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

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

I finished Green Mansions but didn't really like it. I liked the setting in the Venezuelan jungle but the writing was too melodramatic for me.

I started the first book of the Guyana Quartet - The Palace of the Peacock. Published in 1960, it is Wilson Harris's first novel and it is considered an important early postcolonial work. Harris continued writing for almost 50 years! He even has a novel about the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. I'm planning to finish the Quartet in early 2024. Has anyone read the Quartet or any of his other books?

Welcome to the group Jimena!

Jen wrote: "I've totally overcommitted elsewhere in my excitement for planning for next year's reading. I have alot of interest in the Latin American reads, but gonna hold off on voting and hope for fitting in..."

I totally understand Jen! I'm actually in the same boat plus I agreed to support a new book club (reading Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Club selections) at our library which means potentially reading 12 books that were not on my radar! Thanks for letting us know. I would really like to read Conversations in the Cathedral since I own a copy and it comes highly recommended by Luis!

Would anyone be interested in reading 1 or more short stories, not necessarily a whole collection, by a specific author? I know that in these collections many times the stories span past 1974.

I have another suggestion:

The Green House by Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa (1965, 416 pages)

Llosa is on the list for another book but this one is ~200 pages shorter!

I found a Guatemalan author who wasn't mentioned in our 2023 buddy read thread, so I will suggest his most famous book:

The President by Miguel Ángel Asturias (1946, 287 pages)

Asturias won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1967. His work helped bring attention to the importance of Indigenous cultures, especially of those in his native Guatemala.

My library has 4 hard copies in English plus the Spanish e-book & 3 hard copies so this is encouraging that the book may not be too difficult to find! Any interest in this one?

I also read Vincent and Theo and enjoyed it! Then, I went to see the Van Gogh immersion exhibit, which I found really interesting!

I’ve listened to ~10% and really liking it so far! Also, the narrator is really good.

I only have library access to the audiobook (ugh!) but I will try to listen to it. The narrator is fine but he could put me to sleep so I’ll have to listen during the day, while I’m doing something. It sounds really interesting, especially the ending!

The way I will record the votes is to not include the suggester (as it's implied that you are supporting the book) and show a + sign with the number of other members expressing support.

I'll support Lesle's Merle Hodge suggestion.

Jen wrote: "And Jean Rhys, British, born and raised in Dominica, is an author read scheduled for April!"

Jen - Thanks for pointing that out! I missed it. I changed my first post to exclude authors that are being read in other group discussions. That way we are not competing with each other and it opens up other authors for discussion in this thread.

Jen and Lesle - Thank you for your comments. I will add those to the list!

Luís- Please give us your thoughts on the book even if we are not reading it!

I'm happy to announce that we’ve decided to continue our Latin American reads into 2024! Our literary journey includes authors from Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands. A few of the South American countries are not technically Latin American (by language) but we will include them due to the region. Depending on the interest and book length, I would like to have 1-2 book selections per quarter.

Please suggest and express support for all books you would like to read with the group. Remember that the original publish date can be no later than 1974. Short story collections and poetry can also be included. The group also has a group read of (1) 2 Brazilian authors (Jorge Amado and Clarice Lispector) in the 2024 Authors from Around the World thread and (2) Jean Rhys (Dominica) in the 2024 Authors of Well Written Works thread. So, we will not read them for this discussion.

Here are some suggestions. I will add to the list as we get more ideas!

Betrayed by Rita Hayworth by Manuel Puig (1968, 299 pages)
The Burning Plain and Other Stories by Juan Rulfo (1953, 175 pages) +1
Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa (1969, 608 pages)
Crick Crack, Monkey by Merle Hodge (1970, 128 pages) +2
The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes (1962, 307 pages)
Doña Bárbara by Rómulo Gallegos (1929, 480 pages) +1
Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (448 pp) +1
The Green House by Mario Vargas Llosa (1965, 416 pages)
Heartbreak Tango by Manuel Puig (1969, 224 pages) +1
Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar (1963, 564 pages)
The President by Miguel Ángel Asturias (1946, 287 pages)
Selected Poems by Pablo Neruda (1949, 508 pages, bilingual edition)
Three Trapped Tigers by Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1965, 487 pages)
The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato (28-Apr-2011) Paperback by Ernesto Sábato (1948, 140 pages)
The Violent Land (1943, 276 pp)
Zama by Antonio di Benedetto (1956, 256 pages)

Congrats Kathy!! I see you finished up with Samuel Beckett. I’m reading one of his books also and didn’t realize at first that they were originally written in French. (Who would think an Irish author would write in French??) I’m encouraged now that I can complete one more level of this challenge.

I’m 25% into “Mercier and Camier”. This book was first written in 1946 in French but wasn’t published until 1970, by the author’s choice. Beckett translated the work into English himself in 1974. The dialogue reminds me of Waiting for Godot, if I remember correctly. It’s been 7 years since I read it. I like it so far even though it’s a very different writing style. I only gave Waiting for Godot 2 stars. I didn’t get the point of it at all but I think I will like this one better, at least I hope so!

I’m in for another year!
Finished: 5/5

Relaxed Reader:
1. The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato (Spanish)
2. Heartbreak Tango A Serial by Manuel Puig (Spanish)
3. Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon by Jorge Amado (Portuguese)
4. Termush by Sven Holm (Danish)
5. An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie (French) This book was published in 1981 but is non-fiction set in the mid 1960s.

I haven’t read that book or seen the TV show but I’m planning to read the children’s biography “Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy US Marshall” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. I met the author at a library event several years ago, which is when I heard about this book. The book won 2 different literary awards including the Coretta Scott King Award. I was hoping to read the book with my grandson next year. After I read the children’s biography, I’ll look for the adult version!

Thank you Pyangie! I’m planning to read Invisible Man and Les Miserables.

I checked out 2 books from Hoopla - “Mercier and Camier” and “Three Novels” (the trilogy). I’ve only read Waiting for Godot by Beckett. I’m looking forward to reading these books but not sure which one to start with!

I’m glad you guys clarified the picture difference! I’m on the app and don’t even see the pic with the Penguin! (The app is terrible when it comes to pictures and book covers!) From Book Nerd’s comment and pic, I knew exactly the balloon he was talking about because I’ve seen it flying and it’s really weird looking from a distance. I had to look it up to figure out what kind of animal it was!

Yup, that’s the balloon! In some pics he looks black and others gray, depending on the way the sun hits him. He is very odd looking. I’ve seen him before and am never sure what it is but it’s not a penguin. The penguins are easy to identify and don’t have ears.