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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Grief
I planned to read this twice: First time in the 'normal' chapter order (chapters 1-56); second time using the 'hopscotch' order (starts with chapter 73, then 'hopscotches' through the 56 chapters read previously along with many additional chapters that are not included in the 'normal' linear reading). In reality, I finished the normal order reading, plus a chunk of the hopscotch order.
At this point, I think I just have to set Hopscotch aside for the foreseeable future. I feel like I've been wading through it forever & still have a long way to go. I'm just not into it anymore (at least at this point)....
A few thoughts...
Reading it in the 'normal' order: It's a dense read w/ many references that probably whizzed right past me. Parts were good, the prose is gorgeous (sometimes), & I loved the few ending chapters. But, overall, I didn't like any of the characters & didn't really care for the story (not really much of a plot). It has a rather pessimistic view on life, imo. I'm so-so on the novel in that version.
Reading it in the 'hopscotch' order: It's still a dense read, but more interesting w/ the extra chapters interspersed. I can really appreciate the talent needed to create a book that can be read in various orders & still have some semblance of sense. It reminds me of all the little details in a surrealist painting by Dali -- so many little pieces & touches to make it one picture or a different one depending on how you view it. Really it takes a massive amount of skill, dare I say genius, to pull it off correctly. So, I see the beauty of the structure. I love the beauty of the structure. I also like that flipping to the various chapters in the hopscotch order actually interrupts your reading flow enough that you have a few extra seconds to mull over what you just read while you're searching for the next section. The slight mental breaks work wonderfully within this framework. However, I still don't like the characters & I still don't like the story. And, really, why does it bug me that these folks are in their 40s & behaving these ways? I don't know, but it does; it seems like they're acting like 'intellectual' & pretentious 20-somethings, but it gives me a different view to find that at least some of them are in their 40s during this story. So, though I love the structure, the framework, it's just not enough to keep me compelled to read. Total between both readings (the completed 'normal' order & partially completed 'hopscotch' order), I've probably read over 500 pages. I feel like I have a lot invested in the book but that I'm not getting much in return at this point. Shrug.
So, I'll have to call it a partial success with very cool execution, but not a story that I like.
At this point, I think I just have to set Hopscotch aside for the foreseeable future. I feel like I've been wading through it forever & still have a long way to go. I'm just not into it anymore (at least at this point)....
A few thoughts...
Reading it in the 'normal' order: It's a dense read w/ many references that probably whizzed right past me. Parts were good, the prose is gorgeous (sometimes), & I loved the few ending chapters. But, overall, I didn't like any of the characters & didn't really care for the story (not really much of a plot). It has a rather pessimistic view on life, imo. I'm so-so on the novel in that version.
Reading it in the 'hopscotch' order: It's still a dense read, but more interesting w/ the extra chapters interspersed. I can really appreciate the talent needed to create a book that can be read in various orders & still have some semblance of sense. It reminds me of all the little details in a surrealist painting by Dali -- so many little pieces & touches to make it one picture or a different one depending on how you view it. Really it takes a massive amount of skill, dare I say genius, to pull it off correctly. So, I see the beauty of the structure. I love the beauty of the structure. I also like that flipping to the various chapters in the hopscotch order actually interrupts your reading flow enough that you have a few extra seconds to mull over what you just read while you're searching for the next section. The slight mental breaks work wonderfully within this framework. However, I still don't like the characters & I still don't like the story. And, really, why does it bug me that these folks are in their 40s & behaving these ways? I don't know, but it does; it seems like they're acting like 'intellectual' & pretentious 20-somethings, but it gives me a different view to find that at least some of them are in their 40s during this story. So, though I love the structure, the framework, it's just not enough to keep me compelled to read. Total between both readings (the completed 'normal' order & partially completed 'hopscotch' order), I've probably read over 500 pages. I feel like I have a lot invested in the book but that I'm not getting much in return at this point. Shrug.
So, I'll have to call it a partial success with very cool execution, but not a story that I like.
I was pretty excited about this then proceeded to be underwhelmed. I don't care about Yerba Mate. The format is exciting and she be used for a better purpose by someone else. There are some pretty good parts to this but overall it was pretty tedious.
‘There is no such thing as a general idea’.
‘Hopscotch’ is a series of journeys through interconnected lives. It is simultaneously a reminder that we each read the same words and form different conclusions.
I have read ‘Hopscotch’ twice: following the instructions provided by Mr Cortazar. I will read it again in the future when I will try to be less concerned about where I am going and more interested in why I am undertaking the journey.
None of the characters appealed to me and yet I found myself caring about the paths they took and the choices they made. The death of the child, Rocamadour, was so harrowing that I almost stopped reading. But I did not. I wanted to see if somehow this event would change the lives that La Maga and Oliviera chose. By then, of course, it was too late.
‘Everything is writing, that is to say, a fable.’
So what is this book about? Who is the narrator? Which points of view does the reader obtain? Is there order in this chaos? Do any of these questions have answers, and are the answers relevant? There is nothing neat about ‘Hopscotch’. The endings are ambiguous, the characters are self-absorbed and the reader is invited to make choices. The novel comes to life and the reader becomes a part of it as the ultimate destination is driven by the choices made.
This novel made me uncomfortable. Yet, simultaneously, I am awed by the skills of the writer able to create such a world, invite me into it and leave the choices thereafter entirely to me. I agree with those who consider this amongst the best novels written this century. But don’t take my word for it: read it for yourself. A word of warning: Do not attempt if you lack balance. You may fall.
‘Hopscotch’ is a series of journeys through interconnected lives. It is simultaneously a reminder that we each read the same words and form different conclusions.
I have read ‘Hopscotch’ twice: following the instructions provided by Mr Cortazar. I will read it again in the future when I will try to be less concerned about where I am going and more interested in why I am undertaking the journey.
None of the characters appealed to me and yet I found myself caring about the paths they took and the choices they made. The death of the child, Rocamadour, was so harrowing that I almost stopped reading. But I did not. I wanted to see if somehow this event would change the lives that La Maga and Oliviera chose. By then, of course, it was too late.
‘Everything is writing, that is to say, a fable.’
So what is this book about? Who is the narrator? Which points of view does the reader obtain? Is there order in this chaos? Do any of these questions have answers, and are the answers relevant? There is nothing neat about ‘Hopscotch’. The endings are ambiguous, the characters are self-absorbed and the reader is invited to make choices. The novel comes to life and the reader becomes a part of it as the ultimate destination is driven by the choices made.
This novel made me uncomfortable. Yet, simultaneously, I am awed by the skills of the writer able to create such a world, invite me into it and leave the choices thereafter entirely to me. I agree with those who consider this amongst the best novels written this century. But don’t take my word for it: read it for yourself. A word of warning: Do not attempt if you lack balance. You may fall.
March, the leopard month, the crouching month, but now with a yellow sun that took on a little more red each day.
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sabía que era atrevido leer a Cortázar, pero a pesar de las dificultades para entender algunas partes, me ha gustado mucho. Le doy 3 estrellas simplemente porque creo que me ha faltado estudio previo para entenderla y disfrutarla al 100%.
Me han gustado mucho los personajes, las intrahistorias, la comicidad de algunas escenas (sugerentes recuerdos al estilo Tarantino...), etc. ¡Seguro que lo releo en algún momento!
Me han gustado mucho los personajes, las intrahistorias, la comicidad de algunas escenas (sugerentes recuerdos al estilo Tarantino...), etc. ¡Seguro que lo releo en algún momento!