Student Blogs

Hi all! Hope you all had a good read! I picked Nadja as my book for the week because I was quite intrigued about this mysterious woman. I was waiting and waiting for her to appear and it took about a third of the book for her to make her very firs... read full post >>

I was expecting this book to be mainly about Nadja as the main character, so I was surprised when it came across as more of a reflection on Breton’s identity. I found it almost impossible to get past my hatred of Breton for most of this novel. I found both his actions and the way […] read full post >>

After reading Marcel’s prousts’s Swann’s Way, Proust was able to explore how memory works not as a clear and logical process, but as something deeply emotional and often triggered by everyday sensations. Much of the reading, I believe focuses on the experiences of the narrator, that shows how the bounderies between the past and present […] read full post >>

Okay, so going into Nadja, I really thought things would finally get easier after Proust. Like surely that was the hardest one, right? Wrong. While Nadja was technically easier to get through, I still spent most of the book feeling confused and slightly unwell in a “what am I even reading right now?” kind of […] read full post >>

This was definitely a breath of fresh air after reading Proust last week as i was finally reading something i can follow along. While reading Mad Toy by Roberto Arlt, I was struck by how uncomfortable the novel feels. There is nothing clear or reassuring about Silvio’s story. Arlt does not attempt to make Silvio […] read full post >>

So this was my first real taste of Surrealism, (I think) and I do not think it is quite the writing style fit for me… I definitely think the idea behind Surrealism is cool in how it is meant to blend together reality and thoughts, both conscious and unconscious to create the Surreal world which […] read full post >>

Confusing. Figuring things out not by their form but by the convoluted trails of meaning formed by dense sentences, juxtaposing verses, and half-conscious dreams. This book is a forest of question marks. “I am no puzzle-maker, no wizard of chess, no ph... read full post >>

At first reading, I was gonna title this “nadja or nada” because the book well – wasn’t too appealing/ frankly boring to me BUT midway through I changed it because… well you know if you chose this book. I’ll be transparent and say I have a lot of mixed thoughts and confusion after reading this, […] read full post >>

So, Nadja was my first ever introduction to surrealist fiction, and all I can say is…at least it was less confusing than Proust. For starters, the first few parts of the book left me wondering whether I was reading the right book or not, because like… where exactly was Nadja? It felt I was like […] read full post >>

I really thought that after Proust, the texts would get significantly more comprehensible. Wrong. I can’t even articulate my thoughts through the entire beginning of the text on here because it includes so much profanity. It’s entirely possible that I’m missing something because where does the whole play from the start come into relevance? I […] read full post >>

Trigger warning: suicide and attempted suicide Song of the week: mother, i’m sorry – Kamal. This book was a real pleasure to read, especially after Combray. I loved the humour throughout it, as well as the narrator’s descriptions of the different settings that gave me a vivid image of the scenes as they were playing out. […] read full post >>

First of all, I just want to say this was an easier read than Proust! However, I still did not like the form of writing very much??? I don't know what my deal is, or what the French authors' deals are. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be</3I ... read full post >>

First of all, I just want to say this was an easier read than Proust! However, I still did not like the form of writing very much??? I don't know what my deal is, or what the French authors' deals are. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be</3I ... read full post >>

As I read through Nadja by Andre Breton, I initially thought that the start the book was somewhat unstructured as though I’m reading through one’s journal – which it is. However as I really enjoyed the illustrations, as they helped me visualize the setting and characters in my mind. I find that places which are … read full post >>

Reading The Mad Toy definitely took me some time because it was a little emotionally heavy. Similar to when I watch shows or movies, sometimes I get engrossed in a book, and this novel had that sort of effect on me. Reading about Silvio’s life and the hardships he’s had to face was slightly overwhelming. […] read full post >>