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toebean5's review against another edition
3.0
What a very unique book this was. I think that trying to explain it would be like trying to explain a collection of poems. The writing (and translating) was lovely and spare, and every page gave you room to give as much or little thought to it as you chose. I don't think it will work for my book group (a little too experimental in form), but for anyone looking for a short but meaningful book, this might be a good one.
kbrodine's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
aarongertler's review against another edition
3.0
I was hoping for a book that made a lot of fun literary allusions while playing funny meta-jokes on the premise of multiple-choice tests. I got... maybe 30% of what I wanted? The jokes were straightforward, without anything funny enough to evoke any kind of laugh, and often kind of cheesy:
a. cut
b. paste
c. cut
d. paste
e. undo
Ha.
Anyway, Zambra then does a section of stories split up by the multiple-choice options into chunks that you can read in a variety of orders. It's a nice idea, but not done especially well; the stories are mostly melancholy and low-stakes no matter which bits you choose (if this book were a film, it would be mumblecore).
The last section, with fake "reading comprehension" questions, is by far the best; I didn't care much about the questions, but the stories were good enough that I'd gladly read more of those by Zambra. He's at his best when he doesn't try to play around with form. That fact, plus a few split-up stories that actually contained a memorable passage or image, squeaked the book into three-star territory.
(Aside: The used edition I purchased included some penciled-in notes in the handwriting of a high-school student who seemed to have assumed they were actually picking up a book of multiple-choice tests. Notes included "pattern", "syllables", "not necessarily", and "why" [several times, no punctuation, on some of the weirder questions]. The marks smudge when rubbed, so not the author's doing -- if it was, it would be the funniest joke in the book by far.)
a. cut
b. paste
c. cut
d. paste
e. undo
Ha.
Anyway, Zambra then does a section of stories split up by the multiple-choice options into chunks that you can read in a variety of orders. It's a nice idea, but not done especially well; the stories are mostly melancholy and low-stakes no matter which bits you choose (if this book were a film, it would be mumblecore).
The last section, with fake "reading comprehension" questions, is by far the best; I didn't care much about the questions, but the stories were good enough that I'd gladly read more of those by Zambra. He's at his best when he doesn't try to play around with form. That fact, plus a few split-up stories that actually contained a memorable passage or image, squeaked the book into three-star territory.
(Aside: The used edition I purchased included some penciled-in notes in the handwriting of a high-school student who seemed to have assumed they were actually picking up a book of multiple-choice tests. Notes included "pattern", "syllables", "not necessarily", and "why" [several times, no punctuation, on some of the weirder questions]. The marks smudge when rubbed, so not the author's doing -- if it was, it would be the funniest joke in the book by far.)
jebba_debba_doo's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really cool concept for poetry/storytelling. Some of the questions were funny, others were thought provoking, and some melancholy.
blairmahoney's review against another edition
4.0
A nicely done slim volume that feels like a Oulipo exercise. It feels a bit superficial in the early parts but develops more heft with the later ones. I played around with the different options, but it felt a little like diminishing returns. Overall I liked it.
rmkg's review against another edition
Multiple Choice:
A) is a stone-cold stunner.
B) is playful, precise, and innovative with language.
C) made me curious about Chilean history.
D) made me feel things.
E) All of the above.
A) is a stone-cold stunner.
B) is playful, precise, and innovative with language.
C) made me curious about Chilean history.
D) made me feel things.
E) All of the above.
kayhem502's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up this book at the library thinking that it was super pretentious. After skimming it for about 30 seconds I knew I needed to check it out. I'm incredibly glad I did and gave this book a chance because I absolutely loved it! It is fantastic. The book is insightful beyond what I was expecting.
The format of the book is that of a Chilean aptitude test, similar to ones that are taken in schools. I'm not familiar at all with Chilean aptitude tests, but the layout was much the same as us Americans experience with our standardized testing in high school. However, this format allowed the author to ask the reader to interact with the text directly by putting his or her own interpretation to the stories and statements. Conversely, there are times when the questions are most definitely of the trick variety and the author asserts his own meaning to the reader. For some reason, this writing method seemed to spark a little extra thinking than your average book. I found myself answering a simple question quickly and then sitting there pondering why exactly I felt that answer was appropriate for the next 5 minutes. I don't know if this was the author's intention, but it really drew me into the stories, some of which were simple sentences, in a way that not much writing does.
This book seems like the equivalent of people watching where the observer could easily dismiss a rushing person as someone busy and in a hurry, but chooses to analyze how the person is dressed, where he or she could possibly be rushing to, why it's so important, etc. The book's format seems simple, but like the academics that the test structure draws from, you get out what you put in. This book is such an easy read you could probably blow through it in one or two sittings, but I recommend taking time to consider the questions and stories and really focusing on why you are answering the way you are. You might learn something about yourself!
The format of the book is that of a Chilean aptitude test, similar to ones that are taken in schools. I'm not familiar at all with Chilean aptitude tests, but the layout was much the same as us Americans experience with our standardized testing in high school. However, this format allowed the author to ask the reader to interact with the text directly by putting his or her own interpretation to the stories and statements. Conversely, there are times when the questions are most definitely of the trick variety and the author asserts his own meaning to the reader. For some reason, this writing method seemed to spark a little extra thinking than your average book. I found myself answering a simple question quickly and then sitting there pondering why exactly I felt that answer was appropriate for the next 5 minutes. I don't know if this was the author's intention, but it really drew me into the stories, some of which were simple sentences, in a way that not much writing does.
This book seems like the equivalent of people watching where the observer could easily dismiss a rushing person as someone busy and in a hurry, but chooses to analyze how the person is dressed, where he or she could possibly be rushing to, why it's so important, etc. The book's format seems simple, but like the academics that the test structure draws from, you get out what you put in. This book is such an easy read you could probably blow through it in one or two sittings, but I recommend taking time to consider the questions and stories and really focusing on why you are answering the way you are. You might learn something about yourself!
woodpusher's review against another edition
5.0
Un extraordinario experimento. Frustante e irritante al principio, inquietante y sorprendente al final.