Book Review - 62: A Model Kit by Julio Cortázar

I love reading.  I try to take a book for what it is, to learn from the book and its author.  I love the different places I have been transported to through book.  I recently read a book that just blew me away with its beautiful writing and very engaging story.   However, I cannot say this about this book.  

Cortázar is considered one of the most influential Argentine novelists of the 20th century.  His writing is similar to the modernists, but he is much more influenced by jazz and surrealism.  I really wanted to like this novel.  And that said, it is not often that I do not like a novel as much as I did not like this book. I recently read the Argentine novel Scars by Juan José Saer, which was also very experimental in form just like this book, and I enjoyed that book very much. I just had a hard time engaging with this novel and relating to the story and the characters in it. The story did not engage me at all. I am glad I read it - it had been on my "to read" pile for a long time. I have very intentionally read a lot of good books this year - 41 books since January 1 according to my book journal that I keep. This has been my least favorite book so far this year.