Ed’s Comments (group member since Dec 24, 2012)

Ed’s comments from the Around the World in Books group.

OK... I knew this was a parable of the Russian Revolution when I started but I think most of the references were lost on me. I understood that the dog being transformed into a man was a criticism of the naive communist belief that transforming mankind was easy and desirable... but, frankly, I had to consult Wikipedia to learn about the rest of the satirical references. There I learned that indeed, a non-Russian would not be familiar, most-likely, with the satirical names used in the novel. The book was banned in the Soviet Union. The plot has a doctor rescue a mongrel...only to conduct an operation which begins to turn the dog into a human...a human with awful traits. The experiment is a gigantic failure. The puzzling part for me is that in the novel... the doctor recognizes his failure.... but did Bulgakov intend to suggest that the Soviets in 1925 had also recognized their failures?

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
or Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov

Yes...that worked...thanks.... I was already going to do a mapping challenge for one of my reading groups...I'll add this.

Hi Josie..... thanks for the challenge info...but the link you gave is for a discussion of favorite books released this year. I see nothing about the 666 challenge.

I suggest The Cubs and Other Stories by Mario Vargas Llosa short- but also on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

Just finished Waiting for an Angel and found it compelling. Just the right amount of tension to keep the reader on edge throughout the novel without being overly melodramatic. Excellent read.

I finally finished the May book. Enjoyed it ..travelogues are a favorite of mine. It renewed my interest to getting around to reading the The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights. I'll probably also read one of his father's books.

Waiting for an Angel by Helon Habila
- won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in Africa (2003)

i suggest The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield. It's on the 1001 Books You Must read before You Die list.

I was not enthusiastic about reading this one...but did so because it is on the 1001 list that I'm working through. Well, I was very surprised. An excellent read.

I suggest Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami

Suggestions:
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (my vote)
The Old Gringo by Carlos Fuentes
The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes

Just finished the Camel Bookmobile and found it enjoyable even if a bit simplistic.

At one point I was not enjoying this novel...finding it somewhat tedious...but then it began to sink in..and I began to feel as if I knew the place and characters intimately. I don't know how the author did that. By the end of the book, I was hoping for justice and resolution... I think more so, perhaps, than the surviving characters.

I suggest The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

I knew nothing about this author...but since I was about to tour Iceland I wanted to read one of her authors. Boy, did I (and the Around the World in Books group) choose the right book. Not only well written, the simple story grasps the reader. In Iceland I visited a preserved hamlet with the tiny homes I could now imagine the characters in. The beautiful but unforgiving landscape.... and I was there in the Summer.....I couldn't even imagine how people survived here in the Winter. But, that is what the book examines..... survival, man's strength and frailties and what is the nature of independence. It seems to be much more elusive than the protagonist in our story believed it would be...and one needs to question the value of that quest.

I agree..Independent People.

I recently finished The Name of the Rose...I'm behind schedule in all my groups...so, won't be reading any of the three books for this group this month. But do we have a book or books set for June yet?

My review of The name of the Rose:

Despite the portions of this novel that are frustrating (such as entire passages in Latin and other languages, and scenes in which the dead or about to be dead are sometimes forgotten in favor of the major plot line), I really enjoyed this one. Almost every chapter had me doing research on one of the referenced dubious historical figures- only to discover that the character was real and the seemingly silly disputed arguments put forward were actually cause for the Inquisition and schisms back in the day. I'm still a bit confused about the resolution of the murders...and as a book lover, the ending is awful.

Half of Man is Woman by Zhang Xianliang

Glad you are feeling better!