Our souls at night is just as beautiful as harufs earlier books, albeit somewhat shorter and focused only on addie and louis vs. 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. Aug 24, 2017 yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. The ending of the book is bittersweet, perhaps predictably. Our souls at night, by kent haruf the new york times. The library is happy to share these original questions for your use. February 14th discussion is on our souls at night by kent haruf. The idea for the book has been floating around in my mind for quite a while. Our 23 hour meetings are primarily a social gathering with a mere 10 minute discussion. Its set, like all his previous novels, in the fictional town of holt, colorado. May 29, 2015 our souls at night is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable writing career. It will not take you long to read, but it will live with you forever. But haruf wrote this novel as an homage to his wife cathy, whom he married later in life as well.
This study guide consists of approximately 39 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of our souls at night. Mount prospect public library book discussion questions. Our souls at night is kent harufs final novel, finished just days before he died in 2014, it was published posthumously. Nov 03, 2016 our souls at night was the impetus for a lively discussion at the clayton community book club. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Reviews and discussion questions for our souls at night are listed along with links to key places and things relevant to the story. Harufs prose is pareddown and limpid, maybe even more so than in his earlier novels. Do you see evidence of this struggle in our souls at night. Mary mcbride, bookseller, will discuss our souls at night in detail with the attendees. Christine peterson will discuss kent harufs our souls at night at thomas universitys next book club meeting at 7 p. Our souls at night by kent haruf discussion guide penguin. Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers. Our souls at night honors the quiet strength of its source material by offering a simple yet sturdy canvas for two talented veteran leads to bring its story. 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 an exquisite book made all the more poignant by the fact that kent very sadly. Rainy day books will present an instore book club discussion of our souls at night by kent haruf. I thought a lot, reading our souls at night, about online book discussions. The book is being developed into a netflix original film starring robert redford and jane fonda, which premieres on the platform in september 2017. 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. 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. Attendance at the meeting was way down, only four gals attended, but we had a spirited discussion over this short, gem of a book.
This book was written as haruf knew his time was limited. Harufs sixth and final novel, our souls at night, was published in may, bringing fans of his work back once more to the fictional town of holt, colorado. Book discussion our souls at night by kent haruf book. Now that i know i have, you knowa limited timeit was important to me to try to make good use of that time. 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. This months selection is our souls at night by kent haruf. As trite as it might sound, our souls at night is a beautiful story. It is not sensational, it is not edgy, it is not cynical, nor is it freighted with irony like so much modern literature. Despite knowing his life was coming to a sooner end than it should, or perhaps because of this, he created a story about finding love in the final chapter. Rainy day books book club discussion of our souls at night. Their arrangement immediately comes under fire from the other elderly. And then there was the day when addie moore made a call on louis waters. It is a beautiful, simple and direct story that should be on everyones summer reading list. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so.
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. Our souls at night by kent haruf goodreads share book. 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. Kent harufs legacy of plainsong, eventide, benediction, where you once belonged, the tie that binds, and west of last chance with photographer peter brown is worth reading and rereading. 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. I suspect that the book will live on as many readers will identify with the issues presented. About this guide 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.
For our discussion we will be discussing our souls at night by kent haruf in my preparation i have gathered the following material to enhance our discussion. When read as a final tribute to a lifelong love, this book becomes a thing of. Our souls at night kent haruf, 2015 knopf doubleday 192 pp. Yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. It will bring forth a good discussion for our book group. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation.
Kent haruf wrote our souls at night under a death sentence. The first draft book club will discuss kent harufs devastating final book, our souls at night, on wednesday, july 22. Editor gary fisketjon discusses our souls at night. Dec 14, 2017 in one of my past book clubs, we literally only read books that included discussion questions at the end of the book because we wanted to be certain wed have a meaningful discussion. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading our souls at night.
This isnt a dark night of the soul but one filled with hope and with second chances. Kent and i had such a good time discussing the story. Our souls at night, by kent haruf my extensive reading. Book discussion our souls at night by kent haruf book lovers. Book club discussions laura spaulding may 10, 2017.
In this last book, haruf, a very loved author, seems occasionally to speak to his longtime audience directly, as when louis offers a. In this last book, haruf, a very loved author, seems occasionally to speak to his longtime audience directly, as when louis offers a wry opinion of the. Sep 29, 2017 ahead of the films premier today, september 29, we spoke via email with colorado college professor david hendrickson about his experience lending his home to our souls at night filmmakers for two. Again, putting yourself in the place of an observerfamily, would you take any issue with the word decency. This summary of our souls at night includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Our souls at night is simply, profoundly, an exquisite homage to love. May 28, 2015 kent haruf died at the end of last year, leaving behind one final tale. Next tu book club discussion to focus on our souls at night. Chapter 9 begins when addie dropped her elderly neighbor, ruth, off at her house after a trip to the grocery. In his final interview, conducted a few days before his death from interstitial lung disease, haruf discussed our souls at night. Our souls at nightbook club discussion my head is full.
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. Brown bag book club discussing our souls at night by kent. 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. 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. Our souls at night reading group choices book club. Knopf publishing, gary fisketjon, visits the post for a special interview with book world editor, ron charles. Our souls at night is the final book from the folio prizeshortlisted author of plainsong, eventide and benediction, kent haruf. Jun 26, 2015 editor of our souls at night and vice president and editoratlarge of alfred a.
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