Final Blog Post!

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It feels so weird finally ending this semester. It’s as if we have only been reading for a couple weeks and not 13. There is so much to write down about this course but I want to start off with saying how this is totally not what I envisioned this course to be at all.

I initially took this course as a required credit but was interested by the name. I first thought it to be studying actual romance literature and romance novels. It really took me by surprise when it was the complete opposite. I had a lot of strong opinions on the novels we had read with either loving them or having a difficult time finishing them. One aspect that I really took from this course was getting back my motivation for reading. I was an avid reader a few years ago but with life getting busy and trying hard to focus on academics, I lost all motivation to read novels for enjoyment. Any time I would read, it would be from a textbook or some academic article that bore me to death. With this course, I regained that enjoyment as I read the required novels on the bus, while eating, or before bed. Regardless if I like the book or not, I still enjoyed reading. This is something I am grateful for. In conclusion, I really enjoyed all the discussions, the readings as well as everyone in the course!

One question I do have on a final note is, which reading was your favourite and which one was your least favourite.

“The Society of Reluctant Dreamers” by Jose Eduardo Agualusa

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Wow! I can not believe how fast this semester has gone. For the final week, I chose to read The Society of Reluctant Dreamers. This was surely one of the longest reads and once again, I am not too knowledgeable of the history of the Angolan Independence which does add a level of complexity when reading this week’s novel. Although watching the lectures did allow for some clarification with the Angolan Civil War.

What I enjoyed the most was some aspects (but certainly not all) of a bright tone to this novel like Daniel finding the camera with the photos of the woman who appears in his dreams. I liked the recurring theme of memories and dreams based on the past few novels we have read so far. It was somewhat confusing when the novel went over his dreams compared to the real life events but nonetheless, I enjoyed both parts. I believe that memories played a crucial role in forming dreams so it’s only rational for Daniel to dream of those who impacted his life. One other aspect I absolutely loved (as well as a recurring theme in most of the novels we have read in this class) is how descriptive the writing is! Although some books have a sort of descriptiveness that comes off as confusing and hard to follow, The Society of Reluctant Dreamers was one that helped me envision the story to the full extent. 

 The other aspect that I appreciate from this week’s book was how eventful it was. From the events that occurred with his daughter as well as the incorporation of art within dreams. When he found out who the woman was from the photograph, she told him how important her dreams are with her art. With that being said, portraying her dreams through art can really conceptualize the novel. One moving aspect was the arrest of Daniel’s daughter when she was protesting against the dictatorship and the helplessness he felt when he knew he cannot do that much to help her.

Overall, this has been a great novel to finish the course with. There was an outstanding amount of events up for discussion. One question I would have for the class would be if our dreams really do affect our memories, and if so, why? And another would be, what made the author choose the title? Does reluctancy play a role with our dreams? 

“Soldiers of Salamis” by Javier Cercas

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Reading the first few pages, Soldiers of Salamis, it was already a dark story filled with war and violence. One section that stood out was Machado’s death and his brother finding his last poem in his pocket. “These blue days, this childhood sun.” It was saddening to read this poem after him and his family fled to the French border for safety, leaving everything behind. 

In all honesty, it was somewhat difficult to follow this story while reading. I feel as if there were multiple storylines and characters that overlapped each other and were difficult to keep track of  the relation between these characters. I do not know much about the Spanish Civil War so it was also somewhat difficult to keep up with the history of it as well in regards to the novel. Nonetheless, Soldiers of Salamis was well written. It kept me on the edge of my seat with the instances of interviews the writer conducted. Despite the novel being written about the war and those affected by it, I believe writing about those who played a major role keeps that memory alive. When Jaume Figueras asked if he was going to write about his father who passed away, the author mentioned how Figueras must have thought if he wrote about his father, his father would not be entirely dead. It did feel that way. Like he mentioned, his novel will be a true tale and not a story. I was somewhat confused on why he would lie to Figueras about writing the story about his father, as if he was hesitant to do so. 

There is also a connection to Amulet! The writer interviewed him shortly after Bolano won an award for his books. I really enjoyed the connection between these two authors. There was a discussion between the two about what it means to be a hero and by Roberto’s definition, a hero is not someone who kills but someone who does not kill. 

A recurring theme of memories has been prevalent in a lot of the novels we have read so far. In another discussion with Roberto, they discussed what it means to be a writer or how to write a novel. Bolano exclaims that to be a writer, you must have memories and there is no need for imagination. This gave me a new perspective on what it means to write. When Bolano knew he did not have much time left, he was saddened to realise that he was not going to be able to write the novels he had planned. Relating back to the first chapter of this book, Figueras thought that if a story was written about his father who had passed away, that his father was not fully dead, and that his memories live on through writing. I feel as if it was the same for Bolano. He was heartbroken that he was not about to write more about the soldiers who were killed in wars, as well as the Latin Americans in his generation. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this week’s novel. There was an interesting connection to last week’s reading and I have gained a whole new perspective on writing!

Amulet By Roberto Bolano

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I finally purchased a book rather than reading the text online. Somehow it made reading it more enjoyable. I feel as if reading the story from paper rather than online can help with understanding the story more. It started off with a strong tone, “this is going to be a horror story”. Already it hooked me into reading. Initially, it started off somewhat of a calm story. The speaker of the novel was living her life with Don Pedro and Pedrito Garfias while also travelling and visiting the university. One section that stood out was the vase in their home while she was cleaning. It made me wonder what value it had to cause that extent of emotions. A grim part of the novel that stood out was the suicide of Lopez. I didn’t quite understand this part. From pages 18 to 19, it went through the instances right before his death but I was rather confused on why it led him to take his own life. What was more concerning was the thrill or exhilaration the speaker felt when hearing the news. I do understand how death or a sudden and unexpected death can be taken as a sort of reality check.

While she was stuck in that bathroom, writing down on toilet paper was one way to help her get through her situation but I did not understand her reasoning behind ripping them up and flushing them. I understand she was worried they would find her writing and punish her for it but does it go deeper than that? 

Although her circumstances while being in the washroom were horrifying, when she went into thought of her memories. It was almost as if I forgot her situation while she talked about her memories. Along with this, It somewhat changed the whole mood of the novel. With what I had felt initially, being fear and anxiety, it was replaced with a more soothing tone. I was happy to see her escape that bathroom but the novel did not end with me feeling happy. It was more of an eerie ending that left me feeling lost. The novel ended but I do not think her story ended there, as if it was incomplete. 

“The Old Gringo” By Carlos Fuentes

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This novel written by Carlos Fuentes really brought more questions for me than answers. Which is something I enjoy while reading. One thing that I did notice was that it was difficult to follow along with the story since it was difficult to stay engaged with the reading as I got lost in the words. I did, however, appreciate the plot. It was one of the more interesting reads as it had more action I would say, since it was based during war and chaos.. I enjoyed how the Old Man’s main goal is to die in the heat of the revolution. Dealing with the loss of his own family, I could see why he would want to end things this way and in some ways, it will show that he died for a reason

Another aspect of the novel that I enjoyed was the contrast between all the characters. Each character had a trait I either liked or disliked. Arroyo was one that I was not really fond of. Despite burning down Hacienda owned by the Miranda family for revenge (and for valid reason), he came off standoffish and hard to like. 

With his family dead, I do sympathise with the Old Man, which is one reason that I did enjoy his character. It is sad to think that with everyone close to him being gone, including his wife, he would only think there is one solution to his problems. I did, however, found it surprising with the way he wanted to end his life. There must have been a multitude of reasons on why he would want to end his life the way he wanted to but what are some of the reasons. I do look forward to discussing this in class since I do want to hear more perspectives on the Old Man

W, or the Memory of Childhood by George Perec

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As I did my research on this novel, I came across some of the covers that were used in this novel. What I noticed was the consistent wordplay that Perec used. Even on the cover of W, or the memory of Childhood, the “w” was more like two v’s. In french the letter “w” can directly be translated to two v’s which I thought was symbolic in regards to the novel. 

I mention this in every post but I really did enjoy reading this novel the most. However, I did find the format of the story somewhat off putting and confusing. It did remind me of Paris Peasant in regards to how Perec kept jumping from one thought to another. At times, I did get lost in the story line but nonetheless, the duality of the two stories within one novel really did keep me on the hook. 

What stood out to me the most was the alternating stories. At times I felt as if Perec was having some sort of conflict when writing the two stories as if he was trying to fill in the gaps that were left from his childhood. Despite these gaps, I feel as if the absence of certain memories from his childhood told us more than we were able to read. When experiencing a traumatic series of events, especially at a young age, it is completely understandable to have these memory gaps as if your own mind is trying to shut out what was seen. There was a sense of vulnerability in his writing as he wrote his experiences from Nazi occupied France. Especially on page 6, when he was talking about his lack of childhood memories. A quote that stood out was “For years, I took comfort in such an absence of history: its objective crispness, its apparent obviousness, its innocence protected me; but what did they protect me from, if not precisely from my history, the story of my living, my real story, my own story, which presumably was neither crisp or objective, nor apparently obvious, nor obviously innocent?”(page 6). The sorrowful tone of words used was what stood out. The lack of memories from his childhood was what he felt was protecting him.

Overall, the duality of the two stories within “W, or the Memory of Childhood” was an interesting format to read. His vulnerability while reading really expressed the reason for his lack of childhood memories. 

“The Time of the Doves” by Merce Rodoreda

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Starting off, The Time of the Doves by Rodoreda, I was immediately intrigued with the dancing scene. Call me cheesy but I enjoy a little bit of drama. It was entertaining to read how the man was ready to make her his wife and his queen. Along with that, him calling her “colometa” or little dove was really sweet. Initially, I really enjoyed the way the setting was described. From how she described her dresses to how she described Quimet. It really helped set the scene for what I imagined it to be. The author described it with a lot of emotion as well which I really appreciated since it is sometimes difficult for me to follow along. I also enjoyed how it was laid out. Some previous novels we read such as Paris Peasant were more on the challenging side for me to follow, especially with how descriptive it was, but despite the level of descriptiveness in The Time of the Doves, I was able to follow along the story with smooth transitions of scenes. While reading what she thought about her previous relationship with Pere, it seemed as if she regrets the fact that she ended things off with him. Finishing up with the introduction of the story, It had the feeling of what I would think to be a rather sweet story but slowly it turned more melancholic. Natalia and Quimet got married and even started a family by having two kids! Sadly, as the war started, Quimet went off to fight and was eventually killed in the process, leaving Natialia in hardship. Despite working, Natalia faced many hardships with her husband’s passing. This story brought me to tears while reading it. I can not even bring myself to imagine how difficult it must have been for her to decide to kill her own children so they will not suffer. 

Overall, I feel as if this was one of my favourite stories so far. It brought forward so many emotions and I was able to follow along despite how descriptive it was. I can’t wait to discuss the symbolism of the doves in class since I feel as if we might have different perspective of what it means to us! 

 

“Black Shack Alley” by Joseph Zobel

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Black Shack Alley captivated me from the beginning and I was not able to put it down. Following the young life of José and his journey through his upbringing. Initially, in his childhood, it was sweet to read how he played with the other children and the dialogue really brought a sense of joy and happiness. How the children interacted with each other was refreshing to read as well as the sharing of food. Additionally, growing up in Afghanistan was somewhat similar to how José and his friends interacted. I remember as my parents left for work, I would meet up with the neighbourhood kids to play marbles and makeshift soccer as well as getting into trouble. 

While reading Black Shack Alley, I recognized the importance of education especially during the time in regards to the Black community. José’s ambition and motivation to read brought him a range of opportunities such as the scholarship to study in Fort de France. As he continued his studies while living in Fort de France, there was frequent clashing of cultures comparing how José was raised in Martinique compared to Eurocentric living. One part that was deeply upsetting was the representation of black men he saw in the theatres. They were portrayed in a way that showed them as uneducated and uncivilised. José seeing this was unsettled with the fact that no matter how he presented himself, there would always be ignorance with how he is perceived. 

One character that really resonated with me was José’s grandmother, M’man Tine. In some ways, while reading, it had felt as if  she was my grandmother by the way she scolded José. In regards to the scene where her bowl was broken in search of flour as well as the fire incident, I really felt the fear of José when he had to face his grandmother. 

 Although his experience during his time in Fort de France and Martinique were far more extreme, growing up and seeing the misrepresentation and perpetuated stereotypes of our cultures and practises really brought on the internalised conflict of identities. For one, José was raised in a completely different way in Martinique compared to how he was taught in Fort de France. This being said, Black Shack Alley portrayed the life of José’s life and how he had to face the conflicting transition of Martinique and Fort deFrance. Despite all of the difficulties he faced, he kept his ambition for learning and education. 

 

“The Shrouded Woman” by María Luisa Bombal

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As I started to read “Shrouded Woman” by Maria Luisa Bombal, my initial thoughts were mixed emotions of grief and sorrow. The first few pages, I was saddened to read how her sons saw their own mother. How they were annoyed by her and avoided giving their mother any compliments. I find the story very descriptive and somewhat similar to the description in “Paris Peasant” in terms of how the setting was described. As I first started the course, I believed that Romance Studies would just be the study of romance in literature, somewhat like Romeo and Juliet. When reading the “Shrouded Woman”, it is exactly what I thought romance literature would be, especially in chapter 4 when she described her first love, Ricardo. Although there was an aspect of romance, it seemed somewhat upsetting. Especially when Ricardo did not want to marry her and they hung out for the last time. Despite the small aspect of romance, it was also considerably dark, with the attempt of suicide. Along with that, Ricardo leaving and leaving her alone and pregnant also left a dark note, far from what I anticipated a romance story to be. 

Out of all of the stories we have read so far, I feel as if this is my favourite. Unlike the other two stories, this story had a structure and story line I was able to follow. It felt like I was able to fully imagine the story in my head and it felt clear. While reading the scenes made sense and the dialogue was interesting to follow, unlike Paris Peasant, which made it more enjoyable to read. This was not related directly to the reading, but the text that was available on the website had photocopied annotations on it. While I was reading through, it was also fun to read the annotations and think about another perspective of a reader. 

Another aspect why this story stood out to me while reading was the fact that the narrator was dead. It was interesting to read about the events of Ana Maria’s life and how it played out. Although Ana Maria is dead, it feels as if we as readers are still able to feel and experience her emotions. Additionally, I also enjoyed the reading from the perspective of the narrator being dead. It was as if we were looking over the past memories as well as coming to closure with Ana Maria’s life. Overall, the “Shrouded Woman” left me feeling sorrowful but with a sense of closure.

“Paris Peasant” by Louis Aragon

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Initially, I was very lost on reading Paris Peasant. Often times, I tend to look too deep into a text to fully try to analyze what it is meant but it always leads me into overthinking the context. While reading Aragon’s “Paris Peasant”, I tried to keep an open mind, not letting myself get too lost in the sentences. Despite doing so, I was still lost. Starting off by noticing the words used, It was very descriptive. Aragon went on and on describing the structures around him. It was beautiful to imagine as Aragon really captured the essence of his environment of Paris. Another aspect I enjoyed in Paris Peasant were the small details incorporated by adding in poems, a dialogue and even a menu of drinks! It really takes you back to what it felt like to live in old time Paris.

The format of the reading was what threw me off the most. It felt somewhat disorganized and messy. It seemed less of a novel and more of a journal for Aragon. The details he added were interesting but it made it feel like I was reading someone’s personal diary. Another aspect of Paris Peasant that threw me off was how he described women and his interactions with them. On page 8, he really went into detail on how he wanted to interact with women and his descriptions on them. To be honest, it made me uncomfortable while reading it. One main aspect of Paris Peasant that I enjoyed was being able to compare life back in old times Paris versus life now. His descriptions of the environments and setting around him really added the factor of visualizing what it really looked like. Along with the describing of the setting, the small details I mentioned previously really added onto that as well. It was refreshing to be able to visualize what it was like in the past

As mentioned in previous discussions, many of the texts we will be reading in class will be translated to English; which makes me wonder if anything is lost in translation when reading Paris Peasant. I know French has phrases and terms that simply cannot be translated in English without losing its meaning. While reading, some phrases and sentences just did not make sense. Maybe I was just not able to fully comprehend what it means but I am wondering what a native French speaker views it as when reading Paris Peasant in French. A question I would have is can this story be analyzed differently if read in French?