Birthmarks (SPOILER)

[Adrian]

I read CA a month ago and said then it needed another reading at least to get some of the nuances I missed the first time. Unfortunately for me, CA has come up too soon for me consider re-reading it, so I'll have to go with what I remember.

I don't recall every one of the six main characters having the same tattoo. I wasn't watching out for it, which is one of the reasons it needs at least one more read. Did I miss some? I thought one of the motifs running through the book was that the six all shared certain characteristics (and may even have been the same "soul").

[winterwren]

I think what you are talking about is the birthmark that is shaped like a comet, not an actual tatoo. I guess indicating that in some way all the characters may have been related to one another.

Trudy

[Adrian]

Yes, that's what I meant. In my defence, it has been a whole month since I read it :rolleyes:

This thread title could be confusing.

Edited to add: I changed the thread title to avoid further confusion.

Edited again to say the actual thread title is still the same.

[ChrisG]

I definitely remember the birthmark being in all parts of the book except the Adam Ewing one. I might have missed it and will probably have to re-read that first section to make sure. Liked the Cavendish reference to 'Timbo's Turd' rather than the more grand 'comet' interpretation!

My first impression of this book was one of 'Did this guy have a drawer full of unfinished novels and just decide to string them together?' But I found that I really got into each section and was aghast when it ended abruptly. Was tempted to 'cheat' on the Luisa Rey one and go read the second part but I resisted and read everything in order.

[Adrian]

My first impression of this book was one of 'Did this guy have a drawer full of unfinished novels and just decide to string them together?'

I don't think so. From his earlier novels he's not really into that, and there are ceratinly echoes of Ghost Written in the style and format. Apparently, certain characters in CA appeared in GW or Number9Dream first, though I couldn't quote you.

But I found that I really got into each section and was aghast when it ended abruptly.

Same here. At first I didn't like the sudden cutoffs, but I flicked through the book and noticed that each of the first five were picked up in reverse order. I guessed then there would then be some ending to each. It's one of the many things that will become clearer to me second time round. One thing I'll be looking out for is why did each story finish when it did? Why exactly at that point?

[ChrisG]

One thing I'll be looking out for is why did each story finish when it did? Why exactly at that point?

I think he was using the old 'cliffhanger' style of the old serial stories/films - keep them wanting to find out what happened.

This book had elements of Ray Bradbury's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' (the model for the movie 'Blade Runner') Especially in the Sonmi story. The whole thing had a 'loss of respect for life in its variety' aspect to me.

Edit: Sorry, got the wrong author! It's Phillip K. Dick, not Ray Bradbury :o

[megustaleer]

One thing I'll be looking out for is why did each story finish when it did? Why exactly at that point?

I agree with ChrisG that the 'cliffhanger' ending is the reason some of the chapters end where they do (Luisa Rey, and Sonmi-451), but the first Timothy Cavendish section stops where it does because of the events at the end of the first Somni-451 chapter.

That is the best bit so far, for me, as it is quite a clever link.

Am now exactly half-way. I haven't been able to summon up much interest in any of the characters so far, but am looking forward to what I hope will be an interesting knitting together of all the stories into a single historical perspective.

[megustaleer]

the first Timothy Cavendish section stops where it does because of the events at the end of the first Somni-451 chapter.

That is the best bit so far, for me, as it is quite a clever link.

Having progressed further, I see I am wrong about this, much to my regret.

[megustaleer]

Having said on another thread that I hoped the birthmark would not be present on all the main characters, I don't see the point in all but one of them having it (as ChrisG said, it doesn't appear to be present in the 'Adam Ewing' chapter, unless I have missed it, too).

I looked for it in the last chapter, but can't face re-reading chapter one to look for it 'specially.