Reading the World discussion
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BOTM April - Epitaph of a Small Winner
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I read both of these last year. The chapters are short and the books are entertaining.
Yes, I read it last year also and I agree, it was entertaining
Here's a link to a free translation of this book on the Internet Archive. I posted this in the nomination thread but might as well put it here, too. :)https://archive.org/details/in.ernet....
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https://archive.org/details/in.ernet......."
Thank you John. I have this in book format, but might read from the link.
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Flamboyant! Non-stop restless invention! Gusto! In other words, I liked it. Also one of those books where I feel like I could spend a lot of time deciphering all kinds of subtle wisdom. I'm too impatient to do that, though. Wanna move on to the next one. :) I figured out what it might mean in my review, but maybe I'll look at how others interpret it now.
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You will not be able to NOT think. I like the book. Thought provoking. Assis is a pessimist but I do not feel pessimism, only sarcasm. The book is very inventive. Unfortunately not on Kindle. John D was kind enough to send an on-line link which I loaded on my Kindle. It was scanned in and not proof-read. Unfortunately so many errors that I had to go back to my paper copy.
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Sorry for the delayed response. I'm only online on the weekends.You don't have to think in terms of trying to figure out what he is saying. It's pretty easy to follow. For me it's more like it stimulates thought. I'm obsessed with metaphors. So for me a book like this is a feast. But you don't have to read it that way.
Yeah, those archive documents don't translate to Kindle. I've tried that, too. I just read them on a laptop or phone. They work fine that way.
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You don't have to think in terms of trying to figure out what he is saying. It's pretty easy to follow. For me it's more like it st..."
Thanks John. You said it much better than I did
Celia wrote: "Assis is a pessimist but I do not feel pessimism, only sarcasm."I agree with this. It was so inventive and rambunctious that it wasn't a 'downer' at all for me. In light of this, I'm curious how you react to the end. It surprised me.
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I agree with this. It was so inventive and rambunctious that it wasn't a 'downer' at all for me. In light of this, I'..."
Look for my answer on Apr 30. I am taking my time with this book.
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
John, if you want to discuss further, let me know. I was not surprised by the ending as it completely explained the title to me. But, saying that, if you have differing opinion after reading the review, let me know.
Celia wrote: "Finished the book and reviewed it here."Funny, I never put the end of the book together with the title. Your explanation of the meaning of the title in your review enlightened me on this. I love that title, but now I love it even more.
What surprised me was really the last line. And here's why: (view spoiler) I wondered if anyone else would notice this, or agree.
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Funny, I never put the end of the book together with the title. Your explanation of the meaning of the title in your review enlightened me on..."
I was not surprised by that word and this is why. I had seen it in the book many times before. I just went out to the Full Text on Internet Archive. When I searched, I found the word 17 times!!!
I'm not trying to be a smarty-pants. I really like your style and hope we can read and discuss more together.
Celia wrote: "John_Dishwasher wrote: "Celia wrote: "Finished the book and reviewed it here."Funny, I never put the end of the book together with the title. Your explanation of the meaning of the title in your ..."
But did the tone of the book seem miserable to you? Then again, I guess by talking about misery with a playful tone he is adding a layer of irony. That is really sarcastic.
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I'm moving it to archive so that you can easily find it!!
The novel is narrated by the dead protagonist Brás Cubas, who tells his own life story from beyond the grave, noting his mistakes and failed romances.
The fact of being already deceased allows Brás Cubas to sharply criticize the Brazilian society and reflect on his own disillusionment, with no sign of remorse or fear of retaliation. Brás Cubas dedicates his book: "To the worm who first gnawed on the cold flesh of my corpse, I dedicate with fond remembrance these Posthumous Memoirs" (Portuguese: Ao verme que primeiro roeu as frias carnes do meu cadáver dedico com saudosa lembrança estas Memórias Póstumas), which indicates that not a single person he met through his life deserved the book. Cubas decides to tell his story starting from the end (the passage of his death, caused by pneumonia), then taking "the greatest leap in this story", proceeding to tell the story of his life since his childhood.
The novel is also connected to another Machado de Assis work, Quincas Borba, which features a character from the Memoirs (as a secondary character, despite the novel's name), but other works of the author are hinted in chapter titles. It is a novel recalled as a major influence by many post-modern writers, such as John Barth or Donald Barthelme, as well as Brazilian writers in the 20th century.