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Gathering Blue [Audiobook] [Unabridged] (Audio Cassette)

by Lois Lowry (Author), Katherine Borowitz (Reader)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (186 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Lois Lowry's magnificent novel of the distant future, The Giver, is set in a highly technical and emotionally repressed society. This eagerly awaited companion volume, by contrast, takes place in a village with only the most rudimentary technology, where anger, greed, envy, and casual cruelty make ordinary people's lives short and brutish. This society, like the one portrayed in The Giver, is controlled by merciless authorities with their own complex agendas and secrets. And at the center of both stories there is a young person who is given the responsibility of preserving the memory of the culture--and who finds the vision to transform it.

Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world's past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer's staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song.

With the help of a cheerful waif called Matt and his little dog, Kira at last finds the way to the plant that will allow her to create the missing color--blue--and, symbolically, to find the courage to shape the future by following her art wherever it may lead. With astonishing originality, Lowry has again created a vivid and unforgettable setting for this thrilling story that raises profound questions about the mystery of art, the importance of memory, and the centrality of love. (Ages 10 and older) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

After conjuring the pitfalls of a technologically advanced society in The Giver, Lowry looks toward a different type of future to create this dark, prophetic tale with a strong medieval flavor. Having suffered numerous unnamed disasters (aka, the Ruin), civilization has regressed to a primitive, technology-free state; an opening author's note describes a society in which "disorder, savagery, and self-interest" rule. Kira, a crippled young weaver, has been raised and taught her craft by her mother, after her father was allegedly killed by "beasts." When her mother dies, Kira fears that she will be cast out of the village. Instead, the society's Council of Guardians installs her as caretaker of the Singer's robe, a precious ceremonial garment depicting the history of the world and used at the annual Gathering. She moves to the Council Edifice, a gothic-style structure, one of the few to survive the Ruin. The edifice and other settings, such as the FenAthe village ghettoAand the small plot where Annabella (an elder weaver who mentors Kira after her mother's death) lives are especially well drawn, and the characterizations of Kira and the other artists who cohabit the stone residence are the novel's greatest strength. But the narrative hammers at the theme of the imprisoned artist. And readers may well predict where several important plot threads are headed (e.g., the role of Kira's Guardian, Jamison; her father's disappearance), while larger issues, such as the society's downfall, are left to readers' imaginations. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews

186 Reviews
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4.1 out of 5 stars (186 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Grim Dystopian Society, Oct 17 2007
By N. Manning (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Gathering Blue (Mass Market Paperback)
Highly recommend. I am enjoying these books so much. This book is completely different than The Giver and has no apparent connection with it until a very brief hint is given on the second to last page. The dystopian society featured in this book is almost the opposite of the one in The Giver though one grim element is the same: Anyone who is not useful to society is disposed of. The characters in this book are very likable and I'm looking forward to meeting them again in the next, and last, book. Once again I'm left with a feeling that this book will stay with me.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Lavender blue, dilly dilly. Lavender green., July 9 2004
By E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Gathering Blue (Mass Market Paperback)
A book that seems primed for Middle School discussions due to its open-to-interpretation ending. This tale is the second in the Lois Lowry futuristic trilogy. Beginning with "The Giver", continuing through "Gathering Blue" and finishing with "The Messenger", the tales tell the stories of utopias gone awry. Call them utopias gone dis, if you will. Though the first two books make only the most casual of allusions to one another, the third ties them all together. Each deals with how simple citizens of the world can begin to challenge authority on a basic every day level. As you might imagine, these books are banned from schools and libraries with breathtaking frequency. In "Gathering Blue" we read about a girl, her artistic talents, and her growing awareness of the world around her.

Kira was born with a misshapen foot, a serious defect in the society in which she lives. Raised by her mother to be proud and strong, Kira must deal with her mom's untimely death and a village that is hostile to her presence. When brought before the village's Council of the Guardians, the rulers of this local berg, Kira is given a chance to become not only accepted but also admired. Adept with a needle and thread, she is given the challenge of restoring and improving the robe belonging to the Singer of Songs. While living within the council building she meets and befriends a boy who is adept with wood carving and a child that sings with incredible beauty. Yet as Kira learns more and more about her living situation and the world around her, it becomes painfully clear that those who have supposedly helped her in the past may be keeping her for their own devices. Kira must decide whether to leave this uncomfortable situation for a place that would welcome her freely or to stay and try to change the way things are.

Anyone who is a fan of Lowry's books in this series won't be disappointed by this addition. Certainly it leaves the reader wanting more, but that's just the mark of a good writer. Personally, I was a little amazed to find these stories so very similar to Zilpha Keatley Snyder's "Below the Root" books. This isn't to say that Lowry stole Snyder's ideas, but rather that the plots in these books are universal and popular. Fans of "The Giver" who worried about Jonas's fate will find some comfort in the brief allusion made to him in this story. As with most of Lowry's tales, this book relies on strong characters and an airtight plot. At the same time, it accomplishes the difficult task of giving the reader some space to figure things out on his or her own. Few books do this well. "Gathering Blue" is one of the few.

Though not as airtight a tale as "The Giver", "Gathering Blue" raises some important questions about society itself. Those who blindly follow their leaders will inevitably end up in a harsh cruel world. It takes people like Kira, the artists and crazies, to call into question those who would make our decisions for us. In this day and age ESPECIALLY, this is an incredibly important lesson to remember and retain. For as long as this book remains read, it will hopefully help its readers to question authority. It's a strong message presented in a lovely little package.
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4.0 out of 5 stars pretty good all round book!!, July 2 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Gathering Blue (Mass Market Paperback)
Gathering Blue is about a girl by the name of Kira who lives in a village society set in the future. Before she is born, her father is reported killed and then much later when her mother dies of a terrible illness, Kira's life becomes endangered. Luckily though, because of her skillful talent with threads, she is kept and well taken care of with two other talented children. While she is there, some mysteries start to unfold which lead up to an end with an amount of surprising twists.

Gathering Blue is written very well - full of details so you can imagine every character and setting very clearly. The ideas for the future society in this book are very imaginative and unique. The story is also quite different. (If you're thinking this book sounds a lot like one of Lowry's other books, The Giver, then you're wrong because the story and the future society in The Giver is totally different!) The second half of Gathering Blue is much more gripping than the first half but still, this is a pretty good all round book!

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
"Gathering Blue" is part two of a three part trilogy of a post apocalyptic world. "Gathering Blue" focuses on the struggle for life in a small village after the "fall" and what... Read more
Published on Jun 7 2004 by papaphilly

4.0 out of 5 stars gathering up some blue
Gathering Blue was a great book. At first I found it boring and stupid, but as I kept read it seemed to get more and more interesting. Read more
Published on Jun 4 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Gathering Blue
I read the book Gathering Blue. The main characters are Kira, Matt, Jo, and Thomas. In the book Kira is supposed to repair the singer's robe. Read more
Published on Jun 4 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Gathering Blue
Overall, the book was good. But the reason I gave it a 4 star rating was that at times the book dragged on or I became confused with the plot. Read more
Published on Jun 4 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Questioning Novel
When I read Gathering Blue, I thought it was good at the beginning, bad at the middle, and good at the end. Read more
Published on Jun 4 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars A Weird World
Gathering Blue is about a girl named Kira. Her dad was taken by beasts when she was still not yet born and her mom died of a disease. Read more
Published on Jun 4 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars not "the giver" but very good
A sequel to "The Giver" not as powerful but still worthy of attention. A young girl with the gift of weaving is given a home after her mother passes away and leaves her (she... Read more
Published on Jun 1 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars WOW!! By: Grace D.
After I read The Giver, I decided to read the next book, Gathering Blue. It has many similarities to The Giver but her community is not as enclosed, but still has many rules and... Read more
Published on May 29 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars gathering blue
I think Gathering Blue was an okay book. It seemed sort-of boring at times, but exciting at others. Its about a girl named Kira who becomes an orphan when her mother dies. Read more
Published on May 19 2004 by chelsea

5.0 out of 5 stars If you liked the giver..... it's a must read!
This is the "companion" book to the giver. The world that Kira *the main character of this book* lives in is almost the exact opposite of the world that Jonus lived in in the book... Read more
Published on April 25 2004 by Katie

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