All About Books discussion

Judy and I will be reading this starting this week. Anyone else who is interested in welcome to join us.

Judy, I am thinking that I will start Wed. - how does that sound to you?

I will try to join you in reading this. Will start today as well.

Judy wrote: "Sorry, Leslie, didn't see the thread until today. I don't get on GR as much as I used to. :-)

I read the first chapter last night. I saw your post saying that you've read about a third of the book..."

Sorry, that was a misunderstanding - I meant a third done with my challenges, not the book!! I haven't started the book yet! I will start today.

I am at about 75 pages in. I am realizing that I really don't know anything about the Dominican Republic, so I will probably not get the full effect of the book, but I am finding the story fascinating so far.

I am almost done with the second chapter, and I am fascinated by Trujillo's viewpoint. Do not know much more about this country than you Leslie.

I did read In the Time of the Butterflies, which is a book about this regime and the three sisters he is talking about in Chapter two.

I am up to Chapter 9 now. I agree Diane that seeing Trujillo's point of view along with the others makes for some interesting contrasts - it is a great way for the author to present more than one side of this time period.

On a more trivial note - how do you think that Urania is pronounced? I have tried a few different ways in my head but they all sound wrong... is it YOU-ray-nee-ah or is the accent on the second syllable? Or is it you-RYE-nee-a?

Yu-Ra-ne- e long a, long e. I looked it up, she is the Greek muse of astronomy. On chapter 6, all theses names, I am losing track, but do like the story.

Finished chapter eleven> Interesting structure to this book, back and forth, each chapter headed by a different person, different time period. Effective though because I feel that piecing it all together I am getting the big picture of what went on.

Judy wrote: "…Don't you just want to throttle Trujillo and his government? They are such a typical, slimy dictatorship claiming they are so about the people, while they assassinate them!"

Absolutely! I am constantly amazed by the way Trujillo views the world - so typical of tyrants but so out of touch with reality. I just finished listening to a radio dramatization of I, Claudius (great book, btw!) and Trujillo has a lot in common with Tiberius and Caligula in the way he thinks and how he treats those around him. Perhaps you have to think that way in order to be a dictator in the first place!

Diane S. wrote: "…Interesting structure to this book, back and forth, each chapter headed by a different person, different time period. Effective though because I feel that piecing it all together I am getting the big picture of what went on. "

Once I got a feeling of who everyone was, I started to really like it. It adds some more tension to a story which has a foregone conclusion (since the historical facts are fixed). And I find seeing the thoughts of the various characters illuminating, especially in understanding how people could be "Trujillistas".

Has everyone guessed why Urania didn't talk to her father for all those years? (view spoiler)[that Trujillo tried to rape her is my guess (hide spoiler)] I am getting close to the part where it will be explicitly explained and I am dreading it... I am up to Chapter 19 now.

For some reason these dictators are seen as the great hope of their nations despite the fact that history has proven time and time again that this does not hold true. Even after the fact they often wish to have the dictators back because at least things were easier and shortages not as bad. I worked with a Russian lady who told me that so many people loved Stalin, they saw him as their liberator.

I am liking this very much, like you said Leslie once you get used the way the style of the book, it becomes much easier. I too like reading about Trujillo's views and his weaknesses on aging. Have a guess about Urania but I am not there yet.

Diane S. wrote: "For some reason these dictators are seen as the great hope of their nations despite the fact that history has proven time and time again that this does not hold true. Even after the fact they often..."

Is it a case of "the devil you know"? Trujillo did bring prosperity to the country, at least for a while, but at such a cost! I suppose that if you are a regular person living in the country, paying homage to the 'great man' and his mother (!) might seem like a small price to pay - the abuses of power are mostly unknown to you & the ones you do know about are happening far away to people you don't know. And I suppose that the same argument could be made for Stalin.

The one thing about these dictators that seems most frightening to me is the unpredictability & uncertainty. There are no firm set of laws or rules that they adhere to, everything is dependent upon their mood and reason or logic can only help some of the time.

I think many people don't pay attention until it effects them personally.

I finished this morning. Now I need to sort out what I think of it!

I have a little over 90 pages to go. I am looking forward to your review as well.

I thought that the writing was excellent but the subject was difficult. I find it hard to separate my feelings about the two.

What a evil disgusting man Trujillo was and what insipid men followed him. Hope to finish this today.