The Leftovers

Comments from the book club selection The Leftovers by  Tom Perrotta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The Leftovers Part One:
   So millions of people disappear into thin air and nothing bad happens for the next three years. No apocalypse/armageddon. Just lots of freaking out. Weirdly intriguing book– I’m liking it so far. Good intro chapters– Interesting to see how the characters have coped in different ways.

   Cults are so fascinating and repelling. the white clothes, smoking and silent but aggressive cult seems particularly nutty. Those people would drive me batty, for sure. And Holy Wayne from the Healing Hug cult is such a sleaze.

   I really liked the randomness of the missing people being from all tenets of faith/nonfaith. Adds to the mystery. And the various missing celebs was oddly amusing. JLo, Adam Sandler, Shaq, Putin, the Pope, the Verizon guy, tyrants and Food Network chefs? Strange grouping of folks but guess they will eat well where ever they are….

   Reply ↓

   • I know what you mean it jumps ahead three years I was surprised by that too. No build up to future just blam, three years ahead. So far I do like the references to current events and recognizable television shows, movies and celebrities. It made me giggle a bit, but I know it wasn’t meant to be funny. This book really has me intrigued so far.

     Reply ↓

2. The Leftovers Part 2 Mapleton is fun!

   I really wanted to find out more about Tom and the girl pg with Holy Wayne’s baby but this part was all Mapleton. And Mapleton isn’t really very fun but the characters are trying so hard to have fun and achieve some sense of normalcy. But it is all so forced and pathetic– especially the teens with the sex game.

   It does seems like some healing is going on especially for Nora.. I really like her– very classy under pressure.I liked Kylie too even though she was the other woman– she was just young and dumb and seemed sincerely contrite. Doug. Yuck– good riddance he disappeared, I say.

   What do y’all think of the Guilty Remnant cult? Their invading people’s space gets on my nerves and their aggressiveness reminds me of the Westboro cult. Wonder if the author intended that or just coincidental thinking on my part?

   Still liking this book– hope someone else is reading it besides me. ;o)

   Reply ↓

   • Okay lets talk about the guilty remnant cult, no possessions, white outfits, traveling in pairs and they smoke! Very curious. I agree with you about mapleton. It is one never ending tale of misery, Of course it makes sense that they are miserable. But this section was a bit dull. I’m hoping to see more comments on the book too.
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4. Part 3 and Part 4: the coping continues
   Part 5 Whew! The coping never ended but finally the book did!

   Did y’all find the characters believable? It is hard for me to see a woman like Laurie really leaving her family for a cult. And to abandon her daughter at such a pivotal time? I felt so sorry for Meg. I really thought Laurie would go back to her family– she hem-hawed about the divorce papers and seemed to be seeing the cult with clearer eyes– then bam! she finds out members are required to murder each other so she becomes completely brainwashed? I don’t buy it. It would have made more sense if she left the cult right then. What do y’all think?

   Finally, Nora explained about how guilty she feels for wishing her family away but I didn’t like her as I much as I did at the beginning. She just got tiresome.

   I found the sexual references particularly icky for some reason. they weren’t even explicit– just icky.

   Odd book. Overall, I liked not loved it. It was weirdly compelling but not a fun read. I would have like it lots better if it had been a science or metaphysical thrillers– I kept wanting more information about the disappearance and some action.

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