Book Review

The Cave
by Jose Saramago

Saramago has a very distinctive prose style: long sentences and even longer paragraphs (they often span multiple pages), lack of quotes and carriage returns to distinguish the dialog. His writing is a bit rambly, freely interspersing dialog and action with reflective commentary, tangential musings, and philosophical asides. It won't appeal to everyone, but I like it and think it really works.
The Cave is about Cipriano, an aging potter, his daughter Marta, and his son-in-law Marcal. They live in the countryside outside of a large city. The city is dominated by The Center, a vast building that is both Kafka-esque and reminiscent of Philip K. Dick's dystopias. It contains both residential space and what is essentially a huge mall and entertainment complex. The plot of the book is based upon the family's interactions with The Center as suppliers of pottery and later as residents.
( further discussion requires spoilers )

My sole New Year's Resolution

I've decided I'm going to buy myself a sari or two this spring. I've never put one on before, but the internet has plenty of written directions and there are instructional videos on YouTube. And I have a co-worker I can always ask for tips from.

I particularly like this sari:
Blue Silk

These are lovely, too:
Off-White Silk
Fawn Silk"