Personae: Page 0: Links & Notions

[Andrew, Wound Up]

This topic should have NO spoilers. Feel free to discuss your preconceptions/notions about the book here. Also, open discussion of:



* The cover:

* Copyright page
* Dedication: For Claudia and In Memoriam: Jesus De La Pava, John Forsythe, Antonio Mellado, Ricardo Ochoa, and Nestor
* Epigraph:No traditional epigraph appears, however there is the following just prior to the beginning of the first chapter:

Book Two

Pero mira como beben
los peces en el rio.
Pero mira como beben
por ver a Dios nacido
Beben y beben
y vuelven a beber.
Los peces en el rio
por ver a Dios nacer.

-Traditional.


I'll start making categories for chapter sets soon. The official start date for reading is November 1st, 2014 but feel free to join us anytime.

Personae e-book purchase links:


Kindle: amazon.com:

Personae: A Novel (Currently $9.99)

Nook: barnesandnoble.com:

Personae: A Novel (Currently $10.49)

[Andrew, Wound Up]

Some quick notes on the Epigraph - it is a Spanish Christmas song and the chorus is quoted here. I'll link the site I pulled this interpretation from, they also provide a very direct translation if you'd prefer that.

Interpretation:

But fishes in the river,
they are so delighted.
The fishes in the river,
to see the birth of God.
See how they swim and swim
and then they swim some more.
The fishes in the river,
to see the Savior born.

Click here for more details.

Some awesome dude on YouTube singing the full song.

Alternate version, calmer and will cause 1980's flashbacks!

[Michelle, Overrun By Pets]

I have the second cover of the two listed above. I am conflicted about this cover. I was initially attracted to the stark, strong graphic and it's repetition of imagery, however the more I look at it, the more off-kilter I feel. I'm still staring at it even now and am concerned I am being brainwashed in some capacity. There may be a hidden message I am reading and re-reading and implanting into my subconscious. Am I sounding more and more paranoid? At first I thought the image was just a graphic, but now it appears to be a building in the center of the cover with roads or textured walls/barriers surrounding it.

I like the classic architectural nature of the first cover shown. I am also less scared of the cerebral effects of this cover.

I got great pleasure from both YouTube videos. I read the translation first and by the end of the second 80's video, I was singing along in English. I have no idea how this song relates to the book or it's content, but I'm OK with that. Also, I have absolutely no preconceived notions about this book's plot.

[Andrew, Wound Up]

A Naked Singularity is in my top ten books of all time. It is a book that teetered on the edge of my comprehension balancing a host of different themes and topics in a mesmerizing acrobatic juggle routine.

Obviously, I'm excited to start Personae.

The two covers are quite different. Neither one quite grabs my attention, outside of the byline.

De La Pava is a public defender in Manhattan and he brings a unique and intelligent perspective crushing down on the reader (Singularity mashed a criminal case with physics... and so much more). The traditional song quoted before the first chapter makes me think the novel will push us to view an important event from some crazy perspectives. It is prefaced by the confusing "book two"?!?

I'm not sure I'm ready, but I'm jumping in!