Since it seems you all are leaning toward classics, I’ll throw out a suggestion of one I’ve been wanting to read: Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Many probably read it in HS, but I didn’t, at least not that I remember and I’ve been reading some of it lately, and it seems great - a lot more than meets the eye. I’ve read a fair amount of his stuff (the plays), but I’d guess this is his best work.

I agree with Sylvia, I think class and ethnicity had a lot to do with the story. Santiago had money, Angela didn’t so whether or not he was the one who deflowered her, she didn’t think anyone would do anything to him. Plus Bayardo pretty much bought Angela. As for the Arab questions, if I remember correctly, it was mentioned several times that the townspeople were worried the Arabs would take revenge.

As for what to read next, Dorian Gray is great. I read it many many years ago and wouldn’t mind reading it again. I was also going to suggest something by Henry James. Washington Square as Quillhill suggests would work or even The Bostonians. And I want to also toss out Gertrude Stein’s Autobiography of Alice B Toklas or Three Lives for consideration.

I do like my Mr. James! I’d love an excuse to get “Washington Square” and “The Bostonians” (which Susan mentioned was her favorite) But “Dorian Gray” is a favorite too. And Owen Wister is fantastic! Decisions, decisions.

Our congenial host Bud Parr suggested The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde as the next book for the Slaves of Golconda to mine. Without objection, it is so ordered. Posting to commence on February 28.

Let’s keep the Wister in mind for a later date, okay?

Bud! Will you be reading along?

The Slaves are going Wilde! 

Oh, yes, if that’s cool with everyone. I love this sort of thing and it’s always a good excuse to pluck a particular book up from the depths of the TBR pile. Had I known about COADFT, I would have jumped in on that one too.

I would be up for the James too, by the way.

To the suggestion that one of the twins took Angela’s virginity… Somehow, I think that their last name completely gives them away as being exactly what they seem.  Vicario rhymes with sicario--the Spanish word for “assassin.” They weren’t simple characters, but I don’t think incest has much to do with it.

I’ve greatly enjoyed reading everyone’s posts on this carefully-wrought work.

Goodness, Ana Mar?a, how could you let us go on speculating about Colombian culture!  What is your take on the role of race and class in “Chronicle” and in coste?o culture? Por favor, instruyanos.

Semi-necessary disclaimers:  I got online last night for the first time in a while, so I read everything at once (no evil twiddling of thumbs here!) I had originally planned on posting on the novel?I bought a copy in Bogot? and read it on the flight up?but didn?t have time to collect my thoughts enough to write about it (staying with stateside family for the holidays and all that).  You ask a great question, Sylvia, but as I?ve only lived in Santa Marta since April and my family is from the interior of the country rather than the coast, my opinions are certainly limited.  But I?ll give it a shot anyway…

Regarding coste?o culture: class is much more of a factor than race.  Racial distinctions aren?t very clearly delineated (except in specific cases, such as the novel?s separate community of Arab immigrants).  In fact, regionalism is the only point of contention I?ve encountered so far (as elements of sexism and classicism are pretty typical of Latin American culture in general).  But for the most part, coste?os are extremely easy-going and relaxed (paisas would say ?lazy?).

I think the ramifications of wealth and class in the novel are pretty clear.  ?ngela would?ve never been forced to marry a man she didn?t (at that time) love otherwise.  The rich and well-connected are usually forgiven any faults, etc.  But I love Garc?a M?rquez?s ability to flip these standard themes around, as he does with ?ngela?s ?poverty of spirit? as the basis of her sense of worthlessness, rather than her family?s income level.  (And you?ve got to love the casual mention of Colonel Aureliano Buend?a on the next page.)

The novel?s epigraph has influenced my view of the novel more than the two critics I?ve read (brief essays by ?ngel Rama and Hernando Valencia Goelkel).  It?s also confused me more than the story?s incomplete pieces.

I originally opened the book and read, ?La caza de amor es de altaner?a. Gil Vicente??and so was disposed to think of it as having the whole love-undergoing-hardship thread as one of its themes (and subsequently, read it as such).  Then I checked out the English translation here at a library and found ?the pursuit of love is like falconry??which made much less sense to me.  I found Vicente?s original poem (he was a Portuguese playwright and poet that wrote in Portuguese and Spanish, and lived from 1465 to 1536):

HALC?N QUE SE ATREVE…

Halc?n que se atreve
con garza guerrera,
peligros espera.

Halc?n que se vuela
con garza a porf?a
cazarla quer?a
y no la recela.
Mas quien no se vela
de garza guerrera,
peligros espera.

La caza de amor
es de altaner?a:
trabajos de d?a,
de noche dolor.
Halc?n cazador
con garza tan fiera,
peligros espera.

Without translating the whole thing, I?ll just say that both views are correct: Dangers await the falcon that dares to hunt with savage elegance.  The pursuit of love is an act of rebellion that is just asking for trouble.

Thanks for that. The epigraph makes more sense in the original language, which makes me wonder about the whole book…