Dark art. Dark humor. While wholly original, it reminds me of the nonchalance of Deadpool's comedic delivery and the zeal of Kick Ass's violence.Dark art. Dark humor. While wholly original, it reminds me of the nonchalance of Deadpool's comedic delivery and the zeal of Kick Ass's violence....more
**spoiler alert** This is a clever debut novel & a good one at that.
The Sky Over Lima is a unique historical fiction & metafiction mash-up. It's based**spoiler alert** This is a clever debut novel & a good one at that.
The Sky Over Lima is a unique historical fiction & metafiction mash-up. It's based on real life events surrounding Juan Ramón Jiménez (a Nobel Prize winning Spanish poet, 1881 to 1958) much earlier in his career. Around 1905, two (male) fans of his in Peru decide to write to Juan Ramón to ask for a copy of his most recent book since it's not available anywhere in Lima. But, they figure he won't answer them -- they're just louche college guys from wealthy families. They jokingly say that Juan Ramón would answer & send the book if a lovely young lady from Lima wrote him. And, thus, a correspondence is born, featuring "Georgina Hübner" of Lima writing to the esteemed poet in Spain.
That's the true part, I looked awhile online to verify &, indeed, these long-distance catfishing events happened. The online Cervantes Library has a couple of photos of a postcard that "Georgina" sent to Juan Ramón in 1904. Their correspondence lasted almost 2 years with Juan Ramón becoming ever more besotted with his Lima friend, even suggesting that he planned to travel to Peru to meet her. (Which obviously creates a conundrum since Georgina isn't real.)
The book itself fictionalizes the lives & motives of the two creators of Georgina -- José Gálvez and Carlos Rodríguez. (Here is the wikipedia page about José Gálvez Barrenechea irl & also a pdf that examines the historical events.) It's more than just the story of the correspondence, though. It really delves into writing, composition, structure, the arcs of writing literature as the months progress with the book sections being: A Comedy, A Love Story, & A Tragedy (which, of course, mirror the course of events both irl & in this particular novel). The book enters meta territory as it breaks both the third wall & the fourth wall, as well as including an unusual character (a rat in the cargo hold of the ship that carries the letters back & forth). It's both humorous & bittersweet.
I also had fun looking on Google maps for various places mentioned in Lima. I've never visited Lima irl or virtually so it was fun to "walk" the streets that are mentioned.
(Side note: Since it's set in 1905 in Lima, you can probably guess that women as characters don't fare so well, generally being presented as saints or whores, even though the fictional Georgina is also a central character; there's also incessant mocking of Carlos for his more feminine ways.)
Overall, though, I think it's a cool metafictional historical novel. (And now I'm contemplating reading some of Juan Ramón's poetry.)
**spoiler alert** W.T.F. was that? Apparently this was written about 30 years ago &, wow, times have changed. What a completely offensive "reveal". Pr**spoiler alert** W.T.F. was that? Apparently this was written about 30 years ago &, wow, times have changed. What a completely offensive "reveal". Pretending to be disabled for what reason? Insurance money is mentioned but that doesn't seem to be the protagonist's motivation. Whatever his motivation, it remained unclear to me. What a loathsome character, all throughout really. Horrible to people in his life, self-centered to the point that when in his 50s, he thinks it will be ____ (fun? interesting? a joke? ???) to convincingly pretend to be paraplegic for the remainder of his life. Whatever the point of this book is was beyond me. Gross all the way around. Disliked it, then hated it. Avoid this one for sure. Run away....more
Hmm. This collection of writing is not so much weird as unusual & feels almost like an anti-story or something told by what is not said. Or perhaps itHmm. This collection of writing is not so much weird as unusual & feels almost like an anti-story or something told by what is not said. Or perhaps it is really highlighting what is said by the white space/margins.
The best explanation I can think of is if you are familiar with logic puzzles: some statements give positive info (Jim is the oldest sibling) while others give negative info (the person who likes broccoli did not go to the farmer's market) or info by omission. It's like the short stories or chapters in this book are written like the negative clues in a logic puzzle. So you're not told about anything but the lack of it also tells you something.
I do wonder if Wolf's life "behind the wall" (he moved out of East Germany into West Germany when he was age 31) contributes to his method of saying things without saying them.
The longer "story" at the end did seem more like an actual story with some actual events.
I appreciated it as an interesting writing/thought exercise more than I loved or enjoyed it.
I'm hooked enough that I need to seek out the next books in this series.I'm hooked enough that I need to seek out the next books in this series....more
A searing, scathing stream-of-consciousness look at wealth & class in Brazil. Though it had much less direct violence, it gave me vibes of the nihilisA searing, scathing stream-of-consciousness look at wealth & class in Brazil. Though it had much less direct violence, it gave me vibes of the nihilism of Scarface & Fight Club but updated for the millennial/Gen Z generations.
Astra magazine has the first chapter online for you to read; although it looks like the online version is translated from the Portuguese by Zoë Perry while the book is translated by Daniel Hahn. https://astra-mag.com/articles/role-p...
It's an interesting "first contact" book. I really enjoyed the analysis of humans & how they react & adapt in the face of events & aftereffects that pIt's an interesting "first contact" book. I really enjoyed the analysis of humans & how they react & adapt in the face of events & aftereffects that probably weren't previously imagined. I found it very satisfying as a book. ...more
If you can get through the weirdness of the first story in here, the others don't seem quite as insane. Might need trigger warnings for some, but I foIf you can get through the weirdness of the first story in here, the others don't seem quite as insane. Might need trigger warnings for some, but I found it entertaining enough. Enjoyed the artwork too. Would read more in the series....more
**spoiler alert** This is a Yoshimoto book from 1988 but was only translated into English in 2023. It deals in a relatively nice way with childhood tr**spoiler alert** This is a Yoshimoto book from 1988 but was only translated into English in 2023. It deals in a relatively nice way with childhood trauma (that seems a strange thing to say), blocking memories, & ESP-like premonitions. (Premonitions or repressed memories?) For the "heavy" topics it seems to address, it's fairly mellow, even upbeat in some places, while remaining kind of low-key overall. Much more observational than action-packed. But, I can tell it's a book from 1988. There are some relationship dynamics that veer into icky territory & definitely don't feel great in 2024.
Total spoilers below if you want to assess the childhood trauma &/or relationships prior to reading: The childhood trauma is a young child living through a car crash that kills her parents. She has apparently blocked memories of that & it's not until she's a teen that she realizes she is living within an adoptive family. The icky relationships include a female schoolteacher who is dating a male teen student & aborts his baby, as well as the main character starting to fall in love with her brother (from her adoptive family) -- & he with her -- once she realizes that she's adopted (so they are not blood related). ...more
**spoiler alert** Honestly, I don't really know what to think. This book is long enough & with so many narrators that you could deconstruct it a long **spoiler alert** Honestly, I don't really know what to think. This book is long enough & with so many narrators that you could deconstruct it a long time. It's about everything & also about nothing. A book where you can debate about the meaning of life or art or death or madness or youth or danger or aging or exiles or revolution or what lies below....
Book 2, Chapter 23 has each narrator's interlude close with a variation on the same sentence:
Everything that begins as comedy ends as tragedy. Everything that begins as comedy ends as tragicomedy. Everything that begins as comedy ends as comedy. Everything that begins as comedy ends as a cryptographic exercise. Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a horror movie. What begins as a comedy ends as a triumphal march, wouldn’t you say? Everything that begins as a comedy inevitably ends as a mystery. Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a dirge in the void. Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a comic monologue, but we aren’t laughing anymore.
Any one of those sentences could ultimately be the key, the real meat of the book. Or not. Perhaps they are a general outline of the structure of the book. Or not. They do feel like important sentences that are scratching at the soul of this book. You could read to the end of the book, shut it, then say any one of those sentences & it would be true of the book as a whole.
Which makes it pretty masterful, while also maintaining a mystique of something just out of reach & still slightly baffling.
An aside: Twice I tried to read the book & pretty much gave up very shortly after starting because I was turned off by the teen boy horniness of it. The misogyny. And then I decided to plow through anyway. I needed to see for myself why so many love & revere this book. Why it is a cult classic or perhaps just a classic. A reflection of Latin American writing as well as an inspiration for it. And I do see, I think so anyway. I see why people love it. I see why people hate it. I see why people reread it. I see why people abandon it before finishing. Any of those responses feel appropriate. Just like those quotes from the book, each person will have their own way of viewing the book &, to a certain extent, I think it may determine your like or dislike of it, your appreciation for or dismissal of it.
That's a really tall order for a book to pull off. All in all, Bolaño did pull it off & pulled it off it very, very well.
"For a while, Criticism travels side by side with the Work, then Criticism vanishes and it's the Readers who keep pace. The journey may be long or short. Then the Readers die one by one and the Work continues on alone, although a new Criticism and new Readers gradually fall into step with it along its path. Then Criticism dies again and the Readers die again and the Work passes over a trail of bones on its journey toward solitude. To come near the work, to sail in her wake, is a sign of certain death, but new Criticism and new Readers approach her tirelessly and relentlessly and are devoured by time and speed. Finally the Work journeys irremediably alone in the Great Vastness. And one day the Work dies, as all things must die and come to an end: the Sun and the Earth and the Solar System and the Galaxy and the farthest reaches of man's memory. Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a tragedy." ...more
Sometimes darkly funny, sometimes gory, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes mind-bending. A pretty cool & somewhat unique book that doesn't fit into a neaSometimes darkly funny, sometimes gory, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes mind-bending. A pretty cool & somewhat unique book that doesn't fit into a neat & tidy box.
An odd little tale that is both disorienting yet slightly pleasing with an undercurrent of mundane, understated horror. I'm still pondering it & am noAn odd little tale that is both disorienting yet slightly pleasing with an undercurrent of mundane, understated horror. I'm still pondering it & am not entirely sure what to make of it. Karen's review seems spot on to how I felt too. ...more
A senseless & brutal murder is explored before/during/after & the various factors that were or may have been involved. I read the book quickly but felA senseless & brutal murder is explored before/during/after & the various factors that were or may have been involved. I read the book quickly but felt it would have been stronger had it been shortened a bit. It has been compared to In Cold Blood but I feel like the writing was too choppy by comparison. Still, it factored in news coverage & social media in the telling, making it reflective of our world.
Ruben's review states, "One minor point of criticism is that I would have liked more assessment of the role of drugs, alcohol and sleep deprivation as contributing to the crime." & I agree.
My heart breaks for Luca Varani, his family, & his friends. And for the others affected by this horrible murder.
"Crimes of this type, in which the accomplices hadn't known each other for long, almost all followed the same outline. Not three, not five, not eight. Two was the recurring number. A dominator and a dominated. A manipulated and a manipulator, even if the roles were often interchangeable. It was a matter of individuals who, on their own, were unlikely to have committed the crime for which they ended up in jail almost without realizing it. We weren't dealing with serial killers. In theory, they were normal people."
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