Scan barcode
angus_mckeogh's review
2.0
daynpitseleh's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty decent book. The characters were interesting, and it painted a descriptive picture of Mexico during the 60s. It was a pretty quick read, and I was definitely intrigued and wanting to find out what happened. However, about 3/4 of the way through the book, the plot took a strange turn, and unfortunately, I couldn't reconcile this with the characters and the rest of the story. Overall, an interesting novel.
jnikolova's review
2.0
1.5 stars... And I am being generous.
Here's an idea: write a book about Mexico in which you describe the beauties and history of Mexico, the archaeological treasures, the unknown Mexico. DON'T write another book about Mexican thugs, an abundance of drugs, bandits, filth, thieves and other gross and uninteresting things.
I don't know in what way I was deceived by the blurb, but I honestly didn't expect a book which relies solely on vulgarity to impress its readers.
A guy wakes up next to a dead prostitute, his wife is missing along with his junkie neighbors, he starts looking for her thinking that she is in trouble and kidnapped, on the way he starts selling his drugs to get enough money to continue his search, he starts messing with the local mafioso types and gets into a lot of trouble. Yadda-yadda. It's a cliche from start to finish. I don't know why I even bothered to read it until the end, probably because I felt obliged because I received it through NetGalley. In any case, I knew how it was going to end, through and through. The only thing that actually surprised me was that there was not even one surprise in the end.
I'd like to mention that I think the author has a good writing style, his thoughts flow smoothly and there's nothing awkward about the narrative. The story itself, however, was a total shite. I'm serious. VERY serious. I actually ended up with a lot of questions, which on their own can tell you what this book is like.
1. Why is the book set in the damned past? So that the murderers can't be found through DNA? Because it was easier getting into Mexico? To explain the excessive use of drugs? Why the hell?
2. Why is half the narrative in Spanish, when the narrator is an American? Why is his wife also using Spanish words when she is speaking English? In what universe does this make sense? And how are the readers supposed to understand it? Because most authors who try to look smart by writing in two languages simultaneously at least translate. No such thing here.
"After the pescado blanco, I sipped a second cerveza and took my penicillin."
While reading such things, I got so angry by this display of идиотизъм, I almost spilled my кафе. Yeah, my thoughts exactly, it's like saying a big F*CK YOU to your readers. IT. IS. NOT. COOL. TO. WRITE. IN. FIFTEEN. LANGUAGES.
3. Why are there so much drugs? I know that it's the hippie era, but come on... I got so grossed out by reading about shooting heroin, snorting whatever that Spanish word that the author uses was, constantly smoking weed, etc. etc. It's disgusting.
4. Lastly, and most importantly, why should I care about this book, about its story and about its idiotic and borderline insane characters? I probably shouldn't. Which is a good thing, because I definitely didn't.
Character-wise, I don't even know if I should bother. The main characters are Tod and Linda. They are plain horrible. Totally damaged. I'm just going to leave this here:
"Linda stopped shaving under her arms last September after we arrived in Mexico. Running my tongue through the silken growth in her armpits electrified me." (NOTE: she also uses conditioner on her pubic hair. Yes, it was mentioned.)
jdscott50's review
3.0
"She should have died hereafter.
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
-Macbeth
This book reminds me of the trips I took with my father into Mexico. We would take a VW bus similar to the main character's Bitter Lemon and go to Baja California down to Cabo San Lucas and go scuba diving. It was a road trip with many stops as the van would often overheat. It felt like an adventure. However, some prefer an adventure with a darker tone.
This is a nice hippie/Mexico/noir story complete with fish out of water character hunting for his missing wife. It's a breezy story and a fantastic summer read. It's an uncomplicated travelogue of Flower Power Mexico with the dark edges from the 1960s beginning to show. Tod and Linda, a married couple looking for an adventure in Mexico find it. Tod's in it for more than he bargained for, but Linda is his Lady Macbeth without him even knowing it.
novelytic's review
1.0
I did like the cross section of English and Spanish. I am not familiar with the Spanish language, but I liked the intersection.