Reviews

In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut

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gracelehfeldt's review

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sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

chrilaura's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

A collection of 3 travelogues told by the same protagonist in (what I now assume to be) Damon Galgut’s characteristic narrative voice - one that weaves between 1st and 3rd person, past and present tense. The stories are loosely connected in that they all deal with the protagonist’s inescapable feelings of loneliness and constant search for connection. They are told in chronological order, which is maybe why I found the first story the least engaging and connected the most with the second one (where I believe Damon is in his late twenties/early thirties).

At times, Damon’s critical thinking about other travelers reads a little “I’m not like other tourists”-y, mainly because he articulates his thoughts in the 1st person which made me assume the stories were (at least to some extent) autobiographical. Although Damon is self aware and his criticisms are valid, it would have been easier to accept the contrasting between Damon and the other travelers had they all been described as fictional characters in the 3rd person.

Although it took a while to get into this book, I am glad I read it. Damon writes movingly about the condition of loneliness and the dangers of romanticizing aimless wandering… there can be no road to Ithaca without an Ithaca, maybe..