DIS Book Club Discussion: Mudbound

[RUDisney]

Many DISers have been reading the book Mudbound by Hilliary Jordan. If you'd like to discuss this book, you've found the right place.

Without giving too much away in the first post, in case someone opens this thread and doesn't want spoilers in the first post, I won't give any. There will be spoilers as the thread gets longer, so subscribe or read on at your own risk.

Mudbound takes place during the WWII era and after, in Mississippi, on a farm. It sucked this reader in right from the start and I didn't want to put it down. It deals with prejudice, from the "norms" of the old south to klan mentality prejudices. It focuses primarily on two families. The white farm owner and his family and the black tenant farmer and his family.

This book has given me a lot to think about since I was raised to have a colorless view of the world. I find it amazing and horrible that people treated each other so despicably. Sadly, I'm sure these prejudices still exist in some places.

So, please join me in a discussion of this book and give me your thoughts on the book itself.

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

So great that this thread was started.

When I bought the book it was really because it was such a great discount on Barnes & Noble's website. When I posted on the "What Are You Reading" thread & nobody responded at first I was so disappointed......Glad you were just as overwhelmed with this read as me.....

Racism is such a strong, powerful component to "Mudbound" but the other issue that struck me so hard was the role the "wife" played & how repressed she was.....lastly the view Europe had both there & now, much more progressive and/or open minded than the U.S.

[RUDisney]

I liked that even though Laura was repressed in her role as a housewife and mother, she still had a compassionate heart. She knew that Henry and Pappy were just being ignorant about Hap and Florence, etc.

That is, until SHE wanted something done in her house, or wanted to be left alone by the astute Florence, and all of a sudden, her upbringing showed that deep down, she had been trained to be prejudiced, too.

I thought she and Jamie made a great pair, although I think she picked the right brother to marry. She and Jamie were too much alike. She and Henry had just enough different about them to make a marriage work.

I really enjoyed Jamie's friendship with Ronsel. I think a huge part of him becoming friends with Ronsel was because of being in Europe. I don't think he'd have ever let him into the cab of the truck if he hadn't had that experience.

[clutter]

I liked Mudbound, but you all have GOT to read The Help, too.

[ColoradoMom!!]

Originally Posted by clutter

I liked Mudbound, but you all have GOT to read The Help, too.

Oh my gosh - I was just about to post the exact same thing. Just finished The Help last night. I had no idea what it was about - didn't even read the jacket. I was number 200 something on the waiting list at the library.
Still thinking about it today.

sorry to hijack thread

[RUDisney]

The Help is in my queue at the library, so hopefully, within the next month I'll be reading it since they have a few copies of it.

So, tell us more about what you liked about Mudbound.

[SnowWhite607]

I read Mudbound and The Help. Both were choice for my live book club.

I could not believe in Mudbound how the AA soldiers were "good enough" to go fight or war but then come home to face prejudices again. Pappy was a miserable little man.......glas he got what he got at the end. One discussion question we talked about was.....all the characters narrated a chapter except Pappy. Why did the author leave him out?

Also we discussed that if it were a movie, who would play the characters?

[RUDisney]

That's an interesting question. I have some theories on why Pappy was omitted.

1. He was a miserable man and the author didn't want to write from his perspective. It would almost be like justifying his ideologies if she wrote in his words.

2. He was always in the background and not a main focal point in the story until the lynching in the saw mill. I suppose that could have been written from his perspective, but again, it would have given credence to his beliefs. Also, by that point, he was feeling guilty about his son being hurt in the whole thing. It wouldn't be like Pappy to admit that he had a conscience, or a soul.

3. The story was more powerful by not including his narration since everyone else was giving their perspectives on Pappy.

In terms of a movie, I didn't picture any major stars playing any of the characters. I pictured a more generic group of people. I'd see this being made as an independent film with unknown actors playing the characters.

I pictured Laura and Henry's characters being very average in their appearance. I pictured Jamie as having boyish good looks, but Ronsel's character has to be buff and drop dead handsome.

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Because of the constant cruelty & disgrace Pappy brought to the family I felt him not having a voice was a symbolic way of illustrating that he had no right to "speak".

As far as a movie cast, the first person that came to my mind was Diane Lane as Laura & Robert Duvall as Pappy......

[MELSMICE]

I so want to get in on the discussion but have not finished the book yet!!!