Student Blogs

Black shack alley was definitely a longer read than my previous book Agostino, however, even in its sadness, I felt like the pages took me on a long immersive journey. There was no dramatic twists or anything shocking that would make my eyes pop out or do a double take while reading the text. The […] read full post >>

I thought this would be a story that wasn’t unheard of before, a gifted child escaping poverty through education. read full post >>

feb 8, 2026 Reading this book was really depressing compared to reading the previous books, even though it had simpler wording, the descriptions of the author’s childhood is very vivid and raw and the dread just goes on and on as we see how they live under discrimination and their family’s struggles. It took me […] read full post >>

  This book felt…heavy (ᵕ ◞ _◟) all the way from beginning to end. It was hard seeing the tone and voice of José change as he aged and realised more of the systems in the world that worked against him. It was even harder seeing him recognise the enormous amount of effort M’man Tine […] read full post >>

You know those books where the writer throws logic out the window and invites the reader to live in the character’s inner world. Deep Rivers is one of those. It feels as if Ernesto’s inner dialogue is being read aloud to us. A mix of memories, emotions, and observations with a touch of melancholy.  Arguedas […] read full post >>

This reading overall made me feel sad and exhausted. Not in a dramatic way, but because Jose’s life was just… reality. It was precisely the coming of youth, and the cards were never in his favour. Knowing that this novel was in part autobiographical makes sense to me. I think the most saddening character to […] read full post >>

Black Shack Alley left me feeling a certain numb sadness that I can’t quite describe. It felt like I was watching José slowly lose himself and his joy/passion as he followed the path of education and achieved these milestones, and it was quite sad to watch this progress. I could feel my mood dropping throughout […] read full post >>

Tina Turner RIVER DEEP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de5Xauv99QM read full post >>

I have to say, I really did like the writing style, it was the only thing that got me through most of it because the length (Last minute reading) was kind of intimidating. While there were a lot of things I loved about this story, I also realized that books ragebait me way too easily […] read full post >>

I enjoyed reading Black Shack Alley as I did not know much about the circumstances in the Caribbean islands during this period so it was a refreshing read. The grim living conditions of the Black Shack Alley are totally contrasted with Jose’s naivety in the beginning to what is going on around him and in […] read full post >>

After reflecting on each chapter, I either felt a sense of loss or weight. I believe the author wanted the reader to not have an easy time reading the novel. Ernesto observed his surroundings like a curious child. He saw things that one may perceive to be insignificant; however, in the end, they ended up […] read full post >>

 Theme : Finding One’s SelfCompared to the other books that I’ve read so far throughout this course, Deep Rivers by Jose Maria Arguedas was harder for me to get into. I think it’s because there’s no concrete ending or structure to the story, which... read full post >>

 Theme : Finding One’s SelfCompared to the other books that I’ve read so far throughout this course, Deep Rivers by Jose Maria Arguedas was harder for me to get into. I think it’s because there’s no concrete ending or structure to the story, which... read full post >>

This book left me feeling quite despairing. I knew we were going to lose M’man Tine as soon as things started looking up for José but it still devastated me. She fought so hard for that boy, and he in turn was kept going with the hope of making her life better when he finished […] read full post >>

This reading was probably the second hardest for me, after Combray. At times it felt very slow, but I understand that this pace was maybe intentional, to guide us through Ernesto’s perceptions, memories, and reactions to the world around him. I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about the novel as of now, but […] read full post >>