In Defence of Ducks, Newburyport: A Response Video

Рет қаралды 1,908

3 жыл бұрын

Just had to join the ~discourse~.
@RickMacDonnell's video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoPNaJ2EqqaXfLs
@KDbooks's video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3jVeZSplMyYrsU
- - Join me elsewhere! - -
The StoryGraph: bit.ly/3os9V0B
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/thebookbully_
Instagram: @thebookbully_
Twitter: @Jillisant

Пікірлер: 26

@anenthusiasticreader 3 жыл бұрын

It’s very gratifying to hear someone talk about the book and appreciate its complexity and the effort it took to write it. Your response is a lot like my response to this book. I focused on the relationships between the narrator and her mother and her eldest daughter, who is going through her own thing at the same time. I didn’t mind the mountain lion parts as much because I felt like they were a break from the torrent of words. And I liked that the stories do finally intersect. I think I may want to re-read it at some point just to see if my response changes in any way.

@anotherbibliophilereads 3 жыл бұрын

I loved Ducks. It was one of the best books I read in 2019. I read it slowly over 15 weeks. I also agree that a lot of the novel is very intentional and not word vomit. There was a comment somewhere, perhaps the Two Month Review Podcast, that said an earlier draft was much shorter, but Ellmen expand, deciding to add more. I wish I could remember clearly where it was.

@TheBookBully 3 жыл бұрын

I think I remember that comment too!

@TheBookBully 3 жыл бұрын

I think I remember that comment too!

@EricKarlAnderson 3 жыл бұрын

Yay Team Ducks! 👏👏👏 Good points about the narrator changing location and moments of self-awareness. I found those moments so endearing. And I'd forgotten about the list that comes 2/3 of the way through. Even though I'm a man I definitely related to the book too. I really enjoyed this! Thank you for doing it.

@TheBookBully 3 жыл бұрын

I knew there had to be men who liked Ducks! ☺️

@ianp9086 3 жыл бұрын

I completely loved this book and easily was the best I read last year. I think challenging books are great as they force you to engage completely with them and the end result is you seem to get a lot more from them. I spent three months inside the head of this woman and I missed her for weeks after finishing it - was even tempted to start it again!

@beatingaroundthebooks 3 жыл бұрын

This book sounded right up my alley, but I DNFed it after around 300 pages. I loved Kieran's and Rick's videos, but you make a really good case for it. Now cautiously considering giving it another chance 😅

@reginalemoine5809 3 жыл бұрын

I loved the experience of reading Ducks. I feel like no other recent novel taps into the anxieties of the Trump years like this book does. In that sense, it is absolutely brilliant. I had the same experience that you did in that the book triggered my own internal monologue, as well. Seriously, though, “the fact that” perfectly reflects how disturbing thoughts permeated my consciousness in regard to the daily horror of 2016-2020. One of the best things about Joe Biden being president is that I pretty much never have to worry about what he is doing or might do. My brain is quiet (well, it never shuts up, but this is normal stuff). Ellmann shows what it felt like when it was anything but normal. Thanks for defending it. I loved hearing your thoughts.

@RickMacDonnell 3 жыл бұрын

THIS WAS SO LOVELY AND THOUGHTFUL AND TACTFUL AND I AM SO GLAD YOU DID THIS OH NO I FEAR MY ALL CAPS WILL BE MISTAKEN AS SARCASM I DID NOT MEAN THAT I AM SORRYYYYYYYYY

@RickMacDonnell 3 жыл бұрын

(For real, this was great and I appreciate The Other Side.)

@KDbooks 3 жыл бұрын

@@RickMacDonnell I’d throw a cinnamon bun at Jill’s copy without hesitation

@SpringboardThought 3 жыл бұрын

I just picked this up the other day, and I like reading books that assume the reader is intelligent and will pay attention. The most impactful experiences, imo. Also you’re Canadian too, so I subscribed and look forward to checking out your other videos.

@andrewmatthews5477 Жыл бұрын

I don't understand why people describe this book as "difficult" or "abstract." It's neither of those things! Sure, the narrative is unconventional and that could be a stumbling block if one only reads books for "stories." But if one is interested in people and what it means to be human, this novel is second to none. I haven't read or heard a single review of it that mentions how deeply moving, funny, and tragic it is. It's not an intellectual abstraction, it's all heart.

@SixMinutesForMe 3 жыл бұрын

I had a similar read in that the stream of consciousness in the narrator triggered my own - and I love the mountain lions 🦁 🤣

@mariamanotherbookthought2733 3 жыл бұрын

Despite Kieran and Rick trying to discourage my decision I am finishing it in a week (this week) and I am 100% with EVERYTHING you said and I am finding spending time with someone with a messy head like my own with similar anxieties quite soothing, just sayin 😅