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For the final book of this course, I chose to read The Society of Reluctant Dreamers by José Eduardo Agualusa. I really liked this book. There was a lot going on that added so much detail to the plot. I especially liked the incorporation of Hossi’s journal entries and the letters between the characters. I always like when authors add different forms of writing to their writing. This in particular reminded me of Paris Peasant because I remember how Aragon incorporated menus and newspaper clippings. On another note, when Daniel Benchimol is dreaming about people that he has not met and events that have not happened yet it reminded me of Amulet and how while trapped inside the bathroom, Auxilio was able to recall memories from the future. However, unlike some of our other readings, I was glad that this one had a more happy ending for Moira, Daniel, and Karinguiri.

The book itself had a dreamlike quality on its own. I found it a little confusing to figure out whether I was reading something that was in the present or in a dream or in the past. It was such an interesting plot combining the political aspect of Angola with the idea of the dream lab technology taking pictures of dreams and how the two began to interact with each other. Dreams in this book were a way of connecting people with similar ideologies. I think Daniels's daughter, Karinguiri was my favourite character because she was true to her beliefs no matter what. Even with her mother’s family’s disapproval, and being imprisoned she never gave up on what she thought was right.  

I thought Daniel Benchimol’s relationship with Moira was interesting considering that he had been recently divorced from Lucrécia who had completely different values than Daniel. At the beginning of the novel, Daniel is upset because of his failed marriage and tells his friend how people shouldn’t marry for love, instead “if people always got married when lucid, they’d only ever do it out of self-interest, like [his]  parents.” Then by the end of the novel, we see him re-establish what love means to him and how he can both be in love and have his self-interest in mind. While romance isn’t the most important theme, I thought this aspect of character development was nice to see for Daniel.

My question to the class is: What did you think of Moira and Daniel's relationship?

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Throughout the past few months, this course felt like an endless seesaw ride, bouncing against different – yet similar – themes and cultures. In the beginning of the course, I questioned what “Romance Studies” was, or rather, what it could have meant. However, right from the introductory lecture, I realized I won’t be able to […] read full post >>

 This course was extremely interesting. It had an entirely different grading system than any course I have done before. I really enjoyed the way this course was marked as it was easy to find motivation and consistency because you know exactly what you are working towards. I also found that it was easy to do class both online or in-person due to the layout. There was not an adjustment period needed for the transition from online to in-person classes. I also found that I did not feel overwhelmed or stressed because I had a pre-determined grade. Because each week required the same amount of homework I found that it was more flexible and manageable than other courses. The consistency of the course was my favourite aspect. 

I really enjoyed the blog posts as well because they provided a platform for everyone to share their ideas. In other classes it can be overwhelming to share your thoughts but the online platform made it very easy to. It was nice being able to see different ideas and perspectives from my peers that I may not have thought of on my own. This course also made me read literature that I would not have otherwise read but that I enjoyed. One of my favourite novels was W, or the Memory of Childhood. I found that the contrast between the real world and W was very fun to read and compare. I also enjoyed how different the story was to the rest of the readings that were very grounded in reality and daily situations. This story was more imaginative and creative than the other ones we had read. I think the choice of novels was very broad and provided the readers (students) with different genres and themes. 

This course has forced me to rethink the way I read and understand literature. It has taught me not to analyze each sentence but examine the overall theme and read between the lines. At the beginning of the course we discussed how high school ruined reading for many students and I feel as though this course has helped to fix that. I also enjoyed the structure of the class lessons as we were able to work closely with classmates and then contribute ideas to the class and instructors. Everyone brought different perspectives and ideas that were very interesting to hear. 

My question to the class: Do you agree that this course has helped repair the way that we read literature? Why or why not? 

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 This course was extremely interesting. It had an entirely different grading system than any course I have done before. I really enjoyed the way this course was marked as it was easy to find motivation and consistency because you know exactly what you are working towards. I also found that it was easy to do class both online or in-person due to the layout. There was not an adjustment period needed for the transition from online to in-person classes. I also found that I did not feel overwhelmed or stressed because I had a pre-determined grade. Because each week required the same amount of homework I found that it was more flexible and manageable than other courses. The consistency of the course was my favourite aspect. 

I really enjoyed the blog posts as well because they provided a platform for everyone to share their ideas. In other classes it can be overwhelming to share your thoughts but the online platform made it very easy to. It was nice being able to see different ideas and perspectives from my peers that I may not have thought of on my own. This course also made me read literature that I would not have otherwise read but that I enjoyed. One of my favourite novels was W, or the Memory of Childhood. I found that the contrast between the real world and W was very fun to read and compare. I also enjoyed how different the story was to the rest of the readings that were very grounded in reality and daily situations. This story was more imaginative and creative than the other ones we had read. I think the choice of novels was very broad and provided the readers (students) with different genres and themes. 

This course has forced me to rethink the way I read and understand literature. It has taught me not to analyze each sentence but examine the overall theme and read between the lines. At the beginning of the course we discussed how high school ruined reading for many students and I feel as though this course has helped to fix that. I also enjoyed the structure of the class lessons as we were able to work closely with classmates and then contribute ideas to the class and instructors. Everyone brought different perspectives and ideas that were very interesting to hear. 

My question to the class: Do you agree that this course has helped repair the way that we read literature? Why or why not? 

read full post >>

I must say this class was definitely a new class structure for me, but I really enjoyed it. For starters, due to the contract and pre-determined grade in this class, I never really felt overwhelmed or stressed by this class, which definitely helped put me at ease. I also enjoyed how every week, it was …

Continue reading "Concluding Post"

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Unlike the other stories we have read throughout this class such as Time of the Doves, Nada, or Bonjour Tristesse, I found this one much more light-hearted and not as heavy as the others. Not to say there wasn’t any significance in this book, but the events that took place were not as dark as …

Continue reading "José Eduardo Agualusa “Society of Reluctant Dreamers”"

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“The Society of Reluctant Dreamers” by José Eduardo Agualusa is a novel that follows the characters’ lives and dreams with a background of war and protesting. I found it to be a little confusing as it jumped from different perspectives, but I enjoyed the concept and style of the storytelling. To respond to the lecture’s … Continue reading Week 12: Agualusa’s “The Society of Reluctant Dreamers” → read full post >>

To conclude my learning journey, there are many aspects I have gained throughout this course. Through examining a series of literary texts with diverse themes, I have become acquainted with key concepts related to romance studies. A notable factor to consider is the arbitrariness and ambiguity in this field of study. At the beginning of […] read full post >>

José Eduardo Agualusa’s The Society of Reluctant Dreamers shows a distinct flavour compared to the other novels I read throughout this term because it is the only piece of writing that sets its stage in Africa. In particular, this book is associated with an evident connection with the history, society, and politics of Angola, as […] read full post >>

I can’t believe it’s already the last week. Wow, this semester went by quickly and I will miss this class. I initially took this class to fulfill my literature credits but I did enjoy it, along with the novels! There are very few university classes that I would consider “fun”, but this class would definitely […] read full post >>