Book Six 2013, Casi un Objeto

A collection of short stories by the nobel prize winning author José Saramago.

With is particular humour and beautiful narrative the author makes us witness to the demise of a chair, a car worried by his next gasoline fix, a king tired of funeral processions, a rebellion of objects and even a centaur hidden in the woods of modernity.

This book is perfect to read during a coffee break or lunch. It gives you the opportunity to escape reality for a little while as you dwell in the always enticing worlds and words of José Saramago.

So that’s 5,071 pages down, 44,671 pages to go.

Total Pages 116,651 pages

9 February, 2013 0

Book Five 2013, El Mago

The second book of the series “The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flame: The Magician” continues to follow the steps of the twins as they keep dodging the attempts of the english magician John Dee to capture them.

This fantastic chase take us to enigmatic city of Paris. Where the twins make extraordinary allies and even deathlier enemies. Facing new villains like Niccolo Machiavelli, a group of valkyries, dagon, nidhogg the devourer of corpses and even a god who lays dormant deep in the catacombs of Paris.

As a parallel story line, Perenelle the wife of the alchemyst is being held prisoner in Alcatraz under the watchful eye of a sphinx.

The story keeps getting more exciting and twisted. I just can wait to read the third book

So that’s 4,967 pages down, 44,775 pages to go

Total Pages 116, 547 pages

3 February, 2013 0

Book Four 2013, El Viaje del Elefante

This is the sixth novel I have read of the nobel prize winning author José Saramago and as always he doesn’t disappoint.

It happens to occur that King João III of Portugal decides to give Archduke Maximilian a very unusual wedding gift, an elephant named Solomon.

Based on an actual historical event, Saramago spins a fantastical tale of the journey from Lisbon to Vienna. Throught various countries you witness the strong bond between the elephant and his caretaker subhro and how the presence of this majestic creature touches everyone who comes in contact with.

It’s not best novel I have read of this extremely talented author but is quite interesting, it touches deeply in how some people, including myself, perceive animals as more that simple beasts and how they can change our lifes.

So that’s 4,604 pages down, 45,138 pages to go.

Total Pages 116,184 pages

28 January, 2013 0

Book Three 2013, The Colour of Magic

To tell you the true reading this book was a long thing coming. The first edition I bought consisted of a hardcover edition that contain this book and three more, well it vanish without a trace and mind you it was not a small book . The second edition I bought was the trade-paperback, well one day it was raining really hard and the roof started to leak, exactly over the book. So they say that third time’s the charm, so I decided to read it as an e-book.

I was afraid that maybe my nook will caught fire , but I had to risk it.

This is the first novel of the long running series of Discworld which now has more that 39 books. Written by Terry Pratchett, gentleman and knight of the british empire, it mixes humour and satire with epic fantasy.

It follows the adventure of the incompetent wizard named Rincewind and how involuntarily becomes a turist guide, a new term for the inhabitats of the city Ankh-Morpork, of Twoflower a rich visitor from the Agatean Empire.

Without know it they become part of a board game played by the gods themselves, this journey takes them across the Discworld. Facing soul-eating demigods, dragons that live in an upside-down mountain, hydrophobic wizards and almost being cast-out of this flat world in order to know the sex of the turtle that’s carrying it.

In all is an amazingly written and funny book. It was worth the time it took to actually read it.

So that’s 4,334 pages down, 45,408 pages to go

Total Pages 115,914 pages

23 January, 2013 0

Book Two 2013, The Sound and the Fury

I’m going to start by saying that this is the most difficult book I have ever read. It is a true challenge trying to keep up with the narrative and at sometimes even with the time period.

That being said, I found the novel to be breathtaking.

Not following a linear story you find yourself submerged in the inner thoughts of whomsoever is the narrator of that particular part.

In which you witness the downfall of the Compsons, an upper-class southern family.

The book consist of four parts. Each part, with the exception of the last one, is narrated by one of the Compson boys.The first, and in my opinion the most confusing, is looked through the eyes of Benjy, the youngest and who has diminished mental capacity. The Second part is narrated by the brilliant and tormented Quentin. The Third part is narrated by the money hungry Jason. The last part follows Dilsey, the black servant of the Compsons.

The story revolves around the same episodes, but each is explored from different points of view. This make it almost impossible to make a coherent synopsis of the story. Also, the narrators are not very reliable because they see things different.

Some motivated by rage and false ideals.

Some trapped in their very limited world.

So, if you’re going to read this novel, thread carefully, or you might get lost in the halls of the Old Compson Place.

So that’s 4,160 pages down, 45,582 pages to go.

Total Pages 115,740 pages

20 January, 2013 0

Book One 2013, Suttree

I started this year of reading on the right track.

It’s only the second day of the year and I have already finish the first book on the list.

The first book on the list was Suttree by Cormac McCarthy, he is one of my favorite, it is a bit difficult to read but his style is truly a thing of beauty.

You visually, through the eyes of Cornelius Suttree, a ever-moving river fill with

life,death, humor and a cast of outcast trying to survive in the banks of the Tennessee River near Knoxville. Mr. Suttree has forsaken a life of privilege for a never peaceful life in a rundown houseboat. There he is witness to the harsh reality of living in the margins of society.

As always Mr. McCarthy style,deep and rich vocabulary takes you on a journey you will not easily forget. I can understand without a doubt why he is considered a genius. I highly recommend this book, it’s not easy reading a novel by Cormac McCarthy but it is something you should never pass the opportunity to do.

Now on to the next book, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.

So that’s 3809 pages down, 45,933 pages to go.

Total Pages 115,389 pages

3 January, 2013 2

Tag: 2013-50 book year