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I find the thoughts about Ben interesting. This was the third time through for me of this book and I've loved it more each time. I distinctly remember feeling a little worn out by the time Ben showed. I felt emotionally spent by that point and didn't really appreciate the character much. I feel completely differently about him now and really enjoyed the last part of the book.
What caught me off guard was how angry I was with Ben regarding the whole relationship with Petra. I don't see Ben as a later version of Jakob and this relationship is one of the reasons why. Jakob would never have gotten caught up in that situation.
Someone mentioned how they viewed the novel as a series of poems. Hmmm. I remember last month struggling through the poetry and again determining how I need plot and characters to keep me interested. This book represents the perfect bridge for me. I really do not like poetry, but I love poetic writing that keeps me focused on a story with real people.
About half-way through the book Michaels writes that "History is amoral: events occurred. But memory is moral; what we consciously remember is what our conscience remembers." This book caused me many times to stop reading, close my eyes, ponder memories that play a big part in my story and attempt to re-remember, trying to separate the moral from the amoral. It's hard.
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