And now, the end is hereAnd so we face the final curtainMy friends, I’ll say it clearI’ll state my case of which I’m certainWe’ve read a ton of booksWe’ve traveled each and every decadeBut more, much more than thiswe did it our way~ The Course I can say with all honesty that this course exceeded […]
Posted in Blogs, Conclusion | Tagged with books, Bye, end of term, Farewell, goodbye
I loved this book so much, and I will have to read the next ones. I can’t be left in such a cliffhanger! Of course, this book is an coming of age story, a common theme in the course. It takes us on a journey where we can see how a small neighborhood in Italy […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with childhood, COA, coming of age, Elena Ferrante, family, friends, identity, Italy, jealousy, life, love, My brilliant friend, Personal Growth, poverty, Teens
Plata Quemada” by Ricardo Piglia is a novel that combines elements of excitement and suspense, while also invoking a sense of sentimentality. The author’s use of a journalistic approach to storytelling enhances the narrative, offering a unique perspective that adds a clever touch to the book. Certainly ahead of it’s time and revolutionary back then […]
Posted in Blogs, Piglia | Tagged with Action, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Burnt Money, Corruption, Drugs, Empathy, Heist, Homosexuality, Materialism, money, Narcs, Nihilism, Plata Quemada, Police, Societal Norms, Uruguay
I was really excited about reading this book and finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It takes the number one spot for me dethroning The Time of Doves. The Lover, a novel about exploration of identity with a hint of coming-of-age, will stay with me for a while. Let’s address the elephant […]
Posted in Blogs, Duras | Tagged with COA, coming of age, Dysfunctional Family, family, Forbidden, France, identity, Indochina, Lolita, love, Marguerite Duras, melancholy, nostalgia, Personal Growth, poverty, The Lover, Vietnam
After finishing the book, I was left with the internal question of “What did I just read?” And then I looked up the author, and it started to make more sense. The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector is yet another book that dives into the themes of identity, the search for meaning, and […]
Posted in Blogs, Lispector | Tagged with Brazil, Clarice Lispector, existence, identity, Macabea, Personal Growth, Philsophy, poverty, Roast, romance, society, women
I won’t lie, I wasn’t particularly excited about this book, but I surprisingly enjoyed it. It’s definitely original, fun with a dash of philosophical thoughts. The Book of Chameleons takes us on a journey of identity, memory, and truth, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Past = Identity? “My soul hurts with too much […]
Posted in Agualusa, Blogs | Tagged with Dreams, Germany, identity, Jorge Luis Borges, lies, life, Personal Growth, Philosophy, Portugal, The Book of Chameleons
Entering the world of ‘The Time of the Doves’ by Merce Rodoreda was like stepping onto a rollercoaster of emotions, navigating the already difficult life of Natalia, turned upside-down due to the Spanish Civil War. This literary journey becomes a captivating search for identity, belongingness, growth, and transformation. Natalia’s alienation From the beginning we can […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with Belongingness, Colometa, Domestic Abuse, doves, growth, identity, merce Rodoreda, pain, Personal Growth, Spanish Civil War, Survivor, Time of the Doves, Transformation
José María Arguedas’ novel “Deep Rivers” explores Peruvian identity through indigenous culture, colonial heritage, and nature. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Ernesto, the author tells a story about the search for belonging. We follow a story that is both turbulent and calm, like the rivers that flow through the pages of the book. Between Two Worlds […]
Posted in Arguedas, Blogs | Tagged with Abancay, COA, coming of age, Deep Rivers, Ernesto, history, identity, Indigenous, Peru, Travel, Zumbayllu
This Novella was an interesting ride. It follows an upper class kid who is on vacation with his mother. As the story progresses, we see the protagonist’s changing perception of his mother. I dare to question the author’s perception of women, lower social classes and Freudian theories by the way he shaped the main character’s […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with COA, coming of age, family, Freud, Italy, life, love, Mommy Issues, motherhood, parenting, summer
The Shrouded Woman draws in readers with its poetic, symbolically rich narrative, which can present an initial struggle to understand but eventually transforms into a beautiful journey, particularly when read in Spanish, where the unique characteristics of the language offer another layer to the story. Love Journey Ana Maria’s romantic journey unfolds as a touching […]
Posted in Blogs, Bombal | Tagged with Chile, death, family, grief, life, love, María Luisa Bombal