Student Blogs

To say the least, this book made me very uncomfortable. Have any of you ever read/watched Lolita? These two books give off very similar vibes in the sense that they both make me want to crawl out of my skin. I will say I did enjoy the structure of the book, how we were revisiting […] read full post >>

The Trenchcoat by Norman Manea has me feeling uncertain, and confused. So, I can only say that Manea has achieved his goal. The writing itself was a big contributor to this as it often consisted of run-on sentences as well … Continue reading → read full post >>

Hello everyone, welcome back to the blog. This week’s book is the The Trenchcoat by Norman Manea. The story takes place in communist Romania close to the government’s collapse in a 1989. It revolves around two couples going to a dinner party hosted by old acquaintances, and the aftermath of this visit. While nothing really […] read full post >>

After reading this novel, I’m now thinking about the subject of names. When the girl (who, as far as I can tell, was never named) talks about her lover and her family, they are not named (unless I missed the mentions of their names) – except when she names her younger brother, “our little Paulo” […] read full post >>

This week I read the book "The Lover". When I heard the name of the book, I was thinking if it was a happy ending, but actually not... But this is also very realistic, because life is often full of regrets, and regrets about love account for part of it... read full post >>

This week I read the book "The Lover". When I heard the name of the book, I was thinking if it was a happy ending, but actually not... But this is also very realistic, because life is often full of regrets, and regrets about love account for part of it... read full post >>

I quite enjoyed the format of The Lover as it was quite different from the other novels we have read so far. I liked the autobiographical approach and how the story of young Duras was told from the perspective of an older Duras. The main theme I fund alluring in this novel was the topic […] read full post >>

Jon actually approached me at the start of the last class as I was reading this book. He asked me how I felt about it and honestly I did not have an answer for him. I kept flip flopping between who genuinely was the problem in this book and I think that’s what Duras wanted. … read full post >>

Hi everyone, This week I read “The Lover” written by Duras. I quite enjoyed this book and it’s almost unique take on this sort of narrative. This book explores themes of relationships, power dynamics, wealth, love, and poverty. Within the relationship dynamic between the young girl and an older man it is unclear who is […] read full post >>

   “Everything flows towards the Pacific, no time for anything to sink, all is swept along by the deep and head-long storm of the inner current, suspended on the surface of the river’s strength” (Duras 22)   To fully understand what is happening in this novel, one must observe the disturbing content embedded. The Lover is a […] read full post >>

This week’s reading was an interesting yet difficult book to read as it was more focused on the backgrounds of war, with similarities to George Orwell’s 1984 which I’ve read in the past. After finishing “The Trenchcoat,” I was left with a feeling of, “Well, that’s that.” nothing, no deep feelings of emotions—just a quiet […] read full post >>

A moving and powerful book, “The Lover” explores the intricate issues of colonialism, love, desire, and social expectations. The story, which takes place in 1920s French colonial Vietnam, centers on an extramarital relationship between a wealthy Chinese man known only as “the Chinaman” and a young French girl known as “the girl.” It was a […] read full post >>

Seemingly becoming a trend, I again feel very neutral about this book. When I finished reading, all I thought was “okay, I guess that’s it,” and not much else. I chose this book this week because I am interested in the Cold War and the Soviet Bloc countries during this time period. I think this […] read full post >>

“The Lover” left me in a state of perplexity long after I had finished reading the novel not because of its plot, but because of its power dynamics between Duras and her lover, the Chinese man. I find the title “The Lover” intriguing because it seems to me that Duras refuses to be identified as […] read full post >>

In this novel, I encountered a similarly intense sensation as with “Combray,” though it left me somewhat puzzled. It doesn’t follow a linear narrative; instead, it intertwines various times and spaces. For instance, in the first forty pages or so, it doesn’t progress the plot but delves into the scenery along the Mekong River. It […] read full post >>