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o7roll's review
sad
4.0
The English translation is sometimes stiff, but what can you do? If you understand Spanish, I recommend reading it that way.
anniejmelody's review against another edition
dark
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
nicholeb84's review against another edition
4.0
I first noticed Rosario Tijeras on Netflix. It was March, 2018. Netflix had uploaded the 2016 Mexican telenovela, Rosario Tijeras. This telenovela is a remake of the 2010 Columbian telenovela, which is itself based on the novel, Rosario Tijeras. (Side note: there is also a 2005 Columbian film based on the novel.) Anyway, I watched the first few episodes of the Mexican telenovela and thought: "I've been meaning to get into Latin American literature. This may be a good place to start."
The story takes place in Medellin during the 1980s/1990s. We follow the narrator Antonio, as he recounts his friendship with (and unrequited? love for the mysterious and deadly Rosario Tijeras. Rosario has been shot, and as Antonio waits for news, he tells the reader about Rosario - all from what he witness or from what she told him. Because, while she dated his best friend Emilio, and her brother's friend, and countless others - she always had real conversations with Antonio.
The story is short and intense. It clocks in at about 172 pages and took all of one hour and something-minutes to read. But, it felt like I went through a whole seven years. I think it would have been even better untranslated.
And that is really my one major complaint about this novel - the translation. The novel had several spelling and grammar errors. And, some sentences were translated in a very stiff way. A lot of: "She walked over to the table." and "I always come back, my friend." Favor and characterization is almost always lost in translations, but I feel like they were really lost here.
Overall, it is a great novel. I'd also recommend the telenovelas that are based on it. Anyone have any more modern Latin America or South American novels they'd like to recommend?
The story takes place in Medellin during the 1980s/1990s. We follow the narrator Antonio, as he recounts his friendship with (and unrequited? love for the mysterious and deadly Rosario Tijeras. Rosario has been shot, and as Antonio waits for news, he tells the reader about Rosario - all from what he witness or from what she told him. Because, while she dated his best friend Emilio, and her brother's friend, and countless others - she always had real conversations with Antonio.
The story is short and intense. It clocks in at about 172 pages and took all of one hour and something-minutes to read. But, it felt like I went through a whole seven years. I think it would have been even better untranslated.
And that is really my one major complaint about this novel - the translation. The novel had several spelling and grammar errors. And, some sentences were translated in a very stiff way. A lot of: "She walked over to the table." and "I always come back, my friend." Favor and characterization is almost always lost in translations, but I feel like they were really lost here.
Overall, it is a great novel. I'd also recommend the telenovelas that are based on it. Anyone have any more modern Latin America or South American novels they'd like to recommend?
emenendez1's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Much better than I expected. This is a story of a unrequited love, a young woman destined to have a short life. No happiness here, no soft blows, no heroes and specially, no hope. This is an intense journey, not necessarily profound, but a journey we will all remember...
_patkro_'s review against another edition
3.0
"Rosario to jedna z tych kobiet, które są jednocześnie trucizną i antidotum. Kogo chce wyleczyć - wyleczy, kogo chce zabić - zabije."
shadewilson's review against another edition
4.0
- Tu adicción no es a las drogas sino a la mierda - [me] dijo.
anaporras's review against another edition
5.0
What is not to love about this book? A strong female lead, vivid and accurate descriptions of Medellín (Colombia), excellent dialogue, etc... Jorge Franco does a wonderful job of depicting violence while a the same time getting us to care for and understand Rosario, who is as much a victim as a perpetrator. I've read this book in both English and Spanish. If you speak Spanish, this book is meant to be read in our language. A lot of the richness of the dialogue gets lost in translation!
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
2.0
Good but not amazing for me. A slice of a reality worth knowing and understanding and caring about...it just didn't grab me like everything else I brought on this trip.
rosarioesete's review against another edition
5.0
Sin palabras.
Solo soy capaz de decir “parcero, parcerito”
⚰️Rosario Tijeras, una mujer dura, una mujer que te mata con un beso, una mujer adicta y adictiva.
⚰️La historia de Rosario contada con la voz de uno de sus enamorados.
⚰️Una mujer que se iba sin avisar y volvía con una rotura nueva.
⚰️Este es un libro con una narración tan poética, con tanto amor, violencia y celos. Y a la vez es tan corto que da pena cuando termina la historia, pero es que cuando termina no hay más que decir, porque todo queda dicho en él.
⚠️Este libro está descatalogado, pero por favor, búsquenlo y léanlo.
Solo soy capaz de decir “parcero, parcerito”
⚰️Rosario Tijeras, una mujer dura, una mujer que te mata con un beso, una mujer adicta y adictiva.
⚰️La historia de Rosario contada con la voz de uno de sus enamorados.
⚰️Una mujer que se iba sin avisar y volvía con una rotura nueva.
⚰️Este es un libro con una narración tan poética, con tanto amor, violencia y celos. Y a la vez es tan corto que da pena cuando termina la historia, pero es que cuando termina no hay más que decir, porque todo queda dicho en él.
⚠️Este libro está descatalogado, pero por favor, búsquenlo y léanlo.