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rodrovich's review
3.0
This is a front-heavy collection of fictional stories inspired from the punk scene in South Texas. Front-heavy in the sense that I generally liked the stories on the first half and didn't end up caring as much for the rest of them - they were just okay.
The central themes revolve around the experience of being migrants to a new place, discovering ways of expression, and of course, the explosive and short-lived punk spirit that gets so vividly reincarnated through different people and described throughout each story. The realistic backdrop makes the stories read like alternative historical fiction.
My three favorite pieces were:
Pinbag - This story embodies the short-lived punk experience with character portraits that read like they took 20 pages to develop but Flores does it in a span of 8 pages - incredible.
Bread8 - It’s a compelling tale of the youthful tenacity of punks vs. the establishment politician, and the way it ended was powerful - I don’t want to spoil it but it moved me.
The Performances of Liliana Krauze - a tight, focused narrative following a woman who has trouble expressing art in her own way, and in another way, it’s a journey of self-realization and self-actualization. Her final performance at the bookstore was fulfilling, Flores’ description of ambient field recordings is compelling, to say the least.
7/10
The central themes revolve around the experience of being migrants to a new place, discovering ways of expression, and of course, the explosive and short-lived punk spirit that gets so vividly reincarnated through different people and described throughout each story. The realistic backdrop makes the stories read like alternative historical fiction.
My three favorite pieces were:
Pinbag - This story embodies the short-lived punk experience with character portraits that read like they took 20 pages to develop but Flores does it in a span of 8 pages - incredible.
Bread8 - It’s a compelling tale of the youthful tenacity of punks vs. the establishment politician, and the way it ended was powerful - I don’t want to spoil it but it moved me.
The Performances of Liliana Krauze - a tight, focused narrative following a woman who has trouble expressing art in her own way, and in another way, it’s a journey of self-realization and self-actualization. Her final performance at the bookstore was fulfilling, Flores’ description of ambient field recordings is compelling, to say the least.
7/10
rocketiza's review
4.0
Some of the stories tended to get a bit esoteric, but for the most part felt like reading some of the great latin/south american masters without the bull shit of magical realism.
stacyr's review
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
marimarifer's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hsienhsien27's review against another edition
3.0
Here is another CCLap book, a story collection that will be added to the family of the CCLap books. Lately, either I'm reading too much or I'm reading too many books that fall into the same genre. I feel like everything is kind of stale. I enjoyed this book but not as much as I would.
What I do like about the book is the subject matter. It's about rock music, and I usually love that type of stuff. I never really read too many books where rock bands are constantly referenced along with concerts and the passion of music. The only books I've read that contain the rock or metal music love are Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, the main character is a former rock musician and a YA novel called Beautiful City of the Dead by Leander Watts. I loved both of those books.
Most of the stories contain the typical rock star image, the booze, drugs, sex, the loud music, the rebellious attitude. To the point where I wondered if Flores was trying to make fun of the lifestyle or he was trying to send a message and say "Hey, this stuff can do bad things." Sometimes the punk rock attitude was portrayed in such a way that it was almost a parody. The rock star life tends to be too romanticized while Flores seems to make it as gritty, sweaty, dirty, and dark as possible. The rock star life is portrayed as a bumpy, troubled road, most of the time everything successful falls apart. The lifestyle tends to bring down the art of composing music. Too much drugs and booze kills people and sometimes even music. So I do like Flores' portrayal, it's not cookies and milk, it's chainsaws and nails.... By the way, Lots of musicians and artists are referenced in this book. You either know them or don't, unless some of them are made up but I doubt it. I also believe there is a small dash of magical realism?
Art is a journey, that's what I feel like this book is about, art can change your life forever. It can heal you or break you, depending how you handle it. I liked the theme, the idea, it was touching and thought provoking. The passion of music, speaking out against corrupt and unjust politicians, isolation, being misunderstood, life sucks and then you die. That's really a song, the guy screams "Life sucks and then you die," it's a song by one of those crazy death metal bands called Skinless. My brother used to like that band. Seriously though, it's true. Death isn't the main thing though, but the short story "The Swear Junction", is about a rock musician's experience with dying. I think that one is my favorite because it was so surreal it was nicely written.
The writing style is very simple and straight to the point, yet detailed, but not overwhelming. However, something is missing, I don't know what it is. The pacing and everything is good, like a movie, but sometimes I wasn't in love with the story. However, I had just finished reading a short story collection, Last Evenings on Earth by Roberto Bolaño, this story cycle reminded me of that story collection.The obsession with art (music, literature, etc,) the unpredictable obstacles of life and fate. Life is unforgivable and sometimes cruel.
What I do like about the book is the subject matter. It's about rock music, and I usually love that type of stuff. I never really read too many books where rock bands are constantly referenced along with concerts and the passion of music. The only books I've read that contain the rock or metal music love are Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, the main character is a former rock musician and a YA novel called Beautiful City of the Dead by Leander Watts. I loved both of those books.
Most of the stories contain the typical rock star image, the booze, drugs, sex, the loud music, the rebellious attitude. To the point where I wondered if Flores was trying to make fun of the lifestyle or he was trying to send a message and say "Hey, this stuff can do bad things." Sometimes the punk rock attitude was portrayed in such a way that it was almost a parody. The rock star life tends to be too romanticized while Flores seems to make it as gritty, sweaty, dirty, and dark as possible. The rock star life is portrayed as a bumpy, troubled road, most of the time everything successful falls apart. The lifestyle tends to bring down the art of composing music. Too much drugs and booze kills people and sometimes even music. So I do like Flores' portrayal, it's not cookies and milk, it's chainsaws and nails.... By the way, Lots of musicians and artists are referenced in this book. You either know them or don't, unless some of them are made up but I doubt it. I also believe there is a small dash of magical realism?
Art is a journey, that's what I feel like this book is about, art can change your life forever. It can heal you or break you, depending how you handle it. I liked the theme, the idea, it was touching and thought provoking. The passion of music, speaking out against corrupt and unjust politicians, isolation, being misunderstood, life sucks and then you die. That's really a song, the guy screams "Life sucks and then you die," it's a song by one of those crazy death metal bands called Skinless. My brother used to like that band. Seriously though, it's true. Death isn't the main thing though, but the short story "The Swear Junction", is about a rock musician's experience with dying. I think that one is my favorite because it was so surreal it was nicely written.
The writing style is very simple and straight to the point, yet detailed, but not overwhelming. However, something is missing, I don't know what it is. The pacing and everything is good, like a movie, but sometimes I wasn't in love with the story. However, I had just finished reading a short story collection, Last Evenings on Earth by Roberto Bolaño, this story cycle reminded me of that story collection.The obsession with art (music, literature, etc,) the unpredictable obstacles of life and fate. Life is unforgivable and sometimes cruel.
tommysyk's review
4.0
When I was in a band, my local punk and metal underground scene had long waned out. Shows were scarce, and whenever we got the chance to play one, more often than not it'd only be our friends and about a dozen other people in the audience. Still, that shared energy that erupted once the first chords were struck is unparalleled. It's always been, for me, both as concertgoer and as performer. We were fortunate enough to play a few shows for about two hundred people while opening for more established bands, and for me it was heaven. Whether we played well or badly, it didn't matter. It was commitment. When you get up on that stage, that feeling of brotherhood is a deep, piercing feeling.
It was a fleeting experience. Most local bands stay local bands and that's just the way it goes - strangely enough, I wouldn't have it any other way. Reading these short stories reminded me a lot of those times, the band practices spent talking shit about whatever subject came on, the mischief that ensued when we decided to play football indoors in neat and tidy backstage rooms, the cringey jokes spout at the microphone in between songs at live shows.
It doesn't matter if people remember it or not, as long as I do, much like the artists depicted in 'Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas'. To read these short stories was to swim in a pool of nostalgia, where the water's temperature is comfortable enough to linger still, almost aimlessly, just floating.
That being said, I'll always curse myself for not being born earlier. To grow up in that underground scene must've been something.
It was a fleeting experience. Most local bands stay local bands and that's just the way it goes - strangely enough, I wouldn't have it any other way. Reading these short stories reminded me a lot of those times, the band practices spent talking shit about whatever subject came on, the mischief that ensued when we decided to play football indoors in neat and tidy backstage rooms, the cringey jokes spout at the microphone in between songs at live shows.
It doesn't matter if people remember it or not, as long as I do, much like the artists depicted in 'Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas'. To read these short stories was to swim in a pool of nostalgia, where the water's temperature is comfortable enough to linger still, almost aimlessly, just floating.
That being said, I'll always curse myself for not being born earlier. To grow up in that underground scene must've been something.
carrieish's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
duartecompanhia_'s review
5.0
In ten incredible short-stories, Flores relays the best lyrical embodiment of music I've seen on a written page. Plug in your headphones and drown in its purple ether.
extragravy's review
4.0
Loved this collection of stories way more than I expected. Will be buying additional copies for friends.