Greg S > Recent Status Updates

“I overheard the teachers snickering in their staff rooms about students…”

“Mom had to choose between the practical fact of a job that provided the income her family deserved and the more existential problem of the safety and emotional well-being of her children.”

“Inquiries into the origins of our accent were normal.”

“I was fortunate that my mom took that strong stance, because only a few years later a study revealed that more than 115,000 cases of failure to attend school—then considered a class C misdemeanor—were filed against students in adult criminal court in Texas in the 2000s.”

It’s a strange experience when the author of a memoir is around the same age as you are.

It’s f— weird but reading Classics and old books, you start to notice authors referring to how beautiful or dignified a “roman” nose is. — “I also giggled at the thought that somehow a nose could represent so much complexity and controversy.”

Yeah…yea! It IS odd! — “Why would they separate Egypt from Africa?” my mom asked aloud, outraged.”

“…who promised me fidelity, bliss, and loyalty and instead dealt me constant abuse and degradation, and ensnared me in a cycle of chaos that oftentimes felt inescapable…”

This is one of the longest acknowledgment pages yet! He thanks so many people he has to categorize them by clan affiliation.

“The wife”

You know what I’ve noticed? These guys don’t know anything about these women they supposedly love.

Sigh. And how does his roomate know his last words?

Gross, Oscar.

Every book is about a character who is the dumbest and most stubborn creature ever created.

This book is telling me Oscar’s hobbies are not working and maybe he needs new ones.

I don’t know. After most of the book was about the dictatorship and the torture and rapes, etc. all the superlatives of Oscar getting beat up isn’t convincing me.

The more I think about it the less I like these throw-away references the author makes.

I know this is supposed to be funny throw-away reference or something, but, indulging in my own aside, her son died of Cancer in 2020.

What’s up with this author and his obsession with boobs?

I worried the next chapter will be another long flashback.

It would’ve been cool if the author had said a little something about the Haitian Revolution.

Somebody tell these people about therapy.

What’s up with these quick summaries?

Again, how does Oscar’s roomate know the specifics of Abelard’s 14 years in prison?

Of all the weird asides and wild speculations and random tangents, the narrators is not even going to suggest that she cheated on her husband? We’re just…skipping right over that.

You know what’s funny, I have some my distant relatives that are still fighting for the land that was stolen by a greedy politician many many years ago. My branch gave up that cause as futile a long time ago.

And another history lesson. Also, how does Oscars roommate know about Oscars grandfather‘s days in prison? If this is supposed to be two narrators I wish they had two distinct voices.

“…but I don’t think I really stopped until I met you.”

Oscar’s trajectory is similar to my buddy from High School, except I can’t speak to how much my friend was bullied. I wonder if the story will continue or will deviate. My friend is happily married now.

Sigh. And how does someone “look like” Oscar Wilde?