Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
New York : New Directions, 2000.
User reviews
LibraryThing member JimmyChanga
This book came from analytical, almost scientific beginnings, the concept of which is detailed in chapter 62 of Hopscotch. But the experience of reading this book is anything but scientific, it is like waking up from a dream: you genuinely feel things in your own logical way, but now that you're
That said, I still think Cortazar can do better. The first half of this book blew me away, but in the last half that precarious and perfect balance started to break down a little bit for me. What is it exactly? Hard to say, as everything about this book is so hard to put into words. But it has something to do with the silliness of the whole Carac, Pollanco, snail thing that worked in the first half because it was still mysteriously strange and relatively rare but by the second half I started dreading their appearance. It also has to do with the fact that some of the plot elements began to come into focus, and almost get in the way of the actual emotions/atmosphere. That may not be the case on a second read, though.
If this were from any other author, I would give it 5 stars. But even though I haven't read a book by Cortazar that I have given a 5 star rating yet, I definitely feel like he's already one of my favorites, and yet... Cortazar in my mind is like a pure writer. I don't know if that makes sense, but in his sentences sometimes I see the perfect unadulterated writer, driven purely by something within the writing itself, within the sounds and the logic that has nothing to do with things outside. Perhaps because it is the glimpse of this perfection that I see so often in him that I want to find something of his that sustains it purely. But also perhaps because he is a pure writer that he can never write something that sustains this, that it only comes out in bursts--because his messiness is what makes him so pure and beautiful and human.
I have a feeling that last paragraph only made sense to me.
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awake and back in this world it is impossible to put into our human words, words that are real ones, that seem so insufficient, mere human words which are the same instruments that Cortazar uses to make you feel this way to begin with. This has got to be one of the most ambitious books ever attempted. I still have very little idea what happened or what it means, but the general "feel" of the book is in my bones, as if I had just walked into a heavy fog.That said, I still think Cortazar can do better. The first half of this book blew me away, but in the last half that precarious and perfect balance started to break down a little bit for me. What is it exactly? Hard to say, as everything about this book is so hard to put into words. But it has something to do with the silliness of the whole Carac, Pollanco, snail thing that worked in the first half because it was still mysteriously strange and relatively rare but by the second half I started dreading their appearance. It also has to do with the fact that some of the plot elements began to come into focus, and almost get in the way of the actual emotions/atmosphere. That may not be the case on a second read, though.
If this were from any other author, I would give it 5 stars. But even though I haven't read a book by Cortazar that I have given a 5 star rating yet, I definitely feel like he's already one of my favorites, and yet... Cortazar in my mind is like a pure writer. I don't know if that makes sense, but in his sentences sometimes I see the perfect unadulterated writer, driven purely by something within the writing itself, within the sounds and the logic that has nothing to do with things outside. Perhaps because it is the glimpse of this perfection that I see so often in him that I want to find something of his that sustains it purely. But also perhaps because he is a pure writer that he can never write something that sustains this, that it only comes out in bursts--because his messiness is what makes him so pure and beautiful and human.
I have a feeling that last paragraph only made sense to me.
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LibraryThing member beabatllori
Hispanic Lit Month Appreciation Thingy.
***
Review to come
***
Review to come
LibraryThing member peptastic
This review contains spoilers-
What I loved about 62: A Model Kit is that even when I wasn't entirely sure I had the full scope of the story by the end I knew that I had. Everything weaved together and I allowed myself to be swept along. I didn't discover until the end where the city ended and the
I loved all of the Tarters deeply, with the exception of Helene/Frau Marta/The Countess. She was so sinister underneath her vengeful fantasies and basilisk imagery. Juan was frustrating in his refusal to see Helene, until it was too late, for what she was. I didn't realise until her actions towards Celia that was actually evil. I had my doubts of Juan's blending of her with The Countess in the beginning until I was near the end of the book.
While Nicole, the malcontent, was heartbreaking for essentially doing the same thing to Marrast as Juan did to Tell. I can't accept her depression relied solely on his complete indifference to her. I felt so much emptiness on her part, hope that Marrast was going to kill her, inability and inaction to do anything but paint gnomes. Until she slept with the silly Austin.
Marrast's letter to Tell, that they did not love themselves which is how they allowed to be touched by them was quite revealing. I screamed when Frau Marta whispers in Nicole's ear about a hotel to stay in while she was in the midst of a suicide attempt. I never got until that point the girl Frau Marta was assaulting in the hotel room was Nicole, nor that Juan sighting of Marta on the train car had been a hint.
The use of the city to highlight the subconscious desires was riveting. Everything was laid right out there on the table, the motivations and desires to be assembled together as you read.
I have quite a few favourite antics of the tartars, but I'll highlight the castaway moment for Calac, Palanco and my paedros. When they watched the whole affair of being rescued as it were a matter of someone else being rescued. Palanco's boss didn't care for them for being existentialists.
I enjoyed them immensely, their little games and thoughts on life. The Danish girl Tell, summed it up best, they were crazy but they were healthy.
What I loved about 62: A Model Kit is that even when I wasn't entirely sure I had the full scope of the story by the end I knew that I had. Everything weaved together and I allowed myself to be swept along. I didn't discover until the end where the city ended and the
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real world of the characters began until the very end. I had a few "Ah hah!" moments here and there, where I'd flip back and make a connection to a particular development. Where the characters they spied on were really Helene, or Helene's subconscious desires to destroy Juan. Her horrible actions towards Celia where she was either molesting her or trying to kill her. There seemed a fine line there when said wanted to take something from Celia.I loved all of the Tarters deeply, with the exception of Helene/Frau Marta/The Countess. She was so sinister underneath her vengeful fantasies and basilisk imagery. Juan was frustrating in his refusal to see Helene, until it was too late, for what she was. I didn't realise until her actions towards Celia that was actually evil. I had my doubts of Juan's blending of her with The Countess in the beginning until I was near the end of the book.
While Nicole, the malcontent, was heartbreaking for essentially doing the same thing to Marrast as Juan did to Tell. I can't accept her depression relied solely on his complete indifference to her. I felt so much emptiness on her part, hope that Marrast was going to kill her, inability and inaction to do anything but paint gnomes. Until she slept with the silly Austin.
Marrast's letter to Tell, that they did not love themselves which is how they allowed to be touched by them was quite revealing. I screamed when Frau Marta whispers in Nicole's ear about a hotel to stay in while she was in the midst of a suicide attempt. I never got until that point the girl Frau Marta was assaulting in the hotel room was Nicole, nor that Juan sighting of Marta on the train car had been a hint.
The use of the city to highlight the subconscious desires was riveting. Everything was laid right out there on the table, the motivations and desires to be assembled together as you read.
I have quite a few favourite antics of the tartars, but I'll highlight the castaway moment for Calac, Palanco and my paedros. When they watched the whole affair of being rescued as it were a matter of someone else being rescued. Palanco's boss didn't care for them for being existentialists.
I enjoyed them immensely, their little games and thoughts on life. The Danish girl Tell, summed it up best, they were crazy but they were healthy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member csaavedra
This is a wonderful novel, hard to follow at times, but once you break through, it can only be captivating. It's fair to say that anyone who enjoyed 'Rayuela' will probably be delighted by this book as well. I can now say that this is will certainly be one of my favorite works by Cortázar.
Subjects
Language
Original language
Spanish
Original publication date
1968-10
Physical description
281 p.; 2 cm
ISBN
0811214370 / 9780811214377