Eden Robinson's "Monkey Beach" was a fantastic read. Without a doubt the best novel we've read for the semester and it's themes of Canadian identity were well thought out and not overdrawn as with some other books (however, the overall theme of Canadian identity was more fleshed out in other books such as Skin of a Lion and Tin Flute). The novel manages to be both a Kunster-Roman (novel of the development of an artist in the traditions of metafiction) and a Roman de la Terre (Novel of the Earth). The growth of Lisa's character as she learns more about her culture and its beliefs are enriched with earthy undertones and noesis.

Overarching cultural and national significances aside, my favorite parts of the book involve how Robinson (such a spirited woman, by the way...really spirited) handled the sequences of growth and the depth of the main characters. Unlike previous books (I.E. Diviners) the emotions and feelings evoked by the characters aren't so readily thrust onto the reader, there is a subtlety to the character development that is more likened to Skin of a Lion without the jump cuts of narrative.

Also, the humor in Monkey Beach was priceless. Robinson's knack for a not-quite-dry sense of humor (let's call it earthy humor) was wonderful. Although Sunshine Sketches was meant to be a comedic sequence of short stories, Monkey Beach is, by far, a riot. Example, pg. 184, Lisa's birthday.
"Mom looked appalled as she handed out grab bags/ The guys laughed their heads off at the presents, whcih she'd chosen, expecting only girls to show up. Pooch got a smurfette figurine, Frank got a mood ring, but best of all, Cheese got a candy necklace with little hearts saying things like 'Wuv You 4Ever'". Robinson doesn't appear to attempt any formal set up of the comedic structure, the humor is just, seemingly out of nowhere and as though just there for the sake of being, a reminder to the reader whose been paying attention.

It goes without saying that the ending to the novel was a complete "what-the-hell?-make-a-face-turn-back-two-pages-and-make-an-uglier-face" moment. I don't quite know what to make of it. Lisa, in the advent of a certain revelation about Adelain (Karaoke), slits her wrists and enters a "spirit world" where she meets Mick as a final place to find Jimmy. I felt as though something was cut, a sequence that Robinson couldn't describe, that was paramount to the ending. Some sort of inside knowledge, beyond our grasp and just as elusive as the ending itself.

I LOVE this book! By far my favorite of the semester...I think it was a wonderful book to end on because it truly touched on so many of the themes that we have been discussing throughout the course.

So...on to the book! I do have a few lingering questions:

1. What's the deal with Tab? Did she die, or was it just a vision. And if she did die, how, when?

2. Lisa got raped, right? Who raped her? Or was it merely a vision (hm, a recurring question)

3. The end...we all agree it's a little vague. I thought it was a beautiful sort of closure. Lisa is split between two worlds, and therefore has a much different perception of reality than most people. I feel like the end of the book reflects that nicely. My point is though, did she die? Commit suicide? What is this supposed to signify?

I suppose that is the extent of my confusion.

This book was intelligent, hilarious, thought-provoking and a true page-turner. It has been a while since I sat down with a book and actually enjoyed reading for three straight hours without noticing the time flying by. Monkey Beach was like watching an awesome Movie. I love how it was structured in such a fragmented, episodic manner. It made it more satisfying as a reader to connect the dots.

The book covers some interesting themes and it was nice to read a book that addressed the spirit world and natives' appreciation and respect for it...something that our Western society greatly lacks.

I would love to meet Robinson. I'm sure she's a hilarious, passionate woman; it comes through in her writing.

This is the second time i've read this book and the second time really filled out the story for me as i noticed so many new details and nuances i perhaps missed the first time. I took Native American Literature with Jamie Williamson last year and this book was also the last book we read for the semester. Further, Eden Robinson herself came to the class when she came to the university last year and talked to us for a whole class period, which i think is the same time that she did the reading that Paul put upon the blog. What i found most interesting was the use of Ancient beings like the little red haried manm sasuatch,and all types of ghosts.What i like about it is that their use, on the whole, is notin the same way say Steven King would use them as they are treated more as parts of life in the Haisla tradtion rather than from the movies and books of our type of horror.I bring this up because from what i understood from hearing Robinson talk is that she considers herself a horror writer and calls this book book Candadian Gothic or something Take for exampke when Pooch kills himself and Frank tells Lisa that he saw Pooch in his ghostly farm before it happaned to which she replies something to the effect of "That'll happan". It is horror but it's presented in a very fresh fashion which i think she continuied into her book Bloodsports which i read last semester. They both share this idea as well as having some real non-horror parts dealing with growing up and family stuff as well as real horror sections. I think she will be more successful with this down the road and i look forward to reading her later stuff as i am she will only get better. Lastly,in response to Julia's posting before me, she is very funny and will be talking about something serious like her brother dying and then suddanly burst out laughing. It was one of my favorite college experiences to meet her and listen to her talk about her work.

Monkey Beach, what a read. I enjoyed this look into another sect of Canadian culture that we have not yet looked at. This is a great example of a novel based on Bildungsroman: the development of a character into maturity. I truly enjoyed seeing the unique environment in which Lisa Marie grew up in. I see that Lisa is a visionary, which makes me link the themes in this book to that of the Diviners.

I am confused though about the visions that Lisa has and if any of them were real as apposed to the ones like the small red-headed man. I enjoyed interpreting the visions in my own ways and enjoyed class discussion on this book. I would like to further discuss the themes of visions in Canadian Literature, as they seem to be an important theme. The way that Robinson structured the novel made for a quick read, but a satisfying read.

I read Monkey Beach in almost one sitting on the train. It shortened the trip considerably, which attest to Eden Robinson's ability to capture and keep the reader's attention. I liked how it opened with the disappearance of Jimmy, allowing me to form my own conclusion, then through various different scenes I was let into the reality of the situation. All the characters were intriguing. They all were happy to revel in their success and point out when they fell short.
The imagery of the natural world was strong throughout the entire book. And talking about it in class really made me remember this. I love how Eden Robinson alludes to so many things but does not make it too obvious. The entire time I was reading about Jimmy and Karaoke I was wondering why she had that name and at one point there is mention in passing about the origin of this nickname. The sasquatch offer another glimpse of the truth. There seems to be some fascination with these mythical creatures. When Lisa sees one she does not tell everyone, maybe because she wants there to remain an aura of mystery around them. This is done in regards to the spirit world as well. While her parents have forgotten, or turned a blind eye to the realm of spirits, Lisa is highly involved. It is here that she can reconnect with her loved ones.

I read Monkey Beach from beginning to end in one sitting. Her use of limited dialogue and so much description really made me feel as if I were watching a movie, unlike the jumping around of so many of the other books this semester. She builds such life into each and every character that I couldn't put the book down because I had to know what happened on the next page. Watching Lisa grow up was really exciting for me, I could see her changing from an terrible 2's toddler chasing her uncle into a older rebellious party girl struggling to stay sober in Vancouver. Her struggle to make sense of her visions and the seemingly endless death around her kept me fully focused on every detail. When the end came I was no where near ready and am still completely at a loss. Did Tab die? I assume that Jimmy did kill Josh and that he too died swimming to shore but is Lisa dead? Did her relatives pull her under or lift her back to the surface so she could survive???

Monkey Beach was a fun and interesting read. I liked how it was different from the rest of the books that we have read this semester because Lisa had supernatural powers. Her ability to talk to the dead and other spirits around her was cool since her background of native Canadians were and still are very spiritual people. It was also interesting to read about the native people of Canada which we haven't read anything about before. Interesting but depressing at the same time since we learn about how these children were taken away from their homes 10 months out the year , taught that where they came from and their family's beliefs are a farse. I can't imagine what that sort of treatment would do to young children especially when they return home to their families after being brainwashed with such propaganda. Again through fiction we learn about so much more than just the story of Lisa and her struggling friends and relatives. I was completely oblivious to this part of the world and after reading most of the novel, which I still need to finish, I was able to take much more than I thought I would. I also will be able to have much more of an appreciation for the Sasqwach mascot when the 2010 Olympics come around.

While Monkey Beach, on the surface, is a portrait of Haisla life in contemporary Canada, which is merely a framework that Robinson articulates to deal with existential and otherworldly aspects of the human experience. Lisa Marie has seen a lot, both in the spiritual world and in the physical one, which affords her, as a character, a unique flexibility in terms of the subjective nature of her perception and thus the narrative structure of the story.

The interplay between antiquity and modernity enhances this sense of duality in Lisa Marie’s existential plight. The contrast of her life in Kitamaat versus her times in Vancouver serves as a departure point between her two worlds, just as her friends who mostly seem to ignore their own heritage in favor of a more “modern” or conventional life alludes to some sense of fading identity. On one hand, the world of Ma-ma-oo, sea otters, and ghosts created Lisa’s sense of origin, which her visions re-affirm. On the other hand, this sense-of-place seems threatened by a changing world. Lisa always returns to the alterity offered by the world Ma-ma-oo, but nobody else seems interested in the world of which Ma-ma-oo is so vestigial. Seeing this tradition fading into oblivion, like the speedboat sinking into a dark and frigid sea, reveals Lisa Marie’s sense of her own doomed fate.

In a way, Lisa Marie’s death is liberation from a life wrought with tumult. From the generation before her, like her uncle Mick and aunt Trudy, and the wounds of tales of the residential schools, to the way the pain is passed on to the next generation, such as Josh abusing Karaoke and Jimmy killing him for it, there seems to be an inherent theme of tragedy surrounding the characters. When Lisa Marie dies, it is a homecoming to a world where tragedy is replaced by mystery and the burden of her imbalanced duality disappears into a singular existence.

While I cannot go as far as to say Monkey Beach was my favorite book as others have, I did enjoy it very much.
I actually wrote my paper using George & Rue and Monkey Beach, so it was somewhat of a pain to talk about it right after writing about it, for there are many moments of...'no shit, that would've been great to use in my paper!'
But for that same reason it was a very interesting book. A good example of this would be firstly, noticing Lisa's disconnect from her parents and Aunt Trudy. In the first reading, you were able to understand that Lisa's and the generation before her did not have a strong connection to Haisla knowledge and traditions and consequently, unlike Ma-ma-oo, Lisa had an extremely hard time understanding her gift.
As discussion about the book progresses, you learn what Residential Schools did to that generation, and why they were having such a difficult time simply living in the Haisla culture, let alone supporting and understanding Lisa's gift. Also, you now understand why Aunt Trudy drinks, why Mick joined AIM and many other aspects all stemming from the Residential Schools.
Many things such as this happen throughout the book, making it a very interesting read for there is a very intricate, interesting relationship between Ma-ma-oo's knowledge, Lisa's gift, and her parent's disconnect. That is simply one facet of the book with enough other situations that this post could be much longer than I honestly feel like writing!
Ok, to end, suffice it to say that to understand one level of this book brings you to understand a completely different level of Haisla culture in conjunction with (post)colonialism.

This book was truly one of the most enjoyable I've read in quite some time. I actually read it early on in the semester, thinking it was due far before it was so I ended up rereading it over Thanksgiving break. I think that having done that, I would recommend to everyone that they should go back and re-read it as well. It's incredible how many hints Robinson drops throughout the entire book that we wouldn't ever pick up on because we don't know what to expect yet! I loved her style, it reminded me of a great suspense movie where it keeps your attention constantly.

The part that fascinated me most about this book was all of the native teachings that Ma-ma-oo passed onto Lisa (and that Robinson passed onto us!). When you think of Canada, you don't really think of Native tribes, so for me this opened my eyes in many ways.

As many others have mentioned, there were a few points that thoroughly confused and frustrated me but I think that Robinson did that on purpose, to force us to draw our own conclusions. Which is interesting because by that logic, everyone in this class could have read a different story. We could interpret it in so many different ways with each one giving another perspective.

I'm quite anxious to get my hands on 'Traplines' as I read an interview that Robinson gave online, and it was discussing how when she was writng Monkey Beach she originally intended the whole story to be from Karaoke's view (based on the story about her in Queen of the North). She said that she decided Karaoke was too dark of a character to narrate an entire story, and that Jimmy was too bland of a character so she took out Lisa, who played a very small role in 'Queen' because she could develop an entire storyline around her.

Overall, I am completely hooked and really looking forward to 182 to read more First Nations works!

This book was truly one of the most enjoyable I've read in quite some time. I actually read it early on in the semester, thinking it was due far before it was so I ended up rereading it over Thanksgiving break. I think that having done that, I would recommend to everyone that they should go back and re-read it as well. It's incredible how many hints Robinson drops throughout the entire book that we wouldn't ever pick up on because we don't know what to expect yet! I loved her style, it reminded me of a great suspense movie where it keeps your attention constantly.

The part that fascinated me most about this book was all of the native teachings that Ma-ma-oo passed onto Lisa (and that Robinson passed onto us!). When you think of Canada, you don't really think of Native tribes, so for me this opened my eyes in many ways.

As many others have mentioned, there were a few points that thoroughly confused and frustrated me but I think that Robinson did that on purpose, to force us to draw our own conclusions. Which is interesting because by that logic, everyone in this class could have read a different story. We could interpret it in so many different ways with each one giving another perspective.

I'm quite anxious to get my hands on 'Traplines' as I read an interview that Robinson gave online, and it was discussing how when she was writng Monkey Beach she originally intended the whole story to be from Karaoke's view (based on the story about her in Queen of the North). She said that she decided Karaoke was too dark of a character to narrate an entire story, and that Jimmy was too bland of a character so she took out Lisa, who played a very small role in 'Queen' because she could develop an entire storyline around her.

Overall, I am completely hooked and really looking forward to 182 to read more First Nations works!

Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson was a great book. It was an easy read and it kept me interested. I really liked Lisa's character throughout the book. She reminded me a lot of my older sister. She is smart but kind of confused and a little rough around the edges. I wouldn’t expect her to smoke cigarettes or have a "party hard" attitude, but I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, it made me think of something that I haven't though of in years. I was almost identical to him as a child. He wanted so badly to go to Monkey Beach and see the sasquash, and it seemed at that point in time that nothing else mattered. I use to be like that. . . wanting to go to the cliffs near my house and look for the dead bodies that Whitey Bulger dumped there apparently (just a myth).
I enjoyed Lisa's insights on sibling rivalries, families, and fear. As well as her thoughts on sexuality, and drug and alcohol. I guess we would probably all agree that the end could have some more information. I felt like I needed closure and never got it. Kind of left me hanging like the end of Pulp Fiction.

Monkey Beach was my favorite book that we read over the semester. I love the characters and the troubles and good times that they deal with. I love the native mythology that Robinson incorporates into the story, I especially like the "bigfoot" "sightings" and stories. Picking out my favorite part of this book that made me both laugh out loud and want to cry at times, is a hard thing to do. One of my favorite parts in the book has to do with the cat Alexis. I love the description of the cat killing the mice, and the way she would move her dish around with her nose until someone would feed her. One of the hardest scenes in the book for me, and the one that almost made me want to put it down, was the scene where Lisa and her dad find uncle Mick eaten alive by the seals. I loved the character of uncle Mick, and the relationship dynamics between him and "monster" so I was quite upset by him dying.

A few questions that have been bothering me are:

Is the little gnome man "real" or is Lisa dreaming him up entirely?

What really happens at the end? Is Lisa alive or dead? And did she really visit the afterworld?

I really enjoyed reading Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson. I was very different from any of the other stories we have read in class. I found the entire book to be very interesting. I particularly enjoyed the sections with Ma-Ma-oo. I found her to be fascinating and it made me hope that Lisa really would learn about her culture so it didn’t have to end with Ma-Ma-oo.
Like many of my classmates I was left with a number of questions after reading this novel. In the section where Tab and Lisa go out for coffee at the diner I still am not sure if she was really dead. I am still unable to grasp this idea. I know we are supposed to believe that Tab is dead and that Lisa is spending time with her ghost, but it is extremely hard to believe. The other question that I was left with was what really happened at the end of the novel. Are we to assume that Lisa is dead or alive? We know that she has entered the spirit world, but I am still not sure if she came back or not. She sees her uncle Mick and Jimmy and then finds herself lying on the beach. She describes herself as feeling warm and so light that she could drift away. Eden Robinson leaves it up to the reader to decide if they want Lisa to live or die. While I think it was a good ending I really wish she had told us one way or the other. I cannot stop trying to decide which way I think it went. It is one of those endings that leaves you wanting more.

I loved this book. I found myself flying through the pages. There were many parts that I enjoyed but I think the scene where Lisa gets in a fight with Frank and bites him in the buttocks was the best. I could not stop laughing. Lisa is a strong character and takes a beating here. Like when she feel learning how to ride a bike she got back up a fought. She was not going to let a little or a lot of blood bother her. I was also surprised to see that Franks uncle Josh took her side. He was proud of her for winning the battle against so many boys. It really is hard for me to pick a certain part of the novel that I liked the best. The scene where Jimmy, Lisa and the rest of the family go to Monkey Beach is great. This part really shows where Lisa is going, she is able to see things that other people are not. I also loved the stories that Ma-ma-oo told them and how mad she got when Lisa's dad would not tell the story correctly. I agree with Andrew that the ending could have had more information but sometimes it is better to learn it open and we can draw our own conclusions. There were parts that I was confused and did not completely understand but I can see that other students in the class felt the same way so perhaps that is how the novel is supposed to be. Maybe no one is supposed to understand everything. There is a lot of confusion in the native language and because some many children went to residential schools their history was lost so perhaps the confusion in the novel is supposed to symbolize that.

I loved Monkey Beach, as most of the class did. I thought it was really well written and I loved the way that Eden Robinson took us through Lisa's life. The progression of the present and past seemed to fit together seamlessly. Unlike some books I have read, it was easy to differentiate when Lisa was talking about her past and when she was talking about her future.

What I found most interesting about the book were the relationships that Lisa formed with friends and family. I thought that they were very strong and they clearly made an impact on her life. I found it very interesting that she was so close to Mick and Ma-ma-oo just because of the cultural tradition gap. As we discussed in class the tradition of the Haisla culture was lost with Lisa's parents generation and was slowing coming back with her and yet she was able to form very strong relationships with Mick and Ma-ma-oo.

Well I suppose I'm not the only one in the class that thoroughly enjoyed reading Monkey Beach. I don't know if I can call it my absolute favorite read of the semester, but it is certainly ONE of my favorites...let's say top three.

A few points:

My favorite character was definitely Uncle Mick. He is so complex, and continues to grow throughout the course of the novel as we learn more about him through Lisa. I love his obsession with Elvis, and I still contend that it must have something to do with Elvis's rebellious, breaking-all-the-rules attitude (at least before he got fat, put on a pair of rhinestone tights, and went to Vegas...) But I also think it's interesting that he was part Native American--I didn't know that.

It's interesting that he is the only character in the book to be involved in pan-tribal political activism. I love picturing his buckskin jacket with all the pro-Native patches, like "AIM higher," and "Free Leonard Peltier."

I did a little research and found out about the "Free Leonard Peltier" patch. Leonard Peltier was a member of AIM who was convicted of the murders of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. In 1977 he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. There is a considerable amount of doubt as to Peltier's guilt, which includes whether or not he was tried with due process. However, in 1993, after a series of appeals, Peltier's conviction and sentencing were reaffirmed by the 8th Circuit Court of appeals. Another cool fact about Peltier is that he actually ran for President in 2004 as a member of the Peace and Liberty Party. He received 27,607 votes (.02%).

I really like Mick, and was moved when he died. He definitely had a profound connection with Lisa, and took his responsibility to the rest of his family seriously (he wouldn't accept payment for babysitting Jimmy and Lisa, for example), despite being something of a transient.

The end of the novel is confusing, and I had to read through it twice. After reading these blog posts, it seems like the class cannot come to a consensus as to what happened either! (Phew, at least I'm not the only one...) The first time I read it I was sure Lisa died, but after the second time I think she lived.

Paul: you must get Eden Robinson to come read!! I wonder how much of herself is put into Lisa? The video of her last reading is great-- she seems like a real character.

Monkey Beach was definitely one of my top two favorite reads of the semester. I loved Blood Sports, also by Robinson, which I read last semester, and I would recommend it to anyone who liked the more 'gore-y' side of Monkey Beach. Coming into the novel I assumed I was excited because I really liked the style of Robinson's writing. Like many other people mentioned, I read through it feverishly (though I was under a time crunch). The characters were very real, at the same time Robinson keeps them at a distance. Though the novel was focused almost completely on native characters, I liked the way Robinson pointed out the westernization of First Nations (specifically Haisla) culture. The paradoxes were aplenty- such as Mick being an Indian Rights activist and Elvis-fan. As well as less comical sides of of white infiltration into the Native community, such as the harrowing stories of residential school abuse.
When I took Eng 182 last semester, I loved all the books by native authors that we read. Especially the stories which focused on native people in todays world, whether they live on reservations or in 'white society.' I think that Native writers really try to teach people through their writing rather than just 'writing a good book.' Many communities of First Nations people across Canada suffer from disproportionately high rates of suicide and substance abuse. These problems often stem from centuries of abuse and oppression that First Nations people have faced. While I believe that compensation for land (Native land claims cases) is important, I don't think throwing money at the problem will help the fate of First Nations in Canada. Also, many First Nations youth who leave their reservations and try to pursue a new life in Canadian cities often face similar types of racism and stigmatization.
It's not to say that Robinson, or any other native writers I've read are presently any grand solutions. Rather they are trying to expose the problems and truths of the First Nations communities, in attempt to educate their own people, as well as outsiders.

I have to agree with much of the class in saying that this was a great book. It was refreshing to travel outside the norm and read such a unique story for a class. It is difficult sometimes with all the reading required for classes, to read on your own, and this is the kind of book that I would have read just for fun. Granted I am the type that is into this kind of mystical, sometimes off the wall kind of storytelling, but I think on top of being an interesting read it is so well written, that you can immerse yourself in the story and sometimes forget that it is a novel that you are experiencing.

I felt as though the characters were all well developed, and the numerous storylines all intertwined to keep the reader interested. I really like the way that Robinson ends the novel, and while for many it can be frustrating, I think it suits the story perfectly. I feel that this lingering question of whether or not Lisa is dead may be a testament to her history. Native American religions view death very differently than that of mainstream modern society, and perhaps this being left open ended could be implying that regardless of this life, she is alive in some kind of way. I definately enjoyed this and it was a great closer for the course.

Monkey Beach was a little slice of fiction heaven. I must read more of Eden Robinson. I don't know if the appeal is the morbidity, the supernatural, or the smartass sense of humor, which I hear is followed with a tremendous laugh in person. I love that the didactic nature of the book is not specific to Haislan culture, but informative to any living, breathing person. I found myself trying to contact the dead with the method Lisa Marie describes, of course to no avail. I blame my skepticism rather than the quality of her instruction.

My favorite sections involve the examination of the human heart. Robinson commands the reader to "Make your hand into a fist" (163) so that she can visually represent a depiction of the size and shape to readers. She goes on to tell us to "Pull your heart out of your chest" (Robinson, 191) as though it were that easy. Later, Lisa Marie expIains the origination of her fascination with the human heart, when Mo-ma-oo has a heart attack. Mo-ma-oo wants to know exactly what is going wrong with her heart, as though the knowledge itself will save her life. Likewise, Lisa Marie believes her gift to see the dead and predict the deaths of her loved ones is something she can use to prevent their deaths. Ultimately. I think her arrival in the Land of the Dead is premature and she will not be allowed to die. Lisa Marie must accept the death of her loved ones and her inability to save them.

Monkey Beach was one of the best novels I've ever read and replaced George and Rue as my favorite book of the semester. Even though I started reading the book late, I was instantly hooked and finished it in two days. It was the fasted I've ever read a 300+ page book. For me, Monkey Beach was so brilliant because it was so real. Maybe it just speaks directly to my age group, but I found the dialogue to be authentic, not forced like many other authors. Some parts were intensely sad (Mick and Ma-Ma-oo's death) and upsetting (Tab's awful drunk mother Trudy) while others were laugh-out-loud hilarious(Lisa's bullying). I was most intrigued by the themes of nature, spirit channeling and communicating with the dead.

In my mind, the unique structure of the novel made it so hard to put down. After the problem of Jimmy's disappearance is introduced, the reader slowly learns more and more about Lisa, her family and her past through flashbacks and memories. I specifically loved the stages of the relationship between Lisa and Jimmy growing up. From Jimmy emulating Lisa at a young age, then forgetting her in favor of swimming and girls, then fighting with her and then finally becoming friends, Jimmy reminded me of myself and Lisa my big sister. I found the similarities astounding as I constantly dug up old memories from my past.

My favorite aspect of the novel was the relationship between Lisa and Ma-ma-oo. I loved reading about how Ma-ma-oo passed on the Haisla culture to Lisa and taught her about her gift to predict "bad things" (ps- the little red man was intensely disturbing). I thought Robinson effectively used their relationship to symbolize the divide between old culture and new, stressed over and over by the themes of cofee and cigarettes, two Americanized luxuries: "tobacco was sacred, long time ago. the smoke, it lifted prayers to the gods. these days it's nothing. it's like candy, hey?" (247).

Other quotes I will never forget are: "but when your body is falling apart, and you can't do anything to stop it, there is a grim satisfaction that comes with knowing exactly what is wrong" (236), "you dont have to be scared of things you don't understand. theyre just ghosts" (265), "if you never fall in love, you never get your heart broken" (289) and most of all, "in the beginning [it was fun]. then it stopped being fun and started being about not fucking up" (349).

I could go on all day, Monkey Beach is that good. Thank you so much Prof Martin for having us read it.

There are too many great things about “Monkey Beach” for me to succinctly cover. I found the stories Ma-ma-oo shared with Lisa and in turn Lisa shared with us to be almost cathartic as a reader, something that probably does not go overlooked in this native Haisla culture. Robinson also does a truly spectacular job of sewing the idea of reality and the spirit world together, an assimilation that is very important in native traditions. Since the novel is set around Jimmy’s disappearance and jumps back and forward in time, it’s easy to be mislead if the person talking to Lisa is when they were alive, or if she is having another spiritual experience. We experience these with Ma-ma-oo and also Tab’s visit to Lisa in the motel bathroom. Robinson’s writing style is also very unique, with the blunt integration of scientific explanations of body parts like arteries and our hearts. At the end we aren’t even comforted with a clear ending, and are left with so many questions about the outcome of Lisa, her family, and her community. Robinson led on us a great spiritual journey, and her novel was nothing less than epic.

“Monkey Beach” was a breath of fresh air. I thoroughly enjoyed Eden Robinson’s prose and felt that the overall storyline was enchanting with the inclusion of the Haisla culture. I am so happy we ended the semester on such a good note! I would love to read more of Robinson’s work; she does an incredible job at pulling the reader in and bringing them on a mental journey with the narrator.

After looking over some of the blog responses to this, I found that people had many of the same questions that I had. I had trouble deciphering between reality and fantasy. Lisa’s visions were unclear sometimes. I suppose Robinson wanted to leave it up to the reader to decide what events actually occur and what simply take place in Lisa’s mind, but there is a fine line between the two.

I absolutely fell in love with all the characters, which is the first time I’ve been able to say this all semester about the novels we’ve read. There was a strong female presence in this novel, which may be largely due to Eden Robinson. I felt that all the women were portrayed as strong and steadfast in all their decisions and perspectives. I would love to meet Eden and see what she is like, and if this reflects her characters in any way.

“Monkey Beach” is set up in such a successful way to keep the reader drawn in the entire time. Robinson has an impeccable ability to jump back and forth between Lisa’s childhood and her present life, creating pieces of a puzzle for the reader to put together, rather than doing it for us. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about the entirety of the novel, but the ending was indeed confusing. Because we’ve already discussed this in class, I won’t go into detail about my frustration towards it: I enjoyed to novel too much to be upset about the ending, so I will stick with the adjective “confused” to describe my emotions. I hope to pick this book up again at some point and re-read it.

I must admit that at first I was a little turned off by this book. The first thing that struck me was the awful dialogue between the characters in Lisa's younger years. It seemed a bit typical and unoriginal, but as the story continued and memory gave way to more insight and descriptive events, that quickly changed.

One thing that was definitely unique and intriguing about this book was the way you literally became the main character at times. Especially towards the end, when Lisa is being roofied and raped, when she wakes up confused with Tab standing over her, and then finally at Monkey Beach, Robinson writes in such a way that allows you to share in the confusion and mysticism going on around her. We know as much as Lisa knows, with no advantage of a reader, and that is why these parts are the ones that we double-take on. I think we need to accept that we might never know, just like Lisa might never know. At the end, she slits her hand (or wrist?) and believes the spirits are asking for a sacrifice. We can't know the outcome because Lisa is wondering herself if she's gone too far.

The way that traditional Haisla culture creates a framework for the book reminds me of George and Rue in a sense, because both books combine history with fiction. However, like George and Rue, the fiction really works to give a more accurate perspective on these people and their beliefs, not just the white man's version that we'll read in a textbook. Lisa has personality and depth. She combines modernity with traditional ideals, practices, and spiritual gifts, and she makes all of these things part of her everyday life, which really tells us something about the culture. Ma-ma-oo is a better example of this. She is deeply rooted in her ancestry, yet still loves those daytime soaps, just like my grandma.

In the end I found this book to be one of my favorites. It deals with real life issues that we might all encounter, as well as presenting some that are reserved for native Canadian cultures that Robinson helps us better understand. Lisa is a great, strong character, and even though she dealt with prejudice at times whether it be because of her heritage or because of her smart mouth in school, it's refreshing to see that she doesn't get pushed around and she can make it on her own.

I think it speaks volumes that the book completes itself with her seduction by the spirit world. Not only does she reconnect with those she's lost, but it seems this is her final transition into fully engaging in Haisla culture and beliefs. No matter where her life took her, those strong ties never let go, and it was important for her to finally succumb and accept her gifts.

I really enjoyed reading Monkey Beach, actually when I finished reading it two weeks ago I kept checking the blog because I was so eager to write my opinions, and thought that I would forget everything that I wanted to say.

The first time I started reading Monkey Beach I got 30 pages into it when I realized that I needed to go back and start over because I wasn't really paying much attention the first time. I'm glad to say that the second time around was much more successful.

My favorite part of the novel is on page 97 when Mick is telling the story to Lisamarie about how her mom was on her first date with her dad and her dad goes out to get some beer and gets stuck in a snowstorm. Meanwhile Lisamarie's mom gets drunk and makes snow angels angels all over the front yard.

When it came to the end of the book I was confused. The way Jarvis explained it as making a face turning back a few pages and making an uglier face is exactly how I felt.

So, why is it called "Monkey Beach"???
and are you telling me Jimmy's main goal to take that fishing job was to kill Josh?
and was that postcard from a priest to Josh?....
How did Jimmy get a hold of it?
I found the novel overall interesting, just far too many unanswered questions.
Someone, please help me deal witht these unresolved issues!