As we focus on We The Animals and discuss the author’s intention of making a relatable story I’ve been thinking back on Borderlands which was very much created for Anzaldua’s fellow Chicanas. Anzaldua’s writing feels like it isolates and separates the reader from the story, especially through its significant use of Spanish. I love seeing how authors or screenwriters meticulously choose how to present their works and how vastly it changes the audience’s or reader’s experience. There are so many layers to these creative works that go unrecognized. Taking a deep dive into stories that are so similar yet distinct from each other helps us appreciate all the effort and talent that goes into all creative works.
We The Animals was a difficult read for me. It was very quick and I read it twice because the first time through I used an audiobook and I rushed through a bit. I was able to read it again and slower, which allowed me to catch on more of the beauty of the writing. Its such a quick book, but packed full of so much. So much violence, so much reflection, so much confusion, and also a lot of stillness. It have never read anything like it but I did thoroughly enjoy it!
I enjoyed We the Animals a lot this week. I felt it was short but poignant. I really liked the intentionality with which Torres writes. Being able to analyze the text after I had read it for the first time made me realize how much of the early parts of the book connect to the later ones. The themes and foreshadowing are incredibly thoughtful and I found that interesting to explore. I look forward to continuing to talk about this book.
A takeaway I have this week is coming to terms with Torres’ deep and complex writing style. He provides so much emotional depth with very few words. It’s important to note how short the book is compared with how much information the reader is being given. It goes to show a novel doesn’t have to be long to be considered outstanding. Each sentence Torres gives the reader is important, each word adds context to the story. It makes you wonder if the novel was originally longer than the published version and how much he had to cut down to fit his criteria of complete and perfected.
Something that really stuck out to me was learning how intensely Torres focused on making the book “perfect”, and how every sentence was written and re-written. I think it’s really interesting because oftentimes, the criteria for a “good writer” is just being able to write and articulate the first time something is put down on paper. But by reading a book where things were constantly changed and edited made me realize it is not necessarily about the writing itself, but the story being carefully crafted.
My takeaway from this week is the power of patience. The way that Torres put such thought into each and every word he used in We the Animals is a true testament to his patience as a writer and it also allowed for such a beautiful, well-crafted piece of literature. It’s so special to find a book like this where no matter what page you open up to you’ll find masterful craftsmanship in each and every word, phrase, and paragraph. The patient—slow, but thoughtful—manner in which we’re discussing the book has really opened my mind to this. Although going section by section and reading excerpts aloud is time consuming, I’m finding it to be an appropriate way to analyze Torres’ work. Knowing now how many books were eliminated from the syllabus for the sake of more discussion time, I’m so glad that We the Animals made it onto the syllabus; it has really reminded me of the beauty and power of a good piece of literature. I’m looking forward to continuing our discussion next week.
Something that I took away from this week was the quick discussion about literature surrounding Latin American heritage. It was eye-opening for me, as I never knew that some people critiqued that the stories were too personal or individual to be relatable. It makes me wonder who is making such critiques and what are universal things people can find connection in. The use of the collective in We The Animals to maintain anonymity of the main character and universalize the story is something I’m excited to unpack even more next week. I’m also interested in hearing more about Torres’s writing process because I was fascinated by how he obsessed over every word. I wouldn’t have thought so because the pace of the novel is so quick and the prose flows naturally in a beautiful, poetic way.
I loved reading and discussing We The Animals this week. The poetic language struck me and I was completely fascinated by the rhythm of the entire book. Prof Cassarino mentioned how the author hyper fixated on every word, and knowing that information I can really feel it as I re read some of the passages. I think this is a really powerful piece of literature and I can’t wait to continue discussing it next week.
We the Animals is definitely my favorite book we’ve read in this class, and might be one of my favorite books ever. It reminds me a bit of the House on Mango Street, which I absolutely love. I think that the ability to tell such a captivating and complex story in a series of vignettes or scenes from a larger story is such an immense talent. To do so much in so few words is to have an incredible command of language and Torres clearly does. The imagery, the themes, the subtlety yet rawness of every word was extraordinary. There are certain books that make me want to be a writer because I am so utterly jealous of literary talent, and this was definitely one of them.
Something that has really stuck with me as we’ve read “Fun Home” and “We the Animals” is the definition of parenthood, and what this has to do with maturing and loss of innocence. At this transitional time in my life, it’s something I’ve been reflecting on a lot – where the only interactions I have with my parents take place over weekly phone calls from different time zones. I think this is a very important and insightful theme and I was glad to see it explored in these two very different (yet somehow similar) texts!
This week I don’t even have a takeaway, more of an appreciation. To start off I loved We The Animals, it might be my favorite book we’ve read so far. It’s so abstract, so sometimes when I was a bit lost (plot wise); it was also accompanied by these beautiful heart wrenching poetry lines. That twisted my heart like a wrung out washcloth.
The control Torres displays in his work makes this story like a work of art. Where the ending feels almost slow motion because of the intensity of emotions the main character is feeling. The description of him from a birds eye view when he finds out his family knows, and read his journal, the complete rollercoaster of heartbreak.
A conversation I particularly enjoyed this week was our discussion of how the medium used to convey a story alters what parts of it are emphasized. For example, the usage of silence, suspension, and empty space that works so well in the Fun Home graphic novel would be boring (at best) if used in the format of a musical, which depends on energy and strong statements of emotion.
I also got most of my performing arts experience through opera, where most libretti are adapted from already existing myths, novels, and plays, which is likely why this topic appeals to me so much.
As we focus on We The Animals and discuss the author’s intention of making a relatable story I’ve been thinking back on Borderlands which was very much created for Anzaldua’s fellow Chicanas. Anzaldua’s writing feels like it isolates and separates the reader from the story, especially through its significant use of Spanish. I love seeing how authors or screenwriters meticulously choose how to present their works and how vastly it changes the audience’s or reader’s experience. There are so many layers to these creative works that go unrecognized. Taking a deep dive into stories that are so similar yet distinct from each other helps us appreciate all the effort and talent that goes into all creative works.
We The Animals was a difficult read for me. It was very quick and I read it twice because the first time through I used an audiobook and I rushed through a bit. I was able to read it again and slower, which allowed me to catch on more of the beauty of the writing. Its such a quick book, but packed full of so much. So much violence, so much reflection, so much confusion, and also a lot of stillness. It have never read anything like it but I did thoroughly enjoy it!
I enjoyed We the Animals a lot this week. I felt it was short but poignant. I really liked the intentionality with which Torres writes. Being able to analyze the text after I had read it for the first time made me realize how much of the early parts of the book connect to the later ones. The themes and foreshadowing are incredibly thoughtful and I found that interesting to explore. I look forward to continuing to talk about this book.
A takeaway I have this week is coming to terms with Torres’ deep and complex writing style. He provides so much emotional depth with very few words. It’s important to note how short the book is compared with how much information the reader is being given. It goes to show a novel doesn’t have to be long to be considered outstanding. Each sentence Torres gives the reader is important, each word adds context to the story. It makes you wonder if the novel was originally longer than the published version and how much he had to cut down to fit his criteria of complete and perfected.
Something that really stuck out to me was learning how intensely Torres focused on making the book “perfect”, and how every sentence was written and re-written. I think it’s really interesting because oftentimes, the criteria for a “good writer” is just being able to write and articulate the first time something is put down on paper. But by reading a book where things were constantly changed and edited made me realize it is not necessarily about the writing itself, but the story being carefully crafted.
My takeaway from this week is the power of patience. The way that Torres put such thought into each and every word he used in We the Animals is a true testament to his patience as a writer and it also allowed for such a beautiful, well-crafted piece of literature. It’s so special to find a book like this where no matter what page you open up to you’ll find masterful craftsmanship in each and every word, phrase, and paragraph. The patient—slow, but thoughtful—manner in which we’re discussing the book has really opened my mind to this. Although going section by section and reading excerpts aloud is time consuming, I’m finding it to be an appropriate way to analyze Torres’ work. Knowing now how many books were eliminated from the syllabus for the sake of more discussion time, I’m so glad that We the Animals made it onto the syllabus; it has really reminded me of the beauty and power of a good piece of literature. I’m looking forward to continuing our discussion next week.
Something that I took away from this week was the quick discussion about literature surrounding Latin American heritage. It was eye-opening for me, as I never knew that some people critiqued that the stories were too personal or individual to be relatable. It makes me wonder who is making such critiques and what are universal things people can find connection in. The use of the collective in We The Animals to maintain anonymity of the main character and universalize the story is something I’m excited to unpack even more next week. I’m also interested in hearing more about Torres’s writing process because I was fascinated by how he obsessed over every word. I wouldn’t have thought so because the pace of the novel is so quick and the prose flows naturally in a beautiful, poetic way.
I loved reading and discussing We The Animals this week. The poetic language struck me and I was completely fascinated by the rhythm of the entire book. Prof Cassarino mentioned how the author hyper fixated on every word, and knowing that information I can really feel it as I re read some of the passages. I think this is a really powerful piece of literature and I can’t wait to continue discussing it next week.
We the Animals is definitely my favorite book we’ve read in this class, and might be one of my favorite books ever. It reminds me a bit of the House on Mango Street, which I absolutely love. I think that the ability to tell such a captivating and complex story in a series of vignettes or scenes from a larger story is such an immense talent. To do so much in so few words is to have an incredible command of language and Torres clearly does. The imagery, the themes, the subtlety yet rawness of every word was extraordinary. There are certain books that make me want to be a writer because I am so utterly jealous of literary talent, and this was definitely one of them.
Something that has really stuck with me as we’ve read “Fun Home” and “We the Animals” is the definition of parenthood, and what this has to do with maturing and loss of innocence. At this transitional time in my life, it’s something I’ve been reflecting on a lot – where the only interactions I have with my parents take place over weekly phone calls from different time zones. I think this is a very important and insightful theme and I was glad to see it explored in these two very different (yet somehow similar) texts!
This week I don’t even have a takeaway, more of an appreciation. To start off I loved We The Animals, it might be my favorite book we’ve read so far. It’s so abstract, so sometimes when I was a bit lost (plot wise); it was also accompanied by these beautiful heart wrenching poetry lines. That twisted my heart like a wrung out washcloth.
The control Torres displays in his work makes this story like a work of art. Where the ending feels almost slow motion because of the intensity of emotions the main character is feeling. The description of him from a birds eye view when he finds out his family knows, and read his journal, the complete rollercoaster of heartbreak.
A conversation I particularly enjoyed this week was our discussion of how the medium used to convey a story alters what parts of it are emphasized. For example, the usage of silence, suspension, and empty space that works so well in the Fun Home graphic novel would be boring (at best) if used in the format of a musical, which depends on energy and strong statements of emotion.
I also got most of my performing arts experience through opera, where most libretti are adapted from already existing myths, novels, and plays, which is likely why this topic appeals to me so much.