Thanks to a spirited discussion of Sarmiento's often hyperbolic Facundo, there were more than twice as many ALoD posts in October as there were in September. Of course, my stats monkey reminds me that there were only two such posts in September. That being said, gracias to Tom and Rise for their reading/writing contributions this month. Not yet sure what November will have in store on the Argentinean lit front here at Caravana, but given the "serious" nature of the other reading plans in place, don't be too surprised if J.R. Wilcock's The Wedding of Hitler and Marie Antoinette in Hell makes its long-awaited appearance at last. That would slap a smile onto your Argentinophile book-blogging face now, wouldn't it?
Amateur Reader (Tom), Wuthering Expectations
Richard, Caravana de recuerdos
Facundo. Civilización y barbarie by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Siete noches by Jorge Luis Borges
Rise, in lieu of a field guide
"The Golden Hare" by Silvina Ocampo
I'm so envious that you have a "stats monkey." I have no pets whatsoever. Nevertheless, I will curb my envy and look forward to your Doom posts!
ResponderBorrarJill, a stats monkey is a must have for any serious blogger--and this is coming from a real dog man when it comes to our little animal friends. Anyway, glad you'll be following along with the Doom posts in spite of your, ahem, "primate envy"!
BorrarYou're so fortunate I don't have your snail mail address. Oh the things I have wanted to send you, such as stuffed unicorns, plush zombies, and now sock monkeys!
BorrarWe built a strong foundation there. Between Facundo and Martín Fierro I almost feel like I am getting somewhere.
ResponderBorrarI think Facundo was a swell start to the challenge portion of the Doom project, but you remind me that I need to get to Martín Fierro soon to see how Sarmiento's gaucho challenge was responded to by his countrymen. Until then, I have to confess that I'm almost hypocritically enjoying Chas Dickens' Bleak House at the halfway point despite all the mean things I've said about British literature in the past (shh...our little secret).
BorrarNo no, not hypocritical at all. Bleak House is suffused with Doom (it also has other moods - "Floored again!").
ResponderBorrarOK, I can relax then. Of course, nothing quite spells "suffused with Doom" quite like spontaneous combustion!
BorrarYou and Tom are really doing well. Your literary exploration is challenging. Well done.
ResponderBorrarThanks, Nana, and apologies for the delay in responding to you. There are a lot of hidden treasures to be found in South American literature in general and Argentinean literature in particular.
BorrarI splashed out on Hopscotch, new, and am hoping to start it in the next week or so. At the rate I'm currently reading and blogging it may be a contribution to the December link list.
ResponderBorrarIt took me a couple of tries to get into Hopscotch, Séamus, but it was well worth the wait because it turned out to be one of my favorite books of the year when I finally got around to it. I think you in particular might enjoy some of Cortázar's writing about music, but I'll say no more until you have a chance to experience the work for yourself. Sorry about the delay getting back to you, by the way.
Borrar