BOOK CLUB: January - Stuffed by Patricia Volk

So have you read it? Did you love it? Hate it? 

This year, we're going to kick off discussions with a few book club-style questions. Obviously you don't have to answer them - we'd love to know what you think about any aspect of the book. 

1. Volk uses a non-linear structure in Stuffed, i.e. the narrative hops all over the place. Did you like this or did you struggle with it? Why do you think she wrote it that way? (Inspired by Helen's comment on an earlier post) 

2. What did you think of the descriptions of food? I know this has put some readers off, but it was one of the things I loved. I want to try everything she described (and did actually once go to Fortnum & Mason's to try the Welsh Rarebit, but couldn't get a table. I will try again). 

And two questions I've pinched from here (because they're just what I wanted to ask, but worded better than I could have managed): 

3. To what degree does Stuffed express a sense of nostalgia for childhood, for a sheltered existence, and for an earlier time? How realistically does Volk recall the atmosphere of middle-class family life in the middle decades of the twentieth century?

4. Why has Volk chosen "Stuffed" as her title? What does it mean to be stuffed? What is the relationship between being satiated and being stuffed? Is there a fine line between being comfortably satisfied and feeling dangerously overindulged?

Comments

[Diane]

Oh, no-one's answered so far! I hope more people will.

What's funny for me is that I thought I remembered this book, and I had retained the basic facts, but a lot of it was a lot different than I remembered.

I get the impression the non-linear narrative was inspired by the fact that the book started life as a series of essays in different publications. Some of the chapters I loved (mainly ones about her close family) whereas others I was a little less interested. I think she wrote best about her parents, sister, Aunt Ruth, grandma etc. than about those family members she didn't have as much personal knowledge of. I was really touched by the chapter on her Dad (and cried when he died). But I would be interested to see how this worked as a chronological story and I think in some ways it might have worked better as we could have stuck with the characters and got to know them better. But we wouldn't have got the sense of history I think she was trying to convey.

I wasn't appetised by most of the food descriptions, I have to say - the menu mostly sounded so archaic and I was horrified by her carrying a fish 6 hours on a plane! I have to say, though, she did describe the food very well and I was fascinated by stories of the restaurant and its menu - we didn't have that kind of international cuisine in the UK until years later.

I loved the sense of New York in the 50s and think this came across brilliantly and made me feel nostalgic for it - even though it's not something I ever experienced! I also got the sense of what being in a large, tightly-knit family was like, the claustrophobia and the feeling of belonging. She's very honest about all this and although I didn't relate, I found it fascinating.

What did you think, Keris? Helen? Anyone else?

[maz]

I struggled from the start with the descriptions of meat. Although not now a vegetarian I felt queasy and finally had to close the book for good at the point where someone was burning feathers off something or other. It's a shame because I grew up in the 50s and it would have been good to compare childhoods but there was just too much food....(which is the point of the book, I know!)

[Anne-Marie]

I really loved this and felt a bit bereft when I finished it! I was initially wary of the non-linear narrative but quickly got used to it, and actually found it refreshing as I'm so used to reading novels that follow a fairly traditional structure.

The food descriptions didn't bother me (although there is a lot of hard boiled egg in there, of which I'm not a fan!), I found that aspect really interesting and enjoyed her evocation of the family restaurant. It's a shame Morgens has gone as I'd love to go there!

I'm an only child, which I've never minded (or felt lonely because of it), but she writes so powerfully and beautifully about her relationship with her sister I came pretty close to wishing I had one. And yup, I cried when her dad died too.

[Diane]

Oh, I'd love to go there, too Anne-Marie! It was so bittersweet when they closed up for the last time.

I'm an only child (of divorced parents) and often wanted a sister. Then again, I liked my own space too and would have hated the lack of privacy, but the relationship she has now with her sister is truly enviable I think. The bit where her sister has plastic surgery though, UGH! Really put me off from ever thinking about it...

[maz]

I have to say that the descriptions of any other food didn't bother me one iota - just the meaty bits! (Which is hypocritical as I do eat meat. What can I say?)

[Diane]

I don't even remember them, Maz. They didn't stick out in my mind! But none of the food really appealed to me. x

[Helen]

I loved the sound of Stuffed. I was looking forward to a book based around a restaurant and food and loved that the author's name sounded like food also (as in yolk)(yes, it's the little things.).

I understand the premise behind the structure of the book as it was like little snippets of her family history. And what a history. It makes even more sense now Diane has said they started out as a series of essays. But I did have a problem with the structure. I think because I have no knowledge of New York (having never been there) or the period it is set in I struggled to find a rhythm. This is not to say I didn’t find the book evocative. I did, but it was of a culture and time I didn't always understand. I must stress that I believe that this is my failure, however, not the book's.

The bits I was looking forward to - the food - actually faded into the background. I preferred to read about the relationships between the family members. I also enjoyed the more 'historical' chapters - was it her grandfather who used to demolish buildings? Maybe because I was gaining something about the history of New York at the same time.

Which leads on to the third question. The nostalgia for childhood and an earlier time is what I gained most from the book. Her family is so interesting, it is stuffed with tales about their lives. See what I did there with the word ‘stuffed’? Stuffed with family members, stuffed with tales and stuffed with food. Or maybe the author meant stuffed to the point of being over indulged by, loved by (and the feelings of claustraphobia caused by) her family.

[Diane]

I'd say she meant stuffed in possibly all those senses, Helen -it's such a perfect title.

I've always been interested in New York, and especially NY in older decades, but I guess if you haven't, it might be less enjoyable. I can't remember who it was who demolished buildings (great uncle or somebody?) but I found that really interesting too.

I agree with you it was hard to find a rhythm. I'd start another chapter and think "Oh, now I've got to start all over again with a new person!" But then I'd end up getting drawn in each time. I think it took me longer to read because of the changes in chronology and "characters", though.

[Helen]

Every time I started a new chapter I'd think the same thing as you Diane. But yes, you got drawn in time and time again. Sometimes it was an effort for me. But each time I made that effort I was rewarded.

[Diane]

Looking forward to hearing what Keris thought about what we thought :)

[Keris]

Ha! I thought everyone already knew what I thought of the book!

I honestly didn't notice the descriptions of meat and having read the book twice and listened to it once, I still don't remember the bit when someone was burning feathers off something!

The non-linear narrative didn't bother me at all. In fact, I liked hopping in and out of various times and places and getting to know different people, never knowing who was up next. Funny, the wrecker - Jacob? - has always stuck in my mind too, along with Aunts Lil and Ruthie. I also cried at Volk's father's death (but that was partly because he died of the same thing as my mum).

But, yes, perfect title for the reasons Helen mentioned. And I still want to try the Welsh Rarebit and I am GUTTED (like a fish) that I can never go to Morgens.

And I do think that you should try listening to it too. It really came alive for me as an audiobook.

[maz]

Can I still comment on this? I feel bad that I focused on the wrong bits now! But I couldn't help it, they jumped out of the page at me. (Especially the feather burning...) I might try your suggestion of listening to it, Keris - I've often thought that's a great way to digest a book since you can do two things at once - even if it's just driving along.