"The normalization of a routine." I think that says it all. Sometimes one is in a cage so long that when the door is opened they don't see a way out. Of course, in a gulag there aren't many options. I liked his novel The First Circle, where Stalin looms over imprisoned engineers and academics at a research institute. "First Circle" being a reference to Dante's The Inferno. Maybe this year I'll revisit it. You got me thinking.
Absolutely. It was a heavy book, and I think I'll need a little break before I read any of Solzhenitsyn's other work, but I definitely want to. I'll have to do a bit of research about the author, too.
I've read just a handful of Russian writers. I like them. Probably Pushkin is the "lightest" even though he was killed in a duel. He had a reckless, but fascinating, personal life.@@josietalksaboutbooks
You've just reminded me that I need to read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Tales from the Cafe and Before Your Memory Fades (three of the four books in this series...that I own). I really need to read them. Thanks for the push. Also, my Ma keeps telling me to read The Alchmist by Paulo Coelho. She's read it and says that it is transformative. So...I'll pass on that recommendation, though I personally haven't read it (yet). I do own it, though may pick it up, now that ANOTHER of his works were so impactful. Thank you. A long time ago I read parts of The Gulag Archipelago. Oof. Gut punch. Not sure I would want to read another portion of this struggle of his. Knowing the reality, through his words, was enough for me. Yikes. Thanks for this wonderful vlog. Marie and I always enjoy these cozy settings. Thanks.
I hope you end up really liking them! I'm very curious about the rest of the books in this series now, I'll need to check them out, too^^ "Transformative", how interesting🤔 I definitely see how Coelho might be capable of something like that based on my experience with The Devil And Miss Prym. Will be putting The Alchemist on my tbr! One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich was definitely a heavy book. I can't say I know very much about the gulag, so this was kind of my introduction to it. When it comes to the author, I would like to read more of his work, but I definitely need a break before I pick up anything else. Considering The Gulag Archipelago is non-fiction, it makes me very nervous, especially after this reading experience. I'm happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching☺️
We read Before the Coffee Gets Cold a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. We haven’t heard much buzz about other books in the series, so we haven’t picked any up. If you read any of them, we’d love to hear your thoughts about them. We don’t have the Paulo Coelho book you read, although we do have The Alchemist, which we have yet to read. A little over ten percent of the books I read last year were translated works and I’d like to get that number higher this year. We checked and our library has One Day in the Life of… and so we will definitely put that on our TBR list. It was nice to see that you liked all of the books in your vlog - hopefully that’s a trend you can keep up!
I'll definitely share my thoughts on the other books once I get to them^^ I'd like to get to a good number of translated works read this year, too😁 I hope you end up enjoying the ones you pick up! I really have had a great start to my reading year so far, here's to hoping it'll continue like this☺️
I really enjoyed the vlog. The snowy park(?) looked very tranquil and I love the massive Christmas tree with star on top. It was interesting to see your immediate reaction to the stories. The look on your face after finishing One Day in the Life said it all and it summed up all the emotions. I totally agree with you about Before the Coffee Gets Cold. The clear and limited rules for time travel tighten up the story and the life lessons are very much worth hearing. It's easy to forget them in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I think I mentioned before that the story was conceived as a play and you can definitely see it in the small and recurring cast and smoothness of the transition between the 4 stories, as you said. I didn't quite buy into the first story as not enough of the relationship was shown to get a feel for it and the woman seemed to have so much going for her it was hard to see what the attraction of the guy was. That said, it came across much better later on. You're right about it being emotional - the last 2 stories were the most heartfelt, for me. A minor criticism I have is that there were a couple of times when characters acted over the top or in a farcical way (maybe for humour) but it wasn't in keeping with the tone at the time. I'm interested to try the next book but worry that none of the storytelling techniques will feel fresh any more and everything will rest on whether the new stories feel heartfelt or twee. It might be a hard act to follow. I totally get what you mean about One Day in the Life being exhausting. As you said, the detail and description brings the whole experience to life and it is so authentic it makes you weary to read it, let alone experience it. I also started by being angry and frustrated by his acceptance of the situation but agree that this way of showing things makes it hit all the harder. I think these emotions were mainly directed towards the injustice and cruelty of the situation but I still wanted him to do more, even knowing it wasn't the best thing to do. It's so insidious how they made the whole group dependent on each other so there's no way out without harming somebody else. The way it messes with your perception of time also hit hard. I wonder how much of 'you' comes out of the gulag once it's spent its time grinding you down. I doubt I'd have fared well. On an abstract level, if you take the story as people having to work hard within arbitrary and shifting rules for little reward and struggling day to day to eke out a harsh existence, then I think this situation is unfortunately true for a lot of people today, and that's maybe even more depressing. I'm tempted by Gulag Archipelago, but learning more about the system that did such cruel things to people without reason is something I'd have to be in a very particular mood for. What you said about The Devil and Miss Prym sounds very interesting, particularly the philosophical discussion. I'll have to grab a copy. Have a fantastic week yourself! I hope your next books are as thought provoking and impactful as these.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Right! I would have enjoyed seeing it as a play, it would have worked very well^^ That's true, I also noticed how the characters sometimes exaggerated in their actions and reactions at odd places🤔 I'm hopeful that the next volume in the series will live up to this one, but I wonder how much you can work with this idea before the stories become repetitive or, like you say, if they're all able to stay heartfelt and feel so genuine - which is the biggest point in this first book's favour for me as well. True, I'm sure that those who do come away from the gulag aren't the same as they were when they went in. That place definitely changes you... Oh, your note on the more abstract interpretation is interesting - very depressing, but worth reflecting over. I also want to try Gulag Archipelago, but like you I'd need to be in the right headspace for it. One day I will get to it, but it will be in a while I think😅 If you read it I hope you enjoy it!^^ I'm interested in seeing how I'll experience other Coelho books, or if maybe this one in particular just happened to be right up my street. Thank you! I've had a great start to my reading year, and it has me really excited☺️
Paulo Coelho had a resurgence here in the late 2000's. I knew people who had never read a Latin American author before reading his books like The Alchemist. Everyone who read him that I knew adored his books. I read The Alchemist but did not like it very much. I don't remember why. Several years ago I watched an interview with Argentine writer Julio Cortazar (a writer I very much admire) and commented that unlike Coelho, Carlos Fuentes, Garcia Marquez, Borges, and Isabel Allende, Cortazar had never been popular in the U.S. except among academics. I didn't assert or question the literary merits of any of the writers, I just commented about popularity. I got some heated responses from others who were angry, even using expletives, for including Coelho and Allende with the other mentioned writers. The vitriol wasn't aimed at me but at those two writers whose works they considered inferior. I think the only positive is that they were passionate about literature. It was one of the few times I've gotten caught up in youtube drama.
I'm sorry you had such an experience😔 I have some of these authors that you mention on my tbr, but I don't think I recognise Julio Cortazar. What kind of books does he write?
Cortazar is known for his short stories which utilize elements of the fantastic with sinister undertones. A motorcyclist has an accident and wakes up in an Aztec sacrificial altar; A symphony orchestra performance brings out a Dionysus like orgy of in the audience; Two men in a cottage plan something sinister for their neighbors...Cortazar spent most of his adult life in Paris and wrote his most famous novel set there, "Hopscotch," which can be read as a conventional book from beginning to end or the reader follows the chapter orders Cortazar recommended in the introduction. You can actually read it a third way, read any chapter you want. Somehow, it still makes sense. @@josietalksaboutbooks
Cortazar translated all of Edgar Allan Poe into Spanish, and his influence is apparent. Some of is short stories have been adapted into great films like "Blow-Up." In 20th century fiction he is up there. @@josietalksaboutbooks
I am really excited to read BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD 🤗 Time travel is something which always excites me. Oh, btw you look cute in messy hair as well ☺
I also love the idea of time travel, but often I feel like the rules around it are a little muddled or complicated. I enjoyed this fresh (to me, at least) take on time travel that is very clear and simple😄 Haha, thank you^^
Once, while hanging out downtown in Los Angeles a man tried to start a fight with one of my friends. The encounter lasted for about 20 minutes before we got the man to walk away. As he did that he turned and over his shoulder he told my friend "You need to fix your attitude, man. You should read the Alchemist." That will forever be my association with Coehlo, ha ha.
@@josietalksaboutbooks I was a memorable experience. I worked at a large bookstore at the time and everyone I was with was a bookstore employee so it really resonated with us all and has stuck with as s singularly funny and bizarre event. That being said, I never bothered to read the book, ha ha.
"The normalization of a routine." I think that says it all. Sometimes one is in a cage so long that when the door is opened they don't see a way out. Of course, in a gulag there aren't many options. I liked his novel The First Circle, where Stalin looms over imprisoned engineers and academics at a research institute. "First Circle" being a reference to Dante's The Inferno. Maybe this year I'll revisit it. You got me thinking.
Absolutely. It was a heavy book, and I think I'll need a little break before I read any of Solzhenitsyn's other work, but I definitely want to. I'll have to do a bit of research about the author, too.
I've read just a handful of Russian writers. I like them. Probably Pushkin is the "lightest" even though he was killed in a duel. He had a reckless, but fascinating, personal life.@@josietalksaboutbooks
This was a very nice breakdown of your reads.
Thank you, I'm glad you thought so^^
You've just reminded me that I need to read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Tales from the Cafe and Before Your Memory Fades (three of the four books in this series...that I own). I really need to read them. Thanks for the push.
Also, my Ma keeps telling me to read The Alchmist by Paulo Coelho. She's read it and says that it is transformative. So...I'll pass on that recommendation, though I personally haven't read it (yet). I do own it, though may pick it up, now that ANOTHER of his works were so impactful. Thank you.
A long time ago I read parts of The Gulag Archipelago. Oof. Gut punch. Not sure I would want to read another portion of this struggle of his. Knowing the reality, through his words, was enough for me. Yikes.
Thanks for this wonderful vlog. Marie and I always enjoy these cozy settings. Thanks.
I hope you end up really liking them! I'm very curious about the rest of the books in this series now, I'll need to check them out, too^^
"Transformative", how interesting🤔 I definitely see how Coelho might be capable of something like that based on my experience with The Devil And Miss Prym. Will be putting The Alchemist on my tbr!
One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich was definitely a heavy book. I can't say I know very much about the gulag, so this was kind of my introduction to it. When it comes to the author, I would like to read more of his work, but I definitely need a break before I pick up anything else. Considering The Gulag Archipelago is non-fiction, it makes me very nervous, especially after this reading experience.
I'm happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching☺️
We read Before the Coffee Gets Cold a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. We haven’t heard much buzz about other books in the series, so we haven’t picked any up. If you read any of them, we’d love to hear your thoughts about them. We don’t have the Paulo Coelho book you read, although we do have The Alchemist, which we have yet to read. A little over ten percent of the books I read last year were translated works and I’d like to get that number higher this year. We checked and our library has One Day in the Life of… and so we will definitely put that on our TBR list.
It was nice to see that you liked all of the books in your vlog - hopefully that’s a trend you can keep up!
I'll definitely share my thoughts on the other books once I get to them^^
I'd like to get to a good number of translated works read this year, too😁 I hope you end up enjoying the ones you pick up!
I really have had a great start to my reading year so far, here's to hoping it'll continue like this☺️
I really enjoyed the vlog. The snowy park(?) looked very tranquil and I love the massive Christmas tree with star on top. It was interesting to see your immediate reaction to the stories. The look on your face after finishing One Day in the Life said it all and it summed up all the emotions.
I totally agree with you about Before the Coffee Gets Cold. The clear and limited rules for time travel tighten up the story and the life lessons are very much worth hearing. It's easy to forget them in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I think I mentioned before that the story was conceived as a play and you can definitely see it in the small and recurring cast and smoothness of the transition between the 4 stories, as you said. I didn't quite buy into the first story as not enough of the relationship was shown to get a feel for it and the woman seemed to have so much going for her it was hard to see what the attraction of the guy was. That said, it came across much better later on. You're right about it being emotional - the last 2 stories were the most heartfelt, for me. A minor criticism I have is that there were a couple of times when characters acted over the top or in a farcical way (maybe for humour) but it wasn't in keeping with the tone at the time. I'm interested to try the next book but worry that none of the storytelling techniques will feel fresh any more and everything will rest on whether the new stories feel heartfelt or twee. It might be a hard act to follow.
I totally get what you mean about One Day in the Life being exhausting. As you said, the detail and description brings the whole experience to life and it is so authentic it makes you weary to read it, let alone experience it. I also started by being angry and frustrated by his acceptance of the situation but agree that this way of showing things makes it hit all the harder. I think these emotions were mainly directed towards the injustice and cruelty of the situation but I still wanted him to do more, even knowing it wasn't the best thing to do. It's so insidious how they made the whole group dependent on each other so there's no way out without harming somebody else. The way it messes with your perception of time also hit hard. I wonder how much of 'you' comes out of the gulag once it's spent its time grinding you down. I doubt I'd have fared well. On an abstract level, if you take the story as people having to work hard within arbitrary and shifting rules for little reward and struggling day to day to eke out a harsh existence, then I think this situation is unfortunately true for a lot of people today, and that's maybe even more depressing. I'm tempted by Gulag Archipelago, but learning more about the system that did such cruel things to people without reason is something I'd have to be in a very particular mood for.
What you said about The Devil and Miss Prym sounds very interesting, particularly the philosophical discussion. I'll have to grab a copy.
Have a fantastic week yourself! I hope your next books are as thought provoking and impactful as these.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Right! I would have enjoyed seeing it as a play, it would have worked very well^^ That's true, I also noticed how the characters sometimes exaggerated in their actions and reactions at odd places🤔 I'm hopeful that the next volume in the series will live up to this one, but I wonder how much you can work with this idea before the stories become repetitive or, like you say, if they're all able to stay heartfelt and feel so genuine - which is the biggest point in this first book's favour for me as well.
True, I'm sure that those who do come away from the gulag aren't the same as they were when they went in. That place definitely changes you... Oh, your note on the more abstract interpretation is interesting - very depressing, but worth reflecting over. I also want to try Gulag Archipelago, but like you I'd need to be in the right headspace for it. One day I will get to it, but it will be in a while I think😅
If you read it I hope you enjoy it!^^ I'm interested in seeing how I'll experience other Coelho books, or if maybe this one in particular just happened to be right up my street.
Thank you! I've had a great start to my reading year, and it has me really excited☺️
Paulo Coelho had a resurgence here in the late 2000's. I knew people who had never read a Latin American author before reading his books like The Alchemist. Everyone who read him that I knew adored his books. I read The Alchemist but did not like it very much. I don't remember why. Several years ago I watched an interview with Argentine writer Julio Cortazar (a writer I very much admire) and commented that unlike Coelho, Carlos Fuentes, Garcia Marquez, Borges, and Isabel Allende, Cortazar had never been popular in the U.S. except among academics. I didn't assert or question the literary merits of any of the writers, I just commented about popularity. I got some heated responses from others who were angry, even using expletives, for including Coelho and Allende with the other mentioned writers. The vitriol wasn't aimed at me but at those two writers whose works they considered inferior. I think the only positive is that they were passionate about literature. It was one of the few times I've gotten caught up in youtube drama.
I'm sorry you had such an experience😔 I have some of these authors that you mention on my tbr, but I don't think I recognise Julio Cortazar. What kind of books does he write?
Cortazar is known for his short stories which utilize elements of the fantastic with sinister undertones. A motorcyclist has an accident and wakes up in an Aztec sacrificial altar; A symphony orchestra performance brings out a Dionysus like orgy of in the audience; Two men in a cottage plan something sinister for their neighbors...Cortazar spent most of his adult life in Paris and wrote his most famous novel set there, "Hopscotch," which can be read as a conventional book from beginning to end or the reader follows the chapter orders Cortazar recommended in the introduction. You can actually read it a third way, read any chapter you want. Somehow, it still makes sense. @@josietalksaboutbooks
That sounds fascinating! I've definitely never read anything like that. I'll have to check it out👀
Cortazar translated all of Edgar Allan Poe into Spanish, and his influence is apparent. Some of is short stories have been adapted into great films like "Blow-Up." In 20th century fiction he is up there. @@josietalksaboutbooks
I am really excited to read BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD 🤗
Time travel is something which always excites me.
Oh, btw you look cute in messy hair as well ☺
I also love the idea of time travel, but often I feel like the rules around it are a little muddled or complicated. I enjoyed this fresh (to me, at least) take on time travel that is very clear and simple😄 Haha, thank you^^
Once, while hanging out downtown in Los Angeles a man tried to start a fight with one of my friends. The encounter lasted for about 20 minutes before we got the man to walk away. As he did that he turned and over his shoulder he told my friend "You need to fix your attitude, man. You should read the Alchemist." That will forever be my association with Coehlo, ha ha.
That's quite a unique association to have with an author and their work!🫢
@@josietalksaboutbooks I was a memorable experience. I worked at a large bookstore at the time and everyone I was with was a bookstore employee so it really resonated with us all and has stuck with as s singularly funny and bizarre event. That being said, I never bothered to read the book, ha ha.