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Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 21 Feb 2018, 12:40
by CommMayo
Kieran_Obrien wrote: ↑18 Feb 2018, 16:34
Does Harry Potter need wizards? Does Twilight need vampires? Does the Fault in Our Stars need cancer? Does Moby Dick need whales?
It doesn't really matter! We read these stories for the characters; their wants and needs, their personality and flaws. The rest is all still very important, buts it's just the clothes the story wears. Often it's what makes the story original! I don't know of a single other book about fly fishing for example!
Take our fly fishers out of The Reel Sisters and plonk them into Westeros and you still have a story about friendship.
Great point. Plus, we all needed someone else to associate fly fishing with other than "A River Run Through It." Awful movie, not sure if the book was any better.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 21 Feb 2018, 15:07
by Kieran_Obrien
CommMayo wrote: ↑21 Feb 2018, 12:40
Kieran_Obrien wrote: ↑18 Feb 2018, 16:34
Does Harry Potter need wizards? Does Twilight need vampires? Does the Fault in Our Stars need cancer? Does Moby Dick need whales?
It doesn't really matter! We read these stories for the characters; their wants and needs, their personality and flaws. The rest is all still very important, buts it's just the clothes the story wears. Often it's what makes the story original! I don't know of a single other book about fly fishing for example!
Take our fly fishers out of The Reel Sisters and plonk them into Westeros and you still have a story about friendship.
Great point. Plus, we all needed someone else to associate fly fishing with other than "A River Run Through It." Awful movie, not sure if the book was any better.
Yeah in all fairness it's hard to make the high-octane sport of fly fishing all that dramatic
when I first read a synopsis of the book I thought that the person they pulled out of the river was dead and it was going to be a fly fishing murder mystery
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 25 Feb 2018, 05:58
by ayoomisope
I can't imagine the story without fly fishing either, even, the title is dependent on that. Maybe, the story could be reworked around other outdoor (and quiet) activities? However, that would probably be another story.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 25 Feb 2018, 11:04
by bookowlie
Kieran_Obrien wrote: ↑21 Feb 2018, 15:07
CommMayo wrote: ↑21 Feb 2018, 12:40
Kieran_Obrien wrote: ↑18 Feb 2018, 16:34
Does Harry Potter need wizards? Does Twilight need vampires? Does the Fault in Our Stars need cancer? Does Moby Dick need whales?
It doesn't really matter! We read these stories for the characters; their wants and needs, their personality and flaws. The rest is all still very important, buts it's just the clothes the story wears. Often it's what makes the story original! I don't know of a single other book about fly fishing for example!
Take our fly fishers out of The Reel Sisters and plonk them into Westeros and you still have a story about friendship.
Great point. Plus, we all needed someone else to associate fly fishing with other than "A River Run Through It." Awful movie, not sure if the book was any better.
Yeah in all fairness it's hard to make the high-octane sport of fly fishing all that dramatic
when I first read a synopsis of the book I thought that the person they pulled out of the river was dead and it was going to be a fly fishing murder mystery
It's funny, I also thought the person from the river was going to be dead and that would create the main plot! I didn't know if it was going to turn into a mystery, but I thought that scene was introducing the central storyline. Instead, it was just a way to add another friend into the mix.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 25 Feb 2018, 11:57
by P0tt3ry
Fly fishing could have been replaced with any activity that took the woman out of the everyday and into a shared focused experience. I did like the fly fishing vehicle; it's a sport that even the most experienced haven't really mastered so is an equalizer to some extent. Because it takes place out in nature, people can interact without all the "static" of modern life.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 25 Feb 2018, 21:55
by HeatherTasker
Lest92 wrote: ↑10 Feb 2018, 14:14
As mentioned above, the fly fishing could have been replaced by some other outdoorsy activity people bond over - the intention I think is the author's focus on the formation of friendships, not necessarily fly fishing itself, though, for this specific story, that's what connected the women. I imagine something like hiking or outdoor photography might have worked just as well.
I wish they would have replaced it with something else. Fly fishing was a turnoff for me.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 26 Feb 2018, 10:33
by CommMayo
HeatherTasker wrote: ↑25 Feb 2018, 21:55
Lest92 wrote: ↑10 Feb 2018, 14:14
As mentioned above, the fly fishing could have been replaced by some other outdoorsy activity people bond over - the intention I think is the author's focus on the formation of friendships, not necessarily fly fishing itself, though, for this specific story, that's what connected the women. I imagine something like hiking or outdoor photography might have worked just as well.
I wish they would have replaced it with something else. Fly fishing was a turnoff for me.
What type of hobby do you think would have worked in its place? I'll admit to not being a huge fan of fly fishing either, but I do enjoy almost any past time that gets people outside.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 26 Feb 2018, 11:10
by bookowlie
CommMayo wrote: ↑26 Feb 2018, 10:33
HeatherTasker wrote: ↑25 Feb 2018, 21:55
Lest92 wrote: ↑10 Feb 2018, 14:14
As mentioned above, the fly fishing could have been replaced by some other outdoorsy activity people bond over - the intention I think is the author's focus on the formation of friendships, not necessarily fly fishing itself, though, for this specific story, that's what connected the women. I imagine something like hiking or outdoor photography might have worked just as well.
I wish they would have replaced it with something else. Fly fishing was a turnoff for me.
What type of hobby do you think would have worked in its place? I'll admit to not being a huge fan of fly fishing either, but I do enjoy almost any past time that gets people outside.
I'm not sure what hobby would have worked in this story besides fly fishing. It's not like a book club where most of the time is spent discussing the book. There's not a lot of time for chit-chat with other sports such as tennis or baseball. With fly fishing, you are just standing there together for long periods and there's lots of free time to bond.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 26 Feb 2018, 20:56
by JPbrar
I don't believe so, given the striking similarities and underlying connections between the sisters and fly fishing. As with the five sisters, there are five main components of the fly rod used in fly fishing. Each of these components operated independently, but complement one another, due in large part to their unique characteristics. In many ways, this mirrors the relationship between the sisters.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 28 Feb 2018, 08:39
by uyky
It is something that is not usually used in books with female characters so it is nice to read something different. But, yes, I think it could have been replaced with other activities. But why should it?
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 28 Feb 2018, 21:02
by HeatherTasker
bookowlie wrote: ↑26 Feb 2018, 11:10
CommMayo wrote: ↑26 Feb 2018, 10:33
HeatherTasker wrote: ↑25 Feb 2018, 21:55
I wish they would have replaced it with something else. Fly fishing was a turnoff for me.
What type of hobby do you think would have worked in its place? I'll admit to not being a huge fan of fly fishing either, but I do enjoy almost any past time that gets people outside.
I'm not sure what hobby would have worked in this story besides fly fishing. It's not like a book club where most of the time is spent discussing the book. There's not a lot of time for chit-chat with other sports such as tennis or baseball. With fly fishing, you are just standing there together for long periods and there's lots of free time to bond.
Good point. There are also elements of it being a rare sport/hobby without really excluding anyone... I'm not sure. I'll have to think about this.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 01 Mar 2018, 06:31
by micoleon13
The point of the friendship was their common interest bringing them together. I think that the mentions of fly fishing throughout the book would make it difficult to replace with a less descriptive or specialized interest
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 02 Mar 2018, 11:02
by Manali_DC
The story is mainly about friendship and the unique struggle each person goes through in life! So this story would probably have still been a good story without the fly fishing. But it is the fly--fishing which adds the extra to the book . I know how much I enjoyed reading about this sport- it was something I had no idea about before this book. And the setting and the sport made it a very unusual backdrop for a story about female bonding and I enjoyed the book more for it!
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 02 Mar 2018, 21:29
by SparklesonPages
Fly fishing was an interesting choice but I agree that they could have easily bonded over another outdoor sport or activity.
Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?
Posted: 04 Mar 2018, 08:00
by Mercelle
The inclusion of fly fishing as a way of bonding added a unique element to the story. It's also a great marketing tool. My attention to the book was drawn when I read that it's about a group of women who bond over fly fishing.