Around the World in Books discussion

Discussion of one of our two September books, Memoirs, by Pablo Neruda starts here.

I found this really interesting - the man can definitely write. That combined with his early life in Chile and subsequent travels around the globe (and a willingness to get involved in the cultures he lived in) makes for great reading. I felt it ran out of steam near the end when he moved back to Chile and talks quite extensively about the current politics - but this was porbably more interesting at the time it was published and for a Latin American audience. Despite that, I do recommend reading this book, but you don't miss anything in the last couple of chapters if you want to read something else.

I want to mirror what Chris has said. The memoir does, as Chris says, run out of steam at the end but perhaps that also a sign of his aging. Neruda has a fascinating life story whose involvement through his adult life in the international political, literary and artistic communities provide the reader with an understanding of not only the social situation facing his home country but that throughout the world including Spain, Russia, China, France as the world moved through major conflicts and political transitions. I loved reading about his early life in rural Chile where he lived close to nature and later, as an established diplomat, poet and political activist as well as his escape from Chile on horseback through the mountain ranges into Argentina and from there to Europe where he lived in exile for a number of years. I also loved how he documents the ordinary people he meets who read his poetry and who often share their poetry with him.

I felt the same about the end but thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book. I had never heard of Neruda (hangs head in shame) and feel I would like to read some of his poetry. The descriptions of physical landscape were beautiful and his prose just flows. Was interested in some of the other famous people he mentioned (again not heard of some/most of them) e.g. Lorca and Picasso. Glad I read this.