JB
374 posts
May 24, 2003
12:28 PM
|
Post them here to help deepen and understand the reading. Remember the glossary in the back, the map, and the structure of switching from past to present. In terms of your feelings, struggles, and thoughts, feel free to be honest and let it rip.
|
the Dickens
5 posts
Jun 04, 2003
2:18 AM
|
To be totally honest I am finding this book to be quite difficult to read. Its the sort of book where I'll read a whole page and get to the end and realize I have no idea what just happened. I'm not sure if its the style in which the book is written, or the whole time jumping thing, or the constant mixture of languages. In anycase, I am currently up to page 121 having read each page several times to get here. Although its been rough I pretty much get whats going on now, and it all seems pretty crazy to me. One thing that strikes me is the fact that this book revolves around such a complex character who is all of 12 years old. When I was 12 I was playing Nintendo and setting things on fire...this charachter is the leader of a tribe, leading pilgrimages, starting wars, and has had an extensive sexual past to boot. Seems pretty nuts to me. One part I do like about this book is the visual imagery. The way things are described really make it easy to envision things in your head. Things are often described grotesquely, such as bulging purple tongues, or sewing the deads mouths' closed, which not only sets the tone, but also keeps me interested. Another theme I noticed is the way that many of the same problems that plague our society, also plague the characters of this book. Things like drugs, alcohol, and guns all are present in this setting too which is an interesting statement. Not as interesting as having small grey horns or 3 balls, but none the less its sort of a sign of the times. Just thought I'd share my thoughts.
- Jeff
Oh, one other question I had was about Jeremie Cande...what is the significance of him being half Chinese? At first I thought it was just part of his character background but the way they keep calling him "Chinaman" or talking about how he sees things through his squinty eyes is kind of weird. Just wondering.
|
