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readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The writing itself is good and the characters all feel like real people in stories staring people who are either fucked up or fucked over with the only ties in the stories being people who are Latin American and the topic of immigration being present if not immigrants themselves. And often from Colombia or Cuba. I do think a good warning is basically every kind of violence against women including self inflicted ones. Otherwise the stories in the collection are stand alone though the end for very predictable with young woman and older and adultery that kinda stereotyped bastards as uniquely Latin American thing I didn’t appreciate as a Latina despite the next story being explicit that kidnappings aren’t Colombian only but also happen all the time in the US. However Latinos who think like that do exist. Ins one ways the collection felt over gratuitous in its representation of multiple women raped by their boyfriends, teachers, and employers with nothing really to say about it though neither do most people in real life it was just odd how constant it was especially because many characters didn’t even seem to recognize they were victims. Which again, very realistic it just at some point make the collection become repetitive in that a woman would be harmed if not disrespected and nothing would come out of it outside of maybe mistaking suffering for profoundness.
Also the book had a very odd anti Cuba bent to it. There’s so much to actually criticize about modern Cuba let alone multiple groups who were failed pre revolution, during and after revolution regardless of what was promised especially black Cubans but this book was only really interested in white Cubans who had a lot of money before the revolution literally one of the families featured being a family that had too much money after the revolution they burned a lot of it to avoid trouble with the government which is ludicrous to frame the real victims of the revolution are rich people who don’t know how to hide money. Similarly another Cuban story saying legal changes don’t change anything despite literally being change even if not remotely enough framing the catholic church as the victims of the revolution when many countries such as Mexico and France have seized church property because of similar corruption and wealth hoarding and that secularism is praised but not sparing a thought for the persecution of black religions in the island like Santeria. Instead it frames priest bones as victims do witches so again it feels like written by someone who lost their plantation during the Revolution criticizing the island for no longer having their plantation and being rich then then all the violent bigotry and corruption that exists in the island. Which is frankly unsurprising for a book that doesn’t mention black Latinos and only knows how to describe brown Latino’s skin colors with food items and saying someone looks Andean as if that doesn’t describe a region of people in multiple countries and indigenous groups. But again Latinos who are short sighted or not capable of being self aware and only value governments based on under who’s corruption they imagine being rich under are a dime a dozen so in that way her character feel very real constantly and like real people and I wouldn’t say she’s remotely poor at writing short stories.
Also the book had a very odd anti Cuba bent to it. There’s so much to actually criticize about modern Cuba let alone multiple groups who were failed pre revolution, during and after revolution regardless of what was promised especially black Cubans but this book was only really interested in white Cubans who had a lot of money before the revolution literally one of the families featured being a family that had too much money after the revolution they burned a lot of it to avoid trouble with the government which is ludicrous to frame the real victims of the revolution are rich people who don’t know how to hide money. Similarly another Cuban story saying legal changes don’t change anything despite literally being change even if not remotely enough framing the catholic church as the victims of the revolution when many countries such as Mexico and France have seized church property because of similar corruption and wealth hoarding and that secularism is praised but not sparing a thought for the persecution of black religions in the island like Santeria. Instead it frames priest bones as victims do witches so again it feels like written by someone who lost their plantation during the Revolution criticizing the island for no longer having their plantation and being rich then then all the violent bigotry and corruption that exists in the island. Which is frankly unsurprising for a book that doesn’t mention black Latinos and only knows how to describe brown Latino’s skin colors with food items and saying someone looks Andean as if that doesn’t describe a region of people in multiple countries and indigenous groups. But again Latinos who are short sighted or not capable of being self aware and only value governments based on under who’s corruption they imagine being rich under are a dime a dozen so in that way her character feel very real constantly and like real people and I wouldn’t say she’s remotely poor at writing short stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Dementia, Colonisation, Child death, Addiction, Rape, Vomit, Torture, Terminal illness, Sexism, Racism, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Abandonment
ukponge's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Infidelity
Moderate: Rape and Violence
savvylit's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Each story in The Faraway World is an instantly immersive slice-of-life. A cab driver in Havana falls in love with a passenger. A factory worker is obsessed with modifying her body with plastic surgery. A young woman's twin sister goes missing. No matter what the story is about, Engel brilliantly brings each featured character to vivid life. So many of these stories left me wanting more - in the best way possible. Engel's skill at characterization makes it hard to resist wondering what's next in the lives of the people of The Faraway World.
Many thanks to @avidreaderpress for the advanced copy of The Faraway World in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Many thanks to @avidreaderpress for the advanced copy of The Faraway World in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
julietealy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Kidnapping, Rape, Violence, Sexual content, and Murder
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