Hello my lovely friends! Or should I say…goodbye? 😏 All jokes, but it’s a bit surreal to think that 13-14 ish weeks already passed and I’m now parting with this blog and, consequently, the rest of you guys. It literally does feel like yesterday I was struggling to figure out how to use WordPress while looking hella stupid in my seat at Breka. Now that I’m typing, it seems I have forgotten how to write blog posts. I mean, it’s kind of weird not to centre my thoughts around a novel…SO LET’S DO IT. SHAN’S DELUX BOOK REVIEW RAPID FIRE (yes, I did keep track because…well just because I’m a try hard and I’m not ashamed to be such…also if some info is whack, my bad, I’m writing purely form memory):
Combray (1913) by Marcel Proust
Rating: 5/10
Initial Thoughts: This book was not made for a Gen Z with an attention span the size of a pea.
Review: Definitely not my favourite. Giving this book (and myself) the benefit of the doubt, it was the very first novel of the term, so perhaps my RMST glasses were not as finely tweaked then compared to now. Although I did find the idea of exploring memory quite fascinating, I was not the biggest fan of the writing style. Words on words, lack of punctuation, sentences that seem to go on for miles and miles; I understand that it’s meant to represent someone’s train of thought, but bro, I couldn’t even keep my train of thought adhered to the novel. Just not my cup of tea.
Nadja (1928) by André Breton
Rating: 7/10
Initial Thoughts: “Aww, sad romance”… this is a wrong thought to have.
Review:
This may be a purely unique experience, but perhaps I was stupid. No, I was stupid. When finishing the novel, I was left with the thought that this novel was about a tragic romance about some dude and an interesting girl and they were happy… until she eventually she ends up in a psychiatric ward because people couldn’t handle her quirkiness. I thought it was like just a tragic love story. Tragic it was…but for the wrong reasons. It wasn’t until the lecture (video and in-person) I was like “Oh…HE’S A CONTROLLING ASSHOLE WHAT!” “This dude is quite literally using Nadja! It’s not really “love”, it’s an obsession.” I didn’t pick that up. I think it was this novel that told me “Okay, you really gotta like, read what the hell is going on. This novel taught me to try to read novels in slow motion. It’s a waste of time to read a novel just for the sake of reading it. If I’m being assigned to read these novels, then I have to do it with a purpose. Because I didn’t do that with this novel going into it: reading with a purpose, and the consequence of that was completely misunderstanding the dynamic between Breton and Nadja. Was it a good novel, I mean I enjoyed it. Points deducted for personal reasons: it reminds me of how stupid I once was when approaching these RMST novels lol.
The Shourded Woman (1948) by María Luisa Bombal
Rating: 1111111111111/10:
Intial Thought: “Let’s never get married”
Review: WOW I LOVED THIS BOOK WITH A BURNING PASSION. This being the very first female author of the course, I was excited to now be exposed to a female author and observe how her writing may be different from the two male authors I’ve read thus far. This novel, to me at least, was a feminist piece of literature…and a very good one at that. It’s important to highlight that “feminist literaturte” is a spectrum meaning there is not fixed definition for it. When I say feminist literature, I interpreted Bombal writing about very real problems affiliated with being a woman; the most important one being her worth as a woman being tied to the men around her. This was such a contrast to Proust’s because while Proust writes about his utilisation of Nadja as something “necessary” for his artistic journey, Bombal reveals the very damaging implications of men using women for their own purposes. Also, as a woman, I just related to her. BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL.
Agostino (1945) by Alberto Moravia
Rating: 8/10
Initial Thoughts: “I thought I wasn’t taking any PSYCH courses…oh hey Freud.”
Review: At first I was uncomfortable, but then, I got it. I mean not the borderline incestuous phenomena happening, like I don’t get get that…but I understand why Agostino thought that way. AND LET ME EXPLAIN. I mean, imagine yourself at like 12. You’re not a kid but not a teenager…you’re just…there. And you’re being exposed to this “new world” of adult phenomena that is completely foreign to you. Agostino, without a legitimate guide who has his best interest in mind, is swayed by bad influences. And now, thinking about it, I feel like I judged him. Is it weird, yea, but it’s understandable when you hear his story. This novel is uncomfortable and it will make you uncomfortable, no question. But then again, you will never grow until you are put in a place of uncomfortability. This novel really challenges that “adventurer” side of you. Will you judge Agostino for the way he is? Or will you understand him? I feel like we immediately jumped on Agostino for being “weird” and feeling weird about defending him, but we have to remember, he’s a kid, not a criminal. You cannot blame him for the way he thinks. If anything, that’s the fault of the adults who failed to protect him. The state of conflict that uncomfortability is what intrigued me to this novel. It’s uncomfortable on purpose, and therefore, it was interesting. It got you thinking, and I like it when books make me think even days after putting it down.
Black Shack Alley (1980) by Joseph Zobel
Rating: 10/10
Initial Thoughts: Definitely a story that people need to be told.
Review: I thought that Black Shack Alley was a very compelling and moving novel. It revealed a plethora of themes such as perseverance, racism, and the importance of education. It is a dire call to each person to keep their ears open to the voices and stories of people who have been historically oppressed. I love this novel because Zoebel’s writing transported me into a world where I was one with the characters. It gets you invested, which makes the many deaths, losses, and triumphs all the more moving. I don’t have much to say about the novel other than it’s one that you need to read. Beautiful work.
The Time of the Doves (1962) by Mercé Rodoreda
Rating: 9/10
Initial Thoughts: Narratives of love thus far from the female authors I’ve read truly is quite heartbreaking.
Review: Wow, this novel is heartbreaking. I think if you’re open to getting invested in character’s and being okay with tragedy and heartbreak, this is a great novel for you. For me, I’m not that person. I will actively avoid novels with tragedy because I don’t like getting atatched to things and watching them get hurt. This novel is so beautifully done. As a Poli Sci major, it was interesting to see how meticulously Rodoreda explores Natalia’s life as a woman balancing people’s perception of her in both the public and private sphere. Given the events within the novel, political turmoil affects the lives of each character. I found the exploration of the mental duress AND the tenacity of the human spirit in response to political turmoil very interesting. I would definitely come back to this novel.
The Hour of the Star (1977) by Clarice Lispector
Rating: 9/10
Intial Thoughts: It’s giving Breton but in a different font.
Review: I enjoyed this novel….and also despised it. I like it when novels make me uncomfortable. The main premise of the novel was very similar to Breton’s Nadja in the sense it follows a dude who finds interest in a peculiar girl and sees them as a vessel to accomplish something. Ultimately, I liked the novel because of it’s very dense and very interesting plot. Because I’ve learned from my experiences from Breton, I’ve dove into this book with a lens that tackles focusing on the victim, Macabéa, and her experiences with the people around her. However, if you’re not a fan of tragic endings, then this may not be for you. Spoiler alert, she dies. Macabéa dies before having lived the life she thought she would live. I liked this book also because the writing style of Lispector was easier to follow compared to others, so I didn’t find myself lost. I also enjoyed the complexity of the novel, and knowing it was Lispector’s final novel really added to the dense nature of it.
The Trenchcoat by Norman Manea
Review: 6/10
Initial thoughts: That wasn’t so exciting but I appreciate the undertones of surveillance!
Review: As someone who literally grew up watching Criminal Minds and Castle, I do not exaggerate when I say I LOVE mystery novels. I like the suspense, the adrenaline, and the fear I as a viewer felt. Like are they gonna catch the bad guy? Is he gonna get away? I love suspense. But for this novel, I don’t know. It didn’t give that vibe. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I wasn’t gritting my nails wondering what was happening next because, at least in my opinion, we kind of already know what’s at play. Although we don’t know whose trenchcoat it is, we do know that the only reason why people are so paranoid and skeptical of each other is the surveillance of a totalitarian regime. Perhaps I’m biased comparing The Trenchcoat to Criminal Minds, but this novel didn’t get me excited or wanting to know what was next. I did, however, liked to read about how people reacted under the paranoia of surveillance. I always like novels about surviving the surveillance under a totalitarian regime with political turmoil, and so I liked that aspect of it. I think another reason why I wasn’t the biggest fan of this novel was because I kept mindlessly comparing it to another novel called The Milkman by Anna Burns which is a novel also about living life under surveillance during The Troubles in Ireland. I feel like because I’ve seen it done better before, I wasn’t as enamoured by this specific novel. Does that mean it’s bad. No! I think it was interesting, especially seeing all of these “friends” turn on each other. It just personally was not my cup of tea, especially when other sources have made the tea piping hot.
The Book of the Chameleons (2004) by José Eduardo Agualusa
Rating: 8.5/10
Initial thoughts: ….wait whose who again?Review: I liked this novel! But, okay hear me out. Skip this analysis if you wanna. IDK if it was because I was borderline sick when reading and tired from trying to balance everything, but my mind often confused the characters. Like I thought Buchman was the crazy communist and the communist dude was Angela’s dad but in reality they’re actually reversed. Like I’m stupid, not the fault of the author lol. But I really did enjoy this novel because it was….interesting. Like there’s no other way to describe it, it was just interesting. I loved the concept of there not actually being a chameleon in the novel. The chameleon is implicitly implied in that WE ALL ARE CHAMELEONS. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 Like slay, that was so cool. I like how action packed everything is. I like the growth of the character’s, especially felix. I thought his relationship with Angela was very wholesome. Yea, I liked the novel! I think the only reason why I didn’t like it was because I confused the characters….which is a me issue lol.
Faces in the Crowd (2011) by Valeria Luiselli
Rating: 9.5/10
Initial Thoughts: ….shrimp’s may have small dicks, but it’s the perosnality that counts
Review: I LOVED THIS NOVEL!!!! I know some people didn’t because it was a very difficult read. Yes, it was very difficult. Warning for people wanting to read this novel, it gets confusing. Sometimes, you won’t really catch who’s narrating, what time period we’re in, etc. BUT I LOVED THIS NOVEL especially for the ending. At first, I was hella confused. But after thinking about it, it was incredible how Luiselli converged the stories of the narrator and Owen into one. They’re in the exact same place but at different time frames and yet they are interacting somehow! LIKE THE TIME ASPECT IS INSANE I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPER COOL. This novel is cool. And I also liked it because you could easily relate to these characters. For instance, missing a life you once lived. So slay. Loved it.
Fun fact, throughout this entire RMST course, I’ve written all my blog posts on a single doc. And now, I’m only now realizing I have 57 pages as of right now. Like me typing this word: chicken, I have 57 pages. Like that’s insane. And I feel like that says something about what this course gave me. I am very happy to have been given an opportunity to explore my creative horizons in how I approach and comprehend novels. Especially novels from romance languages and cultures such as Spanish and French, which, for the record, I’ve never purposefully exposed myself to. And now, I feel like I shouldv’e gotten to them sooner! I enjoyed exploring the myriad of themes, stories, and concepts explored by these fantastic authors. I mean, never in 100 years would I have expected enjoying a book about a boy coming of age and thinking inappropriately about his mother. I would have never expected reading a novel through the eyes of a gecko! It just goes to show that literature is a unique medium of art that anyone can manipulate to make their own. And above all, I feel proud of myself and everyone for finishing this course. When entering, I feel like I had a very limited reservoir of….what’s the word….reader potential????? Like I’ve only ever immersed myself in novels such as Percy Jackson and romance lol. I was kind of impatient and frustrated whenever I couldn’t get into the flow of reading automatically. Now, I feel like I’m a better reader. I’ve become accustomed to approaching a novel with reverence and patience because now, I think it’s important to treat the works of an author who poured blood, sweat, and tears into with the energy is deserves. Even if you don’t like it, it’s the effort that counts.
I wanna thank Prof Beasley-Murray, TAs Daniel and Tesi, and all of my classmates for making this class very enjoyable. This by far had to be my favourite class of this semester. I liked how we all pushed ourselves to engage in meaningful conversation, even if controversial, and hear each other’s stories, opinions, and journeys. I’m wishing all of you the best of luck in all of your future endeavours!
A final goodbye to this blog post, to this course, to this semester, and in fact, to my first year. I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person and this course has a part to play in that. Is it cheesy to say that I feel like I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for books? Hm, I guess that’s a thought for another day. Again, goodbye everyone! I’m wishing you all the best!
With Unconditional Love Always,
S
A Romantic Exploration ~ RMST 202 
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