Etta and Otto and Russell and James - January (2015) book club

I wanted to like this book. It is an unusual story but very difficult to follow because of the flipping of timelines. By the time I got to page 100 I felt it flagged and unusually for me had to give up. Sorry.

Absolutely loved this book. A bit like Harold Fry, only better! Well done Emma Hooper and thank you Gransnet

I found this book intriguing and challenging at first but once I had got well into it found many poignant moments and was encouraged to continue reading. Like other club members I did find the ending a little confused or rather the ending challenged my understanding of the story as it developed.

Books on writing suggest using the viewpoint of more than one character is best avoided whilst flashback should be used sparingly. This novel would seem to flout both conventions and my question for the author would be did she consider using the viewpoint of a single character or telling the story more sequentially?

Thank you for my copy of Etta and Otto and Russell and James which I enjoyed reading.

I thought the cover itself is worthy of mention as it is so unusual and in particular, somehow helped me visualise James! The endpapers are also intriguing, for as one delves deeper, one realises the significance of each object.

It took a page of two before I could submerge myself in the book, as was the lack of speech marks but as I progressed I found I little trouble differentiating the characters who were speaking.

I love the idea of Etta taking her journey and it has given me ideas for the future! I was rooting for Etta and willing her to complete her journey safely........

James as her companion was just wonderful and once I had suspended belief, he became an eminently understandable integral player in the story.

The pages I thought were outstanding were 243-5. I won't spoil this section for others (who may not have reached this spot yet) but these words were some of the best I have read regarding sudden warfare.

Almost as riveting was the sadness of pages 249/50. Written so simply, one immediately understands and sympathises with Etta's terrible problem. Very sad.

I do admit being a little confused at the latter stages of the book when Otto and Etta merge and a little unsure as to why.

My questions for Emma Hooper are: I was puzzled as to the character of Bryrony and would love to know what Emma felt Bryony brought to the story and therefore what was Emma's intention in introducing her? Secondly, why did Otto/Emma merge? Apologies if I have missed something fundamental here! Thank you for a very different, mesmerising book.

Thank you for sending me a book I would not have chosen in a book store, not my usual reading but this was absolutely wonderful, enchanting and memorable, thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Took a bit getting used to no speech commas. That being said it didnt detract from the flow of the tale. I think the lack of specifics in the tale is more than compensated by the inferred emotion coming from the pages. There's more to be sussed out by imagining whats not said from what is. It was enjoyable, but more difficult to read than others I've read recently. I felt robbed on the pages that had little written on them. What was the purpose of this please Emma? Also the ending left more questions than a satisfying conclusion for me personally. But would thoroughly rate it. Thank you G.Net.

Agreed it is a good read but it is similar to "The unlikely pilgrimage ...". Enjoyed it though, and loved the characters however can anyone of 80 walk that much?

Lovely book to receive, thank you! Attractive cover and easy to read, necessary with my attention span these days.
I couldn't put it down. I felt it reminded me a touch of 'the unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry', she wanted to go her own way and not be troubled, but became a bit of a hero in the eyes of the public. I found the history of the characters interesting, how they were all tied together, but I do wonder what happened to the rest of Otto's siblings?!
Parts were confusing, wasn't really sure what was happening in the nursing home, perhaps Emma could explain..? But the ending was sad if it indicated what I assumed, won't spoil it for others.
All in all a good read and thoroughly recommended.

I enjoyed reading this and loved the detail of farm life, Otto's war experience and the relationships between Etta, Otto's and Russell. I loved the gentleness of the story telling. But for a reader such as me the merging of characters ( which didn't bother me) and the ending were just too subtle. I was left faintly disappointed. Part of me though was expecting this because the story had become less literal. My questions are really the same as Candelle especially regarding Byrony and the story of her brother.

I enjoyed reading the book, most of it I read in the last two days, which I found easier to follow what was going on, although at times it was difficult to work out who was talking. I also thought it was similar to Harold Fry.

Just want to say that I'm part way through the book and although it isn't one I would probably have chosen I am enjoying it. I really quite like the style in which it's written and think the style and storyline fit well together. There seems to be nothing much happening and yet the story moves along and takes me with it. I shall come back and write more when I've finished reading it.

I struggled to finish a confusing book, if I was supposed to read more into the significance of James, the Papier-mâché Mâché figures and Ettas journey then I am afraid my imagination was not up to it. What was the reporter all about? Was it all a dream for Etta and had she been in the care home all along? Thank you Gransnet for sending me this book, I truly wanted to love it, but sadly couldn't.

I do hope to finish the book before the end of January to add a further review. Currently I am half way through the book. I like the way Ettas friendship with James developed, when she wondered if he wanted to be her pet or to eat her and when she carried him I wanted to cry.
I like the parts where it gives you alternative possibilities to the story line with Or......
Anyway I am looking forward to continuing my journey with Etta.

Really enjoyed the book, especially how it changed easily from then to now. Did get a bit lost at the end and wasn't sure what really happened. Perhaps I need to read the last few chapters again.

At first I enjoyed reading this book and found the lack of quote marks quite refreshing.However,although there was some interesting information,towards the end it became a chore to read rather than a pleasure.Too much confusion in the second half and an unsatisfactory ending spoiled,for me,what could have been a very good book.
Honestly, I feel that the pages could have simply said "we all live our own little lives in our own little way in our own moment in time."

I found my copy on my return from my Christmas Holiday in the Black Forest, what a lovely surprise!
I have not read too much of the book yet and should possibly not really comment but find it slightly confusing as it jumps back and forth. We do not actually hear very much about Etta's progress on her journey, simply that she has walked so and so many miles. The relationship between characters is mystifying, at least at this point in the book.

I too enjoyed the book, but found the end confusing. I think Etta died, is that correct?
Also what happened to Otto? did Russel retun to see the paper machie animals Otto had made, did he like them? It almost feels as if there should be another book so we know what happened to all the characters.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this thought provoking, original book - I enjoyed it very much.

I loved the language and the pace of the book which captured the ages of the characters and the rural Canadian setting perfectly.
The only character I was unsure of was James, so I would like to ask Emma was he a coyote -real or imagined and was his name significant as there was a 'James - nephew/child who never lived ' in Etta's memory jogging list?
Well done for a first novel, something different and honest.

On the whole, I found this both intriguing and rather charming. The love between Etta, Otto and Russell was gently depicted, and the impoverished lifestyle was well portrayed.
It was an original and imaginative story, and I enjoyed the style in which it was written.
However, like many other reviewers, I was left bewildered by the ending. I am going to pick it up again soon, and read the final few pages to see if I can make sense of it.

I wonder whether Emma Hooper could shed some light on the ending please? (Of course, I rather like the fact that we are all discussing the ending - there can be many different outcomes.)

WHY are authors so obsessed recently with older people doing daft things?
Harold Fry walking the length of England in slippers, Little old Men jumping out of windows, little old women breaking all the rules.
It seems to be the 'in thing' to write about & I've had quite enough of it
( I gave up on the last 2)

I heard this book reviewed on Radio on Sunday & it doesn't appeal to me & having read these comments I think I'll give it a miss too - unless someone can convince me otherwise.

At first I really enjoyed reading this book - lovely cover. But I got very confused when the story kept going backwards and forwards - sometimes it was quite difficult to establish which era I was reading about. Was it all a dream? An elderly lady could not possibly attempt to walk that distance on her own - so my guess is that she was imagining how she would walk to the sea. So, my verdict is that I did enjoy it but halfway through I became very confused - and I did not understand the ending at all.

Thank you for the book, my first of 2015. It took me a while to get into the feel of the sentence structure but liked the movement between past and present. Iwas a bit confused by the ending though. I also found the talking coyote rather unbelievable-wondering if it was Ettas mind talking. Thought the idea of papier-mâché animals an innovative one.

Took me a while to enjoy this book. Once I got into the time & space jumps. I was hooked. I found myself inside their heads and found them very like myself.
IMO James was trick of her mind, and ultimately took her to her goal in her mind.
I think Otto and Etta drifted off together, then the cycle started again.

Thought provoking finish.

I was pleased to have the opportunity of reading this book as I would never have chosen it in a shop although I loved the cover. I agree with many other comments - moving back and forth in time was confusing - not my favourite style of writing- andthe ending was very vague, if left to my imagination I think they all died - but did they? I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I found it gentle, almost comforting and looked forward to my before sleep read! However towards the end I felt we all lost our way, the author, the characters and the reader! I tried to look on the end of the book as a kind of fairy tale, an experience to be gone through not believed. However I loved James - whoever or whatever he was!
I shall get my 25yearold grand daughter to read it. She has a very wide taste in genre and I often find her choice "way out" so her opinion will be valuable!

Interesting to read what others thought of this book. I really enjoyed the first part where there was less fantasy and more character description, but perhaps that says more about me than the book. The ending was puzzling, but that is no bad thing. I reread it all as I read it the first time in short bursts which made keeping up with the plot harder. I intend to read it again soon to see if I can make more sense of the character merging.
I should like to ask the author whether Etta naming the coyote after her dead nephew was a symptom of her dementia or if she was grieving about another life not lived?