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vaporization's review against another edition
3.0
I need to know why the translator chose to write "tho" instead of "though"
matthewchoi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
Quick read that packs a punch. This book can almost be read as a craft book, which is a testament to Herrera’s grace and raucous writing, in addition to Lisa Dillman’s wonderful translation.
victoriathuyvi's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the writing style, but I didn't understand anything at all...This merits a reread.
richardwells's review against another edition
4.0
A slim (100 pgs) volume from Yuri Herrera. A fable out of narco-land. From the rundown cantinas, to the palace of the the boss, here known as The King. A song writer finds his calling as a corridista writing the praises of the King. He is Lobo, a.k.a. The Artist, and it's as an artist he pierces the veils that first entrance, then threaten. With a literal "new pair of glasses," the Artist sees through the tawdry glamour of the Kingdom, and begins to discover the path to truth.
Told in gritty prose, with Herrera's great feel for character, and locale. A quick read, and worth the hour of so it takes.
Told in gritty prose, with Herrera's great feel for character, and locale. A quick read, and worth the hour of so it takes.
jamesdanielhorn's review against another edition
4.0
Kingdom Cons is an excellent little first novella and is so promising right from the outset. The prose here is extremely well balanced and the pace moves right along. The idea of re-casting the cartel in a feudal theme is really well executed, and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately the book suffers as many novellas do, of not feeling fully developed, or possibly over-edited. For me it was the characters, including the protagonist Lobo, which I felt could have been fleshed out just a bit more to make this really great. Otherwise this is a formidable start to the Three Novels collection, and I look forward to reading the rest.
chiyeungreads's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. They say Herrera is one the finest authors to come out of Mexico, I completely agree.
pearloz's review against another edition
3.0
Bummed about this one. After his previous books, I was pretty amped to read this book. It's about a King and the people in his retinue, but mostly it's about the Artist--a singer/songwriter who writes corridos as ballads for the King. Interesting that no one has a real name but go by their title, King, Artist, Traitor, etc. The book was just as taut and fast-paced as his previous books, but...I dunno...the flair(?) wasn't there, seemed a little forced at times. Great, fun premise though, I just wish it had more oomph.
caterina_1212's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Singer to the king in a corrupt country observes court intrigue. Not bad, but no real twists, mostly left me feeling sad
gajeam's review against another edition
5.0
Before reading this, I briefly picked up “Henderson the Rain King”, a Pulitzer Prize winning Saul Bellow book about a rich white guy who meets some African noble savages and gains a new lease on life. An uncle strongly recommended it five years ago and I had it languishing on my To-Read list for five years before buying it in a used bookstore in CDMX. The writing was excellent but the plot and perspective were so uninterestingly problematic I had to put it down after fifty pages.
Then fate brought me to this book and my goodness I couldn’t be happier. Valeria Luiselli’s blurb put it best — “Yuri Herrera must be a thousand years old...nothing else explains the vastness of his understanding.” The story ambles along so beautifully and the translation is just impeccable. For me personally, this book (along with the Kathleen Collins I read before it) cemented the lesson that life is too short to read well written books with unhealthy politics or uninteresting perspectives.
Then fate brought me to this book and my goodness I couldn’t be happier. Valeria Luiselli’s blurb put it best — “Yuri Herrera must be a thousand years old...nothing else explains the vastness of his understanding.” The story ambles along so beautifully and the translation is just impeccable. For me personally, this book (along with the Kathleen Collins I read before it) cemented the lesson that life is too short to read well written books with unhealthy politics or uninteresting perspectives.