Scan barcode
A review by michaelion
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
"In Caracas they are called toderos because they do a bit of everything (todo)." and "The technical ability of these people was of no interest to the colonial economy. They were treated as so many skilled workers." Two quotes from the book I found so moving I had to add them in my review.
Large sections of this book should be taught in schools. Not all of it though, some of it can be scrapped and the point will still be the same. The main thing that takes you out of the book is how much of it is really long examples.
Other than that, no notes. The book really touches on everything. Even though it was published 51 years ago, what's changed? Too much has stayed the same. Although, talking about the USSR as if it was still an ever-present thing threw me off my rocker a couple times.
If you're reading this review, by the way, please watch the film Sleep Dealer (dir. Alex Rivera, 2008). Thank you.
Large sections of this book should be taught in schools. Not all of it though, some of it can be scrapped and the point will still be the same. The main thing that takes you out of the book is how much of it is really long examples.
Other than that, no notes. The book really touches on everything. Even though it was published 51 years ago, what's changed? Too much has stayed the same. Although, talking about the USSR as if it was still an ever-present thing threw me off my rocker a couple times.
If you're reading this review, by the way, please watch the film Sleep Dealer (dir. Alex Rivera, 2008). Thank you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Torture, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Body horror, Homophobia, Blood, and Antisemitism
I tagged body horror for the title alone. It itself invokes the feeling of flesh being torn apart to get to the beating heart, under the skin, where the veins and life is. Which I'm sure was purely intentional.