The ending of the book needed clarification, or is the author going to write a sequel. The dive from clausens pier tv movie 2005 the dive from. Jun, 2002 june, 2002 ann packers debut novel, the dive from clausen s pier explores how tragedy can create everlasting changes in ones life. Packer spent almost 10 years writing the dive from clausens pier.
A new york times bestsellersuffocated by her unexceptional life, carrie bell longs for a chance to begin again, and is granted that chance, terribly, when her fiance is injured in an accident. Listen free to dive from clausens pier by ann packer with. This article appeared in the february 2, 2004 issue of the hatchet. These worries get pushed aside the weekend at clausens pier. At the beginning of the novel, she is spending a memorial day picnic with friends she has had since high school, including her fiance, mike. Jul 30, 2002 the dive from clausen s pier is a very well done, well written story of 23 year old carrie bell, a young woman from madison, wisconsin. Ann packer is the author of the new york times bestsellers songs without words and the dive from clausens pier, the latter of which received a great lakes book award, an american library association award, and the kate chopin literary award.
Packers book is as much plotdriven as character driven. Then mikes dive from clausens pier happened and their lives were permanently altered. May 28, 2002 then mikes dive from clausens pier happened and their lives were permanently altered. Review pier leaps into deep end, does belly flop sfgate. Unhappy in the relationship, she is considering ending it when her fiance mike dives off clausens pier into shallow water and breaks his neck. The dive from clausens pier has an affinity with the work of rosellen brownand anne tylerpacker writes with a rare density of detail and ideas, and its just possible that the reader will be wiser at the end of the book than she was at the beginning. His fiancee, carrie, is not in love with him anymore and is. Apr 08, 2002 the dive from clausen s pier has an affinity with the work of rosellen brown. The dive from clausens pier is the bestselling debut novel of american author ann packer. Putting this aside, a dive from clausens pier is a thought provoking first novel recommended to many women. Vintage contemporaries ser the dive from clausens pier by.
Ann packer is the acclaimed author of two collections of short fiction, swim back to me and mendocino and other stories, and three bestselling novels, the childrens crusade, songs without words, and the dive from clausens pier, which received the kate chopin literary award, among many other prizes and. Does carries opinion on this topic change by the novels end. It was published in 2002 and became the first selection of the good morning america read this. The dive from clausens pier vintage contemporaries ebook. My job was in the rare books room, where the only staff member close to my age was a graduate student named viktor, from poland.
When mikes dive causes a spine injury there is pressure from all sides for carrie to remain with him. The dive from clausens pier i could kill the author. At turns enigmatic and candid, this absorbing story challenges us to look inward and to ask discomfiting questions about our relationships, our priorities, and our selflessness for which. Packer writes with a rare density of detail and ideas, and its just possible that the reader will be wiser at the end of the book than she was at the beginning. Its not normally my kind of movie, i watched it mostly because of michelle trachtenberg. The water level is too low and he is taken to hospital in a coma, with a broken back. About songs without words ann packers debut novel, the dive from clausen s pier, was a nationwide bestseller that established her as one of our most gifted chroniclers of the. Feb 02, 2004 packer is able to develop an engaging story without compromising the eloquent writing for which her short stories are renowned. Skok do wody the dive from clausens pier polski dubbing. Apr 14, 2015 in summary, her books do sound like mundane massmarket fiction.
Mike is a quadriplegic after suffering a major diving accident. Ann packer is a author that trumps the best books ever produced for todays competitive market. The dive from clausens pier book the kansas city public. I expected a more mature novel sex doesnt make it mature, either. This book is also to be savored rather than plowed through. About this guide ann packers provocative debut novel, the dive from clausens pier, portrays one young womans conflict between her commitment to the people in her life and of her duty to be true to herself. It does what the best novels so often do, making the largest things visible by its perfect rendering of life on the smaller scale. Geri thoma of the elaine markson agency agreed to take on the book and sold it almost immediately to the editor jordan pavlin at alfred a. The dive from clausens pier is a mustread novel that illuminates the meaning of friendship, loyalty and unconditional love. From ann packer, author of the new york times bestselling novels the dive from clausen s pier and songs without words, a collection of burnished, emotionally searing stories, framed by two unforgettable linked narratives that express the transformation of a single family over the course of a lifetime. While mike literally dives from clausen s pier, who figuratively dives from clausen s pier. This is a riveting novel about selfknowledge and the conflict between who we want to be to others and who we must be for ourselves. The dive from clausens pier is a very well done, well written story of 23 year old carrie bell, a young woman from madison, wisconsin. Ann packers provocative debut novel, the dive from clausens pier, portrays one young womans conflict between her commitment to the people in her life and of her duty to be true to herself.
Envision an inverted version of the dive from clausen s pier written from mikes point of view in which carrie had been the one to have had the accident. With michelle trachtenberg, sean maher, will estes, kristin fairlie. This is the discussion guide for the dive from clausen s pier by ann packer. If you love books, humor and good writing the bookstore. Knopf told through first person narration, the novel centers on carrie bells response to her fiances paralysis and through her reactions, questions the obligations and loyalty people have to those in their life. Melodrama, based on the novel by ann packer, with michelle trachtenberg, will estes, sean maher. A wife struggles to make sense of her husbands sudden disappearance.
The dive from clausens pier has an affinity with the work of rosellen brown. May 12, 2002 the dive from clausens pier by ann packer. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. Finishing ann packers the dive from clausen s pier is at once an immense relief and an immense loss. Bennett keeps all these plot threads thrumming and her social commentary crisp. What do readers think of the dive from clausens pier. The story had merit, the writing was good, but the ending was utterly incomprehensible to me. Editions of the dive from clausens pier by ann packer. The dive from clausens pier ann packer, 2002 random house 432 pp. Mike, showing off for his somewhat disgruntled fiancee carrie, dives into some water and seriously injures himself. Aug 06, 2003 ok so this is not earthshattering, but i just finished the dive from clausen s pier by ann packer and i am so irritated i would never have bothered with this stupid book had i known it would end this way. Ann packer is the acclaimed author of two collections of short fiction, swim back to me and mendocino and other stories, and three bestselling novels, the childrens crusade, songs without words, and the dive from clausen s pier, which received the kate chopin literary award, among many other prizes and honors. The dive from clausens pier will speak to all those who have ever thought about leaving when they knew they should stay, anyone who has ever felt trapped, not only by circumstance, but by the strength of their own love, carrie bell has lived in wisconsin all her life.
The dive from clausens pier will speak to all those who have ever thought. Dive from clausens pier had the potential to be a great story, but i was left with the feeling that carrie was at heart selfish and hadnt grown beyond selfishnessnot just because of her relationship with mike, but with all her relationships as she took from everyone, but seemed to feel no real obligation to give. The dive from clausens pier opens with an immediate tragedy to draw readers in to the story. What metaphoric images does the title conjure up for the reader before and after reading the novel. The dive from clausens pier is a 2005 lifetime original film based on an ann packer novel directed by harry winer and starring will estes, michelle trachtenberg, and sean maher. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Dive deep into ann packers the dive from clausens pier with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion weve discounted annual subscriptions by 50 % for covid19 reliefjoin now. For more information about joining or starting a book club at a cape breton. I found the ending of this novel a huge disappointment, which caused me to. But this turns out to be a deeper novel than that, as packer sends. The dive from clausen s pier by ann packer 2003, trade paperback, reprint at the best online prices at ebay. The dive from clausens pier was in my opinion a good movie on the whole. About the dive from clausens pier the dive from clausens pier is one of those small miracles that reinforce our faith in fiction. Still, shes young and needs to get on with her life.
This book is character driven and reaches right to the heart of relationships. I love the selfactualization literary work this author falls under. Dive from clausens pier had the potential to be a great story, but i was left with the feeling that carrie was at. For instance, her debut novel, the dive from clausen s pier, traced a young womans guilt over deserting her recently paralyzed. We do not like them equally, but but ultimately we come to know them equally. Interesting premise, and good development though i thought she went too far into the seamstress subplot.
The dive from clausens pier by ann packer discussion guide. A whole book of things, an entire encyclopedia, a volume that i tried and tried to fill at the mayers p. Sep 26, 2002 then mikes dive from clausens pier happened and their lives were permanently altered. The story is about how an accident changes the lives of a group of people, and especially mike mayor will estes and his girlfriend carrie beal michelle trachtenberg.
The title of the dive from clausens pier relates to a dive into water that carries fiance mike makes in the opening chapter of this book. I picked this one up at a yard sale for 50 cents and im glad i didnt pay more. At the age of twentythree carrie bell has spent her entire life in wisconsin, with the same best friend and the same dependable, easygoing. The dive from clausen s pier, by ann packer, tells the story of carrie bell, a twentythree year old woman who is engaged to her high school sweetheart. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in the new yorker, the washington post, vogue, and real simple. He is comatose for a period of time and, when he awakens, it is discovered that he is paralyzed. It calls up toni morrisons the bluest eye, the books 50 yearold antecedent. Mount prospect public library book discussion questions. Ann packer quotes author of the dive from clausens pier.
The last scene of the novel returns the characters to clausens reservoir, at picnic point, the place where mike took his fateful dive. Reading guide for the dive from clausens pier by ann packer. Ann packer is the author of two bestselling novels, songs without words and the dive from clausens pier, the latter of which received a great lakes book award, an american library association award, and the kate chopin literary award. What does this exercise reveal about their relationship and carries character. The dive from clausens pier by ann packer goodreads.
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The dive from clausens pier by ann packer discussion. At turns enigmatic and candid, this absorbing story challenges us to look inward and to ask discomfiting questions about our relationships, our priorities. Envision an inverted version of the dive from clausens pier written from mikes point of view in which carrie had been the one to have had the. When mikes dive results in a spinal cord injury there is pressure from all sides for carrie to remain with him. The deep end of the ocean by jacquelyn mitchard, paperback. Vintage contemporaries ser the dive from clausens pier. From the bestselling author of the dive from clausen s pier, songs without words is the gripping story of a lifelong friendship pushed to the breaking point. The novel is divided into three parts which detail the transitions of carries life. The dive from clausens pier, by ann packer, tells the story of carrie bell, a twentythree year old woman who is engaged to her high school sweetheart. This is the perfect book if you are just starting to develop the journal. The dive from clausen s pier has an affinity with the work of rosellen brown. When an accident renders her fiance a quadriplegic, carrie faces mounting pressures that ultimately cause her to start a new life in new york.
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