Reviews

Having read this a few years back, it still haunts me not unlike a fever dream for which the English translation—expertly accomplished by Megan McDowell—is named. Schweblin’s Fever Dream is a masterclass is tension and best read in a single sitting, which is easily accomplished due to a short length and prose that propels the narrative through an increasingly eerie and surreal story shoveling dread upon dread like filling in a grave. It is a story of tormented souls crawling in and out of claustrophobic corridors of bodies that makes the world around us all feel as if the walls are slowly closing in and that, no matter how hard you stretch out, safety is just beyond grasp. This Argentinian novella was, in fact, originally titled Distancia de rescate—or “rescue distance”—and the imaginary rope between a mother and child marking the distance between catastrophe and comfort is stretched to the breaking as each sentence of this taut tale compounds in tension. It is a parental nightmare, a horror watching a child tumble into disaster and being unable to save them as Schweblin simultaneous crafts an eco-horror in which we all watch doom befall the earth and the manmade terrors enacted upon the land. A perfect little read, one that will have you turning pages with white-knuckles and holding your breath as alarm amalgamates always just beyond reach of saving.

catgirlrights's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

fleegle's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

i’m confused

jaclyncrupi's review against another edition

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4.0

I do not recommend reading Fever Dream while in bed with a fever but I definitely do recommend reading it. It's taut and surreal and creepy as hell. Compulsive disturbing reading.

danielleganon's review against another edition

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mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

sevvv23's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bloodelf's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

3.75

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