figpudding's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
brotacel94's review
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
echo_'s review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
lauren_endnotes's review
4.0
"... understand that the world is not ruled by immutable laws; it is vulnerable, uncertain. Understand that fate replaces destiny."
- Ezequiel Martínez Estrada
Opening epigraph of
• FATE by Jorge Consiglio, translated from the Spanish by Carolina Orloff & Fionn Petch, 2018 / 2020.
Character sketches of modern people living and moving about Buenos Aires, Argentina: a museum taxidermist who is trying to stop smoking, a meteorologist who fancies a fling, a professional musician...
The novella cycles through each person story in a repeating 1-2-3 pattern for the whole book, and at only 118 pages, that worked well. A longer work, possible the format would have gone stale - crisis averted!
Parts of this reminded by of the fun frolics of Norwegian writer Gunnhild Øyehaug in WAIT, BLINK, told in present tense, the feeling of looking in a window at people as they go about their business... or like watching a goldfish in a bowl.
Relatable scenarios (I laughed at the on-going situation with the one character trying to figure out where the ants
- Ezequiel Martínez Estrada
Opening epigraph of
• FATE by Jorge Consiglio, translated from the Spanish by Carolina Orloff & Fionn Petch, 2018 / 2020.
Character sketches of modern people living and moving about Buenos Aires, Argentina: a museum taxidermist who is trying to stop smoking, a meteorologist who fancies a fling, a professional musician...
The novella cycles through each person story in a repeating 1-2-3 pattern for the whole book, and at only 118 pages, that worked well. A longer work, possible the format would have gone stale - crisis averted!
Parts of this reminded by of the fun frolics of Norwegian writer Gunnhild Øyehaug in WAIT, BLINK, told in present tense, the feeling of looking in a window at people as they go about their business... or like watching a goldfish in a bowl.
Relatable scenarios (I laughed at the on-going situation with the one character trying to figure out where the ants
roisin8242f's review
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
samuraibunny's review
reflective
fast-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? Yes
3.25
I liked the book, but felt like it was going nowhere. Perhaps that was the intention of the author?
You follow 4 main characters throughout the book, but don't receive closure on their stories. I'm starting to think this is intended, but as a reader, I'd much rather have the book be longer to wrap them up.
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy slice-of-life books
You follow 4 main characters throughout the book, but don't receive closure on their stories. I'm starting to think this is intended, but as a reader, I'd much rather have the book be longer to wrap them up.
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy slice-of-life books
adrianasturalvarez's review
4.0
Read for week three of the Translated Fiction Online Book Club.
Some novels are so short their ideas don't have enough time to sink in. Some are so smoothly written you could miss their inner profundities as you glide quickly over each page to the finish. Unfortunately, unfairly, Fate can be accused of both.
Consiglio writes characters who convincingly come alive on the page with just a few strokes but part of the project of this book is to describe both significant and insignificant (I suppose) details with equal importance. It is amazing the narrative isn't fatally weighed down by this, however, there is a consequence for the reader. When everything is possibly important there is no focus on a single unifying idea that isn't metatextual. I found myself, like the characters, burdened with a struggle to find meaning in a world inundated with little details. Ultimately, this technique conspired to make his cynical little story crushingly depressing.
Some novels are so short their ideas don't have enough time to sink in. Some are so smoothly written you could miss their inner profundities as you glide quickly over each page to the finish. Unfortunately, unfairly, Fate can be accused of both.
Consiglio writes characters who convincingly come alive on the page with just a few strokes but part of the project of this book is to describe both significant and insignificant (I suppose) details with equal importance. It is amazing the narrative isn't fatally weighed down by this, however, there is a consequence for the reader. When everything is possibly important there is no focus on a single unifying idea that isn't metatextual. I found myself, like the characters, burdened with a struggle to find meaning in a world inundated with little details. Ultimately, this technique conspired to make his cynical little story crushingly depressing.