tevreads's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful novel on family and loss, to be read intently in one sitting.
torontogod's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
maljean's review against another edition
Sinceridad, sensibilidad, comprensión... Qué novela tan emocionante y dura.
tommooney's review against another edition
3.0
THE DINNER GUEST by Gabriela Ybarra.
This Spanish non-fiction/novel, longlisted for the international Booker, is essentially a meditation on dying.
Ybarra's family are an inherant part of the establishment in the Basque country and so have long been the targets of separatists. In 1977, six years before she was born, her grandfather was kidnapped and murdered by ETA.
The Dinner Guest recounts his killing alongside a very personal account of Ybarra's mother's losing battle with cancer.
Though the many threads of the story don't always tie together, I found this a very honest and heartfelt account of death in the family. There were several moments of gut-wrenching emotion and Ybarra's straightforward, candid style works very well.
This Spanish non-fiction/novel, longlisted for the international Booker, is essentially a meditation on dying.
Ybarra's family are an inherant part of the establishment in the Basque country and so have long been the targets of separatists. In 1977, six years before she was born, her grandfather was kidnapped and murdered by ETA.
The Dinner Guest recounts his killing alongside a very personal account of Ybarra's mother's losing battle with cancer.
Though the many threads of the story don't always tie together, I found this a very honest and heartfelt account of death in the family. There were several moments of gut-wrenching emotion and Ybarra's straightforward, candid style works very well.
meekreadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
surprised how captivated i was by the writing style, burnt through this one
srdaine's review against another edition
5.0
(4.5)
Muy emotivo y honesto. Me gusta cómo habla de temas tan jodidos como estos con naturalidad y enfrentándose a ellos. En algunos pasajes me he sentido muy identificado.
(Primer libro de mi #LeoAutorasOct)
Muy emotivo y honesto. Me gusta cómo habla de temas tan jodidos como estos con naturalidad y enfrentándose a ellos. En algunos pasajes me he sentido muy identificado.
(Primer libro de mi #LeoAutorasOct)
jenni8fer's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first novel for Spanish writer, Gabriela Ybarra, translated by Natasha Wimmer who also translated Robert Bolano's 2666 and The Savage Detectives. The Dinner Guest reads like memoir but it also blends fiction to change some facts.
Gabriela was born in Bilbao in the Basque country of Spain to one of the 10-12 most powerful political families in Vizcaya. Thus, her private life and political life of her family intertwine. As such, there were constant threats made to her family by a terrorist organization called the ETA. There was always the danger of a kidnapping.
At the start of the story, the author writes of the actual kidnapping of her paternal grandfather by the ETA in May 1977, using various news reports. However, the main focus of the story is on her relationship with her mother and the time they spent together in New York while her mother was receiving cancer treatment. This part of the novel was a lot more moving than the beginning due to the styles she chose. She does return to her grandfather in the end and allows for a much more moving closure to his death.
Gabriela was born in Bilbao in the Basque country of Spain to one of the 10-12 most powerful political families in Vizcaya. Thus, her private life and political life of her family intertwine. As such, there were constant threats made to her family by a terrorist organization called the ETA. There was always the danger of a kidnapping.
At the start of the story, the author writes of the actual kidnapping of her paternal grandfather by the ETA in May 1977, using various news reports. However, the main focus of the story is on her relationship with her mother and the time they spent together in New York while her mother was receiving cancer treatment. This part of the novel was a lot more moving than the beginning due to the styles she chose. She does return to her grandfather in the end and allows for a much more moving closure to his death.