leasummer's review against another edition
3.0
This style of writing - no paragraphs and no dialogue - didn’t work for me. It was exhausting. There’s a lot of history of San Salvador and politics mixed in. The author no doubt wanted to protagonist to come across as batshit crazy and elitist and she did. I honestly don’t know if this was a cliff hanger or I just didn’t get it.
scottishben's review against another edition
3.0
Hard to properly review without spoiling it. I found the stream of consiousness/conversational monologue style of storytelling annoying but handled well and apt.
Lots of good bits here even if the "mystery" elements were pretty obvious.
Lots of good bits here even if the "mystery" elements were pretty obvious.
kellylynnthomas's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book really engrossing. It's written as if the main character is in constant conversation with you (she's kind of vapid and gossipy but she knows everyone else's dirt so you want to hear what she has to say). The chapters are long and there are no paragraph breaks, which might make it difficult for some people to get into, but makes it very easy to get lost in.
It's a great look into El Salvador and its political and societal unrest. If you're not too familiar with the country, I'd suggest reading Joan Didion's Salvador... a book I read years ago, but that really helped me understand this one better. Plus, Joan Didion is awesome.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Horacio (he lives in my neighborhood), and he's a really nice, down to earth guy who came to Pittsburgh to escape persecution in El Salvador through City of Asylum/Pittsburgh. So as an added bonus, by supporting Horacio you're supporting free speech (and great literature)!
It's a great look into El Salvador and its political and societal unrest. If you're not too familiar with the country, I'd suggest reading Joan Didion's Salvador... a book I read years ago, but that really helped me understand this one better. Plus, Joan Didion is awesome.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Horacio (he lives in my neighborhood), and he's a really nice, down to earth guy who came to Pittsburgh to escape persecution in El Salvador through City of Asylum/Pittsburgh. So as an added bonus, by supporting Horacio you're supporting free speech (and great literature)!
tommooney's review against another edition
3.0
THE SHE-DEVIL IN THE MIRROR by Horacio Castellanos Moya.
An interesting and highly inventive book from El Salvador's pre-eminent novelist. A sort of post-modern detective story, which takes the form of a frantic monologue delivered directly to the reader.
The voice is that of Laura Rivera, whose best friend has just been shot dead in her own living room, right in front of her two daughters. What unravels is a web of corruption, sex, violence and drugs, all played out in post-civil war San Salvador.
The distinctive style, the paranoia and the complex life of the victim make for a gripping plot, which is much lighter than its dense text initially suggests. I liked it, found it interesting, but didn't love it.
An interesting and highly inventive book from El Salvador's pre-eminent novelist. A sort of post-modern detective story, which takes the form of a frantic monologue delivered directly to the reader.
The voice is that of Laura Rivera, whose best friend has just been shot dead in her own living room, right in front of her two daughters. What unravels is a web of corruption, sex, violence and drugs, all played out in post-civil war San Salvador.
The distinctive style, the paranoia and the complex life of the victim make for a gripping plot, which is much lighter than its dense text initially suggests. I liked it, found it interesting, but didn't love it.
andrew61's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't decided yet whether I enjoyed this book or not. stylistically it was curious as it was the inner monologue of Laura Riviera as she conducts conversations with an unnamed third party (I suppose the clue is in the title) about her best friend Olga Maria who in the first chapter has been fatally shot by an unknown assassin.
In each chapter Laura conducts her monologue and a picture emerges of Olga's infidelities with various men against the background of a political scene in El Salvador which is increasingly unstable following civil war. I found the narrative structure at times frustrating, and at times entertaining, although ultimately the stream of consciousness inner monologue format is not one that sits comfortably with me. However it was well done as for example in one breath laura is discussing the TV soap opera before flitting to one of Olga's lovers political difficulties. Similarly in a very good scene in a restaurant the distractions of the various hunky waiters I thought was well done as it contrasts with more serious issues. At times however I struggled with the sexual contradictions, on the one hand the author subtly draws a picture of a bar owner who has been the victim of brutal sexual assaults by the police who arrest her whilst there is then an almost cartoon description of one of Laura's sexual escapades voyeuristic in its graphic nature .
Ultimately I enjoyed this as an interesting example of central American writing as I continue my around the wold literary tour and the description of a mind disintegrating was well done but I was glad to finish the read and put it aside. Having looked at reviews the author is lauded as a great of the region and I suspect that this is a book that tells more about the country than is absorbed on first read and I suspect that is why I've struggled to rate the book beyond 3 stars .
In each chapter Laura conducts her monologue and a picture emerges of Olga's infidelities with various men against the background of a political scene in El Salvador which is increasingly unstable following civil war. I found the narrative structure at times frustrating, and at times entertaining, although ultimately the stream of consciousness inner monologue format is not one that sits comfortably with me. However it was well done as for example in one breath laura is discussing the TV soap opera before flitting to one of Olga's lovers political difficulties. Similarly in a very good scene in a restaurant the distractions of the various hunky waiters I thought was well done as it contrasts with more serious issues. At times however I struggled with the sexual contradictions, on the one hand the author subtly draws a picture of a bar owner who has been the victim of brutal sexual assaults by the police who arrest her whilst there is then an almost cartoon description of one of Laura's sexual escapades voyeuristic in its graphic nature .
Ultimately I enjoyed this as an interesting example of central American writing as I continue my around the wold literary tour and the description of a mind disintegrating was well done but I was glad to finish the read and put it aside. Having looked at reviews the author is lauded as a great of the region and I suspect that this is a book that tells more about the country than is absorbed on first read and I suspect that is why I've struggled to rate the book beyond 3 stars .
barbarabarbara's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vesves's review against another edition
5.0
Castellanos Moya was a professor of mine while studying writing in college, and I regret that it took me a year after graduating to finally pick up this book. I had to get used to the style in the very beginning, though as soon as I did I blew right through it in a day. I was hesitant when I saw the writing format, the complete lack of paragraphs or indentation. Books written like this have always been the bane of my existence because I find them next to impossible to get through, and most of the time I can't see WHY the author chose to do it that way. But this was perfect. There are several chapters, so there are a few places to stop for a break, although I didn't really need one. The writing is really clever, and many times I had to laugh because the story was just so cleverly narrated. It's quite a rollercoaster of a story, and I highly recommend it to any fans of Latin American literature, or anyone looking for something different for their bookshelf.
evs_shelves's review
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rouge_red's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Written fully as a monologue, we experience one woman's descent into madness.