Estefanía’s Comments (group member since Dec 08, 2019)

Estefanía’s comments from the EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club group.

I nominate The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, 241 pages. I also second 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I nominate The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, 294 pages.

I second The Arabian Nights, The Tale of Genji and House of Leaves.

I second We Need to Talk About Kevin and Parable of the Sower.

I nominate The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontes, 576 pages.

I nominate Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, 372 pages.

I nominate Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies, 136 pages. Also, second the Nutcracker and Mouse King and the Tale of the Nutcracker.

I nominate Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, 245 pages.

I nominate The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, 144 pages. I also second Cloud Atlas and Pet Sematary.

I second Something Wicked This Way Comes.

I nominate A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, 183 pages.

I ended up with tons of questions. But in this case, that may be a good thing, especially for a book that wants and asks you to be critical about the media you consume.

I was surprised that some stories weren't covertly turn in to other media. If a society doesn't read, how can they tell that something was originally a book? And if movies don't have actors and are only abstract figures and music, can they still tell a story? Of my head Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 says yes. Comics are allowed, but things like Classic Graphic Novel Collection line exist. Also, short comic strip can pack a lot of social commentary just look at Mafalda by Quino. Even if you take away the dialog and caption boxes, you still have the secuencial art, silent comics are also a thing e. g. Age of Reptiles series. The only answer I can think of is that they simply don't notice it. They did mention indoctrination in story being something fierce.

I would like the story to remain as it is. I don't think it has to have a sequel. It got its message across and didn't overstay it welcome.

I second the Bluest Eye and The Color Purple.

I second The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Book Thief and Catch-22.

I second Flowers for Algernon and Their Eyes Were Watching God.

I found it okay. However, in some points Montag mission didn't seem all that urgent. We don't know the extent of the censorship. If it's only the United States? Then the works of those author would have survived abroad.

I live in Mexico, we read H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe in our equivalent to Elementary. If you went to a bilingual school would very likely end up reading To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye or Old Man and the Sea, in our equivalent to the second half of High School. I assume they might be found in other school curriculums around the world. In that case, did they started destroying beyond their borders? I would understand other countries being upset and declaring war. But we don't know anything about the war.

I starting reading, knowing about the 2007 interview. That is why a see the censorship, but also his fear of technology and its effects on society. According to him, that people would become complacent idiots. Said degradation would affect future generation making them even worse, e. g. the brats having a ball at the Pleasure Island duplicate.

I love books and also their adaptations so I'm quite biased.

Note: I forgot John Steinbeck, according to some acquaintances, a lot of his short novels.

I nominate The Book of Lamentations by Rosario Castellanos, 400 pages.

I really don't expect the fantastical elements of magical realism to help fix anything. Humans (in and out of fiction) are flawed and when it comes to signs and prophecy, just ask Jocasta and Laius. I'm really not surprised by self fulfilling prophecies anymore.

My understanding of the concept is: fatistical to the reader, mundane to the characters in world. It may have meaning to us, but so common place in story that characters might to give it second thought.

Yeah, the first thing one of my friends did when I asked about the book was offer me a detailed genealogy project about it.

I still find it the most boring and tedious of Marquez at this point. I know for a fact he can do better with less. Well, The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor will remain my favorite.

Florentino is flawed but boring even in his most despicable acts. One of the thing that I would have love to see is the consequences play out in more detail. However, he is our narrator for those parts and has a very in character reaction, easily forgetting everything because he has Fermina shaped blinders.

Although, I admit the I did get a laugh on his dumb schemes to get rich and get Fermina's old man approval. Heck, I think if there had be more things like the sunken ship and the lighthouse, I would have found it more fun. If he had only focus some of that energy managing the family business, I swear there would still be a jungle. It would very likely be his personal zoo, but it would be something. Now I can imagine him luring women with the promise of a baby orangutan. Let's not kid ourselves, this guy has the attitude and looks of a silver age comic book villain with the gritty 90s retooling included (the America thing).

Quick question. Beside the rose infested graveyard, what other examples of magic realism did you fiend? I know this is one of the authors selling points. I really need to read One Hundred Years of Solitude, I have heard it full of it.

John wrote: "So..... ugh this was hard for me. Elements of the story were good but damn I have a hard time with a book that glorifies rape and pedophilia. How is this book popular? Is it just me?"

No, I almost didn't finish for those same reasons.

Florentino was one of the least interesting characters in his own story and later as it went on he became the most unbearable. After that happened with America, I hoped that the fall would end him. I expected his actions to come back to bite him and hard. But no, he gets to sail back and forth as he tries his best to avoid any accountability.

Come on, at least give him an stds!