The metamorphosis- expectations

I have read the metamorphosis in high school and though i remember the general plot lines i also remember i was dissatisfied with the story. Back then it seemed very cruel (especially the ending for those of you who have already read it). I do not fully remember the in dept literary analysis we conducted for this book so it will be interesting to review it and remember what aspects i liked and which ones i didn't. once again this is not one of my favorite literary works to study. I preferred The Stranger by Camus for example. However there is something to be said about the commentary made on the "marginal" just like in The Lover and it also has ties with Chronicles of a Death which we will see later. Hopefully you guys have great expectations despite my blurb. It is after all a classic of literary studies!

The Lover- Ending and recap

I personally had issues with the ending. Though some people in class pointed out it is very sad my first impression when reading the ending was that it was too perfect. To me it seems a- perfect "completing the circle" and satisfying the readers- kind of ending. It seemed too neat that after years her lover would call back to desperately let her know that "until death" he would love her.
As i was contemplating reading the ending i sort of assumed that the ending would be anticlimactic with her leaving Saigon and that would be that. The vignette writing was what made me think she would not truly have an ending. After reading the ending i had to sit and ponder like Harry said in class " Is there one thing (or many) to get out of this book. Truly i don't think this book is written in a style where readers are to "get" or pinpoint something out of it. Though i do agree that it is a book representing of "ecriture feminine" and had slight post-colonial elements. as discussed in our group however i do not believe that the entire text can be read using a post-colonial lense. The post colonial elements in the text are her actions that contradict the social colonial order. She is "marginal" and "other". however this does not last in the long run and she returns to the "right way" for a girl of her class and nationality of the time and place. As a concluding side note i thought it was very interesting that despite her very low social status and dirt poor family, she was still considered of higher status that her chinese lover who was tons wealthier. All in all i appreciated the book for what it was but i dont think it was my favorite of the stories we have read.

The Lover- Beginning Impressions

At the beginning of this book i was very confused. the vignette writing style is very choppy and does not have the same flow that Dorian Gray had for example. It is very confusing to follow the different characters and figure out whom the female narrator is reffering to as she does not name names and refers to some characters by various names like her brother is known as her older brother or the hunter. To me the narrator's voice is off somehow and she seems socially marginal for her time and the place (colonial Indochina). Personally i am a little disturbed by the story and it is odd to see this girl who at such a young age have such thoughts. However, it reflects well her past disturbing family history and social status. It is a good way to create the setting and to jump right into knowing some of the characters.

Dorian Gray- General impressions and critique

hello all,
so by now we have finished dorian gray and i just wanted to say that i enjoyed the book in itself. it was my first time reading it and i found it very captivating. the entire descent into debauchery and corruption of Dorian's soul was very magnetic. I found that Dorian was charming even at his most evil and for that i applaud Wilde as he figured out how to make the reader empathetic to Dorian and his character. I foudn that i pitied Basil the way that dorian did. This confused me as well. There is somethign to be obviously said about the queer theory behind this book. The relationships between Dorian, Basil, and lord Henry are clearly deeper than friendship and yet Wilde never openly says this.
I really appreciated Wilde's writing style (i have never read anythign by him before) and it was interesting to follow the intrigues with dorian as we read along. As for the ending, i thought it was too neat tho i suppose the book did have to end somewhere and in death. Mostly the supernatural elements are what displeased me. I however understand the use of it and thought it was cunning to have dorian switch places ( or faces) with the painting and having him die as he stabs the painting. It was all very symbolic and though it was not very realistic it was credible within the context of the story.

welcome to my blog!

hello all,
so this is my blog for FL 200. so far its empty but im looking forward to commenting on the new book we are going to read : The Picture of Dorian Gray. After reading the intro im fairly intrigued by what is to come. Anyways, thats it! WELCOME!