parents. There are new buildings like a Chinese restaurant, police barracks, many of the old town houses had been damaged by a bomb. All that affects the main character`s attention. Evidently, Catherine has a really good memory. She remembers events, sounds. Places and things talk to her, help her recollect memories about her father who had changed after death quite significantly - "It was him and wasn`t him". He was so lively, moving, talkative, "strict about her musical education"... and at last he came to be lying on his back. It seems to me that both Brendan`s wife and daughter loved him very much - they were crying all the time and quite sincerely. As for Catherine`s mother, she was a practical woman, appreciating time, material achievements. I should say that many mothers consider their children`s interest in art to be waste of time because it doesn`t bring money immediately.
Looking through the text one more time, I`ve noticed several interesting things. First, the girls were talking about the musical band I know quiter well. It`s called "Stat-us Quo". Though, it`s a foreign group, many russian people whistle the song "You are in the army now" by this band even today. In this aspect, we are common to British people. The second thing is that while we say "Ah God..." they say "Ah Jesus" more frequently. That`s the difference
Thank you Sasha! Especially your last two observations are of interest!
УдалитьGrace notes. Pages 28 - 56
ОтветитьУдалитьReading this part of the story, I was amazing at how brightly composer sees the world. Especially under the affection of certain events. Unfortunately, for Catherine the death of her father became such an event. After that she remembered different events very clearly: she remembered how she had had to "clap her name" when she was a pupil at the conservatoire, recalled her feelings she had got when the Chinese composer was showing how to play music with the help of breathing or bottles. I think that Catherine is a very talented and kind - hearted lass - even though her parents tried to deprive her of independence, told her to go to confessions all the time and thus made her leave home for a long time, Catherine was greatly upset after she had heard about her father`s death and came at once. By the way, we find out new facts about Catherine`s parents from this chapter. It seems to me that her father was a little shy to treat his daughter in a coarse way while her mother could beat Catherine supposing that child should be chastised for his own good. May be, she was right in a peculiar way...
Again, "sounds" continues to be the key word of the story along with "family". Now "love" apd pears on stage too. Catherine remembered how she had kissed the boy, remembered her feeling about that quite well. She is a very special girl, that Catherine - she remembers feelings very well. It`s unusual.
I should mention that as far as this chapter ends with Brendan MacKenna`s burial, it`s very tempting for me to know what may within the next thirty pages. I also noticed some interesting things: when Catherine`s teacher came out of the cubicle where had been crying, she put a handkerchief in a sleeve. Many Russian people do the same. Then, both the British and the Russian eat potatoes eagerly. But, on the contrary, we don`t punish girls very severely if they walk with boys
Thank you Sasha for your observations and remarks about Catherine's character!!
УдалитьIn this part of the book, the author places high emphasis on Catherine’s childhood memories. This was the time when her father was still alive. I think she was trying to get away from the sad thoughts and sad atmosphere. I emphasize that her character trait, because it is similar to me too. I always try to think positive. She was thinking about her musical education and the Chinese composer Huang Xiao Gang. She drew her attention to his appearance and manner of talking. I consider it is a good feature – remembering all the details. It is necessary for creative people. He had helped her to understand the essence of writing music. Then writing music and playing it were nearly the same thing for her.
ОтветитьУдалитьI was surprised that she worked like a demon, especially at the time of illness. It describes her as a strong person. « Work – she must think about her work. That was the most important thing of all. If anything was going to save her it would be that»
Of course I read with interest her recollections of the first kiss. It seems to be a very exciting thing for teenagers. It is a light, bright moment against the background of a family tragedy. But my attention was drawn to such as a serious and strict attitude of her parents to lie. « «The truth – all we want is the truth», said her father»
On the whole I was impressed by this part of the book, and it made me to think about my childhood.
Luiza, thank you for your insight into the main character: her features and motifs and actions.
УдалитьIn this part of the book the author pays attention to Catherine’s impressions about the Ukraine. Her favourite composer, Anatoli Ivanovich Melnichuck, lived in Kiev. His works were important for her, there was something very spiritual about everything he wrote. She couldn't miss the opportunity to meet him. Each of us has a man who influenced our lives, and we have a lot of questions to ask him. Also she wanted to visit the country which had long ago dispensed with religion and the spirit. It communicated so strongly with her.
ОтветитьУдалитьIn Kiev, she was faced with difficulties, she didn’t like the hotel in which she lived, and she had to wait for a meeting some time because of the illness of the composer. “Everything had to be done through her because Melnichuck had little or no English”. She was very nervous when she played for him. But he liked it, and I think she was happy to hear it.
But also the city unpleasantly surprised her. “She was amazed at the prostitutes in the bar at night with their mini-skirts and spiked heels. They sat around with a couple of uniformed policeman”. In her native town it wasn’t adopted, so she was embarrassed. “The hotel staff were stone-faced about everything – there was not the slightest hint of friendliness”. I suppose she was even sorry that she had wanted to go to the Ukraine, but she suffered the inconveniences to fulfill her dream.
Thank you Luiza for your answer, the only thing is your were t give your evaluation of the city and the country described, not just facts mentioned in the book.
УдалитьWell, I have read the third part of the book. The author touches upon some Catherine’s memories again. She visited Kiev. Well just this fact stuck in my memory. The choice of the town surprised me a lot. We deal with Kiev as a part of the former USSR. I couldn’t understand why Bernard MacLaverty had chosen just this town. Perhaps we will read about it later.
ОтветитьУдалитьCatherine had won the Moncrieff-Hewitt Award for her Piano Trio – a thousand pounds to be spent exclusively on travel during or after her postgraduate year in Glasgow. Then she had a conversation with the judges. They were talking about music and living composers. The judge advised her to visit Kiev and meet Anatoli Ivanovich Melnichuck. The judge said: “Now that it’s possible to go to Kiev you should not waste the opportunity, Ten years ago you couldn’t have done it. A good choice. His work is very important. Asian and Western elements”.
Catherine followed his advice and visited Kiev. She remembered the clean and basic hotel room in Kiev where she hap spent ages waiting for the summons to meet Melnichuck. Two brown single beds, a blue armchair and an empty fridge. The bathroom had oatmeal toilet paper with no perforations – every time she used it, it scourged the behind off her. The only plus point – in the lobbies there was no musak.
Melnichuch was in poor health and Catherine had to wait until his wife, Olga, said that he was well enough to talk to a student. Everything had to be done through her because Melnichuck had little or no English. In the meantime Catherine did the tourist thing. She was amazed at the prostitutes in the bar at night with their mini-skirts and spiked heels. They sat around with a couple of uniformed policemen. Although she was not dressed like the others, Catherine was approached three times in about ten minutes. None of the men spoke English but their intentions were obvious. Then she went to her hotel room. The hotel staff were stone-faced about everything – there was not the slightest hint of friendliness.
Then the meeting with Anatoli Ivanovich Melnichuck took place. He smoked all the time. Well, Catherine had been warned that the average wage in Ukraine was ten dollars a month. Then Olga Melnichuck gave them tea and stale white bread, dried to the texture of biscuits in the oven. There was a big blach dog in their house. This dog prevented Catherine playing piano.
The author gives a description of a sad and plain town. The scale of living is quite low. But in spite of it, Catherine’s “heart” stayed there. (“I still am” p.59) I suppose that there are some unmentioned facts which tied Catherine with this town.
Alyona, thank you for your answers, however it's desirable that you shouldn't just present a narration of events but sooner give YOUR own treatment of this or that fact!
УдалитьGrace Notes. Part Three.
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part again the atmosphere of Catherine`s despair surrounds us. Lying in her bed, she felt "...as if her body was made of lead" and was asking herself why she should wake up at all. As for sounds around Catherine, they are mostly noises of a crowd, to my mind, it may mean that Catherine is afraid of losing herself among masses of ordinary people. In this part, we may find comparison of music with architecture and sculpture. MacLaverty shows us that they are similar. In a melody there can be many unwanted sounds and it seems to be overfilled. And in architecture there are examples of buildings which have too many decorations, to many details and part and then they look ridiculously.
By the way, Catherine has remembered something from her past life all the time. And this part of the story is not an exception. Catherine recalled the moment of getting an award, success and invitation to the radio caused by it, the attempts to consult Melnichuck and his approval of Catherine`s music. In my opinion, at the same time with feeling despaired Catherine believes that not everything is lost, she is trying to fight.
As for Catherine`s parents, we get to know new facts about them. Brendan McKenna could have a spirit drink sometimes and that`s why his wife could be displeased with him. Still, he appreciated Catherine`s work and was upset when failed to hear her music on radio. Catherine`s mother apparently talked to her daughter too strictly sometimes and thus they came to quarrels. But deeply in her heart she loved Catherine and after the daughter`s return, the mother didn`t want to lose her again
This time we get to know about Ukraine`s state at the time when the narration is set. Ukraine was in a state of decay, there were no cheap goods, it was possible to buy salt cheaply but not anything else. In cafes there were prostitutes, girls who tried to earn their livings in the only way they had.
Thank you Sasha for your answer, the only thing is your were to give your evaluation of the city and the country described, not just facts mentioned in the book.
ОтветитьУдалитьGrace Notes. Part Three
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, I`ve read the next thirty pages of the book "Grace Notes" by Bernard MacLaverty. This time there are more concrete names in the narration. Some of them are imaged ones ( for example, Melnichuk )and others are real ( Janacek, Haydn, Hugh McDiarmid, Hassler). These people are poets and composers.
Again, sounds play a major role in the narration. They are: bell tolling, laugh, rustling of boots, couhgs, sounds of a crowd... But there are musical sounds too. I think, that such neighbourhood may mean struggle inside of Catherine,the battle between the wish to end life and desire to live and create futher.
Besides symbolic sounds there are meaningful events and the author`s examples. MacLaverty compares music with architecture and scupture calling the former "frozen music". Music is easier to understand than architecture because every man understands through seeing but not everybody uses hearing successfully as well. The author uses such comparisons for plain people to understand his ideas better.
Another number of recalled significant events appear within these thirty pages. Catherine remembered her lucks, invitation to the radio, consulting Melnichuk about Catherine`s music works and approval of his. These memories are important because they reveal Catherine`s relationship with her parents in the past. Her mother had always loved the daughter though sometimes cared about her too much and was strict in talks with Catherine ("I don`t want to lose you again. So, I have to watch my tongue" ). Catherine`s father could be bossy and drunk, but loved his daughter very much too, approved of her music work ( for example, Brendan was disappointed after he had failed to hear the broadcast of Catherine`s music).
In this part of the story we can also see the appearance of a new country - Ukraine. On the one hand, its capital Kiev possesses bells having a wonderful sound. But on the other hand, in Catherine`s memory Kiev is associated with "the coldest she had ever been". Besides, Ukraine is associated with poorness in Catherine`s mind - "empty fridge", "two brown single beds", " a blue armchair", salt is the only cheap thing. I think, MacLaverty wanted to show that art potential of the country doesn`t depend on its financial state - talented people, like Melnichuk, still existed, created and helped others work on their projects in music, painting and so on.
As always, there are a lot of things mentioned which are common for both cultures - Russian and British. Here are some of them:
1. Unique issues:
- salted sandwiches
- British churches can use recorded bell tolling when they lack real bells
2. Common issues:
- all people are vulnerable to herd instinct
- following the rhythm of music with swaying of a finger
Andrew, thank you for the answer, and is the atmosphere in the Ukraine in tune with Catherine's mood?!
ОтветитьУдалитьI think it is, Catherine`s world is under the threat of falling into pieces, she thinks that she has no crutch and the memory about the cold weather in Kiev characterizes Catherine`s state. Will she find the source of fire to warm and light her further way? We`ll see :)
УдалитьGood analysis!
УдалитьPart Three
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, in the third part of the book again we were confronted with Catherine’s memories from her childhood. But this time I was surprised very much, because I didn’t expect that in this story Ukraine would be mentioned. And I should say I fell under the impression that the author described Ukraine like primitive Africa’s country. And as Ukraine like Russia was the part of USSR Catherine could think that Russia was so unfriendly and wild like Ukraine. The hotel, where Catherine lived, left something to be desired. « Two brown single bed, a blue armchair and an empty fridge. The bathroom had oatmeal toilet paper with no perforations». And she wasn’t fond of the atmosphere in the city Kiev. «She was amazed as a prostitute in the bar at night with their mini-skirts and spiked heels». « The coldest she had ever been was in Kiev». Salt is the only cheap thing. It seems to me that aural environment, which was created by the author, was depressive. Only the sounds of bells in a monastery in Kiev were truly wonderful.
But Catherine had to endure as she set mind on the meeting with the composer Melnichuk. It was her dream. Probably Anatoli Ivanovich Melnichuk was one of the most important man in evolution of her art. His opinion was important for her. These are very interesting Catherine’s memories. In spite of all inconvenience she reached her aim.
Nastya, thank you for your thoughts which are rather well-grounded!
ОтветитьУдалитьIn the 3rd part of this book we also met many Catherine’s childhood memories, but the most interesting memory, especially for us, Russians, was about Ukraine. But I think the author gives the reader a stereotypic idea of existence of this country. I don’t know if he were here, so I think he imagined Ukraine with help of different books, magazines, internet, etc. Of course, it can be wrong.
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, I’d like to give some examples: “clean and basic hotel; two brown single beds, a blue armchair and an empty fridge; the only plus point – in the lobbies there was no musak”. Reading this description of hotel I imagine poor, but I think, very kind country. The conditions of living aren’t good, but people try to do their life better and don’t draw attention to these problems. Certainly, the author mentioned some of the symbols of Kiev, tinkling of bells of Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra, maybe, trying to leave a good impression about this country in sum.
Although the author showed Ukraine as stereotypic country, I think he had some aims to do it. And the main is to show how important for Catherine was meeting with A. I. Melnichuck. So she was ready to suffer these conditions.
So, in tote, creating such discrepant image of Ukraine, MacLaverty, I think tried to show, that people could go to their dream, no matter, how this way could be long and difficult.
Good ideas, thank you Vladimir!
УдалитьGrace Notes by Bernard MacLaverty. Part 3
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, we`ve continued reading "Grace Notes" by Bernard MacLaverty. Personally I have learnt many new facts about Catherine who is the main character of the book. First, Huang Xiao Gang wasn`t the only famous man of art whom the young woman met in her life. There was also Melnichuk from Ukraine ( though it`s a imaged person ) who once was Catherine`s consultant in questions of music. Her music was broadcast so it`s naturally that now she fears to become one of ordinary people ( I suppose that sounds like crackling of boots, bell tolling which may denote farewell to Catherine`s music skills point out it ). There obviously takes place the struggle between fear to live after the death of Catherine`s father ("What was the point in going on..." ) and life which Catherine doesn`t want to let go.
Within these thirty pages we see the description of Ukraine. The country is overcoming hard times, there`s a famine of everything ("empty fridge"), girls earn money as prostitutes...I`m sure that MacLaverty draw a parallel between the state of nature, society and Catherine`s mood for men of art always percepte events letting them pass through themselves.
I was surpised to learn that Catherine`s father liked to down though it`s not surprising if you remember that he worked as a bartender. But despite his vice, he loved Catherine, appreciated her music work. As for Catherine`s mother, she loved her too though could shout at her and be too severe. For both of them Catherine was "a wee girl", but her father knew what was the reason between treating a young woman like a child and like an adult but very tenderly.
Again MacLaverty compares music with other kinds of art. This time it`s architecture and sculpture. In a music track there may be unwanted sounds and effects added and it makes music irritate our ears. So do unwanted parts in architecture. They make a building look very strange
Interesting comments, Vika, thank you!!!!
УдалитьI'm sorry for being late, I had problems with the I-net.
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, I read the third part of the book,in these part the author again paid our attention to her memories. She was in Kiev, she wanted to meet with Melnichuck. She rememered the hotel where she stayed and was waiting for the meeting. It was very important for her, when she have met him and he listened to her, she was very happy, that he liked her music. She told, that one of the perfect bells were there in Kiev in Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra. It's very interesting for me, why the author have choosen this town.Also, she loved this town, and she told, that she was still there, but not in her native land.
I think that her memories about the childhood and the empty room are very important in this part. We can guess that in fact she was not happy, when she was a child, I think she had only one true friend it was her father, but now he is gone, that is why che couldn't find the reason to wake up every day.
I like one exrpression most of all from this part of the book:
"night, night"
Thank you Jane! However I wish you had done it a bit more thoroughly, e.g. you yourself say that it is interesting for you why the author chose this particular city. So, WHY?
ОтветитьУдалитьPART 2.
ОтветитьУдалитьThe second part of the book is more informative, from my point of view. We got answers to many questions, which appeared after the reading of the first part. For example, now we understand why sounds are paid so much attention to. The fact is that Catherine was a composer. It was both her job and her passion. Besides, we understand why the main character had left the family home and what kind of relationship she had had with her parents before her father died (e.g. “This was one of the reasons she had left – if she’d stayed everything would have been done because it was the line of least resistance.”)
These pages of the novel are full of Catherine memories about her childhood and youth. This fact characterizes the state of the main character: “There was no future. The only things which were real were in the past. The future didn’t exist. She was forced to look back because it was impossible to look forward”.
I think the one of the most important memories was her meeting with her teacher Mr. Huang Xaio Gang. As we can guess, he influenced Catherine’s attitude towards music more than anyone else. He taught her many useful things, he explained how important to combine sounds and silence (“Silence could be any part of the sound.”), who is a real composer (“The composer does not grub around changing this note and trying that note instead. A composer hears the thing in his or her head and writes it down.”). And I am sure that Catherine learnt a lot of other important things thanks to Mr. Huang Xaio Gang.
Besides this memory there were a lot of others. For example, a memory about her own first tune, about her teachers and classes, about the story of Lenz, about her first kiss. I am sure that all of them are important in a varying degree: they will help us to understand the character and actions in the future.
Thank you Anzhelika, however it is desirable that you should give a bit more of your own treatment and understanding of the problems, more details of your own evaluation, not just "problem - example from the text - brief explanation".
УдалитьPART 3.
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, we have read and discussed one more part of the novel “Grace notes”. We have learnt much more about the main character’s past, about her relationship with the parents. Thanks to Catherine memories we were able to understand that her mother was not only strict, but also a loving woman. Although she behaved very reserved with her husband and daughter, but she loved them very much. I also drew attention to a dialogue between Catherine and her mother (which can be found on p.68). I saw that Catherine’s father really missed her and continued to be interested in her life in spite of the fact that she had left her parents.
This part of the novel was very meaningful and I am sure that all of this knowledge will help us to understand Catherine, her character and her actions better.
But now I would like to draw your attention to one interesting fact which pleasantly surprised me at first. The fact is that the author used the image of Ukraine in the novel. To tell the truth, I am always glad to meet stories about Russia, Ukraine and Belarusian in foreign books, movies or magazines. But, unfortunately, my joy did not last for a long time.
First of all I should explain that Catherine liked one composer, whose name was A.I. Melnichuk. He lived in Kiev with his wife. Catherine was so impressed with his works that she decided to meet and talk to him by all means. So, she came to Ukraine and stayed at a hotel. Then we can see what impression Ukraine made on the Catherine. «The coldest she had ever been was in Kiev», «Two brown single bed, a blue armchair and an empty fridge. The bathroom had oatmeal toilet paper with no perforations», «The hotel staff were stone-faced about everything – there was not the slightest hint of friendliness». I think that such pictures can be associated with troubles, poverty, depression. There were only two things which were pleasantly impressed the girl: the sounds of bells in a monastery and the great composer Melnichuk.
Why Bernard Maclaverty described Ukraine in this way, we cannot certainly say. Maybe he wanted to say that a real talent would survive in spite of everything. So, A.I. Melnichuk was able to become famous composer in spite of the difficult living conditions. And Catherine was able to realize her dream in spite of her parents’ disapproval and prohibitions. Maybe he wanted to show us the mood of the main character with the help of Ukraine's image.
But we can make sure that A.I. Melnichuk and Ukraine influenced Catherine’s fate very much. And how exactly we will learn in the continuation of the novel.
Good thoughts, thank you Anzhelika!!
УдалитьGrace Notes. Chapter 4.
ОтветитьУдалитьWith every new part of Bernard MacLaverty's "Grace Notes" more and more new facts about Catherine and her relatives get revealed. The author develops not only the theme of family relations but the question of latent possibilities of a man too. First, it is shown in the episode with the boy who couldn't even tie his laces when was a child but then he died for his country. Further, there is one more episode, in which we find out that Catherine has a baby, the girl Anna. Perhaps, MacLaverty uses the episode with a magpie to hint that something unpleasant will be revealed, though we can't guess that it's Catherine herself who will appear out to be the magpie.
As for Catherine's parents, everything is very complicated. Who could have guessed that it was Brendan McKenna who had sent his daughter off home? It appears that both Catherine's mother and father sometimes couldn't hold their tongues back.
And after everything seems to be ressurecting between Catherine and her mother, the news about the child becomes a new blow upon their relations. Catherine gets under the threat of being alone for some time. But she still has friends. And then we are carried away to Catherine's past when she and her teacher Miss Bingham travelled and watched the work of famous conductors at concerts. And in this part of the fourth extract we see that art is a relative thing. Some people, like Miss Bingham, consider conducting to be quackery and not a real mastery if it doesn't recquire perspirating, and other admire it.
In this chapter of the story, I saw that my quess about Catherine as a music teacher coincides with that of other people. However, now Catherine is occupied with writing music and it seems to me that a mass she is going to write is a very important intention for her, may be, the project of her life.
Vika, this is your general treatment of this Part, that's good, but have a look at the Evaluation task!!!! And post your ideas here!
Удалить"Grace Notes". Part 4
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, we have read more than one hundred pages of Bernard Maclaverty`s "Grace Notes" and have learnt much information about Catherine and her life. Well, let me start describing my impressions of the fourth part of the story.
First, let`s clear up who Emily Dickinson was an American poet. From about one thousand and eight hundred poems she had written only ten or less were published. Her style is inimitable. Many of her poems contain motives of death and immortality.
Like before, we deal with Catherine`s memory, her past. At the beginning of the chapter, there`s several memories which are worth mentioning. First, Catherine recalls the boy Paddy Fleck whom she knew when was a chld. The boy was a kind of pariah, he couldn`t tie his shoelaces and everybody laughed at him. To be honest, I`m sorry for him, because he reminds me of my own childhood... He was contempted by his mates but many years later he became a hero, he died for his country. Death makes us think better of those whom we didn`t appreciate when they were alive. And the same thing is with music. Further in the text we find a mentioning about the composer Janacek who tossed away the manuscript with his piece of musical work and then regretted about it. We long for what we let ourselves to lose. I think, that this my idea can be applied to Catherine`s relations. It seems that it was her father who made Catherine leave home. And apparently she was very angry with him. May be Catherine even thought she had hated him since then. But her father died and Catherine understood that all her negative feelings were in vain...
Then should be memtioned the memory about how Catherine began to go into music. In her childhood Catherine had a teacher, a woman called Mrs Bingham. She taught the girl music and was amazed by her talents. Mrs Bingham thought that Catherine had everything in her head already, it only needed to be taken out of it. I think here is a question of people`s hidden abilities. Every man is able to be great, someone has courage to die for his country, it only waits for a chance to awake. Someone has talents which only should be developed. Everyman should be appreciated.
I wouldn`t say that the author uses many sounds in this part of the story, but those which are used are of importance. For example in the episode when Catherine and her mother are walking in the woods, there is neighbourhood of cries of crows and cheeping of sparrows. I think that they are put together to symbolize the struggle between grief and wish to live in Catherine`s heart. I wonder who is to win... Other sounds are a song of nightingale, drums, weeping, laughter, coughing, sound of a piano, applaud. The part of them is reaching Catherine from her own past.
Again ih this part of the story MacLaverty compares music with other kinds of art. This time it`s acting, sculture and painting. As for acting, there`s an example on page 103: "It was all in his eyes". You know, cinema actors are said to use mostly their faces, especially, eyes to impress public from the screen. A conductor as we see, uses his eyes too but his task is to direct musicians with the help of them. To talk about painting and music, I would say that colours may be no less loud than sounds. Such painters as Matisse used very bright colours in their works which can overfill your mind with associations so that you can get "deafened", so to say. Now, how does MacLaverty compare music with sculpture? I think that I can give the example with medal on a hat here. As far as I know, there is such style in sculpture as medallions with relief on them which can be put on the ground or walls. In the book there were medals which were sewn on hats so that they could show where the man had been. I think, that relief on sculpture medals may express travel impressions too, just as composers do in their pieces of music work after journeys. ( The continuation is coming )
Now, I`d like to talk about Miss Bingham`s role in the narration. I think that she serves as Catherine`s teacher even after they parted many years ago, even though she haven`t met for so long. She helped Catherine to calm down after the quarrel with the mother, to remember old times. I think it was very important for Catherine to talk to a friend, to share her thoughts and plans with a friend, for she must be feeling so alone after her father`s death. And what does the phrase "“You are not the only one. I am where you have been.” mean? I think that it`s very meaningful. It shows that an apprentice and a teacher have a connection even though they are not together, they mentally support each other and are always ready to give a hand to each other.
ОтветитьУдалитьGood Andrew but.... could you dwell a bit on the fact how it refers to music? As it's all about music, isn't it?
УдалитьЭтот комментарий был удален автором.
УдалитьAs I read this portion of pages from Bernard MacLaverty's "Grace Notes", I was very much suprised. It's all because of new facts that we find within these pages. Before we said that Brendan MacKenna was such an wonderful man and couldn't even guess that it was he who told Catherine to get out of home. He apparently was sorry about that... It's just like in the example with the killed boy and the manuscript thrown away into the river of Vltava. We often may do something in the heat of the moment and then may realise that we should have behaved in such a way.
ОтветитьУдалитьAs I was looking through that chapter of the story, I found MacLaverty's attempts to compare music with other kinds of art: sculpture, painting, acting. For example, Mrs McKenna says that an actor should have a voice, skills of walking beautifully along the stage, moustache. That's how an actor works. And so does a composer. He shoud have a tecnique, should know precisely what to begin with and what comes next ( To be continued )
As for painting and music, the author gives us an example of visiting an avant - garde painting exhibition. Mrs Bingham debates on this subject and asks whether pictures are shown or the exhibition is just being prepared? True, often a modern art makes us think that it lacks much, that music, pictures of nowadays are created very quickly, in a great hurry. But that's the world we live in, today it's characterised by a great tempo of life and it often seems to us that today's art is incomplete, that a composer started composing music but didn't finish it.
ОтветитьУдалитьI think I should also say about Mrs Bingham's role in Catherine's life. In my opinion she can be regarded as a friend, a teacher of Catherine, a woman which has stayed her teacher even after many years passed. When Mrs Bingham says "I'm where you have been" and "Your music spoke to me", I see that there's a connection between them, that Mrs Bingham loved Catherine as a master should love his own apprentice.
Thank you Sasha, again the comment is the following - your explanation is needed what exactly you think the above mentioned phrase means, in relation to music it is said of course, right?!
УдалитьWell, judging by the phrase "You music spoke to me", I can suppose that Mrs Bingham sees what is hidden "inside" of Catherine's music. Though she has lived alone for a long time, Mrs Bingham "saw" what had been happening to Catherine for those years when they haven't met through listening to her pupil's musical compositions. They have a very powerful connection between them thanks to music. I don't mean that Mrs Bingham could say what exactly had taken place in the life of Catherine's but she could guess whether her talented wee girl felt bad or well
ОтветитьУдалитьCloser to the point but you haven't "hit" it yet...
ОтветитьУдалить....is she talking about them or is she generalizing? and about whom then?
Well, if to relate the phrase "You are not alone. I'm where you have been" to music, I think it may mean that Mrs Bingham understand Catherine's feelings that she had, sees what's happening to her and follows these events expressed by the young woman in her music. It is as if Mrs Bingham had been beside Catherine when she had those feelings.
ОтветитьУдалитьIt is not only about 2 of them, isn't it? About what people then?
УдалитьYou know, I've read this very point once more and have got another idea. Mrs Bingham says: "a person can be too much locked up in his mind...then something happens to say no - someone else has been through this". I think that Catherine's master is generalising, she wanted to say that music can make any person want live, find strength to go further to the future because "someone else has been through this. I am where you have been" which means, that there are other people who suffer the same difficulties at the same time as well as you though you don't know about each other. Music can carry a message of support to those who are in a state of despair. Mrs Bingham asked the same question about what the point in going on was and Catherine supported her through sounds. So it seems that we have a real proof of Mrs Bingham's words: both she and Catherine suffer being alone and now they find out that there are too of them. And life may begin to seem easier to each of the women
ОтветитьУдалитьGood that you are writing about the "they both" idea!!!
УдалитьI suppose that Mrs Bingham is speaking in a general way. She wanted to say that music can be regarded as a medicine for those who is lose their heart and think that life is over and the world has changed for the worse. Composers often want to encourage such people, they compose music which they put their messages of support in. And thus, one can understand that he`s not alone having listened to such a musical composition
ОтветитьУдалитьThat's what unites them....
ОтветитьУдалитьIn my opinion, Mrs Bingham`s phrase "Your are not alone. I am where you have been" means the following: the old woman felt abandoned and depressed on that evening before Christmas and then she heard music over the ether. It was her pupil Catherine`s music. And she appealed to those who was oppressed, who felt alone. Catherine supported Mrs Bingham through music and told her that the old woman had a friend somewhere in the world. Music often heals us when we feel ashamed, insulted, forgotten. It`s a universal medicine
ОтветитьУдалитьThere is smth in what you are saying, Vika!
ОтветитьУдалитьGrace Notes. Chapter 4.
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, I have read the 4th part of this book. It’s also very interesting. As the previous, this part is mostly connected with Catherine’s memories. We can understand that she was very talented child and tried herself in many kinds of art. So, the most exciting memories were about her music lessons.
And, one day, her teacher, Ms. Bingham told her such a thing: “You are not the only one. I am where you have been”. For me, this thought, I think, very powerful. It means that Catherine will never be alone, somebody will be with her, physically or mentally, it doesn’t matter. This statement can help for the whole life. I think, Ms. Bingham wanted Catherine to feel a support in every situation of life, not only going in for music, Catherine understand that she could turn to her teacher whenever she wanted.
And also, I should add that the music connects people and the every person can see me music composition and understand the feeling and the aim of the author. And if you, for example, a composer, your work can be listened to anywhere and that person isn’t alone, this person is with you.
Volodya, is this statement about these 2 concrete persons or...?
ОтветитьУдалитьI think, this statement can be refered not only to 2 concrete persons, but to every person generally. So, in my opinion, it's one of the fundamental thoughts of the author in this part of the book. So, this statement, can become a motto of the life and help in a difficult situation.
УдалитьGrace Notes. Part 4.
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part of the book we are also faced with the description of her child's memories, with the description of sounds, which contain her aural environment. For example, her memory about the boy Paddy Fleck. She remembered him, when she saw the inscription on the gravestone. Paddy Fleck used to be quite a strange boy, who couldn’t tie his shoelaces in his childhood. Then this strange boy grew up and died for the country. I understood it in the following way: appearances are deceptive. An ordinary boy can become a hero. A plane tune can become a masterpiece. Catherine also recollected her starting “the whole music thing”. Miss Bingham gave Catherine piano lessons. She taught Catherine things the child seemed to know by instinct. Then Miss Bingham said that Catherine was a special girl. She(Catherine) was learning faster than Miss Bingham could teach her. Then Catherine began to write music and composed some pieces for the school orchestra. It means that Catherine had bent for music and her teacher helped her to develop it. All her memories IAE associated with music.
Well, I noticed that relations between Catherine and her mother weren’t quite simple. Catherine used to take pills. She hooks on it. Her mother thought that Catherine had broken her life because of music. Catherine had exchanged career for music. Her mother thought that Catherine had changed a lot because of the moving. Catherine hadn’t invited her parents to Glasgow. She didn’t tell her parents about her feelings, about her problems. Catherine had troubles with her morale. She was depressed. And it was found that it was post-natal depression. Her parents didn’t know about Catherine’s one-year old daughter. This fact banged her mother.
But I noticed that Catherine didn’t recollect her friends. Maybe she used to be alone in her childhood.
From my point of view, Mrs Bingham`s phrase "You are not alone. I am where you have been" means the following: Mrs Bingham remained alone on the Christmas Eve, but she listened to Catherine’s concert and something happened to say no-something else had been through this. Catherine’s music spoke to Mrs Bingham that night. Mrs Bingham felt a sense of relief; she understood that her pupil Catherine was near her, Catherine helped Mrs Bingham to join this evening. She helped Mrs Bingham by means of music. Maybe Catherine helped others who were lonely. Well, music brings people together.
Was it Catherine who helped her?......Is it about these 2 concrete people only?
ОтветитьУдалитьGrace Notes. Part 4.
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part of the book, the author mentioned the important events and described in more detail the relationships between Catherine and her music teacher. I can conclude from their conversation that they were very close to each other and they had something in common in their way of thinking and perception. In contrast to Catherine’s mother, Miss Bingham was proud of the girl and she believed in everything that Catherine had done. She was a wise woman and her sentence « You are not only one. I am where you have been» proved it. I think this feeling is familiar to many of us. The music helps to understand the composer’s state better. It relates to all kinds of creativity, whether it be a painting or a sculpture. A composer puts a part of his soul in music, he shares with his emotional experiences, and it's great when other people find in it something close to them. Katherine expressed hearty emotions in the music and her teacher understood her without words. I think it's very important that the people are on the same "energy level".
Thank you Luiza, the idea is sound!
ОтветитьУдалитьGrace Notes. Part 5
ОтветитьУдалитьAnother part of the story about young composer Catherine has been read. It finishes Part 1 of the book "Grace Notes" by Bernard MacLaverty. As before, I`d like to present my evaluation of the chapter read to you.
As we can see, bell tolling passes through the whole Part 1 of the book. This time it`s the dominant sound and as before bells are tolling in referring to death. But if bells tolled for Catherine`s poor father earlier, I think, they are ringing for dead men from the past now. In this chapter MacLaverty is speaking about a great tragedy of World War II - killing of the Jews in Babi Yar. Catherine gets to know that great composer Shostakovich wrote a symphony inspired by this event. In my opinion, for Catherine it may be a kind of discovery that music can serve as a tribute, farewell to those who died or was killed. The knowledge of Babi Yar gives her additional inspiration to work on her own musical project - she wants to change the world with the help of it, put an end to "the litany of places of death".
It seems to me that in this chapter of the story Catherine gradually wakes up from her depression, she remembers her joy, infectious pleasure from wonderful music and singing in Kiev, starts believing that everything is going to be all right. Now the young composer has values to live for - music, her child Anna. In this part, MacLaverty compares Catherine`s state with being infected by a virus, walking in a swamp, balancing on a fulcrum. That`s another key word - balance. She is trying to obtain it and she manages to do it on the border of two chapters. Now Catherine knows what her Credo is. We also see here how Catherine is in love with music - it brings tears to her eyes, completely occupies her attention. Isn`t she a happy woman after all - she has a favourite work, a beloved baby which Catherine is loved by?!
In this Part the author introduces the words "grace notes" to us. What do they mean ? In my opinion, here this musical term meaning a kind of musical ornament before a sound, serves as symbol of Catherine`s new life, all the good events which are warm memories about Kiev, reunion with Anna are as an ornament at the entrance to Catherine`s happy being.
Cross - cultural issues in this chapter:
- common for both English and Russian cultures:
wiping of the edge of a spoon against the inside rim of a jar
crossing one`s legs when he needs to a toilet
- unique:
women touch cheeks while Russian ones kiss each other
Thank you Vika for interesting ideas, e.g. about the Litany, Babi Yar, bells tolling and Grace Notes!
ОтветитьУдалитьGRACE NOTES. Part 5
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, I`ve read another piece of "Grace Notes" by Bernard MacLaverty. It finishes Part I of the book. The chapter depicts the way of the young composer Catherine to her daughter and rising of her life principles. But let`s start from the very beginning.
In this part of the story we find comparisons of the main heroine`s state with different things and phenomena and also with other kinds of art though it may seem unusual to the reader that the author consider such a strange phenomenon to be art. Again Catherine is trying to reach balance. The author says it`s like going in a swamp - one wrong step and you`ll be drowned. Catherine is running out of strength and patience already, she`s crying because of emotional drain. MacLaverty is also comparing Catherine with a prisoner serving to sentences. But she is on the way to the place where her burden will be eased, Catherine needs only a meeting with the daughter to regain energy. This upcoming happy event make her remember about Ukraine and Kiev - the poor city where there live people singing merry songs which brought tears to Catherine`s eyes once. Catherine loves music, it`s proved by lots of examples ( "making symphonic work defined her as human", "there was excitement and joy and it was infectious", "a simple - minded girl listened to the choir with absolute attention" etc). Music makes her happy. No wonder, that it becomes a part of her newly - born Credo at the end. But one more part of it is religion. Catherine rejects her connection with religion but she is connected with it through her admiration of religious music. And at last she comes to letting God enter her life. And then Catherine feels that everything will be well, she is resurrecting like a Rose of Jericho.
MacLaverty compares music with other arts in this chapter. First, he mentions a circus art. I think music work can be compared with it for composing a melody it`s very important to find balance, otherwise you can go astray and overfill your music with unwanted components. Then, the author tells us about Catherine "writing down some of the phrases". To my mind, it can`t be regarded as comparing music to literature, turning sounds into signs called notes which can be read. At last, there`s the sentence "...her act of creation, whether it was making another or a symphonic work, defined her as human...". It seems to me, that MacLaverty says that to make another person is art too and it`s similar to music in its influence on man`s life and character.
Now Catherine`s music begins to obtain a purpose. The young composer remembers how she was told about Shostakovich`s Babi Yar symphony. It turns out that the writing of it was inspired by the events in Babi Yar when thousands of the Jews had been killed. Catherine recalled everything she knew about similar tragedies in her own country and realized that she herself could have express a protest against unjust deaths. could have tried to change the world. Now when she has remembered all that she is starting to understand what her purpose in life and art could be.
In spite of everything that happened between Catherine and her mother, the latter is a forgiving woman, she forgets about her daughter`s faults and is ready to keep the doors of her house open for Catherine at any time. Here we see what a great thing religion is for it`s one of the theses of religion - to forgive anything ( thus, the comparison of Catherine with prodigal daughter is complete - Catherine returns home and the generous mother accepts her no matter what the daughter`s faults were). As a mother Catherine herself is anxious about her Anna`s state, she is dying to see the daughter and is worrying lest something should happen to her baby. Anna is one Catherine`s few values and she is going to protect the baby as strongly as possible.
ОтветитьУдалитьNow, MacLaverty reveals the meaning of "grace notes" at last. What do they mean in this context? I think that all the happy events are regarded here as grace notes, e.g. Catherine`s meeting with the daughter, forming of her Credo, finding the purpose of life. They serve as an ornament which decorate Catherine`s entering into new life.
As to cross - cultural issues, I`ve found some of them, here they are:
- things unique for Britain:
we say "hell" but they also use the word "limbo"
-things common for both British and Russian cultures
both we and they call children "clever boy/girl" when we are satisfied with them
both we and they take spoons out of smth not full enough lest we should spill the stuff
Thank you Andrew for your quite logical considerations!!!
ОтветитьУдалитьGRACE NOTES V.
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, I've read the fifth part of the story about the young composer Catherine. First, I'd like to deal with "grace notes". To my mind, in this context this term symbolizes music as Catherine's savior, that thing which helps her even in such a difficult situation she's in now. Music serves her as light at the end of a tunnel.
In this chapter of the book we run across new facts about Catherine's mother and the young woman as a mother. As a true parent should be, Mrs MacKenna is ready to forgive her child whatever she may do. And as every parent she is strict to Catherine because of her good intentions. Catherine as a mother is worrying about her daughter Anna very much, she is dying to see the baby. Catherine's worries are so great that when she meets Anna at last, it seems to her that the baby was substituted though it's not true. Great fear for smb means great love for that person.
In this chapter Bernard MacLaverty compares both Catherine and music with different phenomena. First, music compared to other kinds of art - circus art ( like a juggler balancing on a fulcrum), literature ( sounds are written down as "phrases"). Between Catherine and different phenomena ( walking in a swamp, resurrecting like the plant called Rose of Jericho, being infected by a joy which is compared to virus).
ОтветитьУдалитьAs for Catherine's memories referring to her learning about Babi Yar and staying at Kiev, I think they denote the main character's understanding of her purpose in life and the purpose of her art. Catherine decides to try devoting her upcoming work to important problems of society - here it's international hatred, conflicts which cause deaths of the innocent. That's how Catherine's credo forms, how the young composer finds out what she should live for
Thank you Sasha for your comments, but why does the author use these particular words - "grace notes" about the music, what is so special about them? he doesn't use any other musical terms, does he?!
УдалитьPart 4 (A)
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, I have read the next part of the novel and to tell the truth I was shocked buy this part, because I got to know that Catherina had a child. But not very information amused me. For me is not understandable why Catherine had not told her parents about her daughter. And owing to it Catherine and her mother had a conflict. I regard that it was a strong reason for the quarrel. It is reasonable that Mrs McKenna was down on her daughter. I am sure Catherine did ill with her parents, I have a firm conviction that a child should know his grandparents, his family. Every man has justice to communicate with his relatives and mother should not deprive his of this opportunity. In my point of view , in spite of some problems in family, Catherine should not keep secret from parents her child.
In this part we can notice one more comparison between music and some other art forms For instance with painting namely: avant-garde. Mrs Bingham argued on the subject whether pictures are shown or the exhibition is just being prepared. And I think that the majority of people agree with her. This school of painting is understandable for real judges of art.
Of course we confronted with Catherine’s child memories as usual. And these memories touch upon her music education. I am beginning to think, that all Catherine’s childhood connected with music and people who helped her with studying.
Part 4 (B)
ОтветитьУдалитьI should say reading these pages we see one of the most important memories from Catherine’s childhood. The memory about her music teacher Miss Bingham. I think the role of Miss Bingham was great, because she was, as I understand the first teacher and she influenced her writing music, development of Catherine’s art. Miss Bingham was an integral part of Catherine’s childhood. Her opinion was important for Catherine. She calmed down Catherine after the quarrel with mother and she was happy to know that Catherine had a baby by contrast to her mother. She listened to Catherine’s ideas, plans and helped to comprehend them. It seems to me that every man has such person who plays important role in his life, who exchange our world view. For Catherine it was Miss Bingham.
As for her phrase “You are not only one. I am where you have been” means the following. I think Miss Bingham implied that she always was next to Catherine all these years, but not physically and mentally. Possible they had a mental connection. Catherine put a part of her soul in music, and Miss Bingham felt it.
Thank you Nastya for your comments, but does this phrase imply them, these 2 real people, or....? and what ind of a connection is it?
УдалитьGrace Notes 5.
ОтветитьУдалитьI have read the fifth part of the book “Grace Notes”. To tell the truth, from the very beginning of this book I thought that a girl or a woman by name Grace would appear soon. Or we may read her notes, her diary and her memories. But as it turned out, I was mistaken. The author uses the phrase “Grace notes” in this very part of the book. To understand the meaning of this phrase, I had to read about in the Internet, I tried to listen to a piece of music with “Grace notes”. The term “Grace notes” is used in music. A grace note is a kind of music notation used to denote several kinds of musical ornaments, usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential. When occurring by itself, a single grace note normally indicates the intention of either an appoggiatura or an acciaccatura. When they occur in groups, grace notes can be interpreted to indicate any of several different classes of ornamentation, depending on interpretation. To my mind, it serves as an adornment not only in music but also in a man’s life. It occupies a middle position. Maybe it is the very balance, which Catherine was looking for. “Grace Notes” is associated with something kind, with something good. It is the state of mind of Catherine. She had felt hardship; she had cried and worried a lot, she buried her father, she quarreled with her mother, she hadn’t seen her daughter. But now she has found her credo, she has found her purport of life. She met her daughter. And it is the beginning of her new life, I suppose.
Well, I have found some cross-cultural issues. For instance, both we and they speak with a face averted. Both we and they click the car keys in our hands. Both we and they try to play aero planes with our babies. Both we and they are smoking with windows down and our arms outside.
Thank you Alyona for your most detailed and personal treatment of this problem!!!! It was really interesting to read your ideas of Grace Notes.
УдалитьGrace Notes. Part 5
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, I read another part of "Grace Notes" by Bernard MacLaverty and finally I understood what the name of the book is about. First of all, I found this term in Internet and now I supposed it is the best word-combination to describe Catheine’s life. If I am not mistaken, “grace notes” are the supporting notes before the general. And I think that it is an important idea, because now we can see that after all her troubles, fears about the baby and uneasy state, Catherine found herself, discovered what she wanted and she was ready for the great work. I suppose these living circumstances helped her to become stronger and more resolute. She left in the past her uncertainty. And now she is a mother and a brilliant composer. She can make a success. In real life sometimes we need to feel difficulties but then a good luck will smile us in double measure
Thank you Luiza for the comments, sound ideas!
ОтветитьУдалитьPart 6
ОтветитьУдалитьI think Granny Boyd was the important part of Catherine’s childhood. In contrast to her mother, she took care about the girl, she loved her a lot and constantly talked about it. I suppose Catherine was afraid of her strict mother, and Granny helped her to feel better herself. Granny paid special attention to music, perhaps these childrens’ songs influenced Catherine’s choice of profession. She was a wise woman because in the childhood it is important to learn something like songs or poetry, it develops intellect. Catherine hated when Granny scolded her, but she just wanted the girl would be the best one. She called her “my hen of gold”. I think she was also interested in music like Catherine, she told with a horror about her poor father who hadn’t be able to hear.
In this part of the book I like some expressions, for example: “to graduate in absentia”. It’s very popular topic to discuss nowadays, and we don’t know how to say it correctly. Also the phrase “out of the blue” is useful, because the synonyms “unexpectedly, suddenly” are slightly banal. I can add the phrases “to squint up eyes” and “to plaint hair” because they are simple everyday actions and we should know how to talk about these notions. And finally the expression “There is nothing to stop you” sounds very invigoratingly
Thank you Luiza!
УдалитьCan you improve your answer, task 2 -
"Make a list of the author’s statements...". These are not expressions/word-combinations - statements are the author's ideas about smth which can be winged expressions etc
GRACE NOTES. PART 6
ОтветитьУдалитьWe had hardly finished part 5 of Bernard MacLaverty`s "Grace Notes" when Part 6 was already started. Well, we find Catherine and her husband Dave living on an island. Catherine differed from the native inhabitants of it like many incomers - she collected shells and admired their beauty while the natives didn`t. Thus, we can say that Catherine was a very creative and romantic person - among everyday routine she found time to pay attention to tiny things.
Catherine`s husband Dave worked in the following way - he dived for scallops and sold them to the fish factory. As for his character, he was a drunkard ( "She hated him lying in bed, the hangover"), loved money more than his wife ( "But he wouldn`t budge. The prices were still high"). Why do girls love such guys? That`s a riddle. Thus the relations between Catherine and her husband were difficult. She loved him and felt bad about his coldness towards her("Day crow. Dave was gone") and he preferred his high paid work to spending time with Catherine and their child. In the description of Catherine`s feelings MacLaverty uses not only English words but German too (Taglied where "der Tag" is a day and "das Lied" is a song). Why does he do that? I think, he wants to show that both the Russians and the Germans, for example, are similar in the way of expressing of our feelings, though words are different ( Taglied - Morning song - in both languages two words of identical meanings are combined ).
Later in this part we see how Catherine was giving birth to her child. She was taken to a hospital and her staying there can be divided into two periods - before and after the travail. Before it Catherine worried, she was scared ( "feeling of isolation" c 153, worrying about how to tell everything to the parents). But after that, after Catherine realized that she made through all the hardships of travail, she wanted to laugh, dance, fluids were fixing everything, making every impression indelible. What can we see here? Many girls do abortion because they don`t want to have a child and worries caused by it. Maclaverty shows what a wonder they are deprived of in this case.
Though Catherine may not want to be influenced by religion, God looks after her. It`s unavoidable now, when she has a baby. Anna can`t protect herself and she needs God`s help, as well as Catherine needs his help to protect the baby. The presence of God is indicated in many places of this chapter - "needle shells like spires or minarets", "top shells like churches", "it occured to her that she should pray".
The author compares music with the art of sewing - "a Singer Sewing machine". Such a comparison helps us to see how completely music goes through the whole life of Catherine`s. She has almost everything now. Almost. Except for Anna`s father
Thank you Andrew for your detailed interpretation! Please add some comments as required by the Evaluation task too:)
УдалитьPart 6
ОтветитьУдалитьIn the sixth part of the book, we meet Catherine’s grandmother Granny Boyd. It was one of the best Catherine’s memories about her past, I suppose. There weren’t any description of quarrels, of drinking, only warm family relations.
Granny Boyd helped Catherine to conceive a liking for music. They learned different rhymes. I think that Catherine’s grandmother was a wordly-wise woman, she saw and felt a lot in her life. As far as I understood, Catherine imitated Granny Boyd (“She’d learned catches from her Granny Boyd. The old woman had a sewing machine which she worked with a treadle footplate. Sometimes she sang along to the rhythm of what she was doing. When Catherine learned the rhythms, she used it a lot, like her Granny Boyd). We can also see that Catherine compared music with everything in her life even in her childhood. (music-sewing).
I think that Granny Boyd and Catherine’s music teacher Miss Bingham influenced Catherine’s future, her future career. They helped to find her own way in the life.
I also liked some author’s ideas in this part of the book. “Cause you have to sing when you work it” (p.144), well I think that you may fulfil your work faster and with great pleasure, when you are singing. “Away to have YOUR baby” (p. 148), when I read it for the first time, I didn’t pay attention to the word “your”, but now I think about it, why didn’t she write “our”? “Catherine had laughed out loud”(p.153) (about a mass), this phrase shows Catherine’s discrepancy about religion. But later Catherine was praying, when she was giving birth to her daughter.
Thank you Alyona, you posted very good observations! About the 2nd part of the Evaluation task - any statements of the author of universal character? about music, people, relations etc?
УдалитьЭтот комментарий был удален автором.
ОтветитьУдалитьI particularly like the author's statement about God's mysterious ways. The bringing of God to the narration makes it a little mysterious indeed, make the reading of the book more interesting. I would even speak about this statement in the way of rhymes
ОтветитьУдалитьShe thought she could live on her own,
She didn't need God, not a bit!
She thought that her heart was a stone,
And there's no Him to read it.
But now situation is so
That there's only God to rely on,
To save her and child from blows,
To keep inspiration from dying.
Among others the author'statement there are that one saying that it's strange to collect something once life left it, the idea that there's nothing to stop man if he wants to write songs or other, the statement about trust towards children ("She would trust her and her trust would be repaid") etc.
Thank you Andrew for the explanations and the writer's statements you picked up, and presenting your ideas in the poetic form!!!!
УдалитьWell, I've read part 6 of Bernard MacLaverty's "Grace notes". I was surpised to know that Catherine hadn't always had good relations with her father. We see that they quarrelled over religious subjects and Brendan didn't want to see his daughter at home. The young composer didn't wish to follow every religious tradition. In the end, she lost her belief in God she had once had. Still, Catherine comes to be a religious person again after her child's birth. God follows Catherine through all her life, He shows himself in the shape of shells on a see bank, in the singing of a sewing machine. After the travail, Catherine understands that she need God's power to protect little Ann. After she has been brought to the hospital, Catherine feels isolated, alone, troubled. And then she hears the voice saying "Your travail will soon be over". After everything is over indeed, the young composer wants to laugh, dance, squeel, she is happy to have a baby she didn' plan to give birth to before.
ОтветитьУдалитьAll that takes place on an island where Catherine and her husband live. The inhabitants of the island do not pay much attention to them, they're occupied by the job of going to the sea and diving after shells to sell them later. Catherine's husband, Dave, loves his wife less than money, he is more interested in earning as much cash as possible than in visiting Catherine lying in hospital. And she yet loves him...
The author gives many rational ideas in the narration. He speaks about the trust of parents towards children, power of man's belief in something etc. Most of all I like his idea of a pregnant woman feeling isolated in hospital. I think today it's not as hard as in earlier times when women had to go to a forest to spend days in a hut there until a child was born due to that days' prejudices
Thank you Sasha for your ideas! But please see what Task 6 requires from you!!!
УдалитьPART 4.
ОтветитьУдалитьEach of us has in the life people or, maybe just one person, who means a lot for us. It can be parents, teachers, friends, famous people… To tell the truth, it can be anyone. But this “anyone” was able to change us and our life, helped us all the time. And we will always remember him and will be grateful.
I'm sure that such kind of person for Catherine was Ms. Bingham. She is a woman who taught Catherine play, who shared her love of music, who supported her and praised for her achievements. Besides, she was very proud of her pupil. When Catherine only started to learn to play, Ms. Bingham helped her. But the girl turned out so smart and talented that very soon Ms. Bingham said that Catherine could learn faster than she could teach her. Since that moment she ceased to be an ordinary teacher for Catherine, and she became a mentor, a helper, an adviser and a friend for the girl.
I would like to mention that she was the second person whom Catherine told about the baby and its father, and the first person who was glad to hear it. Besides, Catherine remembered Ms. Bingham’s habits, knew that she loved, was very respectful with her. All this shows that Miss Catherine was very important for Catherine.
I would like to draw your attention to Ms. Bingham’s statement: « You are not the only one. I am where you have been.» The matter is that just before Christmas she listened to Catherine’s concert. And the same weak, she visited her doctor and learned not very good things. So, her mood and music coincided and there was something what she described in such a way: «Your music spoke to me that night.» I suppose that she meant that music is like a communication without words, gestures, looks. You need not be in the same place at the same time together to understand each other, share your feelings and fears. It can make music instead of you.
Thank you Anzhelika for the very careful consideration of the problem! Do you really think that people need "to be in the same place" to share their love of smth?
УдалитьPART 5.
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, in this fifth part of the novel we finally met the words which are the title of the book. «Grace notes». It is clear that these words are very important if the author made them the first words to be noticed. So I would like to pay attention to them at this time. What idea do they carry? To answer this question is very difficult because we have not read the book to the end and we do not fully understand the meaning of these words. But we can try.
And my first idea is that «Grace notes» is a musical term. It is an auxiliary sounds which are used to decorate and enrich the melody. They can be different types and all of them are difficult enough to be played. Composers and musicians like to use them because they are give freshness and originality to any play. Of course we can compare it with Catherine’s life. She had a lot of problems: she just lost her father, she had bad sleep and health, her communication with the mother was awful. A hard life with a lot of everyday problems. And her baby, her little Anna was like «Grace notes», like a decoration of her life.
And my second idea can be understood by you if you look for another meaning of the word «Grace» in a dictionary. It is also connected with God. Perhaps «Grace notes» can mean church Music or spiritual connection with God through music or something like that. To prove these my words I would like to refer to the book itself: p.125: «I can see music as the grace of God…. For us music was a way of praying, music was a way of receiving God’s grace.»
These are very interesting ideas! Especially #2 and your explanation and profs are very good!
УдалитьPART 6.
ОтветитьУдалитьAs I have written in the fourth part, I believe that every person has people who have changed his life. We have learned that two people influenced Catherine’s life very much. Her first teacher and friend Ms. Bingham and her other teacher Huang Xiao Gang. But they changed and formed mostly her attitude towards music, in my opinion. But on her life in general another important dear person affected. It was her Granny Boyd. I think she replaced Catherine's mother in some aspects. For example, she was more gentle and kinder with the girl (she called her “my hen of gold”); she supported Catherine in her interest and I her study, she gave her advice and was always glad to see her. Of course, grandmothers always spoil their grandchildren… But it is peculiar that the grandmother was more attentive and interested in Catherine’s respect than her mother. Besides, when Catherine was giving birth she thought not only about his mother but also about her granny. I think it says a lot.
As for the author’s statements, I paid my attention to the following phrases:
«She saw her own family nested like Russian dolls. She’d had this baby inside her, while she had come from inside her mother, who had in her turn been inside Granny Boyd.» In my opinion, it is a very bright and successful comparison. I have never thought of Russian dolls in this respect. For me they were just a souvenir or a symbol of Russia, but they did not carry any deep meaning.
And one more idea made me think. To tell the truth, this question is difficult, philosophical and insolvable, but very important for every person.
«When she started to lose her belief she prefaced her prayers with ‘if you exist, God…’ but even this had disappeared. She was sure there was nothing. And even if there was a Supreme Being, could she get him to change his mind about smth by praying to him?...» (p. 157). So, here we can see questions like: «Does God exist?» or «Can we ask Him for anything?» etc.
I think that such thoughts and ideas make this novel special and worth reading. Ideas, which are not necessarily connected with religion, but have a deep meaning and importance.
Good comments on the Russian dolls comparison and the God-existence problem!
УдалитьPART 7.
ОтветитьУдалитьThe seventh part of the novel was very interesting and full of events. We could see a great number of sounds, thanks to which the author successfully creates an atmosphere of routine, fatigue, monotony. Thanks to these sounds and different artistic techniques which were used by the author we can understand Catherine, evaluate her relationship with Dave, see her fears for her music skill and try to understand her relation to Anna. To tell the truth, this part is full of different terrible and sad facts and ideas. That is why it left a deep and dreary impression on me.
Then I would like to draw your attention to some expressions which caught my eye:
- Bolt upright (p.174);
- Shoulder to shoulder (p.174);
- In a trice (p.175);
- To protect with all will and strength (p.176);
- God knows what (p.178);
- To light up with the smile (p.178);
- To drink smth off with a gulp (p.178);
- In the pit of the stomach (p.179);
- To be (to go) on the dole (p.181);
- To put two and two together (p.191);
- A seven-night-a-week activity (p.183).
And one more thing which is worth attention is cross-cultural issues.
Among universal issues I have found the following ones:
- She would get up and put the baby over her shoulder and walk and jig her up and down (p.174)
- Despite her exhaustion Catherine would lie awake with her eyes closed, her mind repeating and repeating (p.177)
- The nurse threw a handful of coarse salt splishing on the surface of the water (p.177)
- Immediately in the hot water she got goose-flesh and the hairs stood on her arms (p.177)
- He drunk one off with a gulp and rolled his eyes a little (p.178)
- Catherine put the seat belt on, tried somehow to lengthen it and loop it around the baby (p.190)
- She kept edging out over the white line to see if she could pass but there always seemed to be a bend or oncoming cars (p.190)
- She went to the toilet, keeping her eyes half closed (p.198)
- The bedroom was light and made her clench her eyes to increase the darkness (p.198)
- I am thinking about what I do not want to think about (p.200)
As for unique issues, to tell the truth, it is very hard for me to find them. Maybe because world’s cultures have mixed and thanks to films, books and mass media we have already known a lot about other countries. So now we do not take certain facts as strange or unusual.
Well done - you have found quite a lot of them!!!!
УдалитьPart 6 of Bernard MacLaverty`s "Grace Notes".
ОтветитьУдалитьAs I`ve read the next extract from the book, I`d like to share my thoughts about it with you.
As for the relations of Catherine, her husband and the inhabitants of the island, there is nothing special about them. Each of them does his job and doesn`t think much about the other. From the people`s point of view, Catherine may be called strange for gathering shells. But the people are ready to help each other (The doctor came within an hour, The nurse smiled...telling her that everything was going to be all right). Catherine`s husband, Dave, likes to down a wineglass or two of vodka, he thinks only about money. May be, later he will regret about his wrong preferences.
In hospital, Catherine worries about many things. She is under stress and all her fears are doubled. Catherine wants a girl and doesn`t know of which sex her baby will be, doesn`t know how to tell her parents about the baby, is afraid of travail. But after all the agony is over, Catherine is absolutely happy, she wishes to laugh, dance because everything has ended and she has managed to pass through it.
Again the problem of religion is touched upon in this chapter. The thought about a pray to say comes to her in the hospital. Now we can compare the first part with the beginning of the second one. It turns out that before Catherine`s coming home she already thought about God. And now, when Dave has left her and she has nobody to protect her baby, the young composer can rely only on God. And God has watched her since the childhood ("You are my hen of gold. God works in mysterious ways"). It`s shown in many places in the extract ("...continued to believe in this fiction (the story of St Cecila) and to be thankful for all the music which had been composed in honour of St Cecila). But the most vivid example of God presence is on page 150 - "Your travail will soon be over". Catherine and her work unavoidably get in touch with God.
From the author`s statements, most of all I like that one about belief sprung out of a false translation. I like it because it shows how mysterious God`s ways are indeed - we even do not suppose that it was God`s deed, we think that such a thing happened by chance. But it wasn`t an accident. It was Him.
Vika, thank you for the detailed comments! But also mind please the 1st question of the Evaluation.
Удалить"Grace Notes", Part 7
ОтветитьУдалитьWe continue to watch Catherine`s life through reading Bernard MacLaverty`s "Grace Notes". Again, as ever, she is surrounded with sounds which affect her life. Around her there are a lot of sounds which can be called negative or even threatening. They are snoring ( which I think may symbolize Catherine`s fear lest her musical talent should die), her baby`s crying, recalled sounds of door slamming and shouting, whistle ( this sound may symbolize Catherine`s fear of losing her talent too, for as we know those who whistle do not have much money), scissor noise, rattle of instruments, beeping of horn and others. Among them we run across noises of pleasure when Catherine gets into a bath, her husband`s recalled laugh.
In this part of the book feelings, persons and events are compared to different pieces of art, inventions and famous people. For example, we can find the mentioning of the Fibonacci series in which each subsequent number is the sum of the two previous ones. To my mind, this phenomenon here may symbolize the sum of the events - Catherine`s loss of the father, Dave`s escape, the travail. But the result of the addition is positive - gaining of Anna, Catherine`s rising as a believer.
It`s interesting that Dave shows himself to Catherine not from the best side indeed. He is talking to her in the bar and says that the people on the island are haunted by Mammon. But later he himself will leave his wife out of the same reasons, wanting to concentrate on his job. The young composer`s life MacLaverty compares to Recapitulation, that is each day of her being resembles another and it burdens Catherine.
All her life is penetrated with music. She compared the sounds of sliding at a playground to notes, her Granny`s sewing machine sang for little Catherine in her childhood. When an adult, the young composer compares many things to music - her own life she compares to a repeating song ( "A refrain. Recapitulation"). Again our heroine is troubled. And who can help her? That`s a question for there`s a number of variants.
Thank you, Andrew for your interesting ideas, but mind also please the Evaluation Task 7 as given above!!!!
УдалитьPART 8.
ОтветитьУдалитьI really liked this part of the book. Even not part of the book, but part of the story. Finally the life of the character began to go well. I suppose that Catherine found one very important thing. Harmony. I am sure that it is important for every adult, and especially for a person with a family and children. In the previous parts we saw Catherine be sad, depressed, tired, exhausted, without realizing her future purposes. We saw her attitude to her baby and her boyfriend. But that beach walk changed her. It was “a turning point” as she said. I believe it was the beginning of a new life for her and I am sure her decision to nave been right.
I liked a lot of expressions in this part of book, but the most useful I consider the following ones:
• Side by side (204);
• In somebody’s wake (206);
• To be on the verge of (207);
• To look from face to face (207);
• Tears spring into one’s eyes (212);
• Commit to memory (214);
• At any rate (214);
• Out-of-date (219);
• It makes no difference (218);
• To be well under way (222);
• To make a face (227).
And as usual I tried to find in the text examples of things which are common to the Russian and English cultures and different.
As for the unique cross-cultural issues, I can say, for example, that they do not paint the bottoms of the trees white as it does in Russia. Another example is the difference in pronunciation of toast: “Catherine was surprised by the formality with which it was done”.
Common features were much more:
1. She heeled off her sandals and carried them for a while, the heel strap hooked on her fingers. (204)
2. She narrowed her eyes against the brightness and the breeze. (205)
3. The tail of her skirt was becoming soaked and for a time she held it up away from the splashes her feet made. (206)
4. After the initial shock of being sat down in the wet the baby began to splash with her hands. (211)
5. Catherine sat cross-legged, in a yoga position eating her sandwich. (213)
6. She dropped the baby’s top into the sand and extended both her hands: “come on”. (215)
7. She turned in the bed – tried to bunch up her pillows to be more comfortable. (215)
8. When the blind man came out he swept the water from his pallid chest with the palms of his hands. (217)
9. She hated to throw things away. She had kept all her notes from her University days. (219)
10. It maddened her that a tutor would give good marks to those who agreed with him. (220)
11. Her tears dripping off the end of her nose. (231)
12. She took a fit of hysterics and held on to Olga’s arm as she laughed and laughed at the idea. (225)
Thank you Anzhelika for the examples and conclusions drawn!
ОтветитьУдалитьGrace Notes part 5
ОтветитьУдалитьWe have read another part of the novel «Grace Notes» In this part we met expression Grace Notes and at length I understand the name of the book. To tell the truth I thought that Grace is the name of the main character, but I googled it and now I know what it is. This term is used in music. And I have a firm conviction that the author compared Catherine’s life with this musical term successfully. Grace notes are some notes before the general part of the music work, a note between the notes, note that occurred outside time. Maybe and Catherine in this moment thinks that she does only timid steps of her life and in a few years her life will change. Bernand Maclaverty implied in this context that music for Catherine is (in its own way) rescue. Catherine is a very strong woman. Of course she has many problems, but she manages with it lonely. She had cried and worried a lot, her father had died, she quarreled with her mother because of no ordinary reasons (Catherine has a baby; because of her work), she hadn’t seen her darling daughter. But it seems to me that music always comes to the rescue to composer Catharine McKenna.
Thank you Nastya for your ideas!
УдалитьGrace Notes part 6
ОтветитьУдалитьWe have already read six parts of the novel and I should say we got to know variety fact of Catherine’s life. In this part we met another person, or more precisely, woman who had influenced Catherine’s life and her art. I mean her grandmother Granny Boyd. I should say that Granny played an important part in Catherine’s childhood. She adored her granddaughter and in contrast to mother was not so strict. And maybe it is for this reason Catherine remembered her with warmth. Granny taught her some song and Catherine in turn loved the way the rhythms clashed- like a wave coming into the harbor wall. It seems to me that granny was a very wise woman and to tell the truth she reminds my grandmother. She also had a sewing machine and sometimes she sing along to the rhythm of what she is doing.
Well, Granny Boyd called Catherine my hen of gold. It shows that Catherine was darling person for her. And I think it is no less important to mention that Catherine thought about her granny in I such difficult situation as childbirth.
As for the author’s statements which I liked, I have marked not so many statements. But one of my favorite is “Catherine had laughed out loud” (p.153). It was in the church, I think this behavior shows her attitude to the religion, her dissipation of the faith also phrase « If you exist, God…».
«She saw her own family nested like Russian dolls». I like this statement because it is pleasure for me to realize that our culture is known for foreigners.
Good thoughts!
УдалитьPart 7
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, I have read the next part of the book. As for me, it was quite interesting, but difficult to read it. There are a lot of descriptions of Catherine’s feelings, the description of the childbirth, a lot of sounds which help us to understand Catherine’s feeling and her state of mind. For example, her baby’s cries (p.174), little noises of pleasure (p.177), a hornet sound (p.189), Dave’s heavy breathing (p. 197)
It was a difficult birth for Catherine. She thought about music in such a difficult moment and compared the childbirth with music (it was quite interesting for me). Thoughts about Dave and her parents also didn’t leave her. She couldn't help feeling anxiety of what was going on. She worried a lot, but her love of Anna filled her. She was happy to see her, to hear her.
The author’s words about the differentiation of songs about children surprised me a lot, to tell the truth (p.174). It was also interesting to compare music and the whole life with the Fibonacci series (p. 197). There were two words which completely showed us Catherine’s feelings-REPETITON, REPETITIVENES.
We found the description of Catherine and Dave’s meeting and their relations in this very part of the book.
And, of course, cross-cultural issues.
Her mother looked over her shoulder to see that no one was listening (p.176).
Catherine tried to indicate without pointing (p.179).
Catherine held up a five note between two fingers (p.179).
Needles were slanted into it with wisps of different coloured threads hanging from them (p. 184).
She dusted her fingers and indicated the chocolates on the bedside locker (p.186).
We also do the same things.
Thank you Alyona for the comments!
УдалитьGrace Notes Part 7.
ОтветитьУдалитьI`ve read another extract from "Grace Notes" by Bernard MacLaverty.
I`d like to mention therefore some cross - cultural issues given in the book.
The things common for both cultures:
- making of wet eating noises while sleeping
- putting of a baby over one`s shoulder
- appearing of goose - flesh by stepping into cold or hot water
- sarcastic quoting of one`s phrase back to him
- putting of one`s hands over the ears so that sounds couldn`t be heard
-needles with different coloured threads on their tails
The things unique for Britain"
- using of such measure as an ounce
- such flowers as irises
I`ve also picked up some words and phrases:
- to throw up
- a bag of weasels
- to give a toss about anything
- to snuff off
Thank you Sasha, however, I wish you could have given a more detailed answer and provide explanations, e.g. what is so special about "irises" case? etc
УдалитьGrace Notes Part 7.
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part of the book I found some universal cross-cultural issues. I think they are interesting and it’s useful to know them. For example:
Immediately in the hot water she got goose-flesh and the hairs stood on her arms (177)
He swirled the ice which remained in his glass (178)
Then he put his hands in apology (181)
She massaged the flesh of her stomach (181)
Needles were slanted into it with wisps of different coloured threads hanging from them
She asked for a carry of her and walked up and down the carpet, shushing her and grinning down at the face in the white blanket (187)
On the windowsill behind the shells was the stapled booklet of the island phone numbers (192)
Also some expressions caught my eye and I’ll try to use them in my everyday speech because there are a lot of things and actions which I know how to say in Russian, but in English we have some differences. For example:
To look over the shoulder
To soap the hands
The face lights up with the smile
To keep in touch
To feel isolated
Grace Notes Part 8.
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part of the book I found some universal cross-cultural issues. It was easy because there are a lot of descriptions about Catherine’s day on the beach so I picked out some typical well-known actions. For example:
She heeled of her sandals and carried them for a while, the heel strap hooked on fingers (204)
She narrowed her eyes against the brightness and the breeze (205)
She unwrapped the skirt from around her waist (209)
Catherine sat beside her, cross-legged in a yoga position (213)
She made a makeshift sun shield from her T-shirt and bits of washed-up bamboo stick (212)
Catherine scraped it with a spoon (214)
She turned up in the bed – tried to bunch up her pillows to be more comfortable (215)
Olga put her hands to her head and claimed that she had forgotten to salt the potatoes (224)
Her tears dripping off the end of her nose (231)
Also I found one unique cross-cultural issue. We can see it everywhere in Russia:
Why the bottoms of the trees were white? (225)
I liked some expressions too, to tell the truth, I’ve not heard about these words before
Wind-bathing
Lack of trust
To snigger
To hold arms out from body
Sanitary towels
To be mothered by smb
To step out of the rest of clothes
Luiza, the examples are good but sometimes you'd better give some explanations - why the things are common etc
ОтветитьУдалитьGrace Notes. Part 2.
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part of the book we come across some childhood memories of Catherine`s. The one that impressed me most of all was that of her relationships with the parents. I myself support the young woman in her desire to leave the house so that she could be independent. We see how the parents made Catherine accept religious views to life, had her go to confessions. Why don`t they understand that it`s very natural for a young girl to enjoy attracting boys` attention? In my opinion, Catherine`s moving from home to Glasgo characterises her as a strong, independent woman.
Sounds play a very important role here. Along with Catherine we hear sparrows` cheep - cheeping, the sounds of breathing. It shows how sounds serve a means of communication not only among people but in wild life too and even a sound background without words can mean something. Catherine claps her name on piano keys.
In spite of tensions between Catherine and her parents, they loved each other. Catherine regrets about the death of her father, she would like to bring him back to life. Unfortunately, life often teaches us in quite rough ways.
Grace Notes. Part 4
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this chapter of the book there`s a very curious place or it`s better to say phrase. At the end of the extract Catherine is talking to her old friend, Miss Bingham, they remember old times. The old woman says she heard the broadcast of Catherine`s music and it was kind of a talk, the music seemed to say to Miss Bingham that she wasn`t alone. What does it mean?
I think that it`s this very case when music helps man rise his spirit, awake from depression. Composers make their music knowing what they want say to hearers, many of them overcame such periods of life themselves. I think it proves the greatness of the music as an art once more.
Grace Notes. Part 5
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part of the book MacLaverty continues to unfold the cobwebs of family relations for us. Moreover, she shows us the shocking truth - Catherine has a baby! And we saw before that nothing human is alien to Composers - the young woman dreams of kisses and man`s touches on her.
Reading the book, I`ve come across the phrase "grace notes". First, I thought that the word "notes" means written remarks on pieces of paper. But then I googled the phrase and learned its meaning. To my mind, in this context it means that Catherine`s reunion with her baby and the forming of the Credo serve as a decoration to her entering into new life
Этот комментарий был удален автором.
ОтветитьУдалитьGrace Notes part 7
ОтветитьУдалитьWell, I have read one more part of the book and I should say that this part was not worse that previous one, but it seems to me that the reading of these pages was much difficult for me, maybe because of word which are not frequently used in our speech.
Of course reading this book we can see a lot of cross-cultural issues. Some of them are common for Russian and English, and some are unique.
Firstly, I would like to pay your attention to common things:
- Needles were slanted into it with wisps of different coloured threads hanging from them (p. 184).
- Immediately in the hot water she got goose-flesh and the hairs stood on her arms (177)
- She massaged the flesh of her stomach (181)
- She kept edging out over the white line to see if she could pass but there always seemed to be a bend or oncoming cars (p.190)
- Then he put his hands in apology (181)
- She dusted her fingers and indicated the chocolates on the bedside locker (p.186).
- He swirled the ice which remained in his glass (178)
- On the windowsill behind the shells was the stapled booklet of the island phone numbers (192)
We do the same things and it makes us similar. And it shows that though we live in different countries we have many common things.
As for unique things, I have not found them, though I have rereaded pages not one time.
And this is a list of expressions which caught my eye:
- a bag of weasels
- To light up with the smile
- In the pit of the stomach
- To be on the dole
Grace Notes. Part 6.
ОтветитьУдалитьFirst, I`d like to give the author`s statements I liked first.
He dwells on different subjects in this chapter. Relationships between a mother and her baby, children and parents, man and God... Most of all I liked the author`s statement that nothing can stop a man if he dreams to take up any art, for example. The idea of trust between a mother and a child is worth remembering too.
As for Catherine`s memories about Granny Boyd, they should be explained too. They show that the girl`s rising as a composer began in her childhood already. Granny Boyd showed her that sounds are everywhere, for example, in a sewing machine. Catherine remembers Granny Boyd as a woman which was completely warm and loving towards her. The young woman would like to return to those happy times or she may want to find someone who will love her in the same way. It shows that she feels isolated indeed.
Grace notes.Part 7.
ОтветитьУдалитьissues:
- jigging of a baby up and down
- - using salts for a bath
- rolling of one`s eyes after having drunk spirits (p.178)
- looping a car seatbelt around a baby while in a car
edging out over a white line in order to see if the train is coming for example
The words and phrases I liked:
to throw up
a bag of weasels
To look over the shoulder
The face lights up with the smile
To soap the hands
In a trice
To protect with all will and strength
Grace Notes. Part 8.
ОтветитьУдалитьAccording to the task, I`d like to share with you the results of my search of cross - cultural issues and interesting phrases.
Cross - cultural issues:
Common:
carrying of one`s sandals in hands on the beach
narrowing of one`s eyes against the sunlight
splashing on water with one`s hands
extending of one`s hands in order to ask a person to come closer
Unique:
- using of ounces
Word combinations which I liked:
To be on the verge of
Commit to memory•
Out-of-date•
To be well under way
To be mothered by smb
Grace Notes part 8
ОтветитьУдалитьIn this part of the book I have found the variety of cross-cultural issues, and of course as usual the common things are more. Universal things:
- After the initial shock of being sat down in the wet the baby began to splash with her hands. (211)
- She hated to throw things away. She had kept all her notes from her University days. (219)
- Catherine sat cross-legged, in a yoga position eating her sandwich. (213)
- She narrowed her eyes against the brightness and the breeze. (205)
- She hated to throw things away. She had kept all her notes from her University days. (219) ( My mother does in the same way)
- Catherine scraped it with a spoon (214)
- She unwrapped the skirt from around her waist (209)
- She turned up in the bed – tried to bunch up her pillows to be more comfortable (215)
- She heeled of her sandals and carried them for a while, the heel strap hooked on fingers (204)
I think that in this part the most bright example of unique thing is that moment when Catherine and Olga walked in the Kiev streets and Catherine asked why the trees are painted in white colour. For English people it is strange, because abroad people do not paint trees.
Some expressions which caught my eye:
- In somebody’s wake
- Commit to memory
- To step out of the rest of clothes
- It makes no difference
- To snigger
- Tears spring into one’s eyes
Grace Notes. Part 5.
ОтветитьУдалитьI’ve read the 5th part of the book «Grace Notes». This part is also full of descriptions and comparisons. And in this part the author compares music with circus because, I think, as it is necessary to find a balance acting in circus, you should to find a balance in music making it perfect. You are to try many music facilities, change the loudness, tempo, etc.
Speaking about the words «grace notes» which are introduced in this very part of book, I would like to say that when I began reading of this book, I thought that this book will be about the woman whose name is Grace and whose diary or notes we will read. But now, when I have read a half of this book and met these words, I don’t think so. And I tried to find some definitions of these words in the Internet.
So, «A grace note is a kind of music notation used to denote several kinds of musical ornaments, usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential.» Speaking simpler, it is a decoration, addition, small thing, which we sometimes can not notice in the composition, but it makes the composition better and may add some additional feelings.
I consider that we can compare a grace note in music with events in Catherine’s life because she has many events and especially feelings and if we sum up them we can see the full image of her life.
Grace Notes. Part 6.
ОтветитьУдалитьI think that this memory is very important for understanding Catherine’s character most of all. Her granny had had a great influence on her. Granny Boyd was the exact opposite with her mother, she was very kind and tried to do best for Catherine. Granny developed her aspiration for music and tried to teach her to hear the sounds everywhere. So, that is why, I think, there so many sound in this book. I consider that it define Catherine’s desire to go in for music further.
It was one the most pleasant Catherine’s memories, because what can be better for kid than beneficence and connivance of parents?
Most of all I liked expressions:
- «my hen of gold»
- «cause you have to sing when you work it»
because they show the attitude to Catherine, feelings and emotions which ,I think, helped her to find the place in life.
Grace Notes. Part 7.
ОтветитьУдалитьSo, I have read the 7th part of this book. This part is also full of Catherine’s feelings, descriptions and, of course, sounds, which accompany all the Catherine’s life. Here is also a variety of cross-cultural issues.
Some of them are universal:
-to try to indicate without pointing
-to look over the shoulder for
-to keep the needles in wisps of different colours
-to quote one’s phrase sarcastically back to him
-to be shoulder to shoulder
As for the unique things, I found only one, but I think that it is not very important:
- such a kind of measure as an ounce
So, some expressions, of course, caught my eye and I will try to use it in my everyday life:
-shoulder to shoulder
-in the pit of the stomach
-to put two and two together
-to soap the hands
-to be / go on the dole
Grace Notes. Part 8.
ОтветитьУдалитьI have read the 8th part of this book. In this part I also found some cross-cultural issues.
Universal:
- to narrow eyes against the brightness and breeze
- to sit cross-legged
-to turn in the bed
- tears dripping off the end of nose
- to unwrapped the skirt from around the waist
- to splash on the water with smb’s hands
Unfortunately, I didn’t found unique issues but some of other expressions, of course caught my eye:
- to be on the verge of smth
-to snigger
- to be mothered by smb
-to commit the memory
So, I think, that in everyday life our cultures differ a little. Both Russians and British have similar habit and do the same things. Nevertheless, our mentalities are different and, reading such a books, we can learn such a small things and features which differentiate our cultures.
Part 8.
ОтветитьУдалитьI have read the next part of the book “Grace Notes”. To tell the truth, there were not so many events in this very part of the book, but in spite of this fact, I liked it.
Well, Catherine decided to have a walk with her little daughter along-shore. She prepared all the necessary things for their walk and left home.
Then the description of the atmosphere showed us Catherine’s state of mind, her mood, relations between her and her daughter. We also could understand that Catherina was ready to produce her own piece of music; she drew her inspiration from the sea.
When they returned home, she came to a determination to leave Dave. Well, if I were she, I would also act in the same way. It would be better for her, her daughter and Catherine’s future career.
As for cross-cultural issues, I would like to mention some examples.
-Catherine sat beside her, cross-legged, in a yoga position eating her sandwich (p.213). I also sit in such position when I am doing something.
-She lifted her apple and, without thinking, was going to rub it clean on her lapel when she realised she was naked (p.213). I think that a lot of us also do the same thing with apples, pears etc.
-She flung the core away down towards the water (p.213). One of bad traits of Russian people, I suppose.
-She turned in the bed-tried to bunch up her pillows to be more comfortable (p.215). I also do the same thing when I can’t asleep.
-It was a trick of her mother’s-to take hot milk when she couldn’t sleep (p.218). Sometimes it helped me too.
As for expressions which caught my eye and which I liked:
- Sheer greed (p.213)
-Tiptoe (p.218)
-Nose-dive into smth (p.222)
-To go for a stroll (p.225)