joshgauthier's review against another edition
I'm holding off on a star rating for this one because it turns out my literary tastes don't really run in the direction of these stories. And that's just a matter of personal preference rather than a criticism of the work.
From the personal to the national, Songs for the Flames is a collection of characters and stories allowing Vásquez to examine trauma, violence, and loss on both individual and cultural levels. With effective prose and a quiet voice, he writes across time periods and settings, crafting insights into the lives of his characters as they struggle to make sense of a world where things so often do not go according to plan. And as both the title and closing lines of the book refer to, those who are left are often the ones tasked with bearing witness, with understanding, with giving voice to those whose voices have been lost.
The collection undeniably operates with traditionally literary sensibilities, but Vásquez's writing is undeniable as a quiet strength and insight runs through each pieces of this collection. And as much as this may not be my genre, "The Last Corrido" is one of those stories that landed like a blow, lingering in bittersweet resonance beyond its final line.
From the personal to the national, Songs for the Flames is a collection of characters and stories allowing Vásquez to examine trauma, violence, and loss on both individual and cultural levels. With effective prose and a quiet voice, he writes across time periods and settings, crafting insights into the lives of his characters as they struggle to make sense of a world where things so often do not go according to plan. And as both the title and closing lines of the book refer to, those who are left are often the ones tasked with bearing witness, with understanding, with giving voice to those whose voices have been lost.
The collection undeniably operates with traditionally literary sensibilities, but Vásquez's writing is undeniable as a quiet strength and insight runs through each pieces of this collection. And as much as this may not be my genre, "The Last Corrido" is one of those stories that landed like a blow, lingering in bittersweet resonance beyond its final line.
carlaribeiro's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
fonkun's review against another edition
4.0
"The inertia of violence is like a deep underground current that nobody can reach."
In SONGS FOR THE FLAMES, characters are touched by violence in one form or another. But unlike most stories about violence, violence is on the periphery — the focus is on the act of storytelling itself and the reactions of the storyteller and the story listener(s).
The narrator begins the first story with a seemingly virtuous declaration — "other people's stories are inviolable territory, or that's how it's always seemed to me, because often there is something in them that informs or defines a life, and stealing them in order to write them is much worse than revealing a secret." Then, in the following stories, each of the different narrators proceed to tell someone else's story, deviating from the aforementioned declaration. For me, this is the most striking feature of Vásquez's writing, where you can only expect the unexpected.
That being said, in no way does the particular writing style detract from the wealth of information about Colombia's history contained in this book. I learned about Colombia's internal armed conflict between guerrillas, paramilitaries and government forces, Colombia's involvement in the Korean War... and much more.
Full review on Instagram @movedbyprose
In SONGS FOR THE FLAMES, characters are touched by violence in one form or another. But unlike most stories about violence, violence is on the periphery — the focus is on the act of storytelling itself and the reactions of the storyteller and the story listener(s).
The narrator begins the first story with a seemingly virtuous declaration — "other people's stories are inviolable territory, or that's how it's always seemed to me, because often there is something in them that informs or defines a life, and stealing them in order to write them is much worse than revealing a secret." Then, in the following stories, each of the different narrators proceed to tell someone else's story, deviating from the aforementioned declaration. For me, this is the most striking feature of Vásquez's writing, where you can only expect the unexpected.
That being said, in no way does the particular writing style detract from the wealth of information about Colombia's history contained in this book. I learned about Colombia's internal armed conflict between guerrillas, paramilitaries and government forces, Colombia's involvement in the Korean War... and much more.
Full review on Instagram @movedbyprose
lisagray68's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mmkn_99's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A great collection of short stories, evocative & emotional. Each short story has been touched by violence in one way or another, and the Juan Gabriel Vásquez writes it all beautifully. I didn’t know what I was getting into at first, but I am so glad I read this book.
chelseamartinez's review against another edition
5.0
Woman on the Riverbank
**The Double (red ball blue ball draft picks)
***Frogs (can be pregnancy tests?)
Bad News
***Us (ugly american)
**Airport (roman polanski?)
The Boys
The Last Corrido
***Songs for the Flames (why don't I know anything about la violencia?)
**The Double (red ball blue ball draft picks)
***Frogs (can be pregnancy tests?)
Bad News
***Us (ugly american)
**Airport (roman polanski?)
The Boys
The Last Corrido
***Songs for the Flames (why don't I know anything about la violencia?)
eloiset's review
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
irma_sincera's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Dabar jau galiu drąsiai sakyti, kad Juan Gabriel Vasquez yra MANO rašytojas. Šioje trumpų istorijų kolekcijoje (šis formatas jam tobulai tinka), jis sugeba net mažiausius gyvenimo momentus, pokalbius, paversti giliausiomis istorijomis, kurios dar ir turi dažnai asmeniniu sasąjų su pačiu autoriumi. Visose istorijose įsipynė jo "signature" tema - Kolumbija ir žmonių patirti žiaurumai. Bet viskas taip subtiliai, tarsi kažkur fone, bet net nesuabejosi temos svarba. Šios istorijos tikrai liks su manimi ir labai džiaugiuosi, kad dar liko kelios jo neperskaitytos knygos. Manau šis formatas labai tinkamas ir pirmai pažinčiai su autoriumi, tarsi toks "paskanavimas" to, ką jis sugeba.