Our souls at night by kent haruf mount prospect public library book discussion questions. Kent haruf died at the end of last year, leaving behind one final tale. February 14th discussion is on our souls at night by kent haruf. But from beyond the grave he died last november haruf reaches out with our souls at night. It is precisely the absence of drama that makes the book such a deep reflection of the ordinary lives that are lived all around us. And just like addie and louis, haruf proved that youre never too old to reinvent yourself, take risks, find love, and write a great novel. In holt, colorado, widower louis waters is initially thrown when the widowed addie moore suggests that they spend time together, in bed, to stave off. Our souls at night is one of the most moving books ive read in ages. I dont want to say too much, but i found this upclose look at an unlikely relationship. Feb 18 2020 tue finksburg large meeting room tuesday, february 18th, 2020. Join us to knot or crochet while we discuss a our souls at night, which tells the story of a widow, addie moore who makes an unusual proposition to her neighbor louis waters. Addie drove her car into the alley behind her neighbor ruths house, got out and went up to the back door. The beautiful poetic prose in this slim book and the theme of love of different kinds in. In his final work, the plainsong novelist, who died last year, returns to colorado one last time.
The first draft book club will discuss kent harufs devastating final book, our souls at night, on wednesday, july 22. When read as a final tribute to a lifelong love, this book becomes a thing of. Both are widowed addie is 70, louis about the same and. A spare yet eloquent, bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future. Kent harufs final novel, the national bestseller our souls at night, is a quiet tale of love and second chances. Our souls at night is the final book from the folio prize shortlisted author of plainsong, eventide and benediction, kent haruf. The pair have almost no relationship, but that all changes when addie tries to make a connection with her neighbor. It will not take you long to read, but it will live with you forever. Our souls at night has less grit than eventide, with its dickensian views of the lives of the poor, or plainsong, where favorite characters draw relentless spite. Our souls at night brings veterans robert redford and jane fonda together for a heartfelt movie, set in a small town in colorado. Its set, like all his previous novels, in the fictional town of holt, colorado. Attendance at the meeting was way down, only four gals attended, but we had a spirited discussion over this short, gem of a book. Our souls at night book pima county public library.
The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of our souls at night, the final novel from acclaimed author kent haruf questions and topics for discussion. We started a book club at first draft book bar the coffee, beer, and wine bar inside changing hands phoenix. Our souls at night is a best book club book for discussion set in holt, colorado, a beautiful story of second chances between two people who have lost their spouses. Our souls at night, by kent haruf my extensive reading. This valedictory novel is on the same elevated plane as plainsong and eventide. I enjoyed this book very much, however i must ask, did mr. The book is split into three sections, including a first one which alternates chapters between the time of ellies disappearance and the present and a second section that begins as laurel and floyd meet. Jane fonda interview on her new movie, our souls at night.
Our souls at night, his final novel, opens with an evening visit that addie moore pays to her longtime neighbor, louis waters. The quality of this book was of such that i could forgive the lack of quotation marks. Weber the fault in our stars, our souls at night is set in. I cant really explain how such a short, simple book achieved such profound. I suspect that the book will live on as many readers will identify with the issues presented. Yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. Our souls at night kent haruf, 2015 knopf doubleday 192 pp. I cant believe i didnt read this book years ago, because now that ive read it, it reminds me so much of my alltime faves wallace stegner, wendell berry, and marilynne robinson. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. Our souls at night is a best book club book for discussion set in holt, colorado, a beautiful story of second chances between two people who have lost their. As with his earlier novels, our souls at night is set on the plains of eastern colorado, in the town of holt. It is a beautiful, simple and direct story that should be on everyones summer reading list. In his final novel, haruf once again casts an aura of spiritual resonance over the small town of holt, colorado. The movie is directed by ritesh batra and based on the novel with the same name by kent haruf.
Book club meetings are held on the 2nd friday of each month. Rainy day books will present an instore book club discussion of our souls at night by kent haruf. Kent haruf wrote our souls at night under a death sentence. Our souls at night is as much a book about love late in life as it is about the connection between two people no matter their age. It was discussed last year by the 21st century literature group before it was. It is about intimacy the nonsexual variety that makes harufs novel so compelling, and about how two people can find a sense of. Sunny spoiler i just saw the movie with robert redford and jane fonda on netflix and loved it. His ode to love late in life, in this case the stirring romance between a widow and a widower, compellingly captures the halting rhythms and kaleidoscopic moods of old age. The idea for the book has been floating around in my mind for quite a while. An interview with cathy haruf on the publication of her late husband kent harufs novel our souls at night. Henry le nav indeed no quotation marks, and that drives me crazy too.
Its an exquisite book made all the more poignant by. Fonda and redford will star as addie moore and louis waters, a widow and widower whove lived next to each other for years. In holt, colorado, widower louis waters is initially thrown when the widowed addie moore suggests that they spend time together, in bed, to stave off loneliness, but soon they are exchanging the confidences and memories. As a recently popular book club novel, our souls at night has received a lot of interest of late not least because of the film tiein version. Our souls at night is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable writing career. For the cover of our november 2017 issue, we asked jane fonda, twotime oscar winner, mother, political activist, fitness queen, book author, and wife to three dramatically different menwhat. Louis waters and addie moore are the focus of this bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the future. This book really swept me up and moved me, and id like to page through it for a while longer before i return it to the library. Based on the bestselling novel written by kent haruf and adapted for the screen by scott neustadter and michael h. In the familiar setting of holt, colorado, home to all of kent.
On multiple occasions at harufs home in salida, they discussed reading, writing, and the meaning of life, some of which outcalt writes about in the precious ordinary in our june issue. How this relationship develops, the impact it has on their families and. Our souls at night is kent harufs final novel, as he passed away in 2014 at the age of 71. A with cathy haruf, kent harufs wife, we ask her to talk. Our souls at night is a 2017 american romantic drama film directed by ritesh batra and written by scott neustadter and michael h. Our souls at night, by kent haruf the new york times. Addie drove her car into the alley behind her neighbor ruths house. The old lady was waiting, sitting in a chair on the porch. Teachers guide guide your students through this books narrative and historical impact while giving them the tools to begin asking the important questions themselves. But i found little of that now wait who said what that i have found in other books.
Mary mcbride, bookseller, will discuss our souls at night in detail with the attendees about the book. Brown bag book club discussing our souls at night by kent. Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers. The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of our souls at night, the final novel from. A guide to words, ideas and phrases in night developed in collaboration with the united states holocaust memorial museum and hill and wang, the publisher of night. Knitting book club our souls at night third place books. Kent harufs novel, our souls at night, tells the tale of the unlikely love found when addie moore proposes that her neighbor, louis waters, sleeps in the same bed as her because the nights are lonely. Our souls at night was inspired, in part, by harufs own marriage and the intimate, latenight conversations he and his wife relished, just like addie and louis. In his final interview, conducted a few days before his death from interstitial lung disease, haruf discussed our souls at night.
It is a touching and thoughtprovoking tale of love found in the later stages of life. Now that i know i have, you knowa limited timeit was. Our souls at night book club discussion yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. But haruf wrote this novel as an homage to his wife cathy, whom he married later in life as well. I felt the ending was left unfinished and i wanted more. Even now, thinking of endings, of the ending of this book, the kent haruf wrote our souls at night under a. Their arrangement immediately comes under fire from the other elderly folks. I read our souls at night in one sitting and wept in the final pages. Rainy day books book club discussion of our souls at night. Our souls at night is just as beautiful as harufs earlier books, albeit somewhat shorter and focused only on addie and louis vs.
538 992 1412 1135 749 269 308 727 1288 1288 766 381 1349 396 1392 1559 383 368 384 173 1397 397 336 201 166 230 746 606 87 1322 62 338 871 760 962 367 1181 245 1276 16 457 736