Pam’s Comments (group member since Jul 12, 2018)

Pam’s comments from the Never too Late to Read Classics group.

Melanie wrote: "Pam, I want to read Cousin Bette this year. Would you like to do a buddy read?)"

Hi Melanie - I just noticed that I didn't respond to your question. Sorry, I thought about it and then forgot to post! I would prefer to not schedule a buddy read, at this time, but I can post a comment here when I'm getting ready to read it (if I actually do). I bought the book for my husband for Christmas so it won't be until after he reads it. Maybe around May or June.

Mbuye wrote: "I just finished 'El Túnel' by Ernesto Sabato. As a study in obsession, it has no equal. As a study of crime, also, it has no equal. I did think of Castel's self-torture with that of Raskolnikov in ..."

I have yet to read Crime and Punishment but your comment makes sense. There was no redemption with this character. I wonder if, using today's standards, he would be diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic. What I didn't like about the book is that I never understood/believed the relationship between Juan and Maria. It didn't feel like they were in love. Why would she keep seeing him??

Here are the names of 3 characters who are sometimes referred to by their formal name and other times by their nickname. I found it confusing, especially in the beginning, because there wasn’t enough context for me to understand who was who. I hope this info is helpful.

Nélida Fernández de Massa is Nené
Antonia Josefa Ramirez is Fanny or Big Fanny
Francisco Catalina Páez, a friend of Juan Carlos, is Pancho

I’m hoping to read the 4 that I have listed on my 2023 challenge but didn’t get to plus 2 more - Tolkien (Fellowship of the Rings) and Hugo (Les Miserables).

I read this book 6 years ago for a sci-fi book club meeting. I gave it 5 stars and even wrote a glowing review! (I don’t write very many reviews.) If I have time, I will re-read it and post some comments. Look forward to seeing what others think of it!

Glad you will be joining this Mbuye! This book is much lighter than The Tunnel. It’s less straightforward of a story though. Parts of it, especially the beginning, have been confusing to me. The author goes back and forth between different characters and doesn’t use names in dialogues (just dashes). I’ll add a comment with the characters’ full names and their nicknames. That’s been another confusing point for me. I am very curious what everyone will think about this one. The writing style is very different!

Hope you will be able to join in later this year Rosemarie! That’s a shame about your library system. Of all things to cyberattack. Hope it’s up and running soon!

I’m reading the hardback edition with the same cover. Glad you both are going in on the read!

I've posted the thread for the February book Heartbreak Tango.
I hope a few of you can join us in the discussion!

My Interlibrary Loan (ILL) came in earlier than I expected so I had to read it early to return it by Feb 5. I'm still working on it. If you live in the US and having a hard time finding the book, definitely check out your ILL options through your public library. If you have a university near by, they may have a better chance of having some of these classics. Receiving a book via the ILL system usually takes 4-8 weeks (and sometimes longer) and you cannot renew it. It is a great way to find books that are not available locally but hard to time! I was surprised once to get a book all the way from the NY public library (to New Mexico)!

Our February read is Heartbreak Tango by another Argentinian author, Manuel Puig. The original Spanish title Boquitas pintadas (Little Painted Mouths) was published in 1969 with an English translation in 1973 and an Argentinian film adaptation in 1974. This book was Puig's 2nd novel. He is more well-known for his third novel Kiss of the Spider Woman which was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film and a Broadway musical.

Puig is considered to be a Postboom and Post-modernist writer. This book is written in an unconventional/experimental style. It consists of 16 episodes, starting with the death announcement of the main character - a young man, Juan Carlos Etchepare. His story and that of the women who loved him is told from a variety of sources such as diary entries, phone calls, letters, newspaper clippings, a gypsy fortune telling, and eye witness accounts. The book's jacket states that "Puig conceived the novel as a lighthearted parody of a romance magazine serial of the forties. Whatever his intention, he has satisfied a universal hunger for believable romantic fiction."

With February being the month for romance, who is up for reading this one?

Kathy - Glad to hear your book is on its way!

Mbuye- What I was saying is that if I was this guy, I would have to be medicated. I couldn’t live with those invasive thoughts! Are you using the app? It looks like it cut off one of my words, which changed the meaning of my original sentence! 😂

Mbuye- Congrats on reading the book in Spanish! We have other members in this group that read in more than one language but, for me at least, the prospect is daunting! I remember once looking up a Spanish word (in a classic) and then I also had to look up the English word since I had no idea what a “blunderbuss” was!

I can see where this book lent itself well to a psychological thriller movie adaptation. It was a little too dark for me, though. I find it scary that there are people who have these types of obsessive thoughts. It was interesting to experience the main character’s thought process but I couldn’t live like that. I would need medication!

I just started Heartbreak Tango by Manuel Puig. The writing style is unconventional using multiple POVS and switching between letters, journal entries and narrative. I’ll write more in February under the group read thread.

Luís - it’s so hard for me to understand how a person could not find anything of interest to read. Not to be judgmental. It’s just a world I don’t live in. I’ll read just about anything! On the podcast, it was either him or the other guy who had a goal to watch 100 movies and he ended up watching 200! It would have NEVER occurred to me to set a goal of a number of movies to watch in a year. Different priorities.

I was listening to a podcast the other day about New Year’s resolutions. The team started off by talking about whether they made resolutions in 2023 and if they kept them. One guy’s resolution was to read ONE book during the year. He didn’t make it! This is a world I can’t comprehend - not reading a single book in a whole year! 😂 I didn’t make any resolutions this year, but instead, am going to to work on a different personal goal each month. I haven’t decided on February’s goal yet 🤷‍♀️ but I have some ideas…

Zhasvet wrote: "Hello!! My name is Zhasvet, I'm a Russian Filipino, and I really love Dostoevsky, I have 4 Classics in my TBR rn, one of them is The Picture of Dorian Gray, and yeah, idk what to say anymore ToT"

Welcome Zhasvet! The Picture of Dorian Gray is really good. I've only read one short story by Dostoevsky but I have some of his books on my TBR shelf (hopefully to be read sooner than later). My favorite Russian authors are Leo Tolstoy and Teffi. There are lots of group reads going on and threads to discuss what you are reading. I look forward to hear about what you are reading!

Lesle - I think long hair is becoming more of a trend now. I have 2 grandsons. One has a buzz cut, which he likes, and the other (11 years old) has hair a couple inches below his shoulders. He calls it his “lovely locks”!

Mbuye- I’m glad you found a copy and I understand how much longer it takes to read in a second language. The thread will stay open so take as long as you need! I started El túnel (in Spanish) last year but didn’t have the patience to stick with it so I found an English copy through the library’s ILL system.

Do you have a strategy for learning vocab? I’ve tried writing down new vocab as I go but that really slows my reading down! It’s probably the best way to actually learn the words and phrases but it’s difficult. Another way I’ve seen suggested is to not worry about understanding every word. Just get the general meaning. I can do that with podcasts but with books, I feel like I’m missing out on important details. Good luck and enjoy!

Ewa_ wrote: "I've just started it, and I have to tell you that I already like it, the way the painter's presentation makes me want more and more. His stream of consciousness is similar to the book You, which is..."

Great! I'm glad that you've started it and like it! I finished it earlier this week. I found the story compelling but not necessarily "enjoyable" because of its dark content. It is a really good psychological story! Scary, though, that there are people like Castel - so obsessive and paranoid. I didn't understand why Maria had any remote interest in him. He seemed off from the very beginning.

I would consider reading another of Sabato's books, after finishing the rest of the books on this year's schedule!

Yes, Claudia, the French dialogue is also in the English edition.

I just finished Strange Case of Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde. My first book I’ve finished by Robert Louis Stevenson.