Welcome to Litsy!

WTF did I just read? This seemed like it should have been a poem instead of a 434 page novel, as it was all symbolism and no plot or character development. Unless you read Spanish, French, and German (with a little Latin) reading it on a device with translation capability is helpful. And a knowledge of Peter Loree‘s filmography, post-WWII politics, and Mexican geography would also be helpful. Glad I pushed through and finished, but 👇🏻

The Geoffrey chapters annoy me, but then the Hugh chapters have a sentence like this. 😂

Boring AF. Not for me.

Maybe barbacoa tacos can motivate me through the tedium of “Under the Volcano”…

I kept seeing this on the Modern Library list and came across this 50¢ copy at Goodwill and my god, I‘m glad I did. It‘s got a bit of Ulysses and a bit of On The Road but set in the same Mexico as Power and Glory.

The writing is brilliant — powerful and the pace controlled. You get some Dost and bit of Melville on the big questions. You hate the main character and you love him, you want to live in this world and hope to god it doesn‘t exist.

I have intended to read this classic, set in one day, Dia De Los Muertos in 1938 at the Fiesta at Chapultepec. This writing is descriptive, full of the tragic despair of Mexico and the breakdown of the 20th century colonialism as envisioned through the descent of “TheConsul” into drunken release. This sounds dismal and I had avoided it for this reason but I flew through it- it is a masterwork full of symbolic myth and truth. 5⭐️

I spent a good part of my weekend listening to this audiobook and working on a puzzle. The puzzle was fun, the book not so much. I often found myself lost and rewinding to figure out what was going on in all the drunkenness. Sometimes, I kept listening because I just didn‘t care. In the end I read a few summaries and listened to some sections again, but I still don‘t care.

#audiobook #1001books #Reading1001
#ReadtheWorld #ReadingtheWorld #Mexico

A few hours in to holiday reading extravaganza and I haven‘t made much progress because I needed to take a nap 😳🥱 Next up: snack, some gaming, and then back to my books.

I have to say, if not for my #modernlibrarytop100 project I would‘ve put this book down a long time ago.

Just at the beginning of what will probably be my last #modernlibrarytop100 book of the year. I‘m finding the prose pretty hard to follow, but that may have something to do with Jacques distracting me as he investigates the thawing Christmas tree.

Wonderful prose. I am familiar with the physical setting as I've traveled around much of Morelos state; the author is fairly accurate in his descriptions. The narrative can be difficult to follow at times, although much of that is probably due to the main character's alternating moments of clarity and drunken delirium.

📖Under the Volcano
✍️John Updike
📽Unforgiven
📺Ugly Betty (so fun!)
🍜Udon noodles
#manicmonday #letterU
You can tell how my week is going when I am posting mondays prompts on Wednesday!🙄

#LitsyClassics U
Both the intro and backlisted podcast say this is a book that needs 3 readings to fully appreciate. Thus my 1st attempt was challenging as we follow the final day of Jeffrey firmin British consul in a small Mexican town as he descends into a drink infused nightmare of self destruction. A friend of Dylan Thomas the v poetic dense prose echoes that style of poetry. I could recognise the brilliance so may reread when i am brave enuf.

Oh ,I get it.To be reading a dense,stream of consciousness novel mostly from the point of view of a deep in disease alcoholic that will almost make you feel drunk, is a bit overwhelming.But there is much to be found here.You can feel the heat,the hopelessness.The day of the dead,1938 casting yet another dark level.I had bailed on it years ago and it took me a while to dig in to the feel of it, but when I caught the wave,I rode it to the end.

Back to the old tbr for a book set in #Mexico. As usual, my #1001books shelf has something for me.

I‘ve seen very mixed reviews, so I‘m not in any big hurry to move it up. 🤷🏻‍♀️

#AugustIsATrip

This is the most difficult book I‘ve read in a while. While I understand the prose and writing is at times beautiful, this book did not interest me. I simply didn‘t want to read it. This is on all the must-read lists and I can see its value, but I didn‘t enjoy it.

Mr. S & I are tucked up warm & cozy this evening. It‘s been snowing off & on today, so it‘s been a lazy Sunday with tea, books & Classic FM playing in the background. I‘ve been plodding slowly through my book club read - Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry. I can see why it‘s considered a modern masterpiece, & also why it causes headaches!! I‘m looking forward to our bookclub discussion on Wednesday.

#malcolmlowry #underthevolcano #weekendreading

This evening is #earthhour2018. If you‘d like to participate, do check out the official Earth Hour organisation (link below). I‘ll be shutting down all of my electronics, turning off the lights and reading by candlelight for an hour tonight at 8:30PM (local time). I‘m also trying to be better about plastic waste, and reusable items. Love to hear if you‘re participating too! #earthhour #connect2earth #EH18 #JoinTheFuture

http://connect2earth.org/

I bailed on this around 50% in... I couldn't get into this at all...

The inner thoughts of the main character, were expertly written. A man with a severe drinking problem, Geoffrey, battled internal & external demons. To "hear"the influence of alcohol on his behavior was tragic. While it is not a boastful situation, the novel truly takes the reader (this one anyway) to unknown locations. @EclecticReaders #ERMadLibs #place

I use Goodreads for my #TBR rather than Litsy, so my #lastbookstacked isn't all that recent. #lastbookyoustacked #seasonsreadings2016

"It's amazing when you come to think of it how the human spirit seems to blossom in the shadow of the abattoir." #allhallowsread #dayofthedead #tbr

#allhallowsreads This was a hard one. The Day of the Dead doesn't seem to feature much in books. These two, however, happen in Mexico on or in the days leading up to the Day of the Dead celebrations. #allhallowsread #dayofthedead

The Day of the Dead isn't a big thing where I'm from, so it's at the edge of my cultural radar. But I've had this book on my TBR for a long time, and it's set in Mexico on that day!
@Litsy
#AllHallowsRead

#day2 of #booktober #setinSAmerica I've started and restarted Under the Volcano and 100 Years of Solitude but never got very far with either.

😫 #uglycovers #uglybookcovers

I tried! I really did!!! More than than once in fact. I just can't get into it or understand why it is so popular.