Octavio Paz is a renowned Mexican poet and writer. His works often explore profound themes and emotions. In the context of "vs. los demonios de la demencia senil" (versus the demons of senile dementia), it seems that Paz is engaged in a sort of battle or struggle.

Senile dementia is a cruel and debilitating condition that can rob individuals of their memories, their identities, and their ability to function normally. It is like a set of demons that haunt and torment those affected by it.

Paz, with his creative genius and deep understanding of the human psyche, may be using his writing as a means to confront and perhaps even exorcise these demons. His words could serve as a weapon, a shield, or a source of comfort in the face of this可怕的 adversary.

Through his poetry and prose, Paz may be able to give voice to the experiences and emotions of those dealing with senile dementia, as well as offer hope and inspiration to others. His work could be a powerful tool in the fight against this disease, helping to raise awareness and promote understanding.

In conclusion, Octavio Paz's encounter with the demons of senile dementia is likely to be a complex and deeply moving one, and his writing may have the potential to make a significant impact in the lives of many.

I had never read anything by this Mexican author before, and I was pleasantly surprised.

In this essay on love, sex, and eroticism, Octavio Paz delves into the prehistory of love to tell us how it emerges and evolves through ancient Greece, Rome, and up to our present day.

He tells us how the myth according to which since we are born we seek our other half leads us to fall in love with a unique person, and why that person? This is the great mystery of love.

One learns a lot of history between the pages of this book, and it has awakened in me the desire to read Dante. I recommend it. I liked it (3.5 stars).

I really loved it very much.

It was a very deep reading and a good reflection on modern romance.

The story took me on a journey through the complex emotions and experiences that people face in today's relationships.

The author's writing style was engaging and made it easy for me to connect with the characters and their struggles.

It made me think about my own views on love and relationships and how they have evolved over time.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in exploring the topic of modern romance and wants to gain a deeper understanding of the human heart.

Overall, it was a truly wonderful and thought-provoking read that I will not soon forget.

La llama doble de Octavio Paz es un ensayo extremadamente profundo y erudito.

En él, se explora la fascinante relación entre el amor, la pasión y la literatura a lo largo de la historia. Desde la antigüedad hasta la modernidad, Octavio Paz analiza cómo el amor ha sido conceptualizado, pasando por etapas como el amor cortés, el misticismo y la revolución sexual.

Su planteamiento central es que el amor es una combinación única de erotismo y ternura, una "llama doble" que otorga sentido a la experiencia humana.

Este libro me ha gustado en particular porque no se limita a una visión simplista o idealizada del amor. En cambio, lo examina con una mirada crítica y cultural. Paz integra numerosas referencias filosóficas, poéticas y psicológicas, lo que ayuda a comprender por qué amamos de la manera en que lo hacemos hoy en día. Además, a pesar de que su estilo puede ser denso en algunos pasajes, mantiene una belleza literaria que hace que la lectura sea casi poética en sí misma.

Es un ensayo perfecto para reflexionar no solo sobre el amor en pareja, sino también sobre cómo nuestra cultura moldea nuestras emociones y relaciones. Se necesita tener un interés por la literatura y la filosofía para disfrutarlo al máximo. Creo que leerlo amplía nuestra perspectiva sobre el tema y nos permite ver el amor desde una variedad de ángulos.

In my opinion, this book is truly remarkable.

Every sentence within its pages is filled with value and significance. It covers a wide range of important topics such as love, sexuality, history, and eroticism.

These are areas that people greatly need education about.

From the very first page to the last, I was completely engrossed and in love with this book.

I firmly believe that it should be taught in all schools.

By doing so, students can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of these complex and often overlooked aspects of life.

It has the potential to open their minds and broaden their perspectives, leading to a more informed and enlightened society.

This book is a valuable asset that deserves to be shared and studied by all.

The word "loathsome" is truly a powerful and evocative term. It describes something that is extremely repulsive, disgusting, and abhorrent.

When we encounter something loathsome, it can evoke a strong sense of aversion and even physical discomfort. It might be a sight, a smell, or an experience that is so unpleasant that it leaves a lasting impression.

For example, a rotting corpse or a pile of garbage can be considered loathsome. The stench and the visual appearance are enough to make anyone's stomach turn.

Similarly, certain behaviors or actions can also be described as loathsome. Acts of cruelty, violence, or dishonesty are often regarded as morally repugnant and loathsome.

In conclusion, the word "loathsome" captures the essence of something that is truly revolting and worthy of our condemnation. It serves as a reminder of the things that we should strive to avoid and the values that we should uphold.

I could easily give it five stars. However, particularly in my edition, there was a section that I found neither meaningful nor coherent. I understand that it was an approach towards the East, but an introduction to the East almost at the end did not seem very appropriate to me.

Nevertheless, I loved the conclusions. They rounded off two hundred pages in an excellent way. It's as if after a somewhat bumpy ride in that one section, the author managed to bring everything together beautifully in the end. The conclusion provided a sense of closure and a deeper understanding of the overall subject matter. It was like a shining light at the end of a somewhat murky path. Despite the flaw in the middle, the strength of the conclusion made me overlook it to a certain extent and still appreciate the work as a whole.

Perhaps with a little rearrangement or clarification in that one section, this could have been an even more outstanding piece of writing. But as it stands, it still has a lot to offer and is definitely worth reading.

It was not what I expected.

On occasions, I struggle to understand Paz.

Paz is a complex individual, and her thoughts and actions often seem to be a mystery to me.

Sometimes, I feel as if I am on the verge of understanding her, only to have her say or do something that completely throws me off.

I have tried to get to know her better, to ask her questions and listen to her answers, but it seems that there is always more to her than meets the eye.

I am determined to keep trying, though, because I believe that there is something special about Paz that is worth uncovering.

Perhaps with time and patience, I will finally be able to understand her and form a deeper connection with her.

Until then, I will continue to struggle and do my best to make sense of her.

Each time the lover says: I love you forever, he confers upon a fragile and changing creature two divine attributes: immortality and immutability. The contradiction is truly tragic: the flesh decays, our days are numbered. Nevertheless, we love. And we love with the body and with the soul, in body and soul.

Love, in its essence, is a paradox. It attempts to impose the eternal on the temporal, the unchanging on the mutable. When we declare our love to be forever, we are defying the very laws of nature that govern our existence. The human body is subject to the ravages of time, and yet, in the throes of love, we imagine a future that stretches into infinity.

But perhaps this is the beauty of love. It allows us to transcend our mortal limitations, if only for a moment. In the act of loving, we experience a connection that is both physical and spiritual, a union of body and soul that is beyond words. We give ourselves completely to the other, knowing full well that nothing lasts forever, and yet choosing to believe in the power of love to overcome all obstacles.

In the first part of this essay, the aim is to describe love through literature and explain how the author understands love. Fortunately, today psychology and biology have advanced significantly, and I can identify that what Octavio Paz describes is more infatuation than love. There are many points he mentions that I disagree with:

* Love is distinct from affection... For the family, it is charity.

* There is no literature that talks about friendship between women.

* There cannot be friendship between women because there is gossip and envy among them.

* Infidelity can be forgiven because we are imperfect beings.

* All love confronts prohibitions.

All these ideas seem to me very bold, senseless, and refutable.

In conclusion, Erich Fromm's The Art of Loving is a better book that talks about love in a less literary, passionate, and soap-opera-like way. I complement my opinion with books by Helen Fisher, a psychologist who has dedicated her research to love, and another one that talks about monogamy/polygamy like Sex at Dawn...

Thankfully, things have changed. Perhaps the book made sense in its time, but today, fortunately, that is no longer the case.

After reading this book, I can say that it is full of very interesting reflections on love.

It approaches love from profound perspectives, with historical and poetic roots.

The author discusses the meaning of love from many aspects. It is presented as a source of inspiration for poetry, the role it plays in society, and simply the feeling of loving.

Certainly, the value of this book lies more in its philosophical perspective than its poetic one. It touches on a wide variety of topics and even sciences that are connected to love, such as the soul, the mind, and society. Although it revisits poems and poets who have given shape to the love we know today.

I give it 3 stars because at many moments it can be too abstract and difficult to read. In the same way, I think it is necessary to have read many of the authors cited by the author to not get lost among the paragraphs.

Definitely, the author is eloquent and I want to read some of his more famous works.

An extremely interesting essay about love and erotism throughout history, equally supported by literature and philosophy.

In the impossibility of putting all the excerpts that I highlighted due to their high quantity, and due to the indecision of which one would better illustrate this book, I leave here a sentence that is part of the introduction (and that will justify the title of this essay):

"The original and primordial fire, sexuality, raises the red flame of erotism and this, in turn, sustains and raises another blue and tremulous flame: that of love. Erotism and love: the double flame of life."

This thought-provoking essay delves deep into the complex and intertwined relationship between love and erotism. By drawing on both literary and philosophical works, the author presents a comprehensive and engaging exploration of these themes. The inability to include all the notable excerpts only adds to the allure of the essay, leaving the reader curious to discover more. The quoted sentence from the introduction serves as a powerful teaser, hinting at the profound insights that await within the pages of this fascinating work.