November 3rd: Little Princes by Conor Grennan

[Kinokokao]

This is the discussion thread for the November 3rd ItL Book Club meeting.

We are discussing:

Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan



This thread is active.

[NessySchu]

So... Besides liking it (which a lot of people have told me they did, yay!) what did everyone think of Little Princes?

[Kinokokao]

I liked it, but I want to open the discussion with what I didn't like, because I'm a cold-hearted bitch.

My absolute first complaint, right out the gate -- wtf, who still uses "Indian style" to describe sitting crossed-legged on the floor, especially considering

a) that's a little racist/outdated

and

b) you're describing children in Nepal so "Indian" is more likely to make us think of dots and not feathers.

It happened twice within the first 20 pages and really irked me. Because I'm crazy.

But it was made up by me actually laughing aloud when he described the koalas suffering from crippling loneliness that he could be petting instead of volunteering in Nepal. The moments of humor were quite lively and bright. The narrative did drag in places, and on the whole you can tell he isn't a professional writer. I generally do not like memoirs, but this was one of the better ones I had read -- definitely read it for the story, not the line-by-line, though. He had too much rambling, aimless narrative and not enough tight, engrossing prose -- this isn't a bad thing, he didn't write the book to put forth a strong line-by-line, he wrote it to tell his story and that of the Little Princes.

I thought the narrative was strongest when he was in Nepal. All the scenes of him in America, or talking about his life in America, really dragged. The middle section where he goes to the US and starts Next Generation Nepal is rather uninteresting. I get that it's supposed to be "in the moment" as we struggle along with him to find direction and purpose, but it just reads as "and then I did this and this and talked to this person" -- as opposed to the times when we get to experience Nepalese life.

The best section, for me, was when he goes to Humla and meets the parents. I loved every single moment where a child meets or hears about a parents, and vis-versa. I did think that the prologue and preface were unnecessary and served to diminish the drama of the book. If I were his editor, I would have cut both. I had no trouble following the political situation in Nepal as it was introduced in the narrative. The preface ruins any element of surprise -- and it's presented like we should be surprised -- that the Little Princes are not actually orphans. Likewise, the prologue piece was too dramatic and really lessened the impact of the Humla passages it preempted.

And who else was absolutely heart broken when Conor shows all the Little Princes the pictures from Humla, and gives each one a photo of their parents, and then the two actual little orphans are left standing there, and the big sister is like "I tell him you no have picture for us, but he no listen..." and you're just like OH MY GOD SO SAD. At least, that's how I felt. The absolute best parts of the book were scenes with the children. I actually cared remarkably little for Conor and his story, especially the romance with Liz and his conversion to Christianity. I disliked both of those elements. I thought Farid's journey and story was immensely more intriguing.

But, yeah, on the whole, glad I read it, liked reading it.

[Maxine MagicFox]

I'm going to stick up for the whole "indian style" thing because I still use it. I actually have to edit myself many times to put "cross legged" or something else. This didn't bother me.

I kinda liked his non-professional prose. It was refreshing, actually. It's part of what made the book come alive. The guy isn't telling a STORY. He's telling you his experiences. Also, I absolutely LOVED his wit and humor.

BUT! I do agree. The only time I liked reading about him "out of Nepal" was when he learned of the fate of the seven children and suddenly he was on a mission to correct his mistake.

Starting from there and through the Humla adventure, the story was nothing but an emotional draw for me. I cried when he was talking about how guilty he felt and BY GOD I cried when he found the mother of Amita. And it nearly tore my heart out learning that Jagrit's parents were still alive and then he got to tell Jagrit of this.

I also loved it when he was talking about Liz <3 Awwww, it was so cute <3 ^_^ Awwww, yay for Conor! He did get to marry before Santosh!

I think the one scene, though, that got me to shed the most tears, though, was little Leena and when she finally started speaking. It was a great close to the book, I felt.

I'm going to contest the prologue bit, Kino. >:[ I kept WAITING for it and flipping back and forth comparing the dates. 9-months to D-Day, kinda thing. I so wanted to learn what was happening to him in that scene and if he did make it out of there. No, for me, it definitely enhanced the moment.


..... *seems to disagree with Kino 90%* Awww


Also: Ness suggested that the print copy of the book has photos? o_O My digital did not. I WANT PHOTOS!!! I searched the internet and found a few photos and I want to see if there's anything more.

[Kinokokao]

Yes, there are photos! There's a great one of a mother holding the picture of her son -- the exact photo that Conor later shows that son, Anish, I think; one of the Little Princes. There are photos of Amita, who is adorable, as well as the other children, even the littlest of the seven, the one they couldn't find for the longest time, and Leena in her red plunger hat.

I didn't look at the photos until I finished the book, just not avoid spoiling certain things.

[Maxine MagicFox]

Fuck, that's it. I'm just going to order me my own print copy. :[ I mean, fuck, I like this book so much I'm reading it through a second time and I would KILL to see those pictures.

GRRRR BUT I CAN'T AFFORD IT RIGHT NOW!!! I'VE GOTTA BUY MY DAD'S PRESENT!!


T-T


someone please scan them....

[Trifkin]

[Maxine MagicFox]

Was I the only one who liked the romance thing? -_- awwww. Oh well. Fine!

I, too, particularly loved that he was honest at the beginning of the book and it really set up his character very well. It told us who he was. From the outset I thought "kinda fratboy-ish who wants to do things his own way but still wants to seem kewl to his friends."

I also really LOVED all the many tourist-goofs he mentioned. I think the best being "Hamaste" to EVERYONE as he goes down the street.

Though I think I really fell in love with the book the moment he walked through the door of the orphanage and the kids swarmed him and the other attendants did NOTHING to save him. XD

Favorite Conor screw up: the murder of Hriteek's picture. XD

Also in considering the children. I loved the toy situation. Conor brings store bought toys and they last... what was it? a half a day? But they make a toy car themselves and they have far more everlasting fun with it. ^_^

[Trifkin]

Haha, yes, I was just describing to my brother how they made a toy car out of what? A plastic bottle, some wood, string, and some bottle caps? Amazing.

And yeah, I loved his cultural goofs. "I honor the God within you," he says... to the dog and the kids and passing strangers...

[beekee]

When I began reading this book, I went around for like the next two days exclaiming: "Namaste, Brother!"

I enjoyed this book not only for the story but also for some of its pleasant surprises. I admit I was quite intimidated to read about a struggle against child trafficking in an impoverished part of the world. I imagined grueling depictions of injustice and the frustrations of fighting it to help children who can't help themselves.

Instead, the story was quite cute. Not to mention bright, with an appreciably simple style. All the scenes with the children were adorable. More subtly, what I found cute was how attached all the volunteers got to the children and how their lives changed. Connor gets all parental, which is endearing considering what a goofy schlub he describes himself as.

I also like how self-deprecating the author is. He's very up-front since the beginning what he is doing there, what the experience is like, and how he doesn't enjoy every step of it. (I kept being reminded of Scott Pilgrim!?) I grew to like him a good bit by the end.

I was also a little worried the book would spend a lot of time contemplating the journey in a religious sense. The pleasant surprise here was not simply that it doesn't address religion that much, but when it does the subject is in context to the events of the story without any kind of interpretation put on it. This is much more true to the story, I feel, than if Connor went on tangents relating everything to a specific religious viewpoint. I liked how he wasn't even a Christian at the beginning of the journey. Even in light of his conversion, Connor doesn't treat Farid's finding Buddhism as any less significant. He shows no distrust of the other religions around him. He merely tells the story of how it affects him and his friends. It all feels very personal.

One thing I found a little odd was how small a role the founder of Little Princes, Sandra, played in the narrative. I guess I expected her to figure into things more even though she was out of the country.

I agree about the prologue because it threw me off. I kept waiting for the story to arrive back at that point to resolve the conflict it hinted at. However, that point in the story basically retold the same event in a slightly different way. It felt strange to read that part and realize that I had just gone past the sequence of the prologue quite seamlessly.

I loved all the stories about the various children. One of my favorite slices-of-life was his relationship with Jagrit. Their banter, horseplay, all so sweet. This made the scene when Jagrit discovers his parents are still alive all the more moving.

I about rolled onto the floor when the kids decided foreigners must be afraid of their toy. And the scene when Connor lists all they eat in America, and they panic because "you eat cow? You eat God?" Aaaaiaiaih.

[Maxine MagicFox]

It took me a moment when I was reading that scene when he's talking about eating his favorite thing to realize what a fatal culture faux-pas he had made - well, right up to the point when the kids scream the exact line you quoted.

I, too, found it odd that Sandra was rarely discussed. After she leaves - that's it. That's about the last we hear of her.

I dunno. I instantly liked Conor from the first few sentences. I think because he's the type of tourist that I would end up being. I, too, would probably be stupid enough to open a brochure that says "Civil War" and think "pffft" and probably reach the same conclusion: "they wouldn't REALLY send me to anywhere that's seriously dangerous...." And particularly the scene with the orientation. That would SO be me. A guy is up there talking about all the cultural do's-and-don'ts and I would be distracted and miss half of it. Also: "Goats are science." *nods nods* nice improvisation there.


SO! I gotta ask ^_^ which child ended up being your guys' favorite?
Mine: Santosh and Amita (they are tied). Leena is a close third, but she was only in the last few chapters. She's a cheat and doesn't count ^_^.

[Kinokokao]

I have a lot more to say, but I need sleep most desperately. I did just want to pop in and tell Maxine that the paperback edition is due out December 27th (price: $14.99) and will no doubt have the same pictures as the hardcover.

Also, one funny thing I noticed: mine's a signed copy because it's on inter-library loan from the University of Virginia (his alma mater).

[NessySchu]

Mine's paperback as well. We got them free as a reading initiative thing through school. So it has the U of C crest and stuff on it. Incidentally it is also signed, and I had dinner with him.

[Maxine MagicFox]

*wants to have dinner with Conor Grennan*

[Kinokokao]

@Nessy

Was it daal baht?

which, incidentally, was another thing I really enjoyed about reading the book: the Nepalese culture. I would have actually liked a lot more than we got, but I know the story required that we empathize with Conor in the not-knowing. I also really enjoyed when the kids scared the crap out of them with their toy by accidentally flinging the spider at them, and when poor Hriteek's picture got murdered.

My favorite child? I didn't really have one, I guess Amita or Crazy Rohan. Even though we didn't get to see much of him, sadly! So I guess Amita, especially since I can put a face to her name.

One of the photos, Maxine, is the very moment he met her on the road. She's carrying those two water bottles and the look on her face -- wow.

@religion

I agree that it was tastefully done. The only parts that really had me rolling my eyes is when he tries to make a big deal out of "wow! not all Christians are crazy fundamentalists!" uh, yeah? I was born and raised in the fucking bible belt of crazy fundamentalist horrible Christianity, and even I know that. It felt a little weirdly shoe-horned in -- we never really got a reason why he converted other than the chick he liked was a Christian -- , but I'm glad he didn't go into more detail. I get that what he experienced could clue you in to a deep spirituality, and he chose Christianity because it was a) what he was familiar with and b) Liz. I thought that Farid's religious journey, even though we never really got to hear much about it, was far more compelling. Again, I thought Farid in general was very interesting, so there's my bias. But from what we're told in the book, it seems like Conor just chose generic Deism -- no real connection to Christ, specifically, at all, but, then again, that's how most Christians function so it's only logical. It made the most sense for him to slap the Christian label on his new Deism.

Again, my observations based on what we read, I didn't sit in on his bible study or listen to him expose his theological beliefs... (for which I'm grateful.)

@Jubelon

But, yeah, I did just keep waiting around for the prologue bit, and when it did turn up I'm like "oh, that wasn't nearly what I thought would happen" I just didn't like it. In 99% of all cases, I feel, a prologue is just author masturbation. It's overdone.