Hopscotch was the first book which I had to constantly have a dictionary on hand to read. The characters engage in "intellectual acrobatics," as the back cover says, and the narrative frequently breaks off into seemingly tangential runs on literature, poetry, or otherwise disconnected ideas. What I think (think) is that this alien vocabulary Cortázar employs is his device rather than his restriction. Meaning, the author wants to evoke the emotions of being an observer to the far reaches of jargon, as La Maga and other characters do, to demonstrate the absurdity of its protagonist's actions. I have no idea, however, what to pull from this; is that feeling of being out of the loop one of Cortázar's goals? It feels like otherwise there is no answer to the confusion the first section brings. What do you think?