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A possible topic:
Which is your favorite story, and why?
Junot Diaz (author of Drown, our May 08 book) was on Colbert Report on June 18th, to talk about his Pultizer winning novel The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao.
Watch the video
Thank you Lizzy for staying up late, and informing us.
Enjoy!
We met today to discuss JUNOT DIAZ' DROWN. Most of us liked it. Personally it was the best I have read in our series. We also had one member with few reservations about some of the stories.
As it is the summer and if you are leaving town take the next two books with you THE LATIN DELI and July's book THE RAIN GOD.
If you are in town, please come to our next meeting, especially those who haven't been able to make it to any one our meetings.
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2 comments:
The story Ysrael is so true when it comes to understanding human curiosity with deformity. On one hand it is cruel and repulsive to read how Ysrael, the boy is bullied by others, but on the other hand we also want to know what his face looks like under the mask. Even though we can't see Ysrael's face, although Junot Diaz does give enough details, the image that comes to my mind is the image I see on TV of soldiers whose faces and body parts were blown away by IEDs in the Iraq war. Both are repulsive and tragic, and the latter of course, the true face of war.
I don't have one favorite story but the stories narrated by Yunior are the most interesting. Even though each one is a separate story, one can see Yunior grow up, especially in the two stories: "Aguantando" and "Negocios." They are in one way two perspectives: the mother's, who waits hopelessly for the return of her husband, and the latter is Ramon's story, the father who keeps the family waiting.
Yunior's relation with his father is ambivalent, especially in the last tale. There is pity in Yunior's voice when he narrates his father being cheated of his money and how nobody comes to his help when he is hurt on his job, but on the other hand he does not mince his words to portray him as a misogynist, opportunist,and irresponsible.
I also liked the story "Boyfriend."
Of all the books, I think this one was the most satisfying start to finish, in my opinion. This is my second reading and it seems a completely new collection :)
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