Chapter 18- By Chris

Summary:

Susie tells us about Ruth’s life in New York. How the small apartment she lives in, is owned by a nosy older lady that listens to Ruth’s phone calls, how she talks to her father and plans a trip home very soon. Ruth works at a local bar, where she bartends and is constantly aware of the drunken sob stories about other people’s tragic past. Ruth has decided to keep her sad history a secret, not telling anyone, only her journal knows the truth. Susie explains that Ruth is pretty much cut off from the world, only really keeping in touch through her father and Ray.

Ruth spends her days wondering through New York City finding the places that women and children were murdered, and she relives their tragic deaths, while observing a moment of silence for them. Susie explains that in Heaven, Ruth has become famous because these murdered victims are so gracious that someone acknowledges what happened to them, and in some cases someone finally knows exactly how they died. See Ruth, has the ability to relive these awful scenes in head, she can see how a women was strangled to death or how a child was brutally murdered. But sadly no living person knows what Ruth is doing or what she going through, in New York no one even giver her a second glance, except maybe the drunken men at the bar.

Susie follows Ruth around the day after her sister and Samuel’s graduation. Ruth finds herself in Central Park observing the duck pond and the children on the playground. She sees a small girl that almost sneaks away from her sleeping nanny to some near by bushes, but luckily her nanny caught her in time. In that moment, Ruth has another ‘vision’ about the same scenario but a different time, and a different outcome. A little girl from years earlier wondered off to the same bushes and sadly there wasn’t a nanny or mother to stop the child. Ruth sees that this little innocent girl was murdered in the bushes years ago. She realizes that in some way all of us are tied to our own pasts and our own experiences with such tragic deaths, because of that the nanny was able to wake up and keep the little girl safe.

Susie brings us to her little brother Buckley. She explains how is fell in love with gardening, and is always trying to get new plants and seeds for his garden. Buck believes that the books are wrong and that all plants can be grown together, he mixes all his vegetables and fruits. Susie brings us to one Saturday when Buck’s tomatoes are starting to sprout, he wants to stake them. He greets his father in one of the best times of the day for Jack, the morning they share pleasantries and Buck heads outside to work on his plants. His father sips his coffee and watches from the window at his youngest son pulling some clothes out of a box to stake his plants. Jack realizes that the clothes Buck found in a box, where clothes that belonged to Susie. He runs outside and confronts Buck about the clothes, and tries to take them away. Once again in this scene we see how hard her father has it, and how he still hasn’t let go.

Buckley gets angry about not being able to use the clothes, and lets out all his frustration with his mopey father. He explains that it’s not fair for him to choose Susie over him, and that his friend that lost her mother is ok, so why can’t he be too? Jack is taken back by his statements and by all the emotion of seeing Susie’s clothes; it sends him over the edge. He begins to hear in his head a chanting of ‘Let Go’, all this is so overwhelming that he suffers from a heart attack.

Susie and Buckley both want the same thing, their father with them always. Susie struggles with her desire to have her father pass while in the hospital, so she may be finally reunited with him. Buckley sits at home that night, without the traditional ‘tucking in’ from his father and he is feeling guilty about the fight, thinking he brought on the heart attack. Buckley finally admits to himself and aloud to a ghost Susie, that he wants, needs his father to stay with him.

Susie leaves her little brother in his room and goes for a walk. Quite possibly feeling guilty from wanting her father to die, and being so selfish, so walks to an open field and is met by someone. Her grandfather comes to Susie and they dance in the field for hours, just like when she was six and he first danced with her. He asks her to remember something, and she recalls the explanation he gave her so long ago about why a specific song made him cry. They danced all night and Susie seems more at peace than ever, and something is changing.

Join us in the discussion of the chapter and in answering the questions in the forum!

Questions for Consideration:

1. How does it make you feel to know how Ruth lives her life in NYC? Will she ever be ok?

3. Do you think Buck was to harsh on his father, or did he have a right to call him out about the Susie clothes?

4. Is it fair for Susie to want her father to die? Do you understand why she feels that way? Even in heaven we can be selfish creatures.

5. What kind of changes do you think are to come after Susie sees her grandfather? What do you think it meant by him coming to her and sharing a dance?

Characters:

Ruth

Buckley

Jack

Grandma Lyn

Susie’s Grandfather

Places:

New York City
Central Park

Susie’s House

Hospital

Field

Memorable Quotes:

“Booze affects material as it does people” – Ruth page 249

“Her journal was her closest and most important relationship. It held everything” – Susie page 252

“Please don’t let daddy die, Susie – I need him.” – Buck page 260

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’re so close” – Susie’s grandfather page 261

Chapter 17 – by Chris

Summary:

Lindsey and Samuel are traveling back to Lindsey’s house that night after graduation. They both are riding on Samuel’s motorcycle and it begins to rain very hard, so they decide to pull of the side of the road. As they share a sweet moment, Susie observes how they are meant for each other. Being soaked, they hike to find some shelter from the pounding rains. They come upon a Victorian house that appears to be abandon with it’s broken windows and run down look, but at this point neither care because the house promises dryness. As Samuel and Lindsey made into the old broken house, Susie made a quick check of the rooms to insure that nothing scary lurks there.

Samuel is amazed by this old house, and how the lot hasn’t been turned into another strip mall, just like Susie. He takes Lindsey around to explore the rest of the ancient house, he notices that the flooring is very expensive type of wood, and that this place was built sometime after 1860′s. Samuel observes that the plaster used in the old house, its very thick and sturdy, saying casually that you could ‘wall someone up in here’. This brings Susie to once again wondering if her death and disappearance would be brought up and talked about, Lindsey did feel like her sister was there, and remembered but did not mention it.

Samuel decides this house needs him, he is drawn to the beautiful design and the unique potential it held. Lindsey and him step into the room and he begins to explains some more of the architecture. But the conversation quickly changes, and Susie knows that her time exploring with them is up, and they need some privacy.

Susie makes it back to her fathers house, in his den he is thinking and once again playing with the snow globe. Buckley comes to summon him to the waiting guests downstairs, he requests a few extra minutes. The day has brought on some emotion and he wants to go over the very last set of pictures, Susie had taken. This roll had been many snapshots of her mother, and her father was having a hard time conceiving how he has fell out of love and how he doesn’t know his wife at all. But with Susie’s pictures, he has been able to stare at his wife, and slowly remember why and who she is. He sees that the three different snapshots of her, so her mask of emotion she has worn for him in the past…he begins to see what he had done.

Samuel and Lindsey lay together in the house, as the storm blows over. Samuel consumed by the passion he feels for this house, and his love for Lindsey, proposes to her. He declares that he loves her, wants to marry her, and make this house beautiful and their home. Lindsey said yes, and Susie was elated with joy, because this is all she ever wanted for her sister. Lindsey remembers that her father must be worried, so Samuel and her take off back to her home, running.

They get back to Susie’s house, and Samuel reveals that he has asked Lindsey to marry him. The family rejoices with toast of champagne, Susie observes for awhile until Buckley catches her watching he sees the same girl that died that day 8 years ago, then Susie leaves..

Characters: Lindsey, Susie, Samuel, Hal, Jack, Grandma Lyn, Buckley

Places: The Victorian House, Salmon’s Home

Memorable Quotes:

1. He had been falling in love all over again. - Susie page 239
2.I’m tired of doing all the right things. Marry me and I’ll make this house gorgeous. – Samuel page 240
3. It was only a moment, and then I was gone. – Susie page 245

Questions for consideration:

1. Do you feel bad for Susie’s father in this situation? Do you think his wife should of left? How could he of done things differently?

3. What do you think it means that Lindsey and Samuel are moving forward in their relationship? Is this a tale-tale sign that things are changing and people are moving on?

3. For one of the first times, we see Susie experience this loneliness of death, it’s not always fun, how hard do you think ti would be to watch your family grow and change without you?

Join in the discussion on the chapter summary and the questions  in our forum HERE!

This week Caro and I are featuring art to go along with are book club, The Lovely Bones. But first we would like to thank all of the artists who make Fan Art Madness possible. We have been getting some really positive feedback from past featured artists. You Guys Rock!

Remember to also visit The Lovely Bones Book Club and join us in the discussion!

My Lovely Bones by ~blood-classique

I thought this was a really good portray of Susie, the author of the piece mentioned that she looked old for her age, but I think it looks quite good. It also reflects her feelings and reactions in that moment when she takes the body of her friend. I love the color of her hair and eyes, makes it look so bright. (Caro)

View more Lovely Bone art  HERE

What did you think of today’s Fan Art Madness?

Which piece was your favorite?

This week Katie and I are featuring fan art based on ghost all in honor of the theme of one of our month book clubs “The Lovely Bones”. But it’s just not art, once again we have found great photographs by these artists reflecting their own vision of a ghost. Enjoy!

Remember to also visit The Lovely Bones Book Club and join us in the discussion!

ghOst frOm my paSt 02  by ~twELveRN

This photo is extremely creepy, but in the best way. It really sets a dark and creative tone. I know that if I was walking up some stairs and I saw this, I would run screaming. This photographer really knows how to work his camera and create a stunning photo. (Katie)

View more here

What did you think of today’s Fan Art Madness?

Which piece was your favorite?

Here at OBS we are featuring Alice Sebold’s ‘The Lovely Bones’ for this months book club. So whats more appropriate for this months Book Covers Around The World.

“These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections — sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent — that happened after I was gone. And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it. The events my death brought were merely the bones of a body that would become whole at some unpredictable time in the future. The price of what I came to see as this miraculous lifeless body had been my life” via wikipedia

United States and Canada

Both of these covers are really great! The on on the right is the original first edition and the other on the left is the newest edition based of the motion picture. I have them both listed here as the US and Canadian covers, but you can find both of these in many other countries and lots of different languages.

Dutch (Translation: ‘Full Sky’)

I really like this cover. I love how its half color, half sepia tone. And they show ‘Susie’ in the field, but also in the corner they have the sky and clouds.

Click HERE for the rest of the covers!

Which of the covers was your favorites? Least favorite?

Which cover encompassed the story the best?

In honor of our Lovely Bones book club, we give you the Top 5/10 Ghost Edition!

Top 5/10 Ghost Costumes by Dawn

1. The image says it all. It’s very detailed and would scare the shit out of me. I would think I was dreaming.

2. He reminds me of the Grim Reaper.

3. This ghost costume actually reminds me of an angel.

4. Some serious freaky, especially because his face and hands glow. Do ghosts’ faces and hands glow?

5. Fun ghost costume that looks like a woman from the 1800′s. I would wear this out for Halloween, if I wasn’t too old. (lol)

Extra: Way too cute. Live vicariously through your child, I’m betting he/she would gets lots of candy.

Top 5 Haunted Places in the US – Dawn

1. Alcatraz - You can visit the jail and go into one of the cells, though I don’t suggest closing or locking yourself in, unless you wear brown pants to hide the fact that you’ve shit yourself.

2. Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona – Dating back to the 1880′s its no surprise that it’s on the list, a lot of gunslingers lived in Tombstone and many infamous men were killed there.

3. Civil War Battlegrounds -Places such as the Gettysburg Battlefield where people often see soldiers walking around. A lot of men died in battle. Cries of pain and battle cries have been heard. I was born near Valley Forge National Park and wandering around there, day or night, you get a sense of how many men died. It’s very eerie and I can easily imagine it being haunted.

4. Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts- Another one that is not surprising, but who really killed the Borden family? It’s a bed and breakfast now – spend the night and see what happens.

5. Union Cemetery in Easton, Connecticut – (said also to be seen in Bridgeport, Connecticut), Dating back to the 1600s, this place is touted as one of the most haunted cemeteries not only in Connecticut, but in the entire country. The most well-known haunt is a spirit known as “The White Lady”. The identity of the spirit is not known, but sightings of her didn’t occur until the late 1940s; meaning she must have died sometime before then. People have photographed and even videotaped her. Not only have people seen her with their own eyes, but some passers-by’s have even “hit” her with their cars as they drove past the cemetery.

Those costumes are seriously creepy! What do you think of them? What did you think of the most haunted places? Have you ever visited any of them?