Discussion Thread: A Christmas Guest Part One

[Gingerbug]

Part One runs from Grandmama finding out that she is being shipped away for the holidays...up until Maude dies and she decides to set out to visit Maude's family.

My first thought is that I was more annoyed at their treatment of Grandmama than anything else. I realize she is suppose to be a dreadful, complaining old biddy but I suppose I thought Emily handled her a bit harshly so it set me into some sympathy for the old bat...right off.

Second of all...Maude seemed a delightful character and I wish there had a bit more time for her part in the story to be developed....seems we were only getting to know her and bam...gone! I knew immediately that Grandmama was all a front...she was interested in Maude but too jealous of her adventures or her positive attitude to admit it. Reminds me of people that waste their lives wallowing in their own "issues" and miss out on all the fun of living.

One of my favorite quotations from this part is..."The pain is only for a moment..the joy is forever." Spoken by Maude as she explains her travels and feeling horribly tired but also the beauty of the land. Sort of reminds me of childbirth...although the pain was a bit longer than a moment....but still it was for a short time and the joy is forever.

So those are my thoughts of part one....and yours???

 

[starflake]

I thought Grandmama seemed rather narcissistic. If I had endured a lifetime of her bad attitude, I would've enforced boundaries and kept relatively detached emotionally (and physically as much as possible) until/unless she chose to behave like a decent human being. Of course, I would have been my usual warm and polite self when forced to interact with her, but life's too short. If I were her kid, I'd need room to finally breathe for the first time in my life.

This is fiction, but I've lived that toxic dynamic, so I'm probably projecting. lol :haha:

I loved Maude. A freethinker with a zest for life. Beings like her are a blessing to the universe. I agree; too bad she didn't live longer so we could enjoy her character more.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Grandmama would have been out on her own in my world. lol

I loved the way she was against liking Maude who was put out from her family just like herself. It was like looking in a mirror for Grandmama.

 

[Gingerbug]

Oh don't get me wrong...I know grandmamma was an old bat...and I know exactly what you mean about toxic people but I also think people get "stuck" in being who they are a bit because it is what is expected of the person...I'd say more but I'm not sure if you have read the rest of the book yet and don't want to spoil anything....I'll comment more about this later as it evolves in the story.

Not blaming her crabbiness on others but people's beliefs and expectations about us...often set the stage...and we just follow along at times even when we would like to "be different".

 

[jackfrosty]

I think we also have to take into account the time period of the story. Grandmama was just hateful-but she would've been raised in a very strict time and she was definitly very inflexible about her ways. Her sharp tongue was how she dealt with her feelings of being abandoned and worthless.
I enjoyed how Maude was thrilled with each moment -whether it was 'beautiful' or 'terrible'. Each moment made her feel so alive and vivacious. The walk that the two women took together began to show how Grandmama and Maude saw the same thing differently. I think it took the shock of Maude's death to let Grandmama find some life in herself.

 

[starflake]

Not blaming her crabbiness on others but people's beliefs and expectations about us...often set the stage...and we just follow along at times even when we would like to "be different".

I get what you're saying, Gingerbug. Sometimes a nudge in the right direction, perhaps someone believing in your potential, can be all a person needs to step outside of a role. Absolutely. I just took a different angle from there, assuming the kids had already generously tried all they could to jump-start her humanity and had grown weary by this point. I figured they finally realized all they can ultimately change is themselves and decided to live their own lives. I sure would have. But luckily, Maude's presence/death finally affected Grandmama.

 

[kitkat0303]

Reading about Grandmama was reading about my mother. She is a tough old bird who tries not to enjoy a darn thing about living......except what she wants when she wants it.

I totally understand her grandchild (not her child) wanting to enjoy the holiday without her. After that much time together, everyone needs a break. I love my time away from mom. Makes me feel human again.

As far as Maude, I think it was like looking in a mirror of the past, what could have been, should have been for grandmama. We all have regrets at times and sometimes they catch up with you and you wish you had lived differently. That old saying live and learn sure does apply.

Kathy

 

[christmascreations]

Well it is definitely more interesting to read about a crabby character than having to deal with one in REAL life :haha:

I liked the contrast of Maude and Granmama. As much as granmama felt she was in a home filled with double the burden-first her being passed off and then Maude being passed off to the same house definitely makes for an air of awkwardness. Then to have the poor housemaid find Maude gone and have to wake up the crabby lady of the home definitely was a vision that made me feel bad yet find the ill humor at the same time.

I am glad that Granmama was willing to seek out the truth despite the weather and not knowing what was to lie ahead!!!

 

[purplecrush]

I would have sent Grandmama away too lol!!! Im not sure how I feel about the book yet. I need to read more of it I guess. I am sad that we didnt get to know Maude a little better though!

 

[Snowbelle27]

I think I would have sent Grandmama away aswell but I did think the way she was told about it was rather cruel, but thenagain they were probable glad to be rid of her for a while.

I love the atmosphere created by the writer and it definately felt Christmassy.

I kind of felt sorry for Maude, it sounds like she had been pushed aound by her family for most of her life.

 

[RadioJonD]

Grandmama and Maude are kind of alike as they are both the odd balls/black sheep of the family. The contrast is how they deal/delt with it. Maude left for adventure; Grandmama stayed to be (as the brits say) a sticky wickett.

 

[MinnieCo]

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet either. I'm just wondering how Grandmama came up with the whole suspicion about the drink from such a small set of "clues". I thought it was a bit of a stretch, but I'm hanging in there with the ol' Bitty.

 

[emski4379]

I thought it seemed a bit of a stretch too that she would assume Maude was killed. Overall, I enjoyed reading about the different characters, but wish it had been a bit more developed. I thought Grandmama offering to go tell Maude's family about her death was odd too, and totally out of character.

 

[Gingerbug]

You know...now that you mention it...it is a stretch that she jumped to the idea of murder without much to go on....but maybe it is her pessimestic...always think the worst attitude...coming through

 

[starflake]

Yeah, or maybe she was thinking outside the box because she thought Maude was so strange. Or because of the policeman in the family. *shrugs* lol

 

[christmascreations]

I think she needed an explanation that made more sense to her. In her mind she was trying to figure out how an active, seemingly healthy individual that was younger than Granmama dies overnight. Remember the "possibility" of murder is what she wants to explore and she is not certain that is what it is!!!!

I know if it were me, I am the type of person who would need to know answers and I have an investigative personality!! So you neer know I might have thought the same way if I was in Granmama's situation!!

 

[SparkleNana]

What a wonderful book "The Christmas Guest" is! I am so happy it was chosen for us!

The characters certainly "feel" real, don't they! It doesn't matter what century they were writing about. "Grandmama" is someone we all know and can visualize well!

Having a "grandson-in-law" as a policeman was a very clever addition. Grandmama must have heard about lots and lots of interesting crimes through family discussions. And Grandmama thought she was so much better than the "policeman" - she had no doubt that she could investigate a crime as well as her "socially-inferior" relative.

Perhaps we are all much more sophisticated about "crime-solving" - from television programs. Still, I was very happy to follow along with Grandmama as she went to investigate Maudes' death.

 

[kitkat0303]

Grandmama also sounds like she reads detective novels. I love how she keeps reminding herself to detect....LOL.

I finished the book and I have to say it did give me something to think about concerning how I look at things. You can choose how you want to live, Maude versus Grandmama. I certainly choose Maude.

Kitkat :rudolph:

 

[jackfrosty]

Maybe, as the death was such a shock to her, Grandmama needed someone to blame and that combined with her attitude led her to investgate further?

 

[SparkleNana]

When do we go on with our discussion?