alisarae's review against another edition
#AlisaReadstheWorld Chile
That was weird. I understand the symbolism for the most part (some of it is quite obvious). But it is a weird dreamesque story. That is what I have thought of every piece of South American literature that i have ever read. It is just very very different than what I am used to reading, and I read a lot of snobby literary stuff. But, that is why I am on a quest to read a book from every country in the world. To read things that I am not used to.
That was weird. I understand the symbolism for the most part (some of it is quite obvious). But it is a weird dreamesque story. That is what I have thought of every piece of South American literature that i have ever read. It is just very very different than what I am used to reading, and I read a lot of snobby literary stuff. But, that is why I am on a quest to read a book from every country in the world. To read things that I am not used to.
sweddy65's review
4.0
This was hard, both because of the off-kilter quality of the main characters, the ash falling from the sky, the beforetimes which shape the book but are rarely front and center, and the structure.
What do we do about the disappeared, the exiled, the dead?
What do we do about the disappeared, the exiled, the dead?
patroclusbro's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Die Differenz ist eine starke Figurenstudie, eine Novelle fast, die meiner Meinung nach zu Recht den Anna-Seghers-Preis 2022 erhalten hat.
Alia Trabucco Zerán schreibt über die drei Einzelkinder früherer kommunistischer, chilenischer Widerstandskämpfer:innen und ihren Versuchen, die Vergangenheit und Gegenwart zu verknüpfen, Verluste und Leerstellen greifen zu lernen. Paloma, die die Leiche ihrer Mutter zurück nach Santiago überführen will, Felipe, der nicht aufhören kann, Schmerz und Tod zu kartografieren, Iquela, der scheinbar immer nur alles geschieht, ohne dass sie weiß, was sie darüber fühlen und denken soll.
Ähnlich wie die Figuren selbst versuchen, sich und ihre Welt zu verstehen, werden die Einzelheiten und Hintergründe der Geschichte nur allmählich aufgedeckt, was sicher auf einige Leser:innen unzugänglich wirken kann. Vieles bleibt dabei vage und offen in einer Sprache, die häufig Düsteres und Ekelhaftes beschreibt, aber trotzdem sanft und feinfühlig bleibt (die deutsche Überstzung hat mir sehr gut gefallen). Wenn man sich darauf einlassen kann, wird eine ganze Welt geöffnet.
Ich denke es gibt Synergien für Fans von: Cantoras (Carolina de Robertis), Was rot war (Enrico Ippolito), Roter Affe (Káska Bryla), Diese Geschichte (Alessandro Baricco).
Alia Trabucco Zerán schreibt über die drei Einzelkinder früherer kommunistischer, chilenischer Widerstandskämpfer:innen und ihren Versuchen, die Vergangenheit und Gegenwart zu verknüpfen, Verluste und Leerstellen greifen zu lernen. Paloma, die die Leiche ihrer Mutter zurück nach Santiago überführen will, Felipe, der nicht aufhören kann, Schmerz und Tod zu kartografieren, Iquela, der scheinbar immer nur alles geschieht, ohne dass sie weiß, was sie darüber fühlen und denken soll.
Ähnlich wie die Figuren selbst versuchen, sich und ihre Welt zu verstehen, werden die Einzelheiten und Hintergründe der Geschichte nur allmählich aufgedeckt, was sicher auf einige Leser:innen unzugänglich wirken kann. Vieles bleibt dabei vage und offen in einer Sprache, die häufig Düsteres und Ekelhaftes beschreibt, aber trotzdem sanft und feinfühlig bleibt (die deutsche Überstzung hat mir sehr gut gefallen). Wenn man sich darauf einlassen kann, wird eine ganze Welt geöffnet.
Ich denke es gibt Synergien für Fans von: Cantoras (Carolina de Robertis), Was rot war (Enrico Ippolito), Roter Affe (Káska Bryla), Diese Geschichte (Alessandro Baricco).
merry_bryson's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
fem71's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
chelseamartinez's review
4.0
This is a slight road trip novel. South America is vast and I have only been once, but in parts you can travel across a few nations pretty quickly, like cutting into New England after crossing New York State lengthwise. I mailed this book back to the library because I didn't have time to make the drive to that library district the week it was due, and it got lost in the mail and I'll have to pay for it. I'd like to know the librarian who purchased it; someone there has been buying lots of good international fiction in paperback. Sorry Cypress Library.
silviaamaturo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
4.0
The Remainder is another new release now available worldwide that you will want to pop on your TBR this month.It recently was a nominee for the Man Booker International Prize 2019. It is a road trip narrative told through the alternating perspectives of two friends, Felipe and Iquela. A childhood acquaintance, Paloma, comes back into Iquela’s life as an adult, and the three find themselves on this road-trip when Paloma’s mother dies overseas and her body goes missing on its journey back to her.
Structurally this is an immediately fascinating story as the first chapter that the book opens with is chapter eleven. These numerical chapters countdown as the novel progresses, and are told from Felipe’s perspective. They are brimming with lengthy, stream-of-consciousness style sentences, and feel incredibly immersive and hypnotizing to read. We then alternate with chapters told from Iquela’s perspective, with her chapters imply titled with open parenthesis. Both characters openly grapple with the trauma of their parents, and the experiences of Chile under the legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship. This is really well drawn in Felipe’s narrative, as his perspective is consumed with this count he is undertaking of bodies, both literal and imagined.
The narrative also expressly grapples with the translation process - Iquela works as a translator, and has many discussions (particularly regarding Paloma) about language and how meaning and nuance can be lost as people lose their touch with it over time. It makes for an interesting discussion to read, particularly given what a seamless translation this novel was itself!
Structurally this is an immediately fascinating story as the first chapter that the book opens with is chapter eleven. These numerical chapters countdown as the novel progresses, and are told from Felipe’s perspective. They are brimming with lengthy, stream-of-consciousness style sentences, and feel incredibly immersive and hypnotizing to read. We then alternate with chapters told from Iquela’s perspective, with her chapters imply titled with open parenthesis. Both characters openly grapple with the trauma of their parents, and the experiences of Chile under the legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship. This is really well drawn in Felipe’s narrative, as his perspective is consumed with this count he is undertaking of bodies, both literal and imagined.
The narrative also expressly grapples with the translation process - Iquela works as a translator, and has many discussions (particularly regarding Paloma) about language and how meaning and nuance can be lost as people lose their touch with it over time. It makes for an interesting discussion to read, particularly given what a seamless translation this novel was itself!
tronella's review
3.0
There's some interesting stuff here but nothing much happens until halfway through the book, and I really just don't like reading that stream-of-consciousness writing style with no punctuation.
leah_alexandra's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
3.5
This was not a bad book, I just don't think it was for me. I definitely would have benefitted from a bit more cultural context. Some of the scenes were quite difficult to get through, but I could tell the writing was skillful. There are some upsetting bits, and the end was quite dissatisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Body horror