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outisse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
simonstays5's review against another edition
No entiendo por qué deberían interesarme los personajes, y tampoco tengo la paciencia para averiguarlo.
msgtdameron's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is one of the most challenging and confusing works I have ever read. First, pet peaves, in the first 100 pages we have another in depth deflowering of one of our more minor characters. He is deflowered by Maria, daughter of one of the financers of the poetic movement. This section is three pages long and I just don't see the reason but its there. The rest of the sex scenes are kiss, cuddle, or describe the first action in one line and then fade to black. OK pet peave handled. The work continues with a selection of story lines all dealing with various founding members of visceral realism. We follow their lives until 1996 where some are dead, some have just disappeared, some are murdered, think of a way for people to drop out of society and you have what happens. I mention Maria at the top for this reason. Her character is up for anything as long as it brings pleasure. But, she hates goat. I love goat. Goat kebabs are one of the greatest foods that man has ever thought of. Baked, cooked on a spit, in a kebab, on a sandwich how ever goat is great, but Maria hates goat. She will eat any thing. She will drink any thing and smoke or pop any thing. She will have sex any where any time and multiple times a day. But she won't eat goat. I know petty but this one fact of her character really bothers me. A suggestion if you choose to give it a go: get a scorebook so you can track where each character comes in and the highlights of their story. The work skips through time and space like a drunk starship Captain zipping around multiple suns changing time and the space at random. It is a great read and I enjoyed it but it is a challenge. Enjoy.
kyljk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
checokrispis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
bonesbones90's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lubel80's review against another edition
1.0
Why do so many people love this book? I'm not yet halfway through and I truly don't want to finish it (that is very unlike me). The characters are sexist, selfish, pretentious, abhorrent people. Why should I care about their drifting, uneventful lives? I saw a few comparisons of this book with On the Road, which I read nearly 15 years ago and loved. I'm afraid to reread it now for fear that I will hate it and its characters.
diegovazquez's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Soy muy tonto como para apreciar o entender este libro
zober's review against another edition
challenging
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
2.0
Whaaaaaat is this?? I don't know how to rate it - on one hand, it's genius and a work of art. But I also just didn't enjoy it, and it's LONG It's very ... literary? The first section is brutal (horny college dropout POV), but then the book gets into its stride. (and we literally never hear about that first annoying narrator again.) The book uses repetition a LOT - which I think I prefer in a physical book than an audiobook. If the author is just listing out a bunch of names, I can skim it in a physical copy, rather than listening to a long list for multiple minutes in an audiobook.
I love the framing of this - the two main characters are definitely Ulysses Lima and Arturo Belano, but the book circles around their stories, sometimes getting very close, and sometimes maintaining a lot of distance.
I love the framing of this - the two main characters are definitely Ulysses Lima and Arturo Belano, but the book circles around their stories, sometimes getting very close, and sometimes maintaining a lot of distance.