Study With Wouters

 Hey everyone! I can't believe this is already my last novel in this course; time really does fly! This class has been so much fun and a rewarding experience. I almost don't want it to end so soon. This week, I read the "Book of Chameleons" written by Jose Eduardo Agualusa. Initially, before reading this book, the title of this book made me think of the song "Karma Chameleon" by Boy George. I couldn't stop singing this song for a couple of days, lol. (If you haven't heard this song, I highly recommend it, it's a great song). This song is similar to this book in a way. The chameleon serves as a metaphor in both, and a celebration of individuals' diversity and uniqueness. I also thought this book was going to include a Chameleon...  This novel dives into themes of identity, memory, culture, and transformation and change. Just like how chameleons can change colours to help them survive in their surroundings, the characters undergo transformation...

 Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well. This week, I read "Money to Burn" by Ricardo Pigila. I had high hopes for this novel, given the themes of mystery, deception, the creative process, and, most interestingly, criminal activity. Still, I liked it less than I thought.  I didn't quite like the pacing of this novel. I found the book to be slow at times, and the narrative was slightly complicated for me to follow. Piglia's characters also left me feeling confused. I found the characters to be super complex and purely uncertain. The characters were portrayed as super complex, but their unreliability and conflicting perspectives presented by witnesses and the press added a layer of confusion to the storyline. I felt like it was a never-ending puzzle.  However, what piqued my interest was the aspect of crime. As someone who enjoys watching and diving into the world of true crime during my free time, I liked the elements of the bank robbery at the center of the story. Th...

 Hello, everyone! This week, I read Marguerite Duras's novel "The Lover". I was kind of scared to read this book after Jon explained it to us in the last class. I was ready to face some discomforting moments, but I may have exaggerated a bit. It is still unsettling, but it is not what I made it to be. Let's just say I don't think I would read this novel again anytime soon.  The Lover is a story about a young girl who is French and comes from a struggling family. She takes on a forbidden romance with a Chinese man who is a lot older than she is. This book explores themes like societal expectations, power dynamics, forbidden love, desire, and identity. What stood out the most to me was the challenge of traditional ideas of love. This novel made me question love and identity due to its exploration of relationships and examination of societal norms. This book challenges the conventional ideas of love as the romance between the Chinese man and the girl is seen as forbi...

     Hey everyone! Hope all is well. I read "The Hour of the Star" by Clarice Lispector this week. I initially wanted to read this because of its shorter length. It was refreshing and made me less overwhelmed compared to some of the other books we have read. The narrative is different as it dives into the rich thoughts and emotions of the characters, allowing the reader to really get into the inner workings of their minds. "This story has no technique, nor style, it lives from hand to mouth (pg. 28)." This novel explores the themes of social inequality, isolation, identity, poverty, and sexism. I felt as if the author planted herself in Macabea. Lispector writes about Macabea in an empathetic way, writing about her inner thoughts, struggles, and emotions. On the other hand, she distances herself from Macabea by referring to her as "the typist," emphasizing how she's nothing but that.       Macabea's journey reflects the realities of social inequal...

Hey Everyone! I hope you all could unwind and relax during the reading break. As we return to our classes, Time of the Doves by Merce Rodoreda stood out as a thought-provoking novel. When I first started reading this novel, I was a bit confused. The sentences seemed a bit incoherent, sporadic, and sometimes repetitive... Maybe it is due to the translation? Anyway, looking past that, I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up enjoying the novel. I really enjoyed the descriptive language and powerful imagery. It allowed me to reflect and think about it after reading. I also liked the main character, Natalia, as I felt a deep connection to her and felt very empathetic towards her. On the other hand, I very much disliked Quimet as he was a cheating, toxic, and jealous man.  Natalia is a young woman living through the war. Through her perspective, the novel portrays the everyday struggles of ordinary people who find themselves in unforeseeable circumstances, showing how fragile the huma...

       Hi again, everyone! This week, I chose to read the book Agostino by Alberto Moravia. This novel was interesting, and I was weirded out at the start of the book. I found myself interested in the narrative and the character development of Agostino. Initially, the book gave me a sense of uneasiness and peculiarity, but I was curious about how it would go. This book explores themes like identity, desire, and societal expectations. The journey of reading this novel challenged my perceptions in a way but also gave me insight into the human mind and experience.       I initially perceived Agostino as a young boy. However, as I continued reading, I found out that he is actually 13 years old and fascinated with his mother and her beauty. In his eyes, his mother was flawless and beyond reproach. She was perfection to him. Not only did Agostino view his mother through this idealized lens, but she also interacted with him in a manner fitting for a ch...