Okay. So. There are many reasons why I don't like Love in the Time of Cholera. The title is lame, it's a romance, it gets less and less amusing as the story progresses, and it's written by a Columbian. Well, maybe I don't mind that it was written by a Columbian, but I feel as if I should. I don't know why. I just roll with it. Anyway, the reason I dislike this book the most is Florentino Ariza. Yes, I will explain.
I think we have to delve a bit into my personal life to understand my intense aversion to Florentino. So, I had this ex-boyfriend once who really frustrated me after a while. I cannot tell you how many times I would bluntly tell him that he didn't have any balls and that he should grow some if he expects to talk to me about anything. Now, I don't mean he didn't have any balls in the literal sense, but figuratively. He simply refused to argue with me or tell me when something I did bothered him--he didn't want me to get upset. He was also always whining about something. He didn't see me enough, didn't talk to me enough, didn't hear from me enough. Apparently, I needed to be with him in some way every moment of every day. He was also very emotional. I may come off sounding really insensitive (which I guess can be partly true), but there were times when I just had to say, "Really, Ethan? You're crying over a Nip Tuck episode? Why don't you grow some balls?" or "So, you're just going to mope rather than telling me I'm wrong? Grow some balls, man. Suck it up and do it." I always said it in a form of a question, but I never really let him answer, not that he would have anyway. I had to use such a crude phrase because he didn't get it otherwise. Ethan just didn't have the guts to stand up for himself or the self-control to reign in his emotions a little. And he was clingy, so I was stuck with his constant emotional rollercoaster all the time. I find it hard to respect someone who melts over every little thing and who is constantly in need of something/someone.
And herein lies the problem with Florentino. Florentino embodies the emotionally needy, clingy, stalker personality that I just can't stand and have very little compassion for. He obsesses over Fermina (much as I felt Ethan did over me) and constantly seeks reassurance that she cares for him or something. Plus, he's sappy. When I think of a sap, I think of Florentino. It is okay to have passion, especially Latin passion, but Florentino is Latin passion on speed. It makes me want to slap the book so that I can feel I'm slapping Florentino. Slapping sense into him, of course. He's got no ganas. He was a matyr constantly in need of a persecutor. The first time I read about Florentino, I immediatley thought, "Man, this guy is such a girl."
After I thought that, I felt terrible. I was horrified. You should've seen the look on my face. I looked like a criminal caught in the middle of a robbery. My eyes were wide with disbelief, mouth dropped with horror, and my face as red as a ripe strawberry. I had discovered something I never thought I would: I'm a sexist. Could I not allow men to feel the emotions of a thirteen year old girl? Nope. Those were for girls.
So, I guess the real reason I hate Florentino is because of what I see in myself because of him.
What a jerk. (602)
November 20, 2007
November 8, 2007
A Collection of Rambles
You asked for a list of stuff I've read by Mark Twain. I really don't want to do any other work right now, so here it is:
Huck Finn
Tom Sawyer
Connecticut Yankee
Joan of Arc
The Diaries of Adam and Eve
Letters from the Earth
The Prince and the Pauper
Portions of:
The Gilded Age
Following the Equator
Roughing It
Innocents Abroad
Almost all of his short stories, with the exception of "A Murder, A Mystery, and a Marriage" (but I'm getting to that one!). I've read nearly every compilation of his letters I can get my hands on. I love the letters to his brother Orion. My favorite writings so far are "The War Prayer" and a short essay on his dream love, which is very interesting. If you haven't read it yet, I can get you an online copy. I also found what he wrote right after his daughter Jean died to be very touching and insightful, more in to Clemens than Twain, of course.
Anyway. That's the list as much as I can remember it. Oh, and please excuse the lack of italics. It was saying something about containing illegal characters (oh my!) when I went to post this with italics. Being almost completely computer-illiterate, I closed my eyes until I was convinced the cops weren't coming, then removed the italics and posted it.
Huck Finn
Tom Sawyer
Connecticut Yankee
Joan of Arc
The Diaries of Adam and Eve
Letters from the Earth
The Prince and the Pauper
Portions of:
The Gilded Age
Following the Equator
Roughing It
Innocents Abroad
Almost all of his short stories, with the exception of "A Murder, A Mystery, and a Marriage" (but I'm getting to that one!). I've read nearly every compilation of his letters I can get my hands on. I love the letters to his brother Orion. My favorite writings so far are "The War Prayer" and a short essay on his dream love, which is very interesting. If you haven't read it yet, I can get you an online copy. I also found what he wrote right after his daughter Jean died to be very touching and insightful, more in to Clemens than Twain, of course.
Anyway. That's the list as much as I can remember it. Oh, and please excuse the lack of italics. It was saying something about containing illegal characters (oh my!) when I went to post this with italics. Being almost completely computer-illiterate, I closed my eyes until I was convinced the cops weren't coming, then removed the italics and posted it.
November 5, 2007
I'm just a shadow today
Listen: I’m really diggin’ Faulkner’s stream-of-consciousness style. It’s really easy for me to read. Plus, it’s like Faulkner’s sticking it to the man by not using punctuation! That’s my favorite part of his style. No punctuation. In fact, I love it so much that I’m going to adapt his style for this blog.
Mr Coon I can only imagine the look on critics faces when they first read The Sound and the Fury I mean Im pretty sure it was a radical form of literature They were probably pretty upset about it but then some thought it was pretty cool Jessi thats not proper English the reader wont understand what youre saying But Ms Egnew thats how he talks Hes from the ghetto Hes not gonna talk all like someone with an education Faulkners abandonment of punctuation is also very cool It forces the reader to really look beyond the sentence into the ideas beyond the words Punctuation can sometimes do the opposite of whats intended instead of making ideas easier to understand they simplify and Mom hes clearly being sarcastic look at what hes saying no hes not hes insulting you and me lessen the power of the idea itself When dealing with dialogue a lack of punctuation is endlessly entertaining mostly because the reader suddenly must deal with my favorite aspect of English inflection For instance when Mom says what is she angry annoyed sad tired pleased curious or all of those at the same time Inflection provides the flexibility necessary for English to function as a viable language Of course thats also what makes it really difficult to learn Well thats not the only difficulty just one of them Thats not how you spell beautiful Jessi how long will it take you to learn that by the time you leave my class you will know how to spell beautiful but that u is useless it doesnt make sense and why is that a even there it should be an e
I also really like how we are literally inside the characters mind Well I guess not literally but pretty literally About as literally as you can get without actually being the person Its easier to understand a character through what triggers memories and what memories they dwell on more Mark Twain Mark Twain Mark Twain Mark Twain The reader is exposed directly to what gets a character going or what has important symbolism for him like water and honeysuckle for Quentin she laughs oh my gosh its really not that funny I think but keep my mouth closed what good will it do and she still laughs and laughs and laughs I have a feeling that more readers would enjoy short stories if more short stories were written in Faulkners style though perhaps a bit more understandable Readers who dont like short stories often complain that theres not enough character development and that they dont feel connected to a character because they dont know much about him With stream of consciousness learning about a character is much more efficient Much can be learned of a character in the limited space of a short story Did you ever read Twain did you did you I feel I understand Quentin better through Faulkners style than I could have if he had chosen a different form
There is a wonderfully attractive freedom in Faulkners style and to be quite honest I find the more structured the section like Jason or the last portion of the novel the more difficult it is for me to understand and the less I like it I dont really know the answer to this question I just dont get math cant you leave me alone for one second so I can understand this why its more difficult I assume its just because I was used to Benjy and Quentin
Did you ever read Twain did you did you 653
I think this blog is proof that Faulkner has an amazing skill to convey the inner thoughts of a person into a cohesive piece of literature that transcends the lateral works of most of what came before it. I tried to imitate stream-of-consciousness and fell flat on my face (as seen above.) It was fun though.
Mr Coon I can only imagine the look on critics faces when they first read The Sound and the Fury I mean Im pretty sure it was a radical form of literature They were probably pretty upset about it but then some thought it was pretty cool Jessi thats not proper English the reader wont understand what youre saying But Ms Egnew thats how he talks Hes from the ghetto Hes not gonna talk all like someone with an education Faulkners abandonment of punctuation is also very cool It forces the reader to really look beyond the sentence into the ideas beyond the words Punctuation can sometimes do the opposite of whats intended instead of making ideas easier to understand they simplify and Mom hes clearly being sarcastic look at what hes saying no hes not hes insulting you and me lessen the power of the idea itself When dealing with dialogue a lack of punctuation is endlessly entertaining mostly because the reader suddenly must deal with my favorite aspect of English inflection For instance when Mom says what is she angry annoyed sad tired pleased curious or all of those at the same time Inflection provides the flexibility necessary for English to function as a viable language Of course thats also what makes it really difficult to learn Well thats not the only difficulty just one of them Thats not how you spell beautiful Jessi how long will it take you to learn that by the time you leave my class you will know how to spell beautiful but that u is useless it doesnt make sense and why is that a even there it should be an e
I also really like how we are literally inside the characters mind Well I guess not literally but pretty literally About as literally as you can get without actually being the person Its easier to understand a character through what triggers memories and what memories they dwell on more Mark Twain Mark Twain Mark Twain Mark Twain The reader is exposed directly to what gets a character going or what has important symbolism for him like water and honeysuckle for Quentin she laughs oh my gosh its really not that funny I think but keep my mouth closed what good will it do and she still laughs and laughs and laughs I have a feeling that more readers would enjoy short stories if more short stories were written in Faulkners style though perhaps a bit more understandable Readers who dont like short stories often complain that theres not enough character development and that they dont feel connected to a character because they dont know much about him With stream of consciousness learning about a character is much more efficient Much can be learned of a character in the limited space of a short story Did you ever read Twain did you did you I feel I understand Quentin better through Faulkners style than I could have if he had chosen a different form
There is a wonderfully attractive freedom in Faulkners style and to be quite honest I find the more structured the section like Jason or the last portion of the novel the more difficult it is for me to understand and the less I like it I dont really know the answer to this question I just dont get math cant you leave me alone for one second so I can understand this why its more difficult I assume its just because I was used to Benjy and Quentin
Did you ever read Twain did you did you 653
I think this blog is proof that Faulkner has an amazing skill to convey the inner thoughts of a person into a cohesive piece of literature that transcends the lateral works of most of what came before it. I tried to imitate stream-of-consciousness and fell flat on my face (as seen above.) It was fun though.
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