Annual Meeting, Picnic, and Book Discussion

Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Book:  The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle

The council holds a picnic each summer, during which we also conduct our annual meeting and board elections. All are welcome to this free event. In addition to holding a short meeting and sharing some tasty food, of course we have a book discussion!

Once again we'll convene at Tilden Park's Padre Picnic Area in the Berkeley Hills. Bring a “dish” for four to share plus your own beverage, paper plate and utensils. Barbecue grills will be available.  You may also wish to bring a folding chair and a sun hat.  After taking care of business, we'll break into groups for our book discussion.  For more information and directions click here to go to our website for a downloadable flyer.

“Boyle's The Tortillia Curtain differs from other books of his that I have read in that it tackles a serious set of social issues head on. Among other reviews for this book I see that some have claimed that the book is 'unrealistic' and makes use of every stereotype imaginable. Well, while one wouldn't want to pretend that all Southern Californians of means are shallow conspicuous consumers, nothing in the portrait Boyle creates here rings untrue. There must be thousands of people who fit this image. That being the case, it is important to make the point that he doesn't present either the Yuppie Californian family or the Mexican immagrant family as a symbol. They are real people. They don't stand for anything else. And while the extreme dichotomy posed between the wealth and well being of the one and the poverty and marginal health of the other do serve the purpose of highlighting the issue of the extreme inequities in the distribution of goods and services in this country, Boyle does not suggest a solution. Rather, he is interested in showing us what happens when these extremes come into contact in unexpected circumstances. What he has given us is a story of people in different circumstances responding as they likely would - as their training and experience have prepared them to. If we want to make an allegory of it, I don't think that is what he intended. I think that all he is saying is that extremes of expectation, in conflict, will generate extremes of behavior.

I enjoyed the book very much. Apart from Boyle's considerable skill with words, his characters were vivid and the plot - though heavy on coincidence (hey, it worked for Dickens) - is interesting and keeps the reader focused till the end.” ---Review by Doug Vaughn on Amazon