I've read better

So far, I think The House of the Spirits is ok. Personally I think there are a lot better books out there, but I wouldn’t say that it’s terrible. After the first two chapters I figured I was going to be stuck reading some stupid book for hours, but somehow I made it through a few more chapters. I got a little more into it as I went, and even kind of liked the way Allende writes. She keeps things moving by switching viewpoints frequently. This helps the reader access a character’s inner feelings, instead of a narrator just telling you about them. For example, when Esteban is the narrator, I feel like we know more thoughts and feelings than when he is described in the third person.

I also like the foreshadowing Allende uses. For me, I didn’t really realize how events in the opening chapters would connect back later in the novel. When Clara mentioned there was going to be an earthquake, I figured later on there might be a little quake that wouldn’t really do anything. However, it turned out to be very destructive and hugely impacted peoples’ lives: Nana was killed, Esteban broke every bone in his body, and foreign pamphlets were distributed in the hacienda.

The magical realism throughout the story is definitely different to me. It seems weird that events that cannot happen (Clara playing a closed piano from a different room) are mixed with things that are real and do happen. I think I would like the story better if it was more realistic, because it would be easier to believe it and also to feel a connection with it.

So overall, I have to say this book is mediocre. It’s far better that the The Day of the Locust, but I don’t know if it earns the praise on the back cover.

Leon Golub

Leon Golub created some very thought provoking paintings, showing the horrors of prejudice and oppression.

His paintings are easy for me to understand and interpret. His use of bright colors and large figures helps in this. I think Golub does a really good job of creating lifelike people. For example, the men’s stances and expressions show hatred and contempt for their prisoner. Also, they seem very calloused, like they are used to doing these kind of things. They have no shame as they mercilessly torture and abuse their victims. The prisoner displays helplessness and despair as he sits in the chair masked and tied up.

Another thing I really like about Golub’s paintings is the reality that they show. There really are situations happening in the world that are like the ones he paints. Sometimes it is easy to think only about how nice we have it in America but I think we should realize how bad people in other countries have it. Golub clearly shows the cruelty that can happen and does happen in an oppressive regime.

Most of his works seem to be political, although they do not portray a specific country. The book says that Golub was a major critic of war, especially the Americans in Vietnam. It is easy for me to picture the men in blue as U.S. soldiers who are trying to get information from their Vietnamese prisoner. Overall I think Golub was a good painter who did a great job of showing the public the reality of political oppression.

Interrogation II, 1981

White Squad V,1984

Santiago Calatrava

During the 1960's, architecture began to shift from the boring, boxy skyscrapers to more creative and out of the ordinary buildings. I think Santiago Calatrava’s works are an excellent example of this. He designed the Milwaukee Art Museum in Minnesota, which is located on Lake Michigan. I thought this building was amazing as I was reading through the chapter. It fits perfectly with its surroundings. When I first saw it I immediately thought of a sailboat. It turned out to be a 90 ft. high reception hall that is sheltered with a portable sun screen.

Calatrava said he “worked to infuse the building with a certain sensitivity to the culture of the lake – the boats, the sails, and the always changing landscape”. His ability to blend with the surroundings reminds me of Wright, but their designs are pretty different.

I had never heard of Calatrava, so I researched him. I found out he is considered one of the most elite architects in the world. He was born in Spain and now has offices all over the world. He has designed numerous buildings and bridges and is currently working on a train station at Ground Zero in NYC. Calatrava rarely designs totally enclosed buildings, but instead prefers to make them open.

This picture is one of Calatrava’s works, the Campo Volantin Footbridge in Bilbao, Spain. To me, his works are very unique and pleasing to the eye. They seem light, airy, and sleek, and almost like something is frozen in time. Overall I was very impressed with Calatrava’s amazing work.