Jenn's Questions for Out Discussion

I finished Out and really enjoyed it. Here are some questions that I would be interested in hearing your responses to. I will post my own thoughts later since some of you might still be reading the book!

1. I didn't understand the title of the book when I first started reading it. By the end though, I thought the title to be very fitting. What does the title mean to you?

2. Do you think each character's way out was befitting for them?

3. Which woman did you empathize/sympathize with the most? The least?

4. How would you compare the treatment of women in Japanese to society to women in America?

5. What did you think of the secondary characters, Anna, the loan shark, the Brazilian? Were you satisfied with their storylines, and what did their characterizations add to the books' perception of male/female roles in Japan?

6. What one word would you use to best describe this book?

Out - Black comedy?

I started reading Out this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how much of it I found humorous. I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. I think it has to do with how twisted nearly all of the main characters are and how low they’re all willing to go look after themselves or make some quick $. I’m really enjoying the mix of dark humor with the ickier parts of the novel.

Any thoughts?

Am I weird to be finding comedy in such a sad/dark story?

"Out" and about in Hong Kong!

Hi Girls!

Glad you are all enjoying and using the blog! I'm definitely interested in reading some of the other books you talked about in your posts...if I can find them here!

I've been reading Out during my commutes to and from class, and any other opportunity I get! I'm about two thirds done and it has been a great book so far. Can't wait to write my thoughts about it when I'm done.

It's interesting reading this book in an Asian country, because I can actually witness some of those things the book talks about in terms of how women are treated in society and the workplace. While I don't think it's as bad as in Japan, in Hong Kong it seems you have to be young, pretty and well dressed to succeed at work. Posters in the subway emphasize dieting for women, even though all the girls here are super slim. It seems to echo the view that women are only as good as they look, and once they get older they become obsolete.

In addition to reading the book, I've been scoping out how to get hold of other English books so I can read the upcoming selections for the book club. The university library has an English selection with a modest amount of contemporary fiction novels. I also visited a public library, but I can't check out any materials until I get a Hong Kong ID card, which I can't get until I've been here over 180 days. So my goal is to find a good Western/English bookstore. Luckily the past Fulbrighter, who's project was centered on writing poetry, gave me some good suggestions. and as soon as I get better (I have a touch of flu/sinus infection) I'm going to check them out.

Miss you all!