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.
I completely agree with you that books are more enjoyable when they’re in paper format. I find it so difficult to get into a book when it’s on my screen, and it takes way longer for me to get through!
I like what you said about her memories “soothing” her while she was stuck in the bathroom. I wonder if that was the case, or if she was just in a sort of delirious state that was reminding her of times from the past?
I also 100 percent agree that there is something to the physical experience of holding and reading a book as opposed to just seeing a pdf. I like your points about it being an eerie ending. I definitely felt like her whole arc as a person on the outside wouldn’t be happy by the end of things
“The novel ended but I do not think her story ended there, as if it was incomplete”.
I really like this that you said. I felt the same at the end of the story, and even during other sections of the story. In reality, Auxilio’s bathroom entrapment occurred in 1968 and times passed after that – the world moved on. However, it seems like Auxilio is still trapped in that moment. In a way, she seems to suffer; she also seems to be enduring this sufferance in order to remain as the “living history” of those young poets who died in UNAM in 1968.
– Daniel Choi
Hello,
I liked your point about memory being an escape. In traumatic situations, we often look inward–whether to the past or the future–to find relief. It is in this way “Amulet” captures human nature under duress.
I was totally the same as you! Whenever I read any of these books with a physical copy rather than an etext/online I feel like they are so much easier to read/more interesting. The part about Lopez’s death was also something I found very strange. It seems like such a serious thing but she talks about it so lightly? And I thought it would contribute something to the rest of the story but it didn’t much – although it definitely added to the ominous emotions present.
I absolutely agree that physical books are far superior to digital books. Their smell, especially when they are used, and the notes and coffee stains makes you appreciate them even more because the books become like vessels of knowledge passed from one person to the next.
As you mentioned, this novella is unusual in that it is telling us of certain truths and facts but yet does not end happily and as the name of the novel suggests, perhaps memories serve as ‘amulets’ for protection from evil and horror.
I feel like I maybe should’ve read this one physically because I got lost so easily in the pdf lol anyway. I agree too, her story didnt feel complete but I guess it does make sense, *her* story wasn’t complete but the story of those 2 or so weeks was, she sorta just happened to be involved in them ig even though so much focus is on her.
Hello. I really liked your close reading of the bathroom scene where Auxillo is drawing on the toile paper. I think she’s engaging in a simultaneous creation, preservation and destruction of her thoughts, due to the nature of the trauma and fear. We see this technique repeated as she recalls the truth in hindsight.