"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Friday, May 11, 2018

Friday Quotes: The Astonishing Color of After

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City ReaderShare the opening quote from the book.
Th
e Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's VoiceFind a quote from page 56.

Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest, or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading. This is the book I'm reading right now---


Title: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan


Book Beginnings:
"My mother is a bird. This isn't some William Faulkner stream-of-consciousness metaphorical carp. My mother. Is Literally. A bird."
Friday 56:
"'Leigh', said the bird. I would have known that voice anywhere. That was the voice that asked if I wanted a glass of water after a good cry, or suggest a break from homework with freshly baked cookies, or volunteer to drive to the art store."
Comment: This YA novel is full of descriptive colors and magical realism. Leigh's mother commits suicide and then returns to her daughter as a bird guiding her through the process of getting to know her maternal grandparents and the Chinese culture denied to the daughter earlier in life. I still don't know the symbolism of the bird, but as usually happens with magical realism, I trust all will be revealed by the end of the tale if I am open to the meaning.

Do you like to read magical realism?



6 comments:

  1. For some reason, this really strikes a chord with me. I have read magical realism, mostly from Hispanic authors. I enjoy it, as long as I know ahead of time that that's what I'm getting into. Looks good.

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  2. I've heard a lot of good things about this one. Enjoy your current read!

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  3. What a beginning! I'm so curious now! Happy weekend!

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  4. I enjoy most of it because it makes me think and look for symbolism, which I like.

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    1. I've really come to appreciate the magical realism genre. One has to willing to suspend their disbelief, however.

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  5. I've been eyeing this one for awhile. Sounds good to me!

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