The Boys in the Boat, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Boys in the Boat.

What did you think about the beginning of the book? Were you interested in the story from the first pages? I was drawn to the story immediately, even though it's a nonfiction book. I don't read a lot of nonfiction, so it's sometimes hard for me to get started on a nonfiction story. But, this one was really interesting from the get-go. 

In the first couple of chapters, we learn a lot about Joe and his childhood. His story was incredibly heartbreaking. I really can't believe how positive and hardworking his was, even after all of the hardship and betrayal he experienced throughout his formative years. I felt so incredibly angry towards Joe's dad the whole time I was reading. It's just so frustrating that Joe was left to fend for himself from such a young age. I just can't imagine leaving a child like that. I understand that that family was impoverished and that it was hard to feed everyone, but I think the stepmother would have wanted Joe to leave even if they had had enough money for food. She didn't like Joe from the very beginning. I'm glad that Joe found Joyce. She was able to provide him some stability that his family didn't provide. 

Did you enjoy reading about rowing? Do you have any rowing experience? I don't have any experience with rowing, but I still found those sections interesting. I just couldn't believe how hard the boys worked every single day. They were so dedicated. And, I found it interesting that they had to be in complete sync with each other or they would not be able to go quickly. They basically had to work like a machine. I tried to imagine what the whole mistake, "catch a crab," would look like, but I couldn't really picture it. It would be really embarrassing to do that while rowing--especially since it could cause a rower to catapault out of the water! I also tried to imagine how quickly they were rowing. I was glad that the author included how many strokes a minute they were doing, but still, that didn't really help me know how quickly they were going. Were you able to picture all of the scenes the author described? Did you feel like you were able to get a good feel for the mechanics of rowing? Were you able to imagine the races in your head? 

At the end of this section, we were introduced to Leni Riefenstahl. She seems like she will become a really important character in this story. It's interesting that Hitler was able to find a filmmaker who was willing to join his propoganda crew. How do you think he will use her films during the Olympic Games? How do you think Goebbels and Riefenstahl will work together going forward? 

What parts of this first section were most interesting to you? Did you enjoy reading about the races? Do you wish you knew more information about any of the people mentioned in the first section? Are you excited to read the next section? 

Before you go, check out the clip below to hear what the stars of the film version had to do to look like competent rowers. Do you think  you could train that hard just to play a part? 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope you'll leave me a comment to let me know what you thought of the first section! Make sure to read the next 6 chapters before you join us next week!