jacss's review against another edition
4.0
Such a powerful book, I'm going to need a minute to recover from this.
First of all, it felt like reading two books. Not necessarily due to first-person switch half-way, but due to style. Nearing the end, Luiselli creates a feeling of suspense and tension leading towards the meeting of "the kids" and "the lost children" by letting their thoughts, feelings and surroundings intertwine with nothing but comma's to shorten sentences. This created a sense of urgency leading to the inevitable climax of the children meeting. By switching to this style, it felt like a whole new book.
Something else that made the divide interesting to me, is the reality vs. fantasy switch. In the beginning, the reality is the failing relationship, with the lost children as a far away thought and using make believe to substitute historical stories. When the first person view switches, the grip on the reality of the failing relationship is loosened, and exchanged with make believe, bringing the reality of the Lost Children much closer, and even too close fo comfort.
Looking back at the first part, I remember being pleasantly surprised at the mundane descriptions Luiselli provides of the familiy's life; the secretive, the weird, the mundane - described to the extent it becomes recognizable.
Lastly, I believe this book is a beautifully written acknowledgement (to say the least) of the crisis at the Southern border of the US. Maybe not a call to arms, but a respectful what the fuck - respecful to those who try to find freedom and safety in the US, the what the fuck to the way we treat them.
First of all, it felt like reading two books. Not necessarily due to first-person switch half-way, but due to style. Nearing the end, Luiselli creates a feeling of suspense and tension leading towards the meeting of "the kids" and "the lost children" by letting their thoughts, feelings and surroundings intertwine with nothing but comma's to shorten sentences. This created a sense of urgency leading to the inevitable climax of the children meeting. By switching to this style, it felt like a whole new book.
Something else that made the divide interesting to me, is the reality vs. fantasy switch. In the beginning, the reality is the failing relationship, with the lost children as a far away thought and using make believe to substitute historical stories. When the first person view switches, the grip on the reality of the failing relationship is loosened, and exchanged with make believe, bringing the reality of the Lost Children much closer, and even too close fo comfort.
Looking back at the first part, I remember being pleasantly surprised at the mundane descriptions Luiselli provides of the familiy's life; the secretive, the weird, the mundane - described to the extent it becomes recognizable.
Lastly, I believe this book is a beautifully written acknowledgement (to say the least) of the crisis at the Southern border of the US. Maybe not a call to arms, but a respectful what the fuck - respecful to those who try to find freedom and safety in the US, the what the fuck to the way we treat them.
indigovazvezda's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
syafa's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
At times, very big brain energy. Like it makes you think and then makes your head hurt a bit and so because of that, the reading experience was challenging at times. It does have really poignant reflections though. I agree with Josh's description: you read something and then think you have a point to make and then the book makes that point a few pages later, which can have either the effect of making you feel really smart for anticipating it, or the opposite because you realise your interpretations aren't that original. There's a line about reading and how it gives words to something that you, up until you read it, didn't realise you didn't have words for. I liked that. I thought it was smart and exactly how I feel reading in general but also as I read this book, so pretty meta. The breaks in form are also clever, though sometimes I feel like I don't entirely get everything she's trying to convey through them because she explicitly says there's a point to them but I can't be bothered to think that hard.
kqlso's review against another edition
3.75
pretty decent for a book I just read for the title hhhhh I thought the book would be one thing and then I thought maybe it'd be another but it turned out to be about the former all along with the latter being a secondary thing of sorts but despite the kind of mish mash of themes and messages I think it was executed fine. definitely not a bad book but not outstanding
pancerna's review against another edition
5.0
Zaskoczyło mnie to jak świetnie się czytało ten tytuł, pomimo wymagającej (w mojej ocenie) treści i formy. Nie powiem Wam czy to książka bardziej o rozpadzie rodziny czy o dzieciach-uchodźcach (lub szerzej „kryzysie” migracyjnym i humanitarnym), albo o tym, jak gubimy się w naszej teoretycznie poukładanej i skatalogowanej rzeczywistości. Dla każdego będzie czymś innym. Zaskakująca w formie - najpierw przypomina reportaż, potem przechodzi w bardziej poetyckie tony, sama fabuła staje się też mniej realistyczna. Dodatkowo pojawia się powieść w powieści, zmienna narracja, mnóstwo nawiązań literackich, muzycznych i zdanie na kilkadziesiąt stron. A po przeczytaniu słów autorki na końcu książki, chciałabym zacząć ją czytać od nowa, by wyłowić z niej zupełnie nowe rzeczy. Dla mnie to Wielka Literatura. Amen.
leavesofmytree's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.5
emilianordland's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
annabarbarabittner's review against another edition
4.0
Przed lekturą unikam czytania recenzji i blurbów, ale siłą rzeczy obiło mi się o uszy, że to książka o uchodźcach. Spodziewałam się więc reportażu skupiającego się na dzieciach przybywających do USA z krajów położonych na południe od tego państwa. Nic bardziej mylnego! Archiwum zagubionych dzieci to powieść - wielowarstwowa, napisana pięknym i różnorodnym językiem. Powieść, która uwodzi i zwodzi. Powieść pięknie przetłumaczona. I powieść, którą można odczytywać na wiele sposobów i na wielu płaszczyznach, o czym przekonałam się podczas ostatniego klubu książkowego Wydawnictwa Pauza.
Powieść Luiselli ma wiele znamion reportażu, to jednak głęboko przemyślana powieść, która obejmuje także płaszczyznę graficzną i fotograficzną oraz zawiera w sobie dziesiątki odwołań do innych książek i tekstów. Autorka opowiada o szczególnej rodzinie. To rodzina patchworkowa, rodzice poznali się podczas wspólnej pracy przy nagrywaniu odgłosów Nowego Jorku. Teraz z dwójką dzieci wyruszają na południe - ojciec będzie pracował nad swoim projektem o Apaczach, mama na swoim o dzieciach przekraczających nielegalnie granicę, a przy okazji chce odszukać córki znajomej, które w ten sposób przybyły do USA i zaginęły.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.com/2022/01/archiwum-zagubionych-dzieci-valeria.html
Powieść Luiselli ma wiele znamion reportażu, to jednak głęboko przemyślana powieść, która obejmuje także płaszczyznę graficzną i fotograficzną oraz zawiera w sobie dziesiątki odwołań do innych książek i tekstów. Autorka opowiada o szczególnej rodzinie. To rodzina patchworkowa, rodzice poznali się podczas wspólnej pracy przy nagrywaniu odgłosów Nowego Jorku. Teraz z dwójką dzieci wyruszają na południe - ojciec będzie pracował nad swoim projektem o Apaczach, mama na swoim o dzieciach przekraczających nielegalnie granicę, a przy okazji chce odszukać córki znajomej, które w ten sposób przybyły do USA i zaginęły.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.com/2022/01/archiwum-zagubionych-dzieci-valeria.html
kmarks917's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the structure of the book— both the “mini chapters” and how it was compartmentalized by “box.” I also appreciated talking about unaccompanied children and our broken immigration system. But... the book was often heavy handed, esoteric, and a slog. The analogy btw the “disappeared” Apaches, immigrant children, and the family’s kids felt a little forced/an inappropriate comparison. (I feel like the “disappearing Indian” is a false narrative although I am by no means an expert on this subject) The book also could’ve been shorter.
sunflowerchick's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0