Challenge: 50 Books discussion

Junot Díaz is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and a unique voice telling the immigrant story in a very fresh way.

This is How You Lose Her is hard to put down and a real quick read. It's was also a top selection in the 2012 Goodreads' reader choice polls.

Please join us for a group read of this title in May 2013 - This is How You Lose Her should generate lots of good comments.

Our schedule will be as follows:
May 1 - 5 - Get your hands on a copy of the book
May 6 - 12 - Read pages 1-48
May 13 - 19 - Read pages 49-88
May 20 - 26 - Read pages 89 - 145
May 27 - 31 - Read pages 146 - 213

If you're going to join us, please say hi, then check back often to participate in the discussion. I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say about this book. Cheers.

If you've read ahead and are commenting on sections of the book before our schedule, please mark your comment as a spoiler. Thank you.
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Week 1 Questions:

1.) What do you think of Yunior? Why? Do you think he is a realistic character? How does he compare to the protagonists of books you usually read?

2.) In what ways can you relate to Yunior?

3.) What do you think of the inclusion of the slang and non-English language that is used in the book? Are these words familiar to you? If not, do they impact your enjoyment of the book?

4.) How do you think Yasmin’s story ties into Yunior’s story?

5. Did Yunior get what he deserved?

6. Yunior is born in the Domincan Republic and goes on to become an author and professor at a famous post-secondary institution in the eastern United States. These same things can be said about the author, Junot Diaz. How autobiographical do you think this story is? How would your opinion of the author’s talent change if you found out this story were very autobiographical? How about if it isn’t?

You're just out buying the book, right? 'Cause I've just finished reading it and it's a good one.

I'm still in the May 1-5 phase, but I'm joining the group once that's done!

Susan wrote: "I'm still in the May 1-5 phase, but I'm joining the group once that's done!"

Excellent! Welcome, Susan.

So the questions of the week are:

1.) What do you think of Yunior? Why? Do you think he is a realistic character? How does he compare to the protagonists of books you usually read?

2.) In what ways can you relate to Yunior?

Hi! I just found the book :)

Great! Welcome, Sharon. I hope you enjoy it. Cheers.

1. Yunior is strange to me.

His character has 3 aspects;

1. a cheater in his relationships,

2. an immigrant,

3. a negro as he calls himself

He is witty and I liked it. He tells the stories with the mixture of Spanish-English (I have been looking up dictionaries a lot).

Since the stories have autobiographical aspects I think he is a realistic character although I did not have any experience with such a person.

He is an anti-hero. When I think about protagonists Holden Caulfield in the Catcher in the Rye comes to my mind as a similar anti hero. But no other similar protagonist comes to my mind.

2. I could relate to Yunior as a human being. I guess I could have the same feelings in similar situations. But I'm not sure I would act as he does.

I read this a few months ago. Actually, I listened to it on audio and had no idea that it was divided into short stories. I thought it was all one novel and was a bit mystified by one character who seemed to be stuck in the middle with no relation to any of the other characters. It didn't spoil anything for me, though.

Having read his first book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which also featured Yunior, I was familiar with Yunior and his philosophy of life. I enjoyed his wit, and entertained by his way of expressing himself. He depicts all Dominican men as being sexually profligate, and I am not in a position to know whether this is true or whether Yunior is projecting his own faults on everyone else. I find that I like Yunior but I certainly wouldn't want any woman I cared about to be in a relationship with him. However he does seem to grow up a bit as the book progresses.

Wow, what a book. I felt like I was on a roller coaster all the way through. Such a quick and easy read about some very difficult topics. What did I think of Yunior? Now that I've read the book all the way through, there is no easy answer. I can safely say we begin the book with a real loser who is irresponsible and unable to accept the consequences of his actions. I don't think I've seen anything like him in other books. Although our initial intro to him as a character shows us some of his worst traits, I still felt compelled to see where the story would go.

mwah ha ha, Susan. I have questions planned out for the next 4 weeks. You weren't supposed to read it one day :)

Figen wrote: "1. Yunior is strange to me..."

Welcome, Figen. Yep "Being Human" is at least one way to relate!

Faye wrote: "Figen wrote: "1. Yunior is strange to me..."

Welcome, Figen. Yep "Being Human" is at least one way to relate!"

Being a book worm is another way. I have difficulty to relate because our backgrounds are so different. How about you Faye?

Faye wrote: "Figen wrote: "1. Yunior is strange to me..."

Welcome, Figen. Yep "Being Human" is at least one way to relate!"

The Sun, The Moon, The stars:"I'm like everybody else: weak, fool of mistakes, but basically good." This is what I mean by writing "bein human".

Susan wrote: "Wow, what a book. I felt like I was on a roller coaster all the way through. Such a quick and easy read about some very difficult topics. What did I think of Yunior? Now that I've read the book ..."

I do not think of him as a loser, but he made his own choices and I doubt he ever regrets. He says "Our relationship wasn't the sun, the moon and the stars,..." maybe this is the reason he cheats. Cheating is another way to end a relationship that you do not want.

Faye wrote: "Figen wrote: "1. Yunior is strange to me..."

Welcome, Figen. Yep "Being Human" is at least one way to relate!"

Figen wrote: "Faye wrote: "Figen wrote: "1. Yunior is strange to me..."

Welcome, Figen. Yep "Being Human" is at least one way to relate!"

Dear Faye, I have been thinking about two hours about your comment. Sometimes being an English speaking person as a second language creates problems. When I answered your question I thought of common backgrounds with Yunior.

I looked up to the dictionary again. If you refer "to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing" by asking "in what ways you relate to Yunior", I feel sympatethic towards Yunior. His being an immigrant, an outsider, facing difficulties because of cultural differences and racism and his acceptance of discrimination by calling himself negro touches my heart. His wit and sincerity are his characteristics that I approve of. He can be a good friend of mine. We can share same political opinions.

By the way, I am still not sure whether I understood and answered your question correctly.

Figen wrote: "... I feel sympatethic towards Yunior. His being an immigrant, an outsider, facing difficulties because of cultural differences and racism and his acceptance of discrimination by calling himself negro touches my heart. His wit and sincerity are his characteristics that I approve of. He can be a good friend of mine. We can share same political opinions...."

I think you answered this question beautifully, Figen.

This week's questions are:

3.) What do you think of the inclusion of the slang and non-English language that is used in the book? Are these words familiar to you? If not, do they impact your enjoyment of the book?

4.) How do you think Yasmin’s story ties into Yunior’s story?

Now that we're all done the book (yes, I suspect we all finished in the first week!),

5. ) Did Yunior get what he deserved?

6.) Yunior is born in the Domincan Republic and goes on to become an author and professor at a famous post-secondary institution in the eastern United States. These same things can be said about the author, Junot Diaz. How autobiographical do you think this story is? How would your opinion of the author’s talent change if you found out this story were very autobiographical? How about if it isn’t?

5. Yunior did "get what he deserved," I suppose - in that he reaped what he had sown - but I still felt for him. That's the most important thing literature can do, I think: give us a window into other people's souls, even people who, if they were real, might be very unlikable. It humanizes, and we all know what it is like to have to live with the consequences of past mistake, and try to cope with the seemingly unchangeable flaws in our own natures.

6. My guess is that there are some aspects which are autobiographical, but more in the abstract. I do not think Junot Diaz is telling his own specific story, but I do think he knows what it is like to hurt and be hurt, to lose love and never really get over it, etc. If it turned out to be VERY autobiographical, I don't think it would change my opinion of his talent. He's very good.