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rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was certainly a very interesting and unique book. In all honesty, I liked the first part of the story (following the narrator's brief career as a traveling salesman's little assistant) better than the latter chapters. I also felt like the ending was a bit too abrupt and open-ended.
The story is built on a general sense of vagueness (partly due to the child narrator) but I can see how this can easily turn into a frustrating aspect. The reader really needs to be an active participant, trying to put together all the pieces to make sense of the narration, but they are also expected to draw upon their personal knowledge of Chilean history to fully grasp what is only hinted at by the author.
I appreciated the humorous undertone of the story (sometimes verging into pure quirkiness), though I have to say it was a stark contrast with the more somber and melancholic second half.
The language is very matter-of-fact but I think that this stylistic choice, to have a prose bared to its bones, actually helps to make the emotions stand out very easily and vividly. I underlined many passages of reflections that really struck a chord with me.
This novella packs a lot in just a hundred pages and I think that it would benefit from a re-read, so as to uncover some of the more subtle elements. I'm glad I finally explored a bit more of literature from South America.
The story is built on a general sense of vagueness (partly due to the child narrator) but I can see how this can easily turn into a frustrating aspect. The reader really needs to be an active participant, trying to put together all the pieces to make sense of the narration, but they are also expected to draw upon their personal knowledge of Chilean history to fully grasp what is only hinted at by the author.
I appreciated the humorous undertone of the story (sometimes verging into pure quirkiness), though I have to say it was a stark contrast with the more somber and melancholic second half.
The language is very matter-of-fact but I think that this stylistic choice, to have a prose bared to its bones, actually helps to make the emotions stand out very easily and vividly. I underlined many passages of reflections that really struck a chord with me.
This novella packs a lot in just a hundred pages and I think that it would benefit from a re-read, so as to uncover some of the more subtle elements. I'm glad I finally explored a bit more of literature from South America.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
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