Claire's Head
3 journalers for this copy...
I was curious about this novel after reading a very good review in the Globe. It was okay, but I agree with the review below in that I didn't really care that much about the narrating character. The book did make me glad that I don't suffer from migraines - the author is either a migraineur herself, or did extensive research on the topic.
From amazon.ca:
"If you've ever endured the relentless pounding of a migraine headache, Claire's Head is a novel that will either offer temporary solace or plunge you deeper into an awareness of your pain. The hero of Catherine Bush's probing third novel is the youngest of three sisters, two of whom are second-generation migraine sufferers. A childhood of dark bedrooms and an ever-increasing number of food and air-quality restrictions have made Claire cautious and fastidious. This mild-mannered Toronto cartographer cannot enter a room without mentally mapping its dimensions and keeps putting off telling her boyfriend that she doesn't want a baby. When she receives an unexpected phone call, however, asking about the whereabouts of her eldest sister Rachel, Claire suddenly finds herself on a risky journey of emotional and spiritual self-discovery. Strong-willed, passionate, and unpredictable, Rachel has always refused to give into her own headaches. A freelance medical journalist based in New York City, she dared to have a child on her own (though she eventually gave her to the care of her middle sister, Allison), and she has experimented with every migraine cure imaginable--no matter how dangerous or off the wall. As Claire follows Rachel's rapidly vanishing trail--from a New Age healer in Amsterdam to Las Vegas's nightmare "Strip"--she gradually comes to a new understanding of her own headaches. By concentrating simply on her pain's constraints, as she always has, "she would lose sight of what it had given her, lose sight of part of herself."
Like Bush's two previous novels, Minus Time and The Rules of Engagement, Claire's Head is smart, sophisticated, and very polished. The problem is that Claire's head is not nearly as interesting as that of her missing sister. This becomes most evident in the section devoted to Rachel's last diary entries. While Rachel's rage and desperation explode off the page, Claire's muted reflections and endless cataloguing of insignificant detail bog down the otherwise quick pacing of the novel."
From amazon.ca:
"If you've ever endured the relentless pounding of a migraine headache, Claire's Head is a novel that will either offer temporary solace or plunge you deeper into an awareness of your pain. The hero of Catherine Bush's probing third novel is the youngest of three sisters, two of whom are second-generation migraine sufferers. A childhood of dark bedrooms and an ever-increasing number of food and air-quality restrictions have made Claire cautious and fastidious. This mild-mannered Toronto cartographer cannot enter a room without mentally mapping its dimensions and keeps putting off telling her boyfriend that she doesn't want a baby. When she receives an unexpected phone call, however, asking about the whereabouts of her eldest sister Rachel, Claire suddenly finds herself on a risky journey of emotional and spiritual self-discovery. Strong-willed, passionate, and unpredictable, Rachel has always refused to give into her own headaches. A freelance medical journalist based in New York City, she dared to have a child on her own (though she eventually gave her to the care of her middle sister, Allison), and she has experimented with every migraine cure imaginable--no matter how dangerous or off the wall. As Claire follows Rachel's rapidly vanishing trail--from a New Age healer in Amsterdam to Las Vegas's nightmare "Strip"--she gradually comes to a new understanding of her own headaches. By concentrating simply on her pain's constraints, as she always has, "she would lose sight of what it had given her, lose sight of part of herself."
Like Bush's two previous novels, Minus Time and The Rules of Engagement, Claire's Head is smart, sophisticated, and very polished. The problem is that Claire's head is not nearly as interesting as that of her missing sister. This becomes most evident in the section devoted to Rachel's last diary entries. While Rachel's rage and desperation explode off the page, Claire's muted reflections and endless cataloguing of insignificant detail bog down the otherwise quick pacing of the novel."
Journal Entry 2 by crazy-book-lady at Yellow Griffin pub in Bloor West Village in Toronto, Ontario Canada on Friday, June 13, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (6/14/2008 UTC) at Yellow Griffin pub in Bloor West Village in Toronto, Ontario Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Bringing to the June social.
Bringing to the June social.
Journal Entry 3 by crazy-book-lady at Yellow Griffin pub in Bloor West Village in Toronto, Ontario Canada on Friday, June 13, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (6/14/2008 UTC) at Yellow Griffin pub in Bloor West Village in Toronto, Ontario Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Bringing to the June social.
Bringing to the June social.
got this one at the BC social
This book made its way back to me via the August social. It's going back on my "to be released" shelf.
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Left on the magazine/book sharing racks at the SE entrance of King George School. (Entered as a "controlled realease" so this doesn't end up on the release alerts lists. I don't think the school wants the general public walking through looking for released books!)
If you picked up the book and took the time to look on this site, "Welcome!" I hope you enjoy the book and maybe even stick around to find out about bookcrossing!
Left on the magazine/book sharing racks at the SE entrance of King George School. (Entered as a "controlled realease" so this doesn't end up on the release alerts lists. I don't think the school wants the general public walking through looking for released books!)
If you picked up the book and took the time to look on this site, "Welcome!" I hope you enjoy the book and maybe even stick around to find out about bookcrossing!
Not really my cup of tea. Interesting that it's set in Toronto.
CAUGHT IN TORONTO ONTARIO CANADA
CAUGHT IN TORONTO ONTARIO CANADA
