Marguerite Duras’ novel, “The Lover,” is a unique literature that explores the themes of love, family, and colonialism. At first, I was confused about the story’s setting as there seemed to be a diverse array of ethnicities and there were some city names (such as Mekong, Cholon, and Saigon) that I had never heard of […]
I was mentally preparing myself to experience extreme discomfort while reading “The Lover”, but I wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought I would be. Of course, we shouldn’t dismiss the fact that this relationship was illegal, involving a minor, and disturbing at some parts, like when the girl is described as “his own child [that] […]
“Everyone says you were beautiful when you were young, but I want to tell you I think you’re more beautiful now than then (p. 3). “ This is the classic beginning of The Lover by Marguerite Duras, where the aged narrator when her looks are devastated, longs for a lover who expresses the love that […]
Despite this book’s uncomfortable age gap relationship, I really enjoyed reading it. The way Duras writes “The Lover” hooked me the entire time. Her descriptions of the environment, like Saigon, to each complex and rich character, I felt so immersed in this novel. My heart was in this one! I really loved the first sentence […]
Marguerite Duras, The Lover
Hi everyone, this week I read “Black Shack Alley” by Joseph Zobel. The story follows José, who starts out living in Black Shack Alley, as he grows up with his grandmother M’man Tine. I found this book harder to get through than the other readings. Acce…
Hi everyone, this week I read “Black Shack Alley” by Joseph Zobel. The story follows José, who starts out living in Black Shack Alley, as he grows up with his grandmother M’man Tine. I found this book harder to get through than the other readings. Acce…
Hey everyone! I’m super excited to talk about this week’s reading “Deep Rivers” by Jose Maria Arguedas. The novel dives into the Peruvian Andean culture and surrounds the story of Ernesto, who is a young boy torn between two worlds. Ernesto’s upbringing is a blend of his indigenous Quechua traditions and Western education as he […]
Black Shack Alley by Joseph Zobel was a touching read that had so many unique perspectives on growing up. At the core of this novel, we are taken through Jose’s journey of growing up, which is what we have seen in quite a few of the books we have read so far. However, Jose’s experiences […]
