The novel ‘The Lover’ is an autobiographical account of a young girl’s affair with an old man. At first, I found this novel a little absurd as it is something different from what I have read before but then as I read further, it became a little clear as to what the author was trying […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with aging, gender, loss, love, poverty, RMST 202 201
One thing that is apparently clear throughout “The Time of the Doves,” is the theme of loss in Natàlia’s life. Her story is a representation of grief, resilience, and the will to persevere. Moreover, Natàtalia navigates loss in the context of the Spanish Civil War adding another layer of complexity to her story. Something that […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with grief, loss, love, mourning, Processing, Social upheaval
Hey everyone, whilst reading the novel and even after, it gave me a bitter, heartbroken feeling for Natalia. The novel follows Natalia from her as a working-class girl to her struggles as a wife and mother in a war-torn society. Through Natalia’s eyes, we witness the profound impact of war as she struggles with poverty, […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with abuse, grief, hope, identity, loss, love, merce Rodoreda, poverty, relationships, Socioeconomic Struggles, violence, war
Wow, reading this was a rollercoaster of emotions. Maybe because I never imagined myself reading this novel anywhere aside from my house and yet I found myself immersed in the story, while being on vacation in Barcelona…where the story unfolds. It was such a surreal experience to be walking through the same bustling plazas and narrow […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with loss, resilience, war
This week’s reading, Time of the Doves, I quite liked. The writing style, description, and dialogue were interesting and kept me engaged with the story. I really felt immersed in Natalia’s story; I felt her sorrow, her fear, her joy, etc. But Natalia didn’t seem to have an easy time with her first marriage. Her […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with gender, loss, love, relationships, war
This week’s book was Agostino, and wow, yet another boy with mommy issues. Like many of you, I have also made a connection between Proust’s Combray and Agostino. The book definitely made me think of Combray and the relationship between Proust and…
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with childhood, loss
This week’s book was Agostino, and wow, yet another boy with mommy issues. Like many of you, I have also made a connection between Proust’s Combray and Agostino. The book definitely made me think of Combray and the relationship between Proust and…
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with childhood, loss
Set in a beach village in Italy during the summer, “Agostino” focuses on a 13-year-old boy and explores the loss of youthful innocence and the perplexities of growing up. The central theme in this novel is sexuality and Agostino’s loss of innocence. While reading this book, I could almost imagine Freud sneering at me. Agostino […]
Posted in Blogs, Moravia | Tagged with childhood, Freud, Italy, loss, sexuality
amulet (noun): a charm (such as an ornament) often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to aid the wearer or protect against evil (such as disease or witchcraft) Amulet follows Auxilio Lacouture, a woman trapped in the women’s bathroom of a university while it is being taken over by the military in response to […]
Posted in Blogs, Bolaño | Tagged with loss, memory, perspective, Roberto Bolaño, sexuality, time, writing
This book was quite tragic though undoubtedly beautifully written. It’s hard not to feel sadness when reading Perec recount the memories he has of his childhood and the hardships that come with being an orphan. I felt especially moved when, describing his mother, he wrote “The arbitrary, schematic image that I have of her suits […]
Posted in Blogs, Perec | Tagged with family, history, Imagination, loss, memory, tragedy