Scan barcode
dreadspawn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death and Alcohol
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
4.0
Finished reading: June 24th 2024
"Time does not move forward. It circles, spirals, pivots, and repeats. Echoes of another's memories live within us, impelling us around and around, ensuring that the story closes itself, that the pattern resounds, that the picture from up high is a shape infinitely repeating."
REVIEW
[Family sagas can go both ways for me, but I couldn't help but adding The Bullet Swallower after reading the blurb. Western meets magical realism; such an intriguing combination! I've seen this story being compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez... A dangerous comparison, but I think in this case it's justified as it does have that same lyrical prose and magical feel about it all. The magical realism itself isn't too overpowering though, and instead The Bullet Swallower is mainly a mix of a family saga spanning generations, a proper western including your bandit anti-hero and a story about revenge and redemption. The story uses a dual timeline structure, switching between 1895 featuring Antonio Sonoro (El Tragabalas) and 1964 with his grandson Jaime Sonoro. Dual timelines can also go both ways for me, and I did prefer Antonio's POV as it was simply more riveting, but I liked how the two completemented each other. The switches between the timelines were a bit abrupt at times and the pace itself was slower than expected, but as a whole there is no doubt that the story was still able to keep me under its spell until the very end. The writing itself was beautiful, and one to be savoured instead of rushed through in order to fully appreciate it. I know this isn't my usual read, but I'm so glad I gave The Bullet Swallower a chance!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this. A blend of magical realism and cowboy Western, but recast to actually examine and expose the glorification of violence (and particularly colonial violence) in the genre. James explores the legacies of violence among colonizing people, and through an Old-Testament-retribution storyline, questions if redemption is possible and what responsibility future generations have. I loved how easily the story moved between our two historical timelines (the late 1800s and the mid 1960s) and how our grim reaper shadows the story literally and metaphorically. I loved the use of an actual narrating storyteller within the 1960s timeline, as it creates a fascinating contrast between the actual depiction of history and the main character's attempt to romanticize it for his own absolution. At times, it felt like James was speaking to us directly through this storyteller, as the 1800s storyline is largely inspired by her own ancestor, and you can see how she is using this narrative to question her own inheritance.
This is routinely billed as Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, and my one quibble with this is that the author's perspective is so radically different than these authors, and the characterization of the leading men in this story underscore her efforts to avoid romanticization or glorification of patriarchal traditions and colonial violence. These men are pathetic, greedy, indecisive, immature, and, eventually (finally) reflective and seeking. It's not just a story of fate, adventure and family curses, it's a dismantling of the cowboy.
This is routinely billed as Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, and my one quibble with this is that the author's perspective is so radically different than these authors, and the characterization of the leading men in this story underscore her efforts to avoid romanticization or glorification of patriarchal traditions and colonial violence. These men are pathetic, greedy, indecisive, immature, and, eventually (finally) reflective and seeking. It's not just a story of fate, adventure and family curses, it's a dismantling of the cowboy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Stalking, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Infidelity, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Pregnancy
nehaanna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A fantastic quick read that blurs the lines of reality and fantasy in the similar vein of many authors such as Gabriel García Márquez. The story is frightfully real, and the illusions it weaves are as skillful as any magician casting a spell. There is relief as a decades long battle with humanity’s streak of goodness against a backdrop of evil culminates after a 68 year long penance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
litoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to read this book before its pub date. Elizabeth Gonzalez James, the author, has been incredibly gracious in acknowledging my online posts about it while I was immersed in its pages. I am thrilled to declare that, for me, this marks another five-star read this year.
The Bullet Swallower delves into themes of generational trauma, antiheroes, and the significance of family. It skillfully weaves these elements into a captivating narrative of cowboy bandits, a train heist, a plot forvengeance , and supernatural forces, all wrapped up in exquisite prose. Gonzalez James dedicated several years to crafting this masterpiece, evident in the meticulous research and careful selection of every detail.
Among the many memorable lines in this book, the descriptions of nature's beauty, colors, and the poignant depiction ofAntonio's taste of death in one of the final chapters stood out:
"He let himself be swallowed up by the lights, to be slowly disassembled into a million fragments and absorbed. And he didn't so much think his final thought as he knew it instantly to be true: Death is the process of becoming light. Red, orange, yellow. He let himself be refracted. Green, blue, indigo. The last thing to be dissolved would be his consciousness and this he allowed, turning himself into the purest shade of violet, a late spring jacaranda petal borne on a warm wind into a darkening sunset. He flew directly into the light, adding his purple to the multitude residing there, and he was pleased that he could make the colors richer for those he left behind. "
The knowledge that this story is rooted in the author's own family history adds an extra layer of excitement, prompting me to reflect on my own family background because my last name is Villa. While there's a playful family joke about being related to the famous Pancho Villa, despite his actual last name being Arango, the connection remains intriguing.
Whether you're a fan of cowboys, adventure, contemplation of life's meaning, or simply seeking an entertaining read that imparts fascinating facts about Mexico and Texas, like the reef road, this book is a must-read. If you identify as Latino, especially Mexican, the connection to the narrative is even more profound.
With supernatural elements, a no-bullsh*t bruja character, a funBritish sidekick/partner and light fantastical touches, this story introduces an antihero character you will root for until the end, and it might even make you cry like I did. I think I can confidently say Antonio Sonoro is one of my favorite characters of all time.
I cannot emphasize enough the ✨excellence✨ of Gonzalez James' writing: descriptive without excess, perfectly paced, and able to encapsulate a fully-formed narrative with well-rounded characters and an adventurous plot within fewer than 300 pages. I sincerely hope you enjoy this book as much as I did when it comes out later this month on January 23rd.
5/5 stars.
The Bullet Swallower delves into themes of generational trauma, antiheroes, and the significance of family. It skillfully weaves these elements into a captivating narrative of cowboy bandits, a train heist, a plot for
Among the many memorable lines in this book, the descriptions of nature's beauty, colors, and the poignant depiction of
"
The knowledge that this story is rooted in the author's own family history adds an extra layer of excitement, prompting me to reflect on my own family background because my last name is Villa. While there's a playful family joke about being related to the famous Pancho Villa, despite his actual last name being Arango, the connection remains intriguing.
Whether you're a fan of cowboys, adventure, contemplation of life's meaning, or simply seeking an entertaining read that imparts fascinating facts about Mexico and Texas, like the reef road, this book is a must-read. If you identify as Latino, especially Mexican, the connection to the narrative is even more profound.
With supernatural elements, a no-bullsh*t bruja character, a fun
I cannot emphasize enough the ✨excellence✨ of Gonzalez James' writing: descriptive without excess, perfectly paced, and able to encapsulate a fully-formed narrative with well-rounded characters and an adventurous plot within fewer than 300 pages. I sincerely hope you enjoy this book as much as I did when it comes out later this month on January 23rd.
5/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death and Alcohol