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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The writing was nice and a few of the stories were really good but most of them left me wondering why bother. Nothing happened, no one changed or grew, there was no start or end
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
A fine collection of stories about war, but none of them blew me away. Good writing. Nothing outstanding.
I loved these collections of short stories, even though most of them are set in Peru it still reminded me of Santa Barbara Chih.MX. The reference to the 1973 murder of students in Chile floored me.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
I was running down my to-read list in the library yesterday and found this book, read that the author was Peruvian, and immediately hunted it down in the fiction aisle, seeing as I'm leaving for Peru the day after tomorrow. I'm glad I did -- Alarcón really gives you a feeling for the varied experiences of Peruvians and Pervuian-Americans and their complicated history as a people, as well as for the country's manifold physical settings, and the stories here do seem to establish a human context for the place and the culture.
Thematically, the stories touch on divergent plots and themes -- many of them deal with the terrorist/fighting that took place in Peru in the 1980s from a very close, gritty level; some stories treat unrequited love, or unfaithful love; almost all stories discuss poverty. However, despite the diverse themes and plotlines and characters, the writing style throughout is restrained, realistic fact, which occasionally expands into a more contemplative, streaming form.
The style bothered me. Sometimes Alarcón would write about an action that a character took and it'd feel so logical, almost predictable, that I lost my ability to empathize with the characters. The title story was like that, as was the last story -- the writing was, essentially, sterile.
At other times, when Alarcón lets his characters' thoughts trickle in, when he holds their thoughts and actions more urgently closer to the reader, then he succeeds, and his writing blooms. The juxtaposition of the restrained writing with the emotional vibrancy of the characters at those moments is then especially sharp and poetic. (I especially felt it in the first story, Flood, in Third Avenue Suicide, in the story about the dogs, and in A Science of Being Alone.)
But a lot of the time, it doesn't work. And even when it works, it's obscured by the times it doesn't work. So that even if most of this book was good -- and it was, really truly this book was mostly good -- it was also forgettable.
Thematically, the stories touch on divergent plots and themes -- many of them deal with the terrorist/fighting that took place in Peru in the 1980s from a very close, gritty level; some stories treat unrequited love, or unfaithful love; almost all stories discuss poverty. However, despite the diverse themes and plotlines and characters, the writing style throughout is restrained, realistic fact, which occasionally expands into a more contemplative, streaming form.
The style bothered me. Sometimes Alarcón would write about an action that a character took and it'd feel so logical, almost predictable, that I lost my ability to empathize with the characters. The title story was like that, as was the last story -- the writing was, essentially, sterile.
At other times, when Alarcón lets his characters' thoughts trickle in, when he holds their thoughts and actions more urgently closer to the reader, then he succeeds, and his writing blooms. The juxtaposition of the restrained writing with the emotional vibrancy of the characters at those moments is then especially sharp and poetic. (I especially felt it in the first story, Flood, in Third Avenue Suicide, in the story about the dogs, and in A Science of Being Alone.)
But a lot of the time, it doesn't work. And even when it works, it's obscured by the times it doesn't work. So that even if most of this book was good -- and it was, really truly this book was mostly good -- it was also forgettable.
A remarkable collection of stories about Peru, and Peruvians living in New York. Everyday people living through war, poverty, hopelessness, and geological disasters, and finding a way through the day. Poetically observant and socially aware, Alarcon's writing sings with beauty and savagery, rich with humanity.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The stories, because they were so short, kept me very engaged and interested in the book. Furthermore, each story was like a puzzle to me, so I enjoyed trying to solve it and piece everything together. Aside from that, the deep, current issues the book touches on intrigued me, especially because many of them were based in Lima, Peru, and since I don't know too much about South America, it was nice to see a new perspective, hear new opinions, and just generally learn a bit more about the area. I recommend this book to anyone that likes to read (obviously) and wants a quick, engaging read that will make them more aware of issues and ways of life in other countries.
Daniel Alarcon's a rising voice in new fiction. He wrote this before Lost City Radio, and the stories show both his promise and how much he's grown as a writer since he wrote them. They are fascinating, beautifully descriptive, and occasionally a teeny bit sentimental or teetering right on the verge of cliche. A fantastic read while traveling in the Andes... keep your eye on this guy.
http://www.literaryfeline.com/2010/03/from-archives-mini-reviews-from-2005.html