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saklarich's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Written in three acts, as if a play. It’s a lot different than I was anticipating for so long, a book about a Colombian political cartoonist. It wasn’t not about his career, but really a commentary on memories and perceptions vs. reality, and the potential one has on impacting others with very little thought or effort given. It took place over the course of just a few days, with plenty of flashbacks. Just alright for me.
bridgebrad13's review against another edition
4.0
Evocative, interesting, beautifully written, especially for a translation.
apanneton's review against another edition
Roman court & élégant sur la mémoire, l'opinion publique & (comme son titre l'indique) la réputation. Javier Mallarino, caricaturiste colombien au sommet de son art & de sa carrière, revient malgré lui sur une décision prise à la va-vite, une vingtaine d'années auparavant, & en mesure a posteriori les conséquences. Si j'ai trouvé la coïncidence qui porte l'intrigue un peu forte, & si je ne suis pas certaine que la fin soit complètement satisfaisante, j'aime toujours autant la plume de Vásquez : coulante, érudite & un peu facétieuse, confiante mais nuancée.
lancemanion's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
2.5
I wanted to like this work. Almost too much, maybe. But it’s obvious story was written with intrigue and mystery that perhaps only the author didn’t see coming. The story plods along, with a storyline of an ex-wife that ultimately goes nowhere and holds little meaning to the overall story. The author loves these characters, which is apparent. But more than the readers do. The main character is a vile old man, whom we should empathize with for his aging regressions and pondering of his place in the world. All to be couched in a child sexual assault story that at its end is maybe too apparent that the revelations are written by a man and of a man’s perspective. Which is the furthest from a compliment I can write. Reading this almost makes me wonder if I was completely wrong to think ‘The Sound of Things Falling’ was a great novel.
nadia_roco's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
it was interesting but i really wasn’t a fan of the prose. lots of rambling i found myself zoning out for. the plot was okay but it wasn’t the main focus. i didn’t like some aspects like making a girls assault about a man. i liked some of his takes on deeper parts of life and was interested about his career. i guess from reading the description i just expected something different. a good book, just not my style.
it was interesting but i really wasn’t a fan of the prose. lots of rambling i found myself zoning out for. the plot was okay but it wasn’t the main focus. i didn’t like some aspects like making a girls assault about a man. i liked some of his takes on deeper parts of life and was interested about his career. i guess from reading the description i just expected something different. a good book, just not my style.
leslie115's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise, fluid language, but the characterization is not deep enough to affect me.
cariashley's review against another edition
4.0
Great first read of 2017 about a political cartoonist in Colombia. This is a beautiful translation with the atmosphere and weighted artistry of a darker Almodóvar film. Meditative and thought-provoking.
mixedmetaphors's review against another edition
4.0
Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vásquez is a seashell of a novel: a small, tide-polished discovery, perfectly and fully formed, with whirling details that reveal more and more beauty the closer you look.
The novel takes place over a several day period (plus flashbacks), during which a lauded political cartoonist reckons with his lifetime as Colombia's caricature-wielding moral conscience. It is both the high-point and--in some ways--the low-point of his career; a prestigious award and a visitor from his past force him to grapple with the role he has played in chipping away at the reputations of so many prominent figures, as well as reflect on how that antagonistic position has intertwined with his standing in society and with his personal relationships.
There's not a lot of action over the course of the book, it mostly follows conversations between characters or sits inside the protagonist's head. Like a Philip Roth book, it doesn't shy away from putting speeches onto the page, allowing us to sink fully into the events rather than just skimming the surface. The depth of detail and rumination never seemed ponderous, and I felt pulled along until the end. This is novel seeped in the contradictions of a complex, imperfect, but honorable man.
A final note: One thing I enjoyed was existing in a world where I could pretend a single political cartoonist could matter so much. I don't know if it's a Colombia-vs-USA or a past-vs-present issue, but it's almost laughable to imagine such a person having significant national impact today in the midst of the decline of newspapers. But we all exist within our own circles, and in those circles the priorities and drivers probably make no sense to outsiders. Even if political cartoonists no longer have widespread notoriety, I can imagine entering the circle of newspapers and politicians where the knife's edge of reputation is a minute-by-minute bargain.
The novel takes place over a several day period (plus flashbacks), during which a lauded political cartoonist reckons with his lifetime as Colombia's caricature-wielding moral conscience. It is both the high-point and--in some ways--the low-point of his career; a prestigious award and a visitor from his past force him to grapple with the role he has played in chipping away at the reputations of so many prominent figures, as well as reflect on how that antagonistic position has intertwined with his standing in society and with his personal relationships.
There's not a lot of action over the course of the book, it mostly follows conversations between characters or sits inside the protagonist's head. Like a Philip Roth book, it doesn't shy away from putting speeches onto the page, allowing us to sink fully into the events rather than just skimming the surface. The depth of detail and rumination never seemed ponderous, and I felt pulled along until the end. This is novel seeped in the contradictions of a complex, imperfect, but honorable man.
A final note: One thing I enjoyed was existing in a world where I could pretend a single political cartoonist could matter so much. I don't know if it's a Colombia-vs-USA or a past-vs-present issue, but it's almost laughable to imagine such a person having significant national impact today in the midst of the decline of newspapers. But we all exist within our own circles, and in those circles the priorities and drivers probably make no sense to outsiders. Even if political cartoonists no longer have widespread notoriety, I can imagine entering the circle of newspapers and politicians where the knife's edge of reputation is a minute-by-minute bargain.
knac's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kikikt's review against another edition
3.0
3.7. Byla pro mě radost číst Vasquezovu krásnou, přesnou prózu. Ohromila mě řada jeho vypointovaných popisů detailů i jeho schopnost plynule přecházet do větších měřítek a zase zpátky. Práce politického karikaturisty je podle mého samo o sobě zajímavé téma, myslím, že ho Vasquez dobře uchopil, a nahlédnout do světa, kde má taková postava určující vliv na politiku své země, pro mě bylo fascinující bez ohledu na realističnost. Na druhou stranu, postava Samanty Lealové, která karikaturistovi Mallarinovi vstupuje po letech do života, je papírová a v knize jako by pro ni nebylo dost místa. Možná i proto nepůsobí změny, které v Mallarinově životě způsobí, jako skutečně motivované. Podobně na mě nedělá velký dojem většina Vasquezových úvah o povaze paměti, které tvoří podstatnou část textu.
(četla jsem anglicky)
(četla jsem anglicky)