nima_nimble's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
emitareads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
I appreciate that Castellanos Moya was trying something new by imitating Austrian writer Thomas Bernard, both in style and subject matter, and it's true I've never read anything like this before. But, it started to lose its power very quickly. The whole book is basically the narrator, a guy named Vega, talking or better yet complaining to Moya. By page 25, I was so over the constant whining of the narrator. I get that the repetition is the whole point, but still. It got old real fast.
The text is also so blatantly offensive to San Salvador, its inhabitants, and everything that's related to the country, that it was clearly intencional. Provocative. And also clearly not to be taken to heart. Often times the complaints of our narrator were so ridiculous (Can he please stop hating on the national specialty, las pupusas? Just say it isn’t for you and move on, mate), that I stopped seeing it as offensive and it became whining instead. Every new topic, every new group of people, is the absolute worst thing our narrator has ever encountered. And Moya does imply he's not in agreement. There are several hints of that. So again, this signals to me that we don't have to project the ideas of the narrator onto the author (which a lot of people did do and Moya received death threats for it).
While I appreciate the work as a literary experiment, I didn't particularly enjoy reading it. I got bored halfway through and just stopped caring about what was said, because it was the same complaint over and over. I wouldn't particularly recommend it to anyone, but it is a good book for class discussions.
The text is also so blatantly offensive to San Salvador, its inhabitants, and everything that's related to the country, that it was clearly intencional. Provocative. And also clearly not to be taken to heart. Often times the complaints of our narrator were so ridiculous (Can he please stop hating on the national specialty, las pupusas? Just say it isn’t for you and move on, mate), that I stopped seeing it as offensive and it became whining instead. Every new topic, every new group of people, is the absolute worst thing our narrator has ever encountered. And Moya does imply he's not in agreement. There are several hints of that. So again, this signals to me that we don't have to project the ideas of the narrator onto the author (which a lot of people did do and Moya received death threats for it).
While I appreciate the work as a literary experiment, I didn't particularly enjoy reading it. I got bored halfway through and just stopped caring about what was said, because it was the same complaint over and over. I wouldn't particularly recommend it to anyone, but it is a good book for class discussions.
iammandyellen's review against another edition
4.0
A masterful, powerful, daring little book. Could this conceit be attempted in America on a national level? Or would it have to be more local, by state or by big city?
stacialithub's review against another edition
4.0
As I was reading, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. I'm not familiar with Thomas Bernhard's works so I wasn't familiar with the style that Moya was imitating in his riff & rip of life, people, politics, & about everything else in El Salvador. The entire novella is one long paragraph, often punctuated by commas, & reads as a breathless stream-of-consciousness rant.
But, now that I've spent a little time reading more about this book, learning about Thomas Bernhard's writing style, & mulling over the book (as well as the fact that the author received death threats after publishing it), I am finding it quite a brilliant piece.
When I first read that Moya received death threats, I thought it seemed kind of silly based on the rant-y content -- not something to take so seriously, surely? But the more I think about it, I can see how this book & the threats issuing therewith being *exactly* the point. And if an American writer were to do the same type of book for here in a similar style? I'm guessing that (sadly) some reactions (toward violence) might be the same.
But, now that I've spent a little time reading more about this book, learning about Thomas Bernhard's writing style, & mulling over the book (as well as the fact that the author received death threats after publishing it), I am finding it quite a brilliant piece.
When I first read that Moya received death threats, I thought it seemed kind of silly based on the rant-y content -- not something to take so seriously, surely? But the more I think about it, I can see how this book & the threats issuing therewith being *exactly* the point. And if an American writer were to do the same type of book for here in a similar style? I'm guessing that (sadly) some reactions (toward violence) might be the same.
fevi's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
sad
4.0
Asco é como se um cidadão de bem de classe média sentasse em um bar para conversar e resolvesse falar merda sobre o seu país de origem. Não há protagonista mais irritante. É um combo de inúmeros defeitos: racismo, classismo, soberba, misoginia. É preconceito para dar e vender.
No entanto, o livro é estupidamente bem escrito. É uma leitura que te afeta. Isso é excelente. O sarcasmo presente no texto é um brinde para quem gosta. Aliás, o texto é sobre El Salvador, mas poderia ser um compêndio sobre a América Latina. É uma excelente leitura. Recomendadíssimo.
No entanto, o livro é estupidamente bem escrito. É uma leitura que te afeta. Isso é excelente. O sarcasmo presente no texto é um brinde para quem gosta. Aliás, o texto é sobre El Salvador, mas poderia ser um compêndio sobre a América Latina. É uma excelente leitura. Recomendadíssimo.
axmed's review against another edition
3.0
It was clear what sort of a person the main character is from the first page, but to then have to read his horrible rant for 100 more pages, unfiltered, was way too much.
schwarzer_elch's review against another edition
5.0
Siempre he creído que, en América Latina, el patriotismo se construye sobre el menosprecio de lo extranjero (siempre y cuando venga del propio continente, porque si proviene de Europa, por ejemplo, la historia es otra). Así, tenemos a millones de ciudadanos empeñados en demostrar, a toda costa, que lo que su país produce no solo es superior a lo elaborado por otras repúblicas, si no que no hay absolutamente nada que se le pueda comparar. Parece que no sabemos vivir en armonía y que necesitamos aprender que amar lo propio no implica que no lo podamos criticar o que no podamos reconocer que, en otros lugares, también hay cosas interesantes.
Por eso, cuando leí la sinopsis de este libro me interesó muchísimo incluirlo en el desafío #WorldReadingChallenge como el texto seleccionado para El Salvador, un país que no conozco, pero que me resulta bastante interesante por todo lo que se escucha sobre él en mi propio país. Además, conocer un país a través de un texto que lo critica me resultaba una forma novedosa de ahondar en la literatura nacional de una determinada república.
El texto es fortísimo. El personaje principal se lanza con un monólogo en el que crítica todos los aspectos de la cultura moderna salvadoreña (valores sociales, formas de sociabilización, gastronomía, etc.) y a todos los que lo rodean. Nada ni nadie se salva. El desprecio es enorme y la pluma de Castellanos Moya, impecable. Hasta sientes lástima por los que tienen la mala suerte de cruzarse con Vega y caer en su red de desprecios. La narrativa es una especie de anti patriotismo tan negativo como el patriotismo ciego del que hablaba al principio. Pero considero que también es necesario tener un discurso así, que confronte los valores positivos y negativos de lo que implica, en este caso, ser salvadoreño.
Se trata de un libro pequeño (100 páginas) pero sumamente interesante. Me hubiera encantado encontrar uno que criticara de esta manera mi país. Saber cuáles son las cosas de las que nos sentimos ciega y patrióticamente orgullosos.
Además, el estilo narrativo de Castellanos Moya, como ya mencioné, es muy bueno. Tiene muy buenas descripciones y escenarios interesantes, sin resultar ninguno aburrido o pesado para el lector. Definitivamente, es un autor que volvería a leer sin pensarlo dos veces.
Por eso, cuando leí la sinopsis de este libro me interesó muchísimo incluirlo en el desafío #WorldReadingChallenge como el texto seleccionado para El Salvador, un país que no conozco, pero que me resulta bastante interesante por todo lo que se escucha sobre él en mi propio país. Además, conocer un país a través de un texto que lo critica me resultaba una forma novedosa de ahondar en la literatura nacional de una determinada república.
El texto es fortísimo. El personaje principal se lanza con un monólogo en el que crítica todos los aspectos de la cultura moderna salvadoreña (valores sociales, formas de sociabilización, gastronomía, etc.) y a todos los que lo rodean. Nada ni nadie se salva. El desprecio es enorme y la pluma de Castellanos Moya, impecable. Hasta sientes lástima por los que tienen la mala suerte de cruzarse con Vega y caer en su red de desprecios. La narrativa es una especie de anti patriotismo tan negativo como el patriotismo ciego del que hablaba al principio. Pero considero que también es necesario tener un discurso así, que confronte los valores positivos y negativos de lo que implica, en este caso, ser salvadoreño.
Se trata de un libro pequeño (100 páginas) pero sumamente interesante. Me hubiera encantado encontrar uno que criticara de esta manera mi país. Saber cuáles son las cosas de las que nos sentimos ciega y patrióticamente orgullosos.
Además, el estilo narrativo de Castellanos Moya, como ya mencioné, es muy bueno. Tiene muy buenas descripciones y escenarios interesantes, sin resultar ninguno aburrido o pesado para el lector. Definitivamente, es un autor que volvería a leer sin pensarlo dos veces.