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moi_stephanie's review against another edition
2.0
Perhaps it is that I'm not in the vibe needed to read this book. Maybe I didn't get the instructions in the beginning (highly unlikely, since the kindle version links you to the following chapter).
Whatever it was, I've decided to stop reading it. It's tedious and unlike many other books, I dread the moment where I'll get to read it, making of this activity a much less enjoyable one.
Whatever it was, I've decided to stop reading it. It's tedious and unlike many other books, I dread the moment where I'll get to read it, making of this activity a much less enjoyable one.
valeriaq24's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
casparb's review against another edition
5.0
O what a tale that hovers formalistically among Nabokov's gorgeous Pale Fire and (dare I mention it?) D.F.W's Infinite Jest. Endlessly, resolutely postmodern, but I think it is altogether more useful to dispense of that label, frequently applied in much the same way as fire blankets are.
I find many (many) authors a little too eager to flex their literary knowledge, the result being a text hypersaturated with author after author, with little effect aside from instilling tedium. Cortázar, I think, avoids this, much to my delight. When he does reference an author, it is not only thematically useful, but also opens up other questions about Hopscotch itself, if one has familiarity with the works referenced. The text also appears to anticipate many philosophical developments of the late 20th century, in particular, Deleuze + Guattari's work (of which I do not presume to speak with any authority).
What am I saying? I suppose I am saying read this book. I think perhaps I have laid my emphases a little poorly, and I must highlight - this novel is quite wholly beautiful.
Okay happy new year everyone check out Year's End by Borges if I don't drop it in some sort of gc
I find many (many) authors a little too eager to flex their literary knowledge, the result being a text hypersaturated with author after author, with little effect aside from instilling tedium. Cortázar, I think, avoids this, much to my delight. When he does reference an author, it is not only thematically useful, but also opens up other questions about Hopscotch itself, if one has familiarity with the works referenced. The text also appears to anticipate many philosophical developments of the late 20th century, in particular, Deleuze + Guattari's work (of which I do not presume to speak with any authority).
What am I saying? I suppose I am saying read this book. I think perhaps I have laid my emphases a little poorly, and I must highlight - this novel is quite wholly beautiful.
Okay happy new year everyone check out Year's End by Borges if I don't drop it in some sort of gc
chicokc's review against another edition
5.0
Simplemente genial. Estupendo. Monumental. Y todo un reto.
paocampo_21's review against another edition
1.0
“Rayuela” de Cortázar me dejó con una sensación de frustración duradera, como si estuviera presenciando los desvaríos de un grupo de hombres insoportables que se creían superiores intelectualmente al resto. La narrativa parecía más un laberinto de divagaciones pretenciosas que una historia coherente. A pesar de la innovación constante en la forma y la estructura, lo cual es admirable, en muchos momentos resultó en una experiencia de lectura tediosa y confusa. En conjunto, el libro se reveló como un viaje aburrido y agotador, sin lograr cumplir con la promesa de una narrativa envolvente.
wyelow's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
mihrimahivette's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
uhambe_nami's review against another edition
4.0
Don't read it for the plot; read it for the way it transports you to those places where - under a cover of jazz and cigarette smoke - art, literature and music is discussed as if life depends on it. I once knew a place like the Serpent Club, where time stood still and Proust and Gertrude Stein (and many others I now wish I could remember) were quoted in their respective original languages. Much like La Maga, I had no idea what they were talking about and all I could do was listen.
In Hopscotch, whichever way one decides to read it, we meet Horacio Oliveira, who breathes literature and prefers to ignore the more dreary things in life. And La Maga, his girlfriend, who is accepted but also patronised by Horacio and his friends from the Serpent Club. When La Maga disappears, Horacio realises that he needs her and the mundane things of life after all – if only to keep his sanity. That, in short, is the narrative, but there is so much more to discover and dwell upon in this book. Take the plunge and play the game of hopscotch, where the bottom is Earth and the top is Heaven, and don't forget that in order to reach Heaven you will need at least a pebble and a toe. Although a sip of yerba mate and some good jazz in the background might do the trick as well.
In Hopscotch, whichever way one decides to read it, we meet Horacio Oliveira, who breathes literature and prefers to ignore the more dreary things in life. And La Maga, his girlfriend, who is accepted but also patronised by Horacio and his friends from the Serpent Club. When La Maga disappears, Horacio realises that he needs her and the mundane things of life after all – if only to keep his sanity. That, in short, is the narrative, but there is so much more to discover and dwell upon in this book. Take the plunge and play the game of hopscotch, where the bottom is Earth and the top is Heaven, and don't forget that in order to reach Heaven you will need at least a pebble and a toe. Although a sip of yerba mate and some good jazz in the background might do the trick as well.
uhambe_nami's review against another edition
4.0
Don't read it for the plot; read it for the way it transports you to those places where - under a cover of jazz and cigarette smoke - art, literature and music is discussed as if life depends on it. I once knew a place like the Serpent Club, where time stood still and Proust and Gertrude Stein (and many others I now wish I could remember) were quoted in their respective original languages. Much like La Maga, I had no idea what they were talking about and all I could do was listen.
In Hopscotch, whichever way one decides to read it, we meet Horacio Oliveira, who breathes literature and prefers to ignore the more dreary things in life. And La Maga, his down-to-earth girlfriend, who is accepted but also patronised by Horacio and his friends from the Serpent Club. When La Maga disappears, Horacio realises that he needs her and the mundane things of life after all – if only to keep his sanity. That, in short, is the narrative, but there is so much more to discover and dwell upon in this book. Take the plunge and play the game of hopscotch, where the bottom is Earth and the top is Heaven, and don't forget that in order to reach Heaven you will need at least a pebble and a toe. Although a sip of yerba mate and some good jazz in the background might do the trick as well.
In Hopscotch, whichever way one decides to read it, we meet Horacio Oliveira, who breathes literature and prefers to ignore the more dreary things in life. And La Maga, his down-to-earth girlfriend, who is accepted but also patronised by Horacio and his friends from the Serpent Club. When La Maga disappears, Horacio realises that he needs her and the mundane things of life after all – if only to keep his sanity. That, in short, is the narrative, but there is so much more to discover and dwell upon in this book. Take the plunge and play the game of hopscotch, where the bottom is Earth and the top is Heaven, and don't forget that in order to reach Heaven you will need at least a pebble and a toe. Although a sip of yerba mate and some good jazz in the background might do the trick as well.