Plaza Familia Online Book Club | October Books {Week 2}

Welcome to one more installment of the Plaza Familia Online Book Club! We’ll continue our discussion on  ’The Young Goat’s Party’ by Mario Vargas Llosa. We’ll also be talking a little bit about the book we’re enjoying with our children, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ by Hans Christian Andersen.

I must confess that although ‘The Young Goat’s Party’ seems to me like a book that’s very well written, I find that the story hasn’t been able to engage me. This could be because there is a lot of political content, or maybe too many names, but the truth is I feel I can’t get ahead in the book.

What’s interesting is that it not only talks about the story of Urania, whom I thought was the only protagonist in this book, but it also tells of the last day in the life of Trujillo from the moment he wakes up, and his killers, who were once his disciples.

I have to admit that Vargas Llosa has played with time in the narrative in a flawless manner. The vocabulary is immensely rich and utilized without fear. From a literary point of view, I would call this a work of art.

The Ugly Duckling is a very nice story which many of us know in our own way. Although I know how the story ends, I like the descriptive and poetic way in which the author tells it. My son is enjoying it, but not as much as I imagined, since it is a slightly long story for a 3 year old, but one that would be perfect for an older child who’s learning to read.

Remember next week we’ll keep discussing these two books, so don’t forget to stop by the Online Book Club and be a part of it through your anecdotes and observations.

Read you later!

Creative commons licensed photo provided by RLHyde.