Brain Pain discussion

This is our planned reading and discussion schedule for Julio Cortázar’s novel, Hopscotch. Page numbers are from the Panthon Books (Random House) edition, copyright 1966.

Hopscotch, is actually two novels in one. The first version is in a normal format of 56 chapters read sequentially. The second version is the original 56 chapters with an additional 99 chapters inserted between them in a sequence given by the author:

Chapter Sequence for second version

73-1-2-116-3-84-4-71-5-81-74-6-7-8-93-68-9-104-10-65-11-136-12-106-13-115-14-114-117-15-120-16-137-17-97-18-153-19-90-20-126-21-79-22-62-23-124-128-24-134-25-141-60-26-109-27-28-130-151-152-143-100-76-101-144-92-103-108-64-155-123-145-122-112-154-85-150-95-146-29-107-113-30-57-70-147-31-32-132-61-33-67-83-142-34-87-105-96-94-91-82-99-35-121-36-37-98-38-39-86-78-40-59-41-148-42-75-43-125-44-102-45-80-46-47-110-48-111-49-118-50-119-51-69-52-89-53-66-149-54-129-139-133-140-138-127-56-135-63-88-72-77-131-58-131

We’ll spend the first four weeks reading the 56-chapter version and the second four weeks reading the 155-chapter version and in week nine, we’ll do a full compare and contrast of the two versions as a whole.


Week One – August 13, 2012
Chapter 1 – 17, pp. 1 – 71

Week Two – August 20, 2012
Chapter 18– 27, pp. 72 - 138

Week Three – August 27, 2012
Chapter 28 – 36, pp. 139 - 216

Week Four – September 3, 2012
Chapter 37 – 56, pp. 217 - 349

Week Five – September 10, 2012
Chapter Sequence 73 – 17

73-1-2-116-3-84-4-71-5-81-74-6-7-8-93-68-9-104-10-65-11-136-12-106-13-115-14-114-117-15-120-16-137-17


Week Six – September 17, 2012
Chapter Sequence 97 – 27

97-18-153-19-90-20-126-21-79-22-62-23-124-128-24-134-25-141-60-26-109-27

Week Seven – September 24, 2012
Chapter Sequence 28 – 36

28-130-151-152-143-100-76-101-144-92-103-108-64-155-123-145-122-112-154-85-150-95-146-29-107-113-3057-70-147-31-32-132-61-33-67-83-142-34-87-105-96-94-91-82-99-35-121-36

Week Eight – October 1, 2012
Chapter Sequence 37 – 131

37-98-38-39-86-78-40-59-41-148-42-75-43-125-44-102-45-80-46-47-110-48-111-49-118-50-119-51-69-52-89-53-66-149-54-129-139-133-140-138-127-56-135-63-88-72-77-131-58-131

Week Nine – October 8, 2012
Conclusions /Book as a whole
Comparison of the two versions



IMPORTANT: These discussion threads will remain open indefinitely. If you find yourself behind in the reading or if you have joined the group after the dates listed above, go ahead and read at your own pace and discuss when you want. The moderator and other members will gladly join in!