Student Blogs

"Cambia, todo cambia" - Mercedes Sosa read full post >>

I really liked this book. The Shrouded Woman was such a refreshing shift from the other texts we’ve read so far, and honestly, it felt like a bit of a relief. Not only was it the first book written by a woman that we’ve read in this course, but it was also the one I […] read full post >>

I think I liked this reading, as much as I was frustrated with the characters. The writing wasn’t as abstract as the previous readings, so it was easier to understand despite still having some fascinating descriptions of the scenery. It felt like we were watching the recollection of Ana Maria’s life via soap opera episodes […] read full post >>

Firstly, Bombal’s novel was absolutely novel to me. It’s perspective from the grave was quite interesting as it allowed us to deep dive into the environment of Ana Maria, right into each character. Ana Maria’s juxtaposition of being both the centre of attention but also pushed to the side stood out to me as it … read full post >>

I really enjoyed this book! Hallelujah our first female author yayy:00 (plus she’s Chilean ultra cheer!!) Starting with an overall reflection, I loved how this novel was depicted. The whole concept of death and how it is entered through reflecting on your lifes journey – heavily including all who were involved in it is sweet! […] read full post >>

The novel takes us through Ana María’s memories, which resurface as certain key figures from her life enter the room where her body lies. Each presence unlocks a different part of her memories with that person. Because she speaks from death, there’s a new honesty to the way she looks at herself and others, which […] read full post >>

While reading The Shrouded Woman, I couldn’t help but think back to Combray. I know the two texts are very different in style and context, but they feel similar in the way they treat memory and reflection. In both novels, the present moment acts more like a gateway to the past than a place where […] read full post >>

Hello all, and welcome back to the cottage. I feel as though this week's read has been the most intriguing and immersive so far, and though again I write these thoughts before I have even finished the book, this time it's really because I'd like t... read full post >>

Hello all, and welcome back to the cottage. I feel as though this week's read has been the most intriguing and immersive so far, and though again I write these thoughts before I have even finished the book, this time it's really because I'd like t... read full post >>

Maybe it was death, no… surely it was through death that Ana was rid of any feelings of vengeance and despair that would’ve kept her bound to the living realm. God, if I were Ana and saw my ex-lover, WHO HAD ABANDONED ME WHILE PREGNANT, show up to my funeral, SAD? Bro… please escort him out and just beat the... read full post >>

As a woman, I really enjoyed this novel empathetically. There are two different lines that are worth talking about, one is about the narrator’s funeral, and the other is about the narrator herself. I think I’ll start with Marie herself. If I’m gonna describe her in simple sentences, I would say: she was a kind […] read full post >>

I was aware from the start Ana Maria was dead and I assumed we’d be recounting her regrets and contentments. However, the approach by which Bombal decided to do so was something that threw me off guard. I should say it felt like each memory was so vividly intertwined that it painted a picture without […] read full post >>

From the books we’ve read so far, I can definitely say this stood out to me, and I think it is due to the unique narrative voice Bombal has used alongside the depth. The narrative style and structure, especially its beginning after her death, are very unique. The way her awareness lies in her corpse […] read full post >>

After reading the Shrouded Woman, it allowed me to think differently about memory and story telling. Through Bombal, memory was shown to be something emotional and sort of fragmented instead of a clear sequence of events. From the narrators reflection on her life from her own wake made me realize how much of her experience […] read full post >>

To give credit where credit is due that was at least more readable than the previous texts. That being said, I need someone to draw up a family tree of all of the names that popped up because goddamn was that a lot. I admittedly confused the names of Antonio and Alberto at one point, […] read full post >>