Living the vida loca

I studied spanish the entire time I was in college. I have taken various trips to Latin American and lived in Chile in 1990. Really, why isn´t my spanish any better? I don´t think I have an aptitude for language. I can memorize, pick up simple exchanges, and communicate a bit. But to really converse and comprehend? Hard work. But I still try. I am trying to read Pablo Neruda´s Memoirs in spanish. I have been heavily warned by many, including Pedro not to try this. Why? Because Neruda has a vocabulary of a million plus words and twists them in many shapes
and directions. But that is what I love about it. I have read the book twice in english and so I more or less know the story. And because in so many instances he is offering snapshots, it is fun to try and take apart his prose. It is one of my favorite books. And a pleasure to read one more time.