Keyword: ENTERTAINMENT | “Tierra” [Earth], by Eloy Moreno

As the book for this month was not translated to English, the members of The Intrepid Book Society had to help each other. Those who knew Spanish helped those who didn’t and many emails were exchanged between them. Sometimes, they would meet in person. This exercise helped bring them closer and to get to know each other better. It also made them realize how important it was to know foreign languages. There was so much in the world that was inaccessible for those who only knew one language! Indeed, by choosing which were the books “worthy” to be translated, publishers were deciding what their readers should read (or what would earn them more money…). Knowing other languages would broaden the perspectives about the world and the power of deciding what to read.

“Let me just say that it was delightful to see how much we helped each other to ‘decode’ this book. I heard that some of you decided to learn a new foreign language, which I personally think it’s great. Knowing a foreign language opens a door to a whole new world”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

She paused while the members would agree with her.

“This is a story about a family and about a TV show, although it is much more than that. Some of you may disagree with me, which is wonderful, but I think the ultimate goal is to make readers change their perspective of the world, to make them see beyond the surface”, she continued.

“Indeed”, Mr Matthew Barnepy agreed. “As a writer myself I greatly admire how the story was written, how we are led to a certain interpretation until, all of a sudden, we realize everything is different from what we thought previously. It’s brilliant.”

“Yes, I think it’s in the ending where good books reveal themselves and this book has a very good ending. Unexpected as well”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

They discussed the ending for a while. Usually, they would come up with different versions or they would disagree about what the writer had decided. Not this time. They all agreed that the ending chosen was the best fit for the story. If the ending was different, the story would be different and the point that the writer was making would be lost.

“I think the story also shows the misunderstandings between family members that can be perpetuated over time, turning them into apparently unsolvable problems. If people would talk to each other before things get to that point…”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings, leaving the conclusion of the sentence in suspense.

“Sometimes it’s just not possible. For that to work, it would be important to know how to listen, something that can be very difficult due to the emotions associated with the matter in question”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“True. I think that is shown in the book. Parents are not always aware of how their actions may affect their children. In this case, two children were affected in two distinct ways”, said Ms Abigail Vooght.

“The TV show was also very interesting to follow. We found out how much it is linked to the family story. Besides, it’s incredible how the public would have such strong reactions to all that was happening and never suspected the truth”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“Precisely. It’s the capacity the group has to follow false beliefs, believing they are true. We see it every day these days”, Ms Johanna Practicewell. “Here, it was harmless, but this kind of blindness can be very dangerous.”

“Lying to the audience can be dangerous too”, replied Mr Jeremy Toughready. “Who knows how aggressive the crowd can become. Actually, there’s an example of something that happened in the show and the consequences that it had. Not so harmless, actually.”

“There was a good reason for that!”, protested Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“The matter was solved in two ways: the public way and the private way. Not exactly the same…”, commented Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“We live in a society of lies and deception”, said Mr Matthew Barnepy. “I think that is what the book is showing us.”

“Is it possible to end the cheating? The double lives some people have?”, asked Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“That is the question, right? In the book, the deceit plays an important role. The goal would not be possible to be achieved if there was not a deceit”, concluded Mr Matthew Barnepy.

“I enjoyed following the brother and sister’s adventure. They were apart from each other for a long time, but the game they had to play together brought them closer together. It was nice”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“And their emotional evolution was also interesting. As they were finding out the truth, they changed their perspective, and what they believed was put into question”, added Miss Amelia Matterfis.

They discussed the details of the story and Ms Abigail Vooght made an interesting contribution as a parent and as a person who had to pretend all the time. Mr Mark Mindhearting talked about how the narrative was intertwined and how the writer weaved the events in a way that both the reader and the siblings would find the answers step by step.

“Well, having a reality show set on Mars is genius! I would definitely follow that show!”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“It was a good catch, indeed. I think the whole story is very well structured and it keeps us guessing until the end. Full of twists along the way. It’s really good”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

“Well, that concludes today’s meeting”, said Mr John Booklish. “The book for next month is ‘The Anomaly’, by Hervé Le Tellier.”