Not Logged in.
Book Jacket

This Must Be the Place


An irresistible love story for fans of Beautiful Ruins and Where'd You Go, ...
Summary and Reviews
Excerpt
Reading Guide
Author Biography

Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Created: 07/20/16

Replies: 20

Posted Jul. 20, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3444

Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Now that you've read the entire novel, do you agree?


Posted Aug. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
gailk

Join Date: 08/01/16

Posts: 3

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

No, I prefer to think of Claudette as eccentric, rather than crazy. Her actions, while unorthodox sometimes, usually seem pretty reasonable, as I remember. I found her to be a sympathetic character.


Posted Aug. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Lois Irene

Join Date: 01/20/16

Posts: 76

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I thought this was an off putting way for him to describe the "love of his life."
I didn't see Claudette as crazy - but more as a highly individualistic private person. Her behavior, when she retreated to Ireland, was pretty steady and she was a very devoted mother.


Posted Aug. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Suzanne

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 281

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I agree only because those connected to her have eccentric behavior that we might call crazy. These people in turn, even could be called normal by some. So who's to judge? His description of her being crazy might have been said in an affectionate way.


Posted Aug. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sarap

Join Date: 03/16/15

Posts: 10

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I don't agree. I think that Claudette is a very creative person who was frustrated with limits placed on her; like having to do interviews to "sell" her talent.


Posted Aug. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
nancyh

Join Date: 06/25/13

Posts: 347

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I do not think Claudette is crazy. I think people expected more of her than she was capable of and she did not understand how to handle it.


Posted Aug. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
PiperUp

Join Date: 10/27/15

Posts: 146

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I agree...I don't think Claudette was crazy. I don't really understand why Daniel says this early on in the book. I felt as if he were the one making a significant amount of unhealthy choices throughout the book, not Claudette.


Posted Aug. 01, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Tired Bookreader

Join Date: 08/19/11

Posts: 209

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Claudette is far from crazy. And for Daniel's extensive knowledge of words, it is surprising that he felt crazy was his preferred description for the woman he loved.


Posted Aug. 03, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I think Claudette is far from crazy. She is independent, a great mother and very aware of everyone and everything around her. She accepts the good and bad in just about everyone and carries on in the way she thinks she needs to lead her life for her children, loved ones and herself.


Posted Aug. 03, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
darlene

Join Date: 08/03/16

Posts: 3

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I don't believe she was crazy in the clinical sense. Many of her behaviors were dictated by her intense need for privacy.her strong sense f self allows her o engage in heavier so Thera might label as not normal. I loved her quirkiness.


Posted Aug. 03, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Navy Mom

Join Date: 04/12/12

Posts: 294

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I agree with the rest, Claudette was not crazy and I think it was out of character for Daniel to even say that. I think he would have used a much more colorful word.


Posted Aug. 03, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
terrio

Join Date: 08/16/11

Posts: 79

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Given that Daniel is a linguist, perhaps he meant "crazy" in one of its other senses. "Crazy" can also mean odd, unusual, out of the ordinary. Those descriptions could easily apply to Claudette.


Posted Aug. 04, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
pennyp

Join Date: 03/22/12

Posts: 353

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

She was a little different but coped well in so many ways. I took his comment that she was crazy as one of affection.


Posted Aug. 05, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jeanettel

Join Date: 01/05/12

Posts: 61

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Not necessarily, she has her eccentricities but is also a great mother very loving and a good provider


Posted Aug. 05, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
CheriFaith

Join Date: 10/06/14

Posts: 37

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

No, I believe she never learned to set boundaries in a normal way and uses her imagination and creativity in very odd and eccentric ways to set them now. She's far to cunning to be truly crazy.


Posted Aug. 06, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
JLPen77

Join Date: 02/05/16

Posts: 362

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

She is not crazy, and I have to assume that his using that term was in a colloquial sense, not a literal one, almost a tribute to her mysterious (to him) power to attract him, and to assert herself, when he (we find out) had not been able to do so, in his custody battles or his relationship with his previous wife. He is also, at that point in his life, overly conscientious, perhaps because of his own repressed sense of guilt, so he finds her reckless for having the gun, smoking, or using certain words in front of their children, but he knows what a great mother she is. We certainly see her responding in reasonable and supportive ways to him, when not (understandably) upset at any hint that he might not be faithful. I agree with those who described her as eccentric, intelligent, creative and frustrated at not having an outlet for that... stemming from how at the start of her young independent life, she was "taken over" by Timou. She shows inner strength to fight for herself and her children.


Posted Aug. 06, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
kimk

Join Date: 10/16/10

Posts: 889

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I think Daniel's engaging in a bit of hyperbole. My husband would likely tell others the same thing - but I'm just a bit wacky, in truth. So no, I don't think Claudette is crazy.


Posted Aug. 07, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lynnw

Join Date: 09/01/11

Posts: 166

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Claudette is not clinically crazy, but her actions are not totally normal. Being a bit of an introvert I can understand why she wants to be away from people and publicity.


Posted Aug. 09, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mhayes

Join Date: 04/29/15

Posts: 10

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Daniel definitely had a low self esteem problem. To think that Claudette was 'crazy' proved to be a poor choice of words, especially for a linguist.
H was a times, so pitiful and boorish that the fact that he had a relationship at all with her seems far fetched. His mundane attitude toward life did nothing to enhance his good will toward Claudette or any of his children.


Posted Aug. 18, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
debrav

Join Date: 08/16/11

Posts: 30

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

I think it's almost a "term of endearment" from him -- she was definitely a person I would like to know! He was a little repressed because of his past life experiences!


Posted Aug. 20, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barb23703

Join Date: 10/04/15

Posts: 102

RE: Daniel introduces Claudette to readers by saying, "My wife, I should tell you, is crazy" (page 5). Do you agree?

Upon reflection after finishing the book, I thought this seemed to be a tactic of the author to set Daniel up as someone the reader should feel sympathetic to. The introduction of some of the characters seemed to immediately provide us with statements about how we should feel and then details were filled in later.


Reply

Please login to post a response.