I think what I liked most about this section of the reading was the focus on mental health, and how easily people who are mentally ill can be swept under the rug. The articles and death notices the three late night lounge ladies work on collecting, as a kind of war memorial (as Pepper put it) to all those lost who were also mentally ill. Rarely do their stories make front page news and that's sad. We still have a long way to go in this country in regards to the issue of mental health.
The romance between Pepper and Sue was sweet, but I wondered if it really added anything to the story. Sue knows she is being taken away by immigration sooner than what she told Pepper. So when Pepper discovers she's gone, he feels more urgency to try to contact her sister. But...was Sue really taken by immigration? After the "Devil" tried to take Japanese Freddie Mercury (Glenn), only to be foiled by Pepper and Sue, he/it could quite possibly have a vendetta against them (if a creature like him is capable of that). I guess we will find out.
What happened at the end of this section was a tragedy. Why did she do it? Guilt over Kofi? The inevitability of the demise of her "child?" We may never know. Poor Dorry.
I'm looking forward to finishing and finding out the truth. I'm hoping for a spectacular ending. I hope we are not disappointed.
Share your thoughts on this week's section in the comments, or leave a link to a post. We'll be back for the final discussion on October 30 (or thereabouts). If you need the reading schedule, find it here.
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I know poor Kofi! I don't believe the Devil is Dorry's son, she is in a mental institution after all...and she did say "You're all like my children." But I was surprised when she killed herself!!! I did like the sweetness between Pepper and Sue, it was a bright spot amongst all this chaos and I'm hoping they find each other in the end?! I haaaaated the Van Gogh biography, what the hell. So unnecessary. I don't care about Van Gogh! lol. But I'm pretty excited to finish it!
ReplyDeleteRight? I was shocked but also not shocked about Kofi. This book is turning into something completely unexpected. I don't if I'd classify this as a strict horror, though. But yeah, the nuance on mental health and state-run facilities and those who are affected is really well done.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens to Dorry is also shocking. I wonder how it'll pan out this last section.
I liked that section with Sue. It shows some humanity amongst the chaos there. And that section on Van Gogh was really weird. I wonder if he was thinking about how Van Gogh would've gotten on in our times with his mental illness in contrast to his painting genius. Interesting.
Maybe Dorry "knew" the silver devil before he became what he is. And thus she does think of him or did think of him as her "child" like she did with everyone that came through on her watch.