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comment by jayfixkleenit
jayfixkleenit  ·  3818 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What are you reading now? Is it any good?

I'm working my way through Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar. It's a challenging book. But I get the sense that it will be a rewarding one too. For those who've read the book or heard about it, I'm currently attempting the linear plot (Book 1). Once I'm done with that, I will make an attempt at the non-linear plot (Book 2).

I will probably take a break from this very challenging book for a while and read Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian with the guys over at the Book Club. Looking forward to that as well.





iammyownrushmore  ·  3817 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'm actually doing the opposite, as Hopscotch is next on my list and I have already read Blood Meridian. I love McCarthy and wish I could read BM for the first time with a group, it's absolutely fantastic and brutal.

Any suggestions on Hopscotch?

jayfixkleenit  ·  3817 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'm not even close to half-way through, so I don't know if I'm qualified to advise. The only advice I can give is the same I would give anyone who wants to read Cortazar or Joyce or anything similar. You have to be willing to suspend disbelief. Like actively be willing to allow the author to take certain liberties with language and reality. In certain cases, this is easier; like when you are reading something closer to your version of reality. When it comes to this novel, I've had to actively do this. Let's see if there's a reward at the end of it.

Suggestions on Blood Meridian would be much appreciated too.

iammyownrushmore  ·  3817 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Very well put, I keep finding myself coming back "stream-of-consciousness"-y lit and post modern ramblings all the time, so I am used to it by now. I do as always find myself actively trying to string along a narrative that makes sense in my own headspace, which can be somewhat debilitating for me at times. I have a feeling Hopscotch may similar to The Savage Detectives, which I enjoyed greatly, but I'll find out soon enough.

Blood Meridian to me is literally just penultimate McCarthy, everything you've seen before, in a way, done better than you have ever seen. It's so amazingly well executed. There are parts that seem like a chore or mundane, but just soak them in, because they are absolutely vital.