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Hello everyone, welcome to my blog's final book blog!   This week I read "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante. The novel which tales place in Naples, begins with Elena discovering her lifelong friend Lila has vanished, prompting her to recount their adolescence in 1950s Naples. The neighborhood they grow up in is rife with poverty, leading to issues like violence, alcoholism, and gambling. One aspect that stood out to me was the prevalence of violence in Elena's community. Violence is omnipresent, from familial abuse to neighborhood rivalries. Threats of violence, like Elena's father's warning about the Solara Brothers, shape behavior and maintain order. Poverty drives many characters to dream of climbing the social ladder, but these dreams often prove elusive. Lila and Elena aspire to write as a means of escaping poverty, but reality chips away at their aspirations. Lila's shift from writing to shoemaking, driven by her brother Rino's obsession wit...

Welcome to my ninth blog! This week I read "Death with Interruptions" by José Saramago. "Death with Interruptions" is undoubtedly a novel that has left an indelible mark on me. From its captivating premise to its profound exploration of life's complexity, death's mysteries, and the essence of humanity, this novel really stands out from the all the novels that I’ve read so far. One of the most striking aspects of the book is Saramago's adeptness at seamlessly blending fiction with philosophical inquiry. As the narrative unfolds, as a reader of this book, I got treated to heartfelt reflections on the nature of existence itself. The quote, "Death went back to bed, our her arms around the man and, without understanding what was happening to her, she who never slept felt gently closing her eyelids. The following day, no one died” (238) is a poignant example of Saramago's ability to humanize death, inviting readers to reassess their perceptions of mor...

Welcome to my eighth blog! This week’s reading of “Money to Burn” presented a mixed experience for me. While I found the narrative to be intriguing in certain aspects, particularly the detailed characterizations and the exploration of the complexities of human behavior, I struggled with elements of the story that suddenly changed into a disturbing territory. The graphic descriptions of sexual acts and violence, especially concerning the young girl Blanca and the unsettling behavior of characters like the Blond Gaucho, left me feeling uncomfortable and repulsed. However, there were two aspects of the novel that stood out to me. The first one was the moment of unexpected insight and reflection throughout the novel. For instance, the observation that "Every citizen of the capital in a mask, to avert contact and avoid contagion" (page 8) resonated with me, drawing parallels to our contemporary experiences with events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Such references added depth to the ...

 Welcome to my seventh blog post! This week, I want to dive into a book that's really unlike anything I've ever read before: "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" by Italo Calvino. This book is special, not because it's difficult to read at first, but because of how Calvino tells the story in a completely unique way. Right from the beginning, the book talks directly to you, the reader, about how you're picking up the book and starting to read it. At first, this direct address might be a bit confusing, but as you start to connect the dots between the different stories, you can't help but get drawn into it. It's like imagining yourself picking up a book and suddenly feeling like the author is speaking directly to you, detailing your every action as you read. The whole book revolves around you, the reader, and another character named Ludmilla. Together, it's like you're going on an adventure, searching for the missing pieces of the stories and p...

Welcome to my sixth blog! This week I read “The Time of Doves” by Mercè Rodoreda. The story intricately tells the story of Natalia, who endures two marriages against the tumultuous backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. Natalia is initially attracted to Quimet after a chance encounter in a square, but their marriage is fraught with difficulties as Quimet joins the army during the war, leaving Natalia to take care of the children all by herself. Quimet's death further deepened her descent into poverty, prompting Natalia to consider the unthinkable: ending her own life and that of her children. Antonio became a beacon of hope in this dire situation, ultimately leading to a more prosperous life for Natalia after her marriage. As her children grow up, Natalia returns to the square and unearths repressed emotions from her past. The story profoundly demonstrates Natalia's resilience as a mother and prompts people to reflect on the traditional boundaries of marriage and the role of women ...

Welcome to my fifth blog! This week I read “Nada” by Cameron Laforet. I enjoyed reading this book more than the previous ones, so I spend extra time and effort writing this blog. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it. Carmen Laforet’s "Nada" is a fascinating work of literature that immerses the reader in the disturbance of post-war Spain through the eyes of its protagonist Andrea. Laforet tells a story that dives into the complex dynamics of family, social upheaval, and personal growth, all against the backdrop of a country grappling with the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. The novel's protagonist is Andrea, an 18-year-old woman whose journey is a profound exploration of resilience and identity in the face of adversity. As Andrea transitions from the countryside to the bustling streets of Barcelona, she encounters a world very different from the one she imagined. Her grandmother's once grand house is now a relic of its former glory, divided into apartments and inhabited ...