Story Discussion 2018: Bog Girl by Karen Russell

[Dana Jean]

Story discussion Wednesday night, September 12 at 8:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

I hope someone has read it. And I invite anyone who would care to join us to do so.

(This is a story about Cillian and his new girl friend. Don't confuse him with his mother, Gillian.)

“Bog Girl”
by Karen Russell

 

[Spideyman]

Read it and waiting to discuss tomorrow!!

 

[Doc Creed]

Story discussion Wednesday night, September 12 at 8:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

I hope someone has read it. And I invite anyone who would care to join us to do so.

(This is a story about Cillian and his new girl friend. Don't confuse him with his mother, Gillian.)

“Bog Girl”
by Karen Russell

Thanks for the link, DJ. I haven't read any of her stories; just her novel, Swamplandia! . I will be reading it tonight so it will be fresh in my mind.

 

[Dana Jean]

Thanks for the link, DJ. I haven't read any of her stories; just her novel, Swamplandia! . I will be reading it tonight so it will be fresh in my mind.

thanks!

I'll say more of what I think tomorrow during discussion.

 

[Dana Jean]

Okay, I'm a little early. I have to run an errand and as host this week, I wanted to make sure I welcomed everyone and thank you for taking your time to read my choice of stories.

While it isn't horror, and not from one of our go-to horror people, it is along the same vein of quirky odd like Joe Hill or Stephen himself can occasionally write.

What I love about Karen Russell is -- she takes this very ordinary, mundane situation or person-- life -- and drops this quirky-ass scenario smack dab in the middle of it and everyone in the story just rolls with it like it's an every day thing. I love that.

Just some odd ball bit of weird business plopped right into this average life. Surreal and yet, treated as just every day occurrence.

I love her descriptions. I love her turn of phrase. I love how her characters act and react to the Bog Girl.

Surreal, sweet, odd, charming, creepy -- so many words to use here.

I can't wait to hear what you guys think.

Did it work for you? Would you read more of her writing?

If anyone cares to check her out further, she has two more free stories in The New Yorker.

"Orange World" revolving around breast feeding. A very natural every day occurrence.

But wait, she has to breast feed what she thinks is the devil or (perhaps he's just a minor demon) to keep her family safe. The demon has threatened harm if she doesn't cooperate.

And, The Prospectors. That one is about ghosts.

 

[Doc Creed]

The New Yorker website was under repair when I tried to get some quotes but my favorite line I remember without notes: "The bog confessed her".

 

[Dana Jean]

The New Yorker website was under repair when I tried to get some quotes but my favorite line I remember without notes: "The bog confessed her".

Oh, hopefully they'll be up and running quickly because I'd love to hear more passages that spoke to you as a writer.

 

[Doc Creed]

I know exactly what you mean about how this author injects the bizarre and the absurd into her stories without the slightest wink at the reader. It is almost how a fairy tale is told. Like I told you before, she has this trait in common with Tim Burton.

 

[Dana Jean]

She also does an interview with The New Yorker about Bog Girl, which I would love to read but I just ran out of my complimentary reading for the month!

If anyone reads it, let me know what she had to say about it.

 

[Dana Jean]

I know exactly what you mean about how this author injects the bizarre and the absurd into her stories without the slightest wink at the reader. It is almost how a fairy tale is told. Like I told you before, she has this trait in common with Tim Burton.

No, no winks ever. She just matter-of-factly creates this weird world and welcomes you.

 

[Doc Creed]

This story reminded me of "Pop Art" in some ways. Russell is an enchantress. In her world, trees talk, ghosts fall in love with the living, and nothing is completely ordinary.

 

[Doc Creed]

I wish I could read it again to jot down my quotes from yesterday. I remember having questions about Cillian's relationship with his mother. Was she jealous of The Bog Girl? She was drunk, in one scene, and I got the impression she didn't want him to be in love or to leave home...at least not with the bog girl.

 

[Doc Creed]

Are we told how the bog girl died? Who killed her? If so, I missed it. I figured the noose around her neck may have suggested suicide.

The scene where the bog girl speaks was creepy, I thought. Her Patti Labelle voice made it all the more surreal.

 

[Dana Jean]

I wish I could read it again to jot down my quotes from yesterday. I remember having questions about Cillian's relationship with his mother. Was she jealous of The Bog Girl? She was drunk, in one scene, and I got the impression she didn't want him to be in love or to leave home...at least not with the bog girl.

I just went to the site and it seemed to be up and running. I just couldn't read further as I have used up my free reads for the month.

I do think Gillian was jealous. I think this was a son and mother who had a very quiet and comfortable life. He was companionship (in a very mom/son way-- nothing torrid or inappropriate by any means) and Bog Girl messed up the status quo for mom.

Plus, she did know the relationship was unique -- although she accepted it just like the teachers at school did, like the kids did, like everyone did.

Gillian talks about her sister's kid's relationships as more "traditional" and she was hoping for that for him.

Karen's choice of using Gillian and Cillian threw me off when I first read the story. THat's why I made the distinction when I recommended the story. Not to insult anyone's intelligence, but just in case you did what I did.

I started reading and got confused and had to backpedal to figure out what the heck. But, it shows how close this mother and son were, she was a teenager when she had him, and she named him a cutesy teenage name, rhyming with hers -- like they were twins. Jerry and Hairy. Or Suzy and Doozy.

 

[Dana Jean]

Are we told how the bog girl died? Who killed her? If so, I missed it. I figured the noose around her neck may have suggested suicide.

The scene where the bog girl speaks was creepy, I thought. Her Patti Labelle voice made it all the more surreal.

The Bog Girl is based on actual Bog mummies found in Ireland. The rope around the neck was generally a sacrificial thing or an invading army sweeping through the region.

 

[Dana Jean]

This story reminded me of "Pop Art" in some ways. Russell is an enchantress. In her world, trees talk, ghosts fall in love with the living, and nothing is completely ordinary.

Exactly. Good comparison with Pop Art. You enter the world she is creating and just accept it . At least I did, just like I did with Pop Art. Which by the way, I felt was just a beautifully written story in its own right.

 

[Doc Creed]

I just went to the site and it seemed to be up and running. I just couldn't read further as I have used up my free reads for the month.

I do think Gillian was jealous. I think this was a son and mother who had a very quiet and comfortable life. He was companionship (in a very mom/son way-- nothing torrid or inappropriate by any means) and Bog Girl messed up the status quo for mom.

Plus, she did know the relationship was unique -- although she accepted it just like the teachers at school did, like the kids did, like everyone did.

Gillian talks about her sister's kid's relationships as more "traditional" and she was hoping for that for him.

Karen's choice of using Gillian and Cillian threw me off when I first read the story. I started reading and got confused and had to backpedal to figure out what the heck. But, it shows how close this mother and son were, she was a teenager when she had him, and she named him a cutesy teenage name, rhyming with hers -- like they were twins. Jerry and Hairy. Or Suzy and Doozy.

The point where the story lurched into gear was when the cop looks at Cillian and nonchalantly says, "So, you gonna keep her?". I knew then it was going to be a fun read. I liked how the bog girl's presence at the school prom made all the normal excitement passé.

 

[Dana Jean]

The point where the story lurched into gear was when the cop looks at Cillian and nonchalantly says, "So, you gonna keep her?". I knew then it was going to be a fun read. I liked how the bog girl's presence at the school prom made all the normal excitement passé.

I know! And she was popular! She made Cillian popular -- because he wasn't before. The girls were jealous of her relationship with Cillian. Just a surreal situation.

 

[Doc Creed]

Exactly. Good comparison with Pop Art. You enter the world she is creating and just accept it . At least I did, just like I did with Pop Art. Which by the way, I felt was just a beautifully written story in its own right.

Exactly. The corpse "watches" television and "eats" with the other kids but we never see her move unless Cillian moves her. Correct?

 

[Dana Jean]

I think this is the image that Karen Russell drew on for the story. This is an actual Bog Mummy with the rope around it's neck. The reddish hair and the blue black skin that she describes and elaborates on throughout the story.

I think if you read the interview Karen gives with The New Yorker on the story Bog Girl, she probably discusses this. I wish I could read it!