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How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky


A powerful reinvention of the love story - sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes ...
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How significant is the title of the book?

Created: 06/27/14

Replies: 9

Posted Jun. 27, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
BJ

Join Date: 06/11/14

Posts: 16

How significant is the title of the book?

Irene figures out George's challenging question: what's the difference between the twinkling stars and the lights of Toledo? Toledo is alive. Is this significant?


Posted Jun. 28, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mal

Join Date: 09/09/13

Posts: 164

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

Irene should felt its significance when she flew over and observed. This was her aha moment. Toledo had significant meaning for her in all ways.


Posted Jul. 01, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sandra54

Join Date: 05/01/13

Posts: 62

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

The book was strange and "fantastical" and so was the title. Seems appropriate to me.


Posted Jul. 02, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
juliaa

Join Date: 12/03/11

Posts: 276

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

Given the magical realism slant of the book, I wonder if there wasn't maybe a bit of double entendre to the title. On the one hand, the title suggests there is something that distinguishes Toledo from the night sky (they are different). On the other hand, is there something to "tell" Toledo from the non-earthly perspective of the night sky? I think the title raises such questions.


Posted Jul. 03, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Retired Reader, NE

Join Date: 09/16/11

Posts: 165

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

Titles are meant to capture our interest and to set up the story. This title is certainly interesting and made me want to read the book. While it is a very long title for a novel, it definitely corresponds to the story.


Posted Jul. 03, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
pennyp

Join Date: 03/22/12

Posts: 353

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

I found the title interesting. The title often attracts me to a book so it must have been an effective title.


Posted Jul. 05, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
BJ

Join Date: 06/11/14

Posts: 16

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

I wonder what the night sky could "tell" Toledo, juliaa (or anyone else who picked up on Juliaa's comment)?
"Earthly Toledo, there is more to the stars than astronomy here." ???


Posted Jul. 05, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
juliaa

Join Date: 12/03/11

Posts: 276

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

Or maybe, a variation on BJ's thought: "Earthly Toledo, we the stars have an air of mystery that we want to keep, but we do 'tell' you things both through astronomy and astrology, if you're alert to the messages????"

There were other ways that things were "told" in this novel--computer games, proposal in the tulip bed, George's visions, Irene and Bernice's lucid dreams, etc. Could these be answers to the "how" in the title?


Posted Jul. 06, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

The previous answers were interesting to me since I started the book with the idea in mind that I would learn how to distinguish Toledo from other cities if I were flying over it at night. When I finished reading I came up with the answer that you could tell it was Toledo because there would be a large area around the astronomy center that would be dark since bright exterior lighting was banned in the area to avoid its affect on the telescopes. I guess that speaks to my rather literal mind and science background.


Posted Jul. 09, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
alycet

Join Date: 04/23/12

Posts: 182

RE: How significant is the title of the book?

I agree with joyces. When you fly on a very dark night at the lower altitudes you cannot tell where the city lights end and the night sky lights start. You lose depth perception.


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