Finishing Up Bowles

• How would you characterize a Paul Bowles story? What are they like? Reference a specific story or scene (w/ p. #) to illustrate your point(s).

Generally, I would characterize a Paul Bowles story as monotonous then BAM ACTION, such as with A Circular Valley. (No page number because using a pdf) The couple is having a bit of a quarrel and then BAM he falls off his donkey off a cliff. I find the stories slightly boring (I know, I know you hate that Professor) but I do know that if I hold on towards the end I will be rewarded with a crazy ending. He also illustrates the darker side of human beings (Chalia, Jacinto, etc) and generally eschews happy endings

In my other post I stated that I dislike his venturing into magical realism because of his inability to portray the magical part. I also find that his portrayal of human interaction to be unique, leaning on the bizarre. 
That being said, I much prefer his work that is more realistic fiction- it tends to read as more magical than when he writes about magical subjects. (i.e. his description of Luz)

"Her hair was a silky white helmet on the top of her head, her whole face was white, almost as if she had covered it with paint, her brows and lashes, and even her eyes, were light to the point of not existing. Only her pale pink lips seemed real."

vs.

"The creature’s head was large; its body was small and it had no legs or arms. the lower part of the trunk ended in two flipper-like pieces of flesh. From the shoulders grew short pincers. It was a man, and it was looking up at him from the floor where it rested."

• Name your favorite 1-3 stories from the collection. Why these stories? What made them most compelling for you?

1) Senor Ong and Senor Ha- I loved the friendship between the children and the imagery in the story of the river where the children play, as well as the superstitions surrounding Albinism. The young boy becoming an unwitting drug dealer was entertaining. 

2) The Echo- The latent homosexuality and seeing the approach to the subject was very interesting- Aileen's rage towards Prue "and not knowing why" was fantastic

3) At Paso Rojo- Chalia's sociopathic portrayal was interesting, a better read than your average old maid story

• Is this the first single-author story collection you've read? If not, what are some others that you've enjoyed? Any that you would recommend for ENGL 220 (and why)?

It isn't! There are a few that I have read and enjoyed. "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri is a very good one. It is about Indian culture, both in India and in the diaspora, and there is a very interesting theme of communication throughout all the stories. I like her writing style and she writes about food in a way that you can almost smell it. I also enjoyed "How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents" by Julia Alvarez. Though the stories aren't technically stand alone, they contribute to a larger narrative about the lives of 4 sisters. I really enjoyed that book. I think I gravitate towards novels like this because they are relatable: coming of age, relationships, etc. and that being said I am glad that we have read this work because it is unlike anything I would typically read