Adina ( back from Vacay…slowly recovering) 's Reviews > Pedro Páramo

funny you read this Adina! I just happened to pick it up randomly in the library and am reading it now.

I'm barely into a few pages and seeing how its fragmented and I HATE fragmented books. This is like the 4th 'critically acclaimed' fragmented book in a row I read and the first 3 were terrible. I'll see how this fares. At least it's short. But you gave it 3 stars

Eduard wrote: "I'm barely into a few pages and seeing how its fragmented and I HATE fragmented books. This is like the 4th 'critically acclaimed' fragmented book in a row I read and the first 3 were terrible. I'l..." It might be short but it could be a painful experience if you are not enjoying it.

Adina,
I find your sentiment very interesting right now! I used to love Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work. In fact, I would have actually called him one of my favorite writers. However, when I went to read two different books of his for my 70s project, earlier this year, I couldn't get anywhere with them. I went from loving magical realism to being annoyed with it. Weird!

Interesting you went from loving magical realism to annoyed. I TRIED reading Marquez a while ago bc of the hype (100 yrs Solitude) and I was like WTF? Wut??? What is happening here? and I put it down saying "I'll try again later". Now I pick up this turd in the library and the first paragraph I was drawn in and by the 4th page I was like "ok what's happening? Who's talking? Please not another nonsensical fragmented BORING book!"

I SHOULD return the book bc it's dumb and I'm going through the motions reading it bored and unenthusiastically. I wish the book was longer bc then I'd drop it but it's short so I make the typical mistake for me (I must finish what I start) and continue looking forward to finishing it and not knowing what I just read. I won'tbe trying this Latin American genre again - too many good books out there to read.

Better idea is see the movie "Like Water for Chocolate" and avoid the book. The movie has the elements we want in magical realism without the nonsense fragmented garbage as an excuse for being poorly written.

To Eduard: Yes, I agree; it's odd that I went from loving it to not being in the mood for it, but tastes change, right?

I loved Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits, and I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Allende once. I don't know if you've read it, but it is another work of magical realism. I'm going to reread it soon and see if the love of that genre has completely died for me, or if there's still any hope for resurrection.

I love both the book and the movie of Like Water for Chocolate, and I hope some day to be invited to a wedding like the one in that story. Olé!

I will stick to ONLY the movie (Water for Chocolate) and I won't risk more magical realism. this is like my 4th or 5th fragmented book in a row (the others may as well have been magical realism - they just sucked). I can't take another crappy hard to read, plotless, aimless book!!!

To Eduard,
Well, I certainly wouldn't call Ms. Allende's work crappy, nor Mr. Marquez's. It's just a particular style. But, a reaction like yours proves that it is risky to write in such a way. Stick to what you love, right? (And I see, by your assessment of Mr. Salter's novel, that you also don't like stream-of-consciousness!). That's why there are so many books! (Though, still, so little time).

And, to Adina: I hope this thread I started hasn't detracted from your review!

I'm curious; have you read anything else by this author?

Julie wrote: "To Eduard,
Well, I certainly wouldn't call Ms. Allende's work crappy, nor Mr. Marquez's. It's just a particular style. But, a reaction like yours proves that it is risky to write in such a way. Sti..."

LOL Salter's book SUCKED. IT WAS AWFUL!!!! I never read the books of Allende or Marquez so I didn't mean them. The current book I'm reading that Adina read too Pedro Paramo is headed towards crappy territory!!!

To Eduard,
I loved that book of Salter's (and I'm fond of stream-of-consciousness writing), but I did try 2 other books of his, and they didn't work for me.

Interesting tidbit: Salter was a big foodie and I recently purchased his book Life is Meals. It's a memoir and he shares his experiments as an "amateur chef." I'm really looking forward to it.

Wow! you liked the one I read "sports" that bored me to tears? lol what happened in that 'book'? As for cooking I'll watch a cooking show lol. or better Water for Chocolate movie bc there was cooking in that!

To each his own. . . or her own. . . or their own. I have noticed that Salter's A Sport and a Pastime tends to be a fan favorite among female readers, and that tells you how out of touch most men are with what women like!
I guess we're not going to be book twins, though Adina and I do like a lot of the same books!

Adina and I 'met' on here and coincidentally like some of the same books (how me 'met'). Sport / Pastime was just boring - has 0.0 to do with what men vs women like. The writing was fragmented and lame. And what I gather more from reading the reviews than the book sort of a kreepy concept - some old guy keeping tabs of some younger guy's sexual life? huh??

Well, that is your opinion, and I don't share it.
On to the next great read!

Julie wrote: "Adina,
I find your sentiment very interesting right now! I used to love Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work. In fact, I would have actually called him one of my favorite writers. However, when I went to ..." Same here. Two years ago, I tried to read Love in Times of Cholera, my first Marquez in 20 years and I could not finish it. He used to be my favourite writer.

:)) You really got an argument going here.

I fell out of love with magical realism and in with stream of consciousness. I also do not have a problem with fragmented books but it depends on the book. Unfortunately , I did not like Allende too much, it was probably the time I stopped enjoying MR. Like Water was a 3 stars read for me. Tastes change over time.

I couldn't finish it! it was short and I tried but it's like the 5th fragmented this makes no sense BORING book so I put it down with only 30 pages remaining. I never read the book Like Water Chocolate - I was talking about the movie alone which I liked. At a bookstore once I picked up and looked at the book and said "I can't read this thing". I think I am done with MR! I am DONE with boring fragmented nonsensical books!!

La primera vez que lo leí fue en una edición barata de mala calidad, lo disfruté muchísimo y entendí inmediatamente porqué es considerado un clásico. La inmersión fue total, no podía parar de leer.

La segunda vez lo releí en una edición de mayor calidad (Cátedra) pensando que lo disfrutaría aún más. Error. La gran cantidad de notas a pie de página, prólogos y epílogos, me hicieron insufrible la lectura (llegué apenas a la mitad del libro).

Paradójico quizá.

Nicolás wrote: "La primera vez que lo leí fue en una edición barata de mala calidad, lo disfruté muchísimo y entendí inmediatamente porqué es considerado un clásico. La inmersión fue total, no podía parar de leer...." Tuve il mismo problema con Faulkner. La notas distrueron la experencia de lectura.

That too bad Adina but it is a difficult book to read for all your reasons. The fact that everyone is dead or are ghosts makes this the key to magic realism (and Marquez). Try rereading it in a year or so and maybe you will have better luck.

I tought it was too confusing for me, Adina.

David wrote: "That too bad Adina but it is a difficult book to read for all your reasons. The fact that everyone is dead or are ghosts makes this the key to magic realism (and Marquez). Try rereading it in a yea..." I've read it a few years ago and I do not feel like re-reading it now. I think i fell out of love with magical realism. It's touch and go with he genre.

Fátima wrote: "I tought it was too confusing for me, Adina." it was, too much. I do not mind confusing books but there is a limit.

I tried Allende, Garcia Marquez and Vargas Llosa before realizing I just don't like magical realism.

Do you like Arabic books, for example, author Naguib Mahfouz??

Frederic wrote: "I tried Allende, Garcia Marquez and Vargas Llosa before realizing I just don't like magical realism." Sorry, i only saw your comment now. I used tol ove magical realism but no more.

That must have been quite disappointing for you. Adina. Personally, I can take magical realism only in small doses. But I wonder, if Rulfo is "the father of magical realism", is it possible his "sons, daughters, or students"—Garcia Marques, in particular—have learned so well they deserve to take that title from him?😛

I plan to read this book, probably just enjoy the vibe of the story and its annotations.

Pedro Páramo is NOT magical realism. I say this as a Mexican. This novel is way more aligned with gothic horror. I find it kind of annoying that a lot of Latinamerican literature is dumped right into “magical realism” which is way more present in García Marquez. He is the creator of that genre. The surrealism, non linearity, perpetually, and the blurring of time and space is way more present in gothic style than magical realism which basically is the seamless integration of magical elements into reality or the assumption that magical events are just part of reality and not something extraordinary.
Rulfo is more akin to the “revolutionary novel” than magical realism. His themes about decay, desolation and hopelessness. The way he viewed Mexico after the revolution, and how the hopes and dreams of social change never came. But only death and abandonment. He speaks of echoes and memories. Not magic. The timeless structure is more an example of modernism. I rather see this novel as the transition from Mexican gothic to Mexican modernism. Rulfo is the example of Mexican modern literature. Not magical realism. People have to understand that this novel was transgressive in its structure and themes.

Interesting review Adina. And interesting that you feel you've grown out of the genre. Thank you for your honesty.

I loved this book. But I probably could have benefitted from the annotated copy, as you recommend!

Jodi wrote: "That must have been quite disappointing for you. Adina. Personally, I can take magical realism only in small doses. But I wonder, if Rulfo is "the father of magical realism", is it possible his "so..." I am not sure, a commentator writes below that he didn't write magical realism . :))

Fantasy boy wrote: "I plan to read this book, probably just enjoy the vibe of the story and its annotations." I hope you will enjoy it.

Juan wrote: "Pedro Páramo is NOT magical realism. I say this as a Mexican. This novel is way more aligned with gothic horror. I find it kind of annoying that a lot of Latinamerican literature is dumped right in..." i did not come with this characterisation. i read it on wikipedia, other reviews, i do not remember where now. You might be right, I am definitely not an expert in the area, or pretend to be. It did have the same air of magical realism in a way, if i remember well. which i don't

Kath wrote: "Interesting review Adina. And interesting that you feel you've grown out of the genre. Thank you for your honesty." yeah, it's been some time since i did. i tried the genre a few more times, but it does not work on me anymore.

Ali wrote: "I loved this book. But I probably could have benefitted from the annotated copy, as you recommend!" Probably, I might have loved it, had I read it at another time in my life.

Adina, I’m reading this book in literature and IN FACT, it is magical realism. Said by my literature teacher… xo

regardlessinsistent wrote: "Adina, I’m reading this book in literature and IN FACT, it is magical realism. Said by my literature teacher… xo" Thank you for the clarification. That's what I read too.