A review by theaceofpages
The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this for a reading challenge and, while it did sound interesting, I ended up enjoying this more than I expected to. The tone of this book is very much ne of despair and things falling apart - very appropriate given its contents. It deals a lot with corruption and drug smuggling and grief. I haven't read the original, but the atmosphere is captured incredibly well in the English translation. I imagine it must be at least as good in the original.

The text is beautiful and easy to follow (even if the contents are challenging at times). I very much enjoyed most of it but pats gave me somewhat men writing women vibes (like a character being somewhat fixated on what her breasts look like - I have never met anyone who thinks this way). The characters are incredibly flawed and complex and I loved seeing how they change as the descent into chaos and despair progresses. 

Some notes on some of the spoiler warnings (each is individually spoilered)

Drug use/abuse:
Includes medicinal use of morphine, as well as the illegal use (and trafficking) of marihuana, as well as mentions of cocaine (use and manufacture)
 
Animal abuse: 
Wild animals being kept in horrible conditions as well as a specific incident which would have caused an animal a lot of fear and panic (at least it's a short scene but 
the animal dies
)
 
Animal death: 
As the blurb tells you, a hippo is shot at the start. There is also another big death later on.
 
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