Reviews

וראמו by ססר איירה

buta_comes_home's review against another edition

3.0

I started this book while waiting for a government-run vaccination and the very last line is my birthday (albeit the wrong year). Strangely enough this plays into the meta experience of the book. Varamo who is from Panama although ethnically from somewhere else is thrown off his normal routine by the injection of counterfeit money into his pay and the ensuing panic leads to so many digressions in the text and diversions for Varamo himself that feel Kafkaesque. It purports to be literary criticism and the narrative of how a great work of literature came to be written, it keeps its word and encompasses the moral and political situation of the day in under 100 pages. It’s impressive and giddy and requires concentration. Passages are brilliant, the whole occasional tedium interspersed with the ridiculous and reality. It won’t be for everyone this one.

nateisdreaming's review against another edition

5.0

wonderful wonderful wonderful.

i'm so in love with this writer right now ... my favorite of his so far has been episode in the life of a landscape painter; but this one comes as a close second ...

deaceituna's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

kobland's review against another edition

5.0

Very quick and enjoyable read, incredibly literary with the whole writing about writing aspect. The novel meanders a little bit near the center but finishes strongly.

hellbender's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book is short, but I had to read it slowly to absorb it all. There is a diatribe about narrative writing in the middle I had a hard time getting through, but the story on either side was fun, thoughtful and very enjoyable.

alexlanz's review against another edition

He writes "But there is an explanation for everything in the world," and in this one it's true!

drewsof's review against another edition

5.0

With each 'new' Aira I read, I find myself revising my understanding of the rest of his work - an excellent turn of events, to be sure. This may be the most accessible and modest of Aira's work, although it is still totally cuckoo-bananas in terms of the flight-forward innovation on display. But much of this book turns towards the concepts of writing, what it means to be a writer, how one derives inspiration, and even a mid-novel digression on how to tell a story. It's neat to see Aira talking about his craft in the midst of his craft, especially in a book that is (ostensibly) about a man who inexplicably wrote Central America's most famous poem one night, having never written a single word prior to that moment.

Anyway, I love César Aira and so too should you.

u9u's review against another edition

adventurous challenging lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

floreana's review against another edition

viste cuando lees algo y decís no estoy 100% seguro de haberlo entendido pero lo disfruté un montón? bueno así. me voy a quedar acá sentadita esperando a que los profesores me suban los textos de análisis y vea si entendí bien. ja. JA. pero la disfruté!!!!! me divertí un montón! solo había leído un cuento de aira en el que de vez en cuando me encuentro pensando (el del picasso) y me alegro mucho de haber podido adentrarme en el mundo de sus novelas. espero leer más pronto!