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Cat Zhang:Jenny is presented as the family anomaly.
She is really compelled toward Dr. Messinger.
She desires a father figure who wants to talk about society and its ills.
Shes a burgeoning leftist when shes in Middle Rock.
And I just felt like she deserved better.
Zach Schiffman:It feels like Taffy knows the least about Jennys job.
Taffy clearly knows a lot about Beamer thats why its the longest section.
Thats why the Jenny section felt so vague.
I felt like Jennys story was largely in conversation with the specter of that figure.
But she just doesnt have any of Denises genuine desire to individuate from her family.
Kathryn VanArendonk:Theres pacing issues in Jenny as much as anything else.
What were talking about is the descriptions of her time rather than scenes of what is actually happening.
And at some point theres not really a meaningful distinction between those two things.
Is it that she doesnt have one or is it just that I am not given it enough?
Im honestly not sure which one the author would say is the answer to that question.
Julie: The way that shes like,What does having all this money mean to me?
Is that the leap Im expected to be making here?
That would be interesting.
What would happen if Jenny encountered someone who came at their leftism from genuine Judaism?
I do want to ask about the relationship between Ruth and Jenny.
Did it feel believable?
Do you feel like you know these characters?
Zach: I found Ruth to be very nothing until her chapter and then I found myself very moved.
Julie: I wish we had more of Ruth.
Theres no reason you cant establish that pied a terre dream earlier on.
I just wanted more Ruth altogether, including when you get to the Arthur stuff.
This book could have just been about Ruth.
Kathryn: Its the thing that sort of spurs her breakdown right?
It just feels like somebody whos arrived with a sledgehammer and bonks her and then leaves.
Emily:RealShiv vibes.
That helped me in that section.
