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sharktownwoman's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed this book. Since the characters reappear in each other's stories, I wish I had read it all closer together, so that I could better remember who everyone was. These stories are very grounded in sense of place; Barcelona and its surroundings played a central role in the mapping of the stories. It was fun to read something so attentive to setting, and to recognize the city as it showed up in these characters' lives. Overall, it was an engaging "slice of life" read.
lalalaluziie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
2.0
why did I read this
the last story was the best but they were all pretty weird and unnecessary and strange (not in a good way) and very clearly written by a man and this was a waste of my time even twilight was more of a literary masterpiece than this.
i had really hoped for Barcelona as a city/place to play more of an active role here and take on a sense of character in itself. Instead he just mentioned a few places in the city and left it at that. There was little sense of place and it could've taken place in any other city. I wanted to experience Barcelona and feel the heat, the smells, the sounds seep through the pages. But, alas. None of that. I'm not angry I'm just disappointed.
i tagged it "adventurous" and "challenging" in the sense that you never knew what kind of fucked up shit he would start mentioning next and that I found it very challenging to finish and not dnf it.
The first story felt orientalist and all of them a bit strangely misogynistic but I can't put my finger on why quite yet. It felt like the characters and by extension the author think too highly of themselves.
the last story was the best but they were all pretty weird and unnecessary and strange (not in a good way) and very clearly written by a man and this was a waste of my time even twilight was more of a literary masterpiece than this.
i had really hoped for Barcelona as a city/place to play more of an active role here and take on a sense of character in itself. Instead he just mentioned a few places in the city and left it at that. There was little sense of place and it could've taken place in any other city. I wanted to experience Barcelona and feel the heat, the smells, the sounds seep through the pages. But, alas. None of that. I'm not angry I'm just disappointed.
i tagged it "adventurous" and "challenging" in the sense that you never knew what kind of fucked up shit he would start mentioning next and that I found it very challenging to finish and not dnf it.
The first story felt orientalist and all of them a bit strangely misogynistic but I can't put my finger on why quite yet. It felt like the characters and by extension the author think too highly of themselves.
alleyboop's review against another edition
4.0
I won't say this is the most riveting or best book I've read this year, but I have to give it to the author for the prose. It follows three interlocking stories and each leaves you with a sense of finality, but also a sense of change for each character. It could be because it takes place in Barcelona, but it reminded me of Carmen Laforet's Nada - like a homage to that book but in the future of Barcelona. There is this lovely ache about Barcelona and he captures this with his diverse cast of characters who range from English, Moroccan, Brazilian, to Catalan. Barcelona often feels like it's own place separate of Spain and I really felt that in this novel. And of course, the wanderlust has returned full swing and how I'd love to eat in a restaurant on the Barceloneta or walk down Passeig de Gracia again.
emilymae's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
margaret21's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this book from the library shelves for no better reason than that Barcelona is a city I know well. And indeed, this is a book with a strong sense of place. Not Tourist Barcelona, with its must-see monuments, its busy cafes and its omni-present pick-pockets: but the varied city which all kinds of people from dyed in the wool Catalans to ex-pats and immigrants call home. Here are three interlinked novellas, featuring an Englishwoman who falls for a young Moroccan hardly older than her daughter; an alcoholic jazz pianist whose relationship with his younger partner collapses; and a translator, tormented by his unrequited love. They never meet, but are linked loosely through neighbours, colleagues and unconnected events. The book explores themes such as immigration, racism, nostalgia, lack of self-knowledge: old relationships linger on. Thomson conjures up people whose complicated lives are utterly plausible, and a city that lives and breathes without reference to the tourist haunts so many travellers see: its dust and dirt and exhaust fumes, as well as the clarity of the early morning light. An immersive book.
niniane's review against another edition
4.0
Three short stories that each involve a character stepping outside their normal social circles.
One is a woman living in a wealthy neighborhood who has a fling with a much younger immigrant.
One is an old drunk guy and his younger, beautiful girlfriend. This uses unreliable narrator and portrays how someone can maintain deep denial even while repeatedly getting blackout drunk.
One is a doormat guy who has a surreal experience with a charming narcissist and stops being a pushover.
The different neighborhoods of Barcelona are mentioned.
One is a woman living in a wealthy neighborhood who has a fling with a much younger immigrant.
One is an old drunk guy and his younger, beautiful girlfriend. This uses unreliable narrator and portrays how someone can maintain deep denial even while repeatedly getting blackout drunk.
One is a doormat guy who has a surreal experience with a charming narcissist and stops being a pushover.
The different neighborhoods of Barcelona are mentioned.
hannahbright's review against another edition
3.0
The back summary led me to believe that the crime against Abdel would be a recurring theme throughout all of the stories, but it was only mentioned indirectly in one other. I found this to be unpredictable and entertaining. I liked the first and second stories better than the last. The unreliable narration and magical realism were all interesting and out of the norm of what I usually read. I enjoyed the visuals of Barcelona, but overall not a top 10 book for me
citybookspgh's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Three novellas. First one is EXCELLENT. Last two are adolescent fantasies. Diverse characters are fetishized, so to me, it doesn’t count as diverse lit. Awful book. Hate finished it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Colonisation, and Classism