tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post8336791529959694892..comments2024-01-24T11:41:28.022+00:00Comments on A Cuban In London: Rayuela (Hopscotch) by Julio Cortázar (Review)A Cuban In Londonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-37399788667091348502010-07-04T02:02:33.198+01:002010-07-04T02:02:33.198+01:00I just wanted to stop and say a hello to you ....I just wanted to stop and say a hello to you ....Kathryn Magendiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863595228298349863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-12809523747183225282010-05-19T01:38:53.031+01:002010-05-19T01:38:53.031+01:00Thank you CiL. Another well thought and articulat...Thank you CiL. Another well thought and articulate review and another book for my Must Read list.Peggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909913811643561413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-45679060014826252362010-05-18T23:22:05.048+01:002010-05-18T23:22:05.048+01:00por cierto, has hecho reseña alguna de Borges? Mir...por cierto, has hecho reseña alguna de Borges? Mira que ese muerde. Ahora me estoy leyendo Ficciones. No commments, otro clasico.Lisetghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00365755940195358505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-68440051004937578782010-05-18T23:20:19.590+01:002010-05-18T23:20:19.590+01:00London,
Yo soy admiradora incondicional de Cortaza...London,<br />Yo soy admiradora incondicional de Cortazar. Me parece sencillamente genial y he leido cuentos de el pero no Rayuela. En Cuba, cuando al fin pude conseguirla me encontraba ya en un estado de 'ostine' que no pude leerla y a los pocos meses me fui y tuve que dejarla, por mucho que no queria. <br />Aqui la compre y me espera en el librero, junto con otros libros que compro compulsivamente y tienen que esperar porque tengo primero que leerme los que tengo en la lista de la Maestria.<br />De mas esta decirte, es una maravilla leer esto, como siempre, buenisimo. Ahora voy a leer lo que escribirte de mi otro libro pendiente: Tres Tristes Tigres, ese en Cuba JAMAS lo vi, jeje.Lisetghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00365755940195358505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-13854749940821821562010-05-16T12:05:43.844+01:002010-05-16T12:05:43.844+01:00Many thanks for your kind comments.
Greetings fro...Many thanks for your kind comments.<br /><br />Greetings from London.A Cuban In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-61477925000961461482010-05-15T17:51:07.651+01:002010-05-15T17:51:07.651+01:00I'm sorry but I can't think of any other w...I'm sorry but I can't think of any other way to put my reaction to this but Oh. My. God. For the way you write this, and for what you write of. <br /><br />At this point I think that there is so much excellence in the world, most of which I know nothing of, that it is pointless for me to try and add my tiny bit. This is not as defeatist as it sounds - just a recognition of all that is good and clever. <br /><br />You have done a masterful job of presenting this book, Cuban, and having some idea of its complexity, I am in even greater admiration of your ability to sort it out for the rest of us. <br /><br />I laughed out loud at the quote from Cortázar. Brilliant.Deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10892637441668897411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-77697475369253191802010-05-15T13:15:46.513+01:002010-05-15T13:15:46.513+01:00I am rescued by humor..as you said in your superla...I am rescued by humor..as you said in your superlative essay.."too much earnestness is a crusher". <br /> Yet I trust your review and the amazing amount of knowledge you display. Toe in the water, I wonder if I have the talent to submerge in this vast pool..brrr..I think I'll try!!Lynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11985979258848310351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-77749098191148855552010-05-15T06:01:45.836+01:002010-05-15T06:01:45.836+01:00Very intriguing review Cubano. Gabo is one of my f...Very intriguing review Cubano. Gabo is one of my favorite authors but I typically enjoy Latin American woman authors more for many of the issues that you and Fly Bro have addressed. Cortazar sounds complex indeed.Fly Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18191335990973494972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-38439517462862393432010-05-14T22:13:22.930+01:002010-05-14T22:13:22.930+01:00I actually read this book, Cuban, and I absolutely...I actually read this book, Cuban, and I absolutely loved it. Of course, I read its English translation, so I'm sure I missed out on quite a bit of this and that... with a translation this inevitably happens. Still, I remember being so drawn into the book, the words, the absolutely mesmerizing description... it was an amazing read. And so is your review. I've come to depend on your blog for a good movie and book review. You do have such high taste, and the eye and mind of an excellent viewer and reader. Makes for good reading for me, too! Thank you, as always, Cuban!<br /><br />NevineNevine Sultanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08794887684860140819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-4715062058857709772010-05-14T16:06:17.761+01:002010-05-14T16:06:17.761+01:00Thanks for your comments.
Fly Brother, I not only...Thanks for your comments.<br /><br />Fly Brother, I not only took offence at that scene but also at what Cortazar calls 'lector-hembra' (female reader). To him, this is the passive reader to which I alluded in my review.<br /><br />My reaction to the passage you mentioned was similar to yours, but then I remembered that it was La Maga speaking and also there was always the suggestion that the incident never happened and she was trying to impress Gregorovius (in fact, Oliveira mentions that at some point in the novel).<br /><br />Cortazar later explained that his definition of 'lector-hembra' should not be taken as a snipe against women but was merely a phrase he used at some point in his career and he dropped it afterwards. In terms of race, the further south you go in South America the more complex racial relationships become. The African presence in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay is not as heavily felt as in other countries of the Latin Diaspora like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Colombia. So, misconceptions do exist and prejudices abound.<br /><br />Thanks a lot for your comment because it highlights an aspect of the novel little explored.<br /><br />Greetings from London.A Cuban In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-7651801117268621652010-05-14T15:14:06.217+01:002010-05-14T15:14:06.217+01:00I studied this book in a grad school lit course ab...I studied this book in a grad school lit course about the novels of "The [Latin American literary] Boom." The title of my term paper, now used as a supplemental course text (hehe), came from this very book; "Negro Smell: Negative Characterizations of Blacks in the Novels of 'The Boom'." I took serious offense to the fact that La Maga's rapist (and admittedly, I took serious offense to most things at that point in my life), in a country with a scant black population (Argentina), was identified as such because of his "negro smell." Considering the author's love of jazz, I found this particular inclusion to be ignorantly gratuitous at best and blatantly racist at worst. Unfortunately, I let that small issue cloud my appreciation of the novel as a whole, so I'm open to reading it again.<br /><br />In other news, not exactly a merger, but it's a start: http://airlineroute.net/2010/05/14/v0cu-codeshare/<br /><br />Thanks for the intellectual stimulation, Sir Cubano.Fly Brotherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02675211627726489759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-71250392007716730892010-05-14T05:18:42.316+01:002010-05-14T05:18:42.316+01:00Thank you for a wonderful review, I need to read t...Thank you for a wonderful review, I need to read this for I have not done so. Have you read Garcia Marquez's "Memorias de mis putas tristes?" I was about to purchase it and I thought perhaps you had read it and reviewed it.Yolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06068063513978782703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-55316974884483841372010-05-14T04:09:24.362+01:002010-05-14T04:09:24.362+01:00Wow, what an intriguing review of what I suspect i...Wow, what an intriguing review of what I suspect is an intriguing book. Thanks. Must read. I'm off to Amazon.Judith Mercadohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13739476600999112092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-38117489677814468802010-05-14T01:52:55.394+01:002010-05-14T01:52:55.394+01:00I'm absolutely blown away by Latin American li...I'm absolutely blown away by Latin American literature, particularly those earlier works. My first foray into Latin Am lit was with Gabo and Borges. It was my first experience with magical realism, and I was just stunned by the majesty of it, the brilliant originality. Cortazar definitely sounds like one of those authors I need to add to my list. Thanks for the fab review!Carolina M. Valdez Schneiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589934533051907801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-33072520175517761572010-05-14T01:35:22.661+01:002010-05-14T01:35:22.661+01:00Fascinating review - this is a writer that I certa...Fascinating review - this is a writer that I certainly want to read a lot more of - as I only know some of his short stories - sounds a really interesting text in so many ways - what exactly does giglico language mean?? and does he read well enough in english translation ( although I should really tackle the work in spanish i know!!)Catherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06255193476024745869noreply@blogger.com