Author: diljotg3

I personally liked the beginning of the novel better than where we currently are for a number of reasons. I had enjoyed Garcia Madero’s journal entry style of writing as it felt like we were almost in his head and it felt intimate and easier to follow along. Even though there were still aspects that made it hard to read or understand things, his journal entries made it easier as it felt like the book had a backbone or something holding it together. I feel like it kind of gets confusing as to who is talking sometimes. Additionally, I feel like there are a lot of names whether of people or cities and it gets hard to remember all of it. I also feel like there are a lot of small interactions that become hard to keep up with as well. It also feels different because considering we think of Belano and Lima as one of the main characters or protagonists of the book we would assume we get more access to their thoughts. However, it feels like we are starting to hear about them more so from other people’s perspectives or memories. 

What stood out to me the most was how the importance of characters has changed throughout the book. For example, in the beginning it seemed as if Garcia Madero was the main character and he would always be there and also narrating for the entire book but that was not the case. Similarly, the perspective on Belano feels almost the same as I can see his significance shift over time. Earlier in the book, he felt more important as if he was a central character however, as the book goes he slowly becomes more and more insignificant. The part that I found really interesting about this was that he was called a night watchman. At first, I did not understand who even was being called that but the way I saw it was that Belano was just a night watchman in someone’s perspective which felt kind of weird. I feel like him losing his name was one of the factors that show he was slowly becoming insignificant. I think the difference in perspective is interesting because if I had to describe Baleno I would say visceral realist or something to do with Latin literature but to see he is just a night man in someone’s eyes was different. 

Discussion Question: How do you view identity in this book?

Hi Guys!

I enjoyed reading Amulet. Right off the bat what stood out to me was:

 “I came to Mexico City in 1967, or maybe it was 1965, or 1962. I’ve got no memory for dates anymore, or exactly where my wanderings took me; all I know is that I came to Mexico and never went back. Hold on, let me try to remember. Let me stretch time out like a plastic surgeon stretching the skin of a patient under anesthesia. Let me see.” 

This reminded me of myself because I have an absolutely terrible memory and I often forget things very fast. For the book itself, I found that it was very easy to read and the language was simple. Compared to the Savage Detectives where I might not understand a lot of it, Amulet felt like even my elementary self could read it. 

The one trait that stood out to me about Auxilio was that very observant and paid close attention to her surroundings. For example, she states,

 “and those clouds covered everything with dust, the books I had read and those I was planning to read, covered them irrevocably, there was nothing to be done: however heroic my efforts with broom and rag, the dust was never going to go away, since it was an integral part of the books, their way of living or of mimicking something like life p. 5.” This part shows how even something small like dust in her eyes is an integral part of books and it shows how deeply she observes the smallest things.

Another example of this is: “Sometimes Don Pedro would catch me looking at his vase or the spines of his books and he’d ask. What are you looking at, Auxilio, and I’d say. Huh? What? and I’d pretend to be dopey or miles away, but sometimes I’d come back with a question that might have seemed out of place, but was relevant, actually, if you thought about it. I’d say to him, Don Pedro, How long have you had this vase? P.6”

Most people would ignore how Don Pedro looks at books or the meaning behind his gaze at the vases. No one would really think that deeply of a vase. Whereas Auxilio wasn’t just noticing things like the vase but she was rather observing every little thing and how frequently Don Pedro would look at the vase and try to think of the hidden reason behind why he does. 

Discussion Question: How does Auxilio’s observant nature help us understand her personality?

“The summer it rained every day, and although many said it was God’s wrath because the villagers had opened a casino next to the church, I knew that it was my fault, and mine alone, for I had learned to lie and my lips still retained the last words spoken by my mother on her deathbed: “I never loved the man I married but another, who, I was told, had been killed in the war; look for him and tell him that my last thoughts were for him, for he is your real father.” 

This quote is the first sentence of Carax’s book that Daniel had read.This part really captured my attention further and I found it really intriguing. It took the focus back to Carax’s book and how someone is still out there who wants to burn all of his books. This made me reflect on whether this is Carax’s mother spoken about in the quote and if yes who is his real father. Could that be the reason behind why someone wants to burn all his books. I’m guessing something happened to his real father and he wrote about it in his series of books and someone wants to keep it a secret or does not want it to come out therefore, they are focused on ensuring that his books get burned in order to keep this secret hidden.

 The last part of the book I had read focused on the time Daniel was spending with Clara and their relationship. However, now I feel like there is more and more build up on Carax and the people who knew him or read his books. This is really interesting to me and I really like hearing more about it. I found it fascinating how Isaac, who is the bookkeeper of the Cemetery of Books, knew of Carax through Cabestany who published Carax’s books. It was also interesting how Isaac’s daughter Nuria was friends with Carax and was potentially seeing him. It’s keeping me invested in the book and I keep wanting to read it just to know what happens to Carax and who this mystery person is who is trying to burn his books. What could they be trying to hide that even after years your are ensuring that no one keeps a copy of it.

In addition to Carax, the part that caught my attention was when Isaac was talking about his first love. Although it was a side detail and doesn’t seem to add much to the bigger story it’s kind of sad how he thinks of her years and years later and it just made me think about if it’s actually ever possible to move on from your first love.

I keep changing my mind on whether I liked the second part of the book better or the first. At first, I did not like the book at all but I feel like I’m getting used to it now. Now that I’ve read more of the book I’m starting to like the first half of the book better than the later even though I didn’t initially like it. I liked the journal style entries that Garcia Madero provided because it felt easy to read. The interview style of writing is also kind of nice because it provides more people’s perspective rather than just Garcia Madero. It gives the feeling of being inside all these different character’s heads rather than just Garcia Madero’s subconscious thoughts. However, I think I liked Garcia Madero’s journal entries more. I also feel like including the city with the dates along with the names make it feel like an important interview being recorded and it feels very professional as if it can be used like a historical record. But despite the title and names I’m struggling to keep up with all the different narratives.

Consequently, I find it kind of hard to write about this book because I really just have no idea what to write. Unlike Shadows of the Wind where it’s hard to put the book down with the Savage Detective it feels like I’m not reading it as I should. I know that sounds odd but I feel like I’m probably missing some key details or I’m missing something important that I should have grasped. I feel like a detective trying to connect the dots with all the details given. And the thing about all the characters is that I feel like there are so many of them that I start to forget who is who and what story or details belong to which person. It certainly does not help that I have a terrible memory.

 “But the truth is that I only slept with Ernesto a few times, so why should it be my fault if people got all worked up over nothing? I also slept with Maria Font, and Arturo Belano had a problem with that. And I would’ve slept with Luis Rosado that night and then Arthur Belano would’ve kicked me out of the group.” Page 152. 

It’s kind of crazy how sex with multiple women is so normalized in this book. This quote shows an example from Luscious Skin’s interview where he says how he’s slept with multiple women. Even in my previous blog post I mentioned how Garcia Madero kept going from women to women. For example, the waitress and Maria. This seems to be a recurring theme in the book and it makes me question whether this was not frowned upon during that time period? Like I know in today’s day and time cheating has become so normalized even though it’s frowned upon so was this the case then too. Or is it just that Bolano has some weird obsession with the intimacy shown in his book. 

Discussion Question: Do you think there’s a reason why we are hardly shown any poems even though that’s what the visceral realists are supposed to be about?

Hi Guys!

The book I have chosen is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

My initial reaction to this book was that I actually think I like it and will enjoy it. I have been reading a lot of literature recently and a lot of it is boring and hard to understand. Therefore, this book was a good change because not only was it significantly easier to understand but it was also quite interesting. The book starts off with the protagonist being taken to the cemetery of forgotten books. At first, I was like what is that even but turns out it’s a secret library and I love books with mystery and this gave off that exact energy. However, I was confused on why it is called the cemetery of forgotten books. 

The part that stood out to me was that Daniel’s dad says, “This is a place of mystery, a sanctuary.” “Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.” I found this meaningful and it made me think deeply about any book we read. It made me think about how each time I pick up a book from the library its spirit is growing. At the cemetery of forgotten books, Daniel’s dad told him to pick out one book and he ended up picking out “The Shadow of the Wind by Carax.”

The part that further intrigued me was when Barcelo told Daniel that he has the last copy of Carax’s novel. It made me wonder why the rest of the copies were burned and what is so special about this book that Barcelo is treating it like silk. Additionally, Carax going missing and people not knowing if he died or fled kept the storyline more interesting. However, the odd part here was Daniel’s interest in Clara who is Barcelo’s niece. I found this odd because she says she is almost twice his age meaning he is a minor while she is an adult. 

Apart from that, I believe each part of the book kept me hooked and I wanted to keep reading to see what happens next. For instance, the part where Daniel was standing on the balcony and saw a figure out in the dark who was non-chalantly smoking. Then he mentions that this exact scenario took place in the book by Carax; however, the figure in the book was the devil. It made me curious about who that figure could be and made me want to keep reading. Furthermore, when Clara would share with Daniel that a stranger questions her about him it made me question whether it could have been the same figure who was watching him on the balcony. 

Each part contributed to the bigger story and it keeped me hooked to the plot and it was something I really enjoyed reading. I can’t wait to continue reading it.

Discussion Question: What do you think is the significance of the Cemetery of forgotten books and why was Daniel told to keep it a secret?

Hi Everyone!

My initial reaction to the book was that it is boring and I have no idea how I will be able to get through all the pages. I’m not quite used to reading this genre of books and it certainly does not help that I have a terrible attention span. However, what I did like was that the story was told through Garcia Madero’s diary as this journal entry style made it easier to read. However, at times it felt very personal and I felt like I was invading his privacy even reading it.

For example, his sexual scenes were very descriptive and it was weird how he kept going from girl to girl. First it was the waitress in the storage room, then Maria, and then he was also thinking about Angelica. A lot of the details he mentioned felt irrelevant. It felt as if any woman he talked to the only thing he cared about or wanted from them is sex. He also acts like he is “the man” and is above others around him but he just is not. For example, when Garcia Madero, Maria, and Lupe were walking and Maria said, “If Lupe’s pimp shows up you’re defending us.” He thought he would be able to impress Maria but later goes on to say he hopes he doesn’t show up after hearing about him.

It made me wonder if the author intended to make him so unbearable and unlikeable. Although I’m not surprised that a seventeen year old boy is sexist, it was definitely unpleasant to read. As the book went on, it felt less about the visceral realists and the poetry movement and more about the personal story of Garcia Madero’s personality change. Even when the poets did meet up there wasn’t much discussing poems or how to advance the movement. Another aspect I did not like was that it felt like there were so many names and people being thrown at me that I was not able to keep up with who is who and who serves what purpose.

Furthermore, he mentions how he only went to Law school because of his Aunt and Uncle however, his passion lies in Literature and Poetry. This resonated with me because I majored in Political Science to get into Law School because of peer pressure and I honestly do not want to go to law school whatsoever.

Hi everyone! My name is Diljot K. Ghuman and I am currently  in my fourth year. I am studying Political Science at UBC and I hope to finish my degree soon. I had initially wanted to pursue Law however, now that I’m towards the end of my degree I’m unsure if that is still the route that I would like to take. Nonetheless, I love what I am currently studying as it keeps me up to date with what is happening all around the world and the new policy’s being proposed.

A bit about me is that I was born and raised in Surrey and I grew up playing soccer for Surrey FC. Whenever I get time, I still go to Newton Athletic Park and play around with my friends. Sports have been a big part of my life and apart from soccer I have played Basketball, Volleyball, Ball Hockey for my school team throughout high school. I also used to do Karate and that is something I hope to pick up again soon. I’m currently a Screening Officer at YVR airport and I work there on the weekends. In my free time, I like to play golf and I love doing outdoor activities. I love to try out new cafes and restaurants with my friends.

I have recently started a book club in which we have monthly meetings and we try reading different genres. My favorite genre is romance and some of my favorites are Call It What You Want and Picking Daisy’s on Sundays. When I initially took this class, I thought we would be reading about romance, however, I quickly realized it is more romance literature and romance languages. This will be quite different from the readings I’m used to doing so I believe it will be challenging, however, I think it will also be fun and beneficial as I will be learning a new skill. My expectations for this class are to be able to read difficult text and actually be able to understand it. A lot of the time I’ll be reading something and I’ll have to reread it several times before I’m able to fully comprehend what the text is saying. I hope this class will help me learn skills to be able to comprehend text in the first try. Furthermore, I’m looking forward to reading the book and I like the idea of reading or getting to choose one book of your choice. The book I have chosen is The Shadow of the Wind.