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savaging's review
5.0
The first three sentences of this book are as follows: "She was made after the time of ribs and mud. By papal decree there were to be no more people born of the ground or from the marrow of bones. All would be created from the propulsions and mounts performed underneath bedsheets -- rare exception granted for immaculate conceptions."
And the rest of the book is just as delightful. I fell in love. If you're allergic to gimmicks and plot devices you might not like it -- or you might, like me, think Plascencia writes so well he can gimmick all day and you'll hardly notice.
(Note: his grief over being left by a lover turns misogynistic in Chapter 12. I forgive page 134 because all the other pages are full of extraordinary female characters. You might feel differently if you're sensitive to the c-word.)
And the rest of the book is just as delightful. I fell in love. If you're allergic to gimmicks and plot devices you might not like it -- or you might, like me, think Plascencia writes so well he can gimmick all day and you'll hardly notice.
(Note: his grief over being left by a lover turns misogynistic in Chapter 12. I forgive page 134 because all the other pages are full of extraordinary female characters. You might feel differently if you're sensitive to the c-word.)
jess_mango's review
4.0
"The People of Paper" is a really unique read that was right up my alley. One of the blurbs on the back of the book described it as remniscent of Calvino and Marquez, two of my favorite authors... and I have to agree that the writing style did remind me of theirs.
This novel was well on its way to earning a 5 star rating but I didn't find the last 1/4 of the book to be as strong as the first 3/4.
This novel was well on its way to earning a 5 star rating but I didn't find the last 1/4 of the book to be as strong as the first 3/4.
orb12um's review
5.0
Criticims of this book often are that the novel is too high on substance rather than content. Frankly, I find this a rather redundant viewpoint.
Plascencia's style allows the substance of the novel to be explored in an unconventional and different way. The baby Nostradamus for instance being blacked out instead of saying 'he didn't speak' allows the reader to infer their own image of the text.
I recognise to some aspect the self-fulfilling nature of placing himself as the main character but the evolution of the novel and exploring the relationship between not only characters and the page but the novelist, their real life and the page is a dynamic often left unexplored.
I found this novels characters separate and endearing, leaving one desiring to know what happens to every single one of them. The confusion that exists is designed to challenge us and challenge the way we interpret novels.
A thoroughly enjoying and different read.
Plascencia's style allows the substance of the novel to be explored in an unconventional and different way. The baby Nostradamus for instance being blacked out instead of saying 'he didn't speak' allows the reader to infer their own image of the text.
I recognise to some aspect the self-fulfilling nature of placing himself as the main character but the evolution of the novel and exploring the relationship between not only characters and the page but the novelist, their real life and the page is a dynamic often left unexplored.
I found this novels characters separate and endearing, leaving one desiring to know what happens to every single one of them. The confusion that exists is designed to challenge us and challenge the way we interpret novels.
A thoroughly enjoying and different read.
angewilliamson's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
molishka's review against another edition
4.0
There were some things that I really didn't like about this book, but in the end, those things were not bothersome enough to damage my overall impression. I loved the way it read, there were absolutely beautiful gems, and as a person who thinks a lot about being a writer maybe one day, I was particularly moved by the role of Saturn.
megalithic28's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
emmeline790's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
booksaremyfavorite's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book but i had a hard time getting into the story, which is difficult to follow. There's a lot of things happening. Couldn't finish it.
denaveth's review
5.0
I read this book for a college course in experimental literature, and I completely fell in love with it. Sal (the author) came to our class and spoke to us about it, which was awesome, especially since he's so unaffected and it seems like his writing is really authentic and comes straight from the heart. He artfully combines magic realism and metanarrative, though in the end, it's truly a love story. People of Paper is just delightfully different, sweet, tragic, and thought-provoking.