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prosiaczekk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
kerlissss's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.0
dominika_zimny's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
tonyinco's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
davethescot's review
4.0
Vásquez deftly combines the personal with the political, the local with the global and the historical with the contemporary, a fascinating history of revolutionary politics across the last century. Highly recommend.
alittlebird's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I've read this through twice now, and I think my score settles somewhere in the 4.5+ range. It explores the life of (still living) Columbian filmmaker, Sergio Cabrera (as well as his father, mother and sister) and while categorized as a novel, the events that happen in this book are non-fiction and compiled by Vasquez from interviews, diaries, and other materials directly from the family. What a cinematic nigh unbelievable non-fiction this is, though.
Vasquez uses the death of Sergio's father, Fausto, as a framing device to create two timelines: a 'present' and the 'restrospective' to which our Sergio is looking back on. The retrospective unfolds the story of a family deeply entrenched in Cold War/Maoist ideologies spearheaded by Fausto. It traces their journey from the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War across Europe, then eventually to Columbia before spending abundant narrative time in China where the family quickly adopt perspectives akin to the devoted and compliant Chinese citizens under Mao's regime.
The narrative shifts here as Sergio and his sister, left behind as their parents return to Colombia to join the revolutionary movement, adapt to life. Despite governmental reluctance at foreign engagement within the system, they engage in laborious work in agriculture and a watch factory and even serve as red guards, acquiring skills in warfare, weaponry, and explosives, all before reaching adulthood. This occurs under the watchful approval of their parents, who are engaging in political subversions in Columbia. This is the part of the narrative where I question the inclusion of certain life "episodes", as some don't feel entirely purposeful and the narrative drags itself down. I felt this more deeply on a second read through, and it might be colored by also having recently read The Three Body Problem which is much tighter in making the necessary commentaries on its impacts.
Without spoiling anything, however, - what follows the siblings experience in China is a riveting depiction of the their foray into the Colombian guerrilla movement, their mother's role as a covert operative leveraging her bourgeois background, and their eventual collision with the harsh realities of armed conflict and indoctrination. Knowing what was going to happen did not make it easier to set the book down.
This novel largely benefits from it's tone, which is expositionally clear and does not descend into remorse, apology, or confessional. In striving for objectivity and respect for the unfolding events, the book eschews moral analysis or didacticism, focusing instead on a clear, straightforward narrative devoid of moral judgments, moving fluidly through time to weave its story. This allows it to remain grounded despite the profound impact of the wars, regimes, and armed conflicts underpinned by Cold War ideologies wrought on the world during that time.
At its core, this is a family saga interwoven with the broader tapestry of 20th Century humanity, shaped by the shattering of imagined utopias and their lingering aftermath, but it also wouldn't be wrong to call it a historical novel, memoir by proxy, or even an in-depth socio-political study.
Strong recommend.
Vasquez uses the death of Sergio's father, Fausto, as a framing device to create two timelines: a 'present' and the 'restrospective' to which our Sergio is looking back on. The retrospective unfolds the story of a family deeply entrenched in Cold War/Maoist ideologies spearheaded by Fausto. It traces their journey from the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War across Europe, then eventually to Columbia before spending abundant narrative time in China where the family quickly adopt perspectives akin to the devoted and compliant Chinese citizens under Mao's regime.
The narrative shifts here as Sergio and his sister, left behind as their parents return to Colombia to join the revolutionary movement, adapt to life. Despite governmental reluctance at foreign engagement within the system, they engage in laborious work in agriculture and a watch factory and even serve as red guards, acquiring skills in warfare, weaponry, and explosives, all before reaching adulthood. This occurs under the watchful approval of their parents, who are engaging in political subversions in Columbia. This is the part of the narrative where I question the inclusion of certain life "episodes", as some don't feel entirely purposeful and the narrative drags itself down. I felt this more deeply on a second read through, and it might be colored by also having recently read The Three Body Problem which is much tighter in making the necessary commentaries on its impacts.
Without spoiling anything, however, - what follows the siblings experience in China is a riveting depiction of the their foray into the Colombian guerrilla movement, their mother's role as a covert operative leveraging her bourgeois background, and their eventual collision with the harsh realities of armed conflict and indoctrination. Knowing what was going to happen did not make it easier to set the book down.
This novel largely benefits from it's tone, which is expositionally clear and does not descend into remorse, apology, or confessional. In striving for objectivity and respect for the unfolding events, the book eschews moral analysis or didacticism, focusing instead on a clear, straightforward narrative devoid of moral judgments, moving fluidly through time to weave its story. This allows it to remain grounded despite the profound impact of the wars, regimes, and armed conflicts underpinned by Cold War ideologies wrought on the world during that time.
At its core, this is a family saga interwoven with the broader tapestry of 20th Century humanity, shaped by the shattering of imagined utopias and their lingering aftermath, but it also wouldn't be wrong to call it a historical novel, memoir by proxy, or even an in-depth socio-political study.
Strong recommend.
kaves's review
adventurous
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
magsphil's review
4.0
This novel was more of a biographical account of Sergio Cabrera’s life, specifically his adolescence spent in Spain, China, and Colombia.
On a global scale, this book paints an interesting picture of cross-culture solidarity among the working class, but also the infighting among and between working class movements. On an individual scale, it reveals the inner conflicts of a boy who wants to be accepted into the different cultures he is surrounded by, while also figuring out his own dreams and how they fit in with his underlying ideology.
Overall a compelling book, very glad someone wrote Sergio’s story.
On a global scale, this book paints an interesting picture of cross-culture solidarity among the working class, but also the infighting among and between working class movements. On an individual scale, it reveals the inner conflicts of a boy who wants to be accepted into the different cultures he is surrounded by, while also figuring out his own dreams and how they fit in with his underlying ideology.
Overall a compelling book, very glad someone wrote Sergio’s story.
znvisser's review against another edition
historical retelling so far devoid of any emotion; perhaps it picks up later but not what I expected so moving on.
liliamanolova's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.75