Going Slow

I am plowing along in The War, but it is slow going. I still like it. I like the wheels within wheels of the political maneuvering within all parties. I imagine that Llosa is doing the same to the reader, but I don't feel as obviously and as ham-handily manipulated as I have in other novels. I am not looking for transparency where the dream that is the text takes over and I am lost in the text, because I enjoy the break down of language and the archaelolgical work of reading into the craft of the writer. I find much of the meaning in a text can be created in this manner. The repetition of patterns from the story or stories in the novel appearing in the over arching structure of the text. Where the telling of the novel by the author through the telling of the stories in the novel by the narrator becomes yet another layer of storytelling told by the reader to herself as she makes meaning in and with the text.

(I liked that last sentence; I sure hope some of you guys read this blog still).

Restart with the New Year

Ok, let's get this conversation started again. I am unsure when the January meeting is taking place. I put a guess on the books of the RFB column. So far I am enjoying War of the End of the World. It reminds me a lot of current American politics, odd considering it was published in 1981, of course that is when the right started to take control with the beginning of the Reagan Era. I think it will be a great discussion in February when we will have both the Llosa book and Pedagogy of the Oppressed to discuss and compare. Themes are similar, and not just because War of the End of the World takes place in Brazil.

I like the various agendas and viewpoints which come into play. I also like not knowing anything about this time period of South American History other than that they had been tossing out the European powers, and thus have to find their own way politically. I like that Gall is reading the religious rebellion as if it is a rebellion of the underclass. So far he can't seem to reconcile the conflict of his beliefs and what he is hearing out of Canudos.

Anyway, I have no idea if anyone reads this anymore or checks on it. But there you go.

I really love this book group by the way.