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selaginello's review against another edition
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rltinha's review against another edition
3.0
Um Vila-Matas aquém das minhas expectativas, mas perfeitamente às custas do divertimento do autor com a sua escrita, o que merece logo meio perdão.
O mais giro nestes livros é sempre destrinçar ficção/realidade. Sempre óptimo em termos de quantificação do cinismo/ingenuidade da alma leitora. Exercício de auto-conhecimento ao nível dos questionários manhosos BuzzFeed, mas em não mentecapto-deprimente.
O mais giro nestes livros é sempre destrinçar ficção/realidade. Sempre óptimo em termos de quantificação do cinismo/ingenuidade da alma leitora. Exercício de auto-conhecimento ao nível dos questionários manhosos BuzzFeed, mas em não mentecapto-deprimente.
snowbenton's review
4.0
What could be more fun than an invented secret society with some of literature's best heroes doing cocaine and sleeping on deck chairs and creating puppet shows in an immobile submarine? Vila-Matas has crafted a tongue-in-cheek novella set in 1925 that waxes poetic on the idea of crafting fiction that is brief, intelligent, mad, and most of all, portable. It feels like fan fiction for a literary crowd. A charming and quick read.
h1914's review
3.0
“This is the decision of a person who knows that history in its true countenance swiftly passes by, and that the past can only be retained as an image emitting - like the lightning bolt of insolence, in its visible moment - a radiance that will never be seen again. Only because the past is dead are we able to read it.”
smm231's review
5.0
It's hard to know with translated literature, but I loved the writing. The sprawling, skittish sentences mimicked some of the surrealness of the events. Will definitely try more by this author.
blueyorkie's review against another edition
3.0
This little booklet from Vila-Matas is not easy to access. Still, he's downright wacky, maybe a little too much.
The author invents a community of "shandys" about the English work of the 18th century "The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy, gentleman" by Laurence Sterne. Whose character is also somewhat nutty, and Vila-Matas's footnote reminds us that Shandy is synonymous with merry, wacky and talkative.
This community of "shandys" he creates brings together authors or artists little known to the general public who favour minimalism in expression and go from town to town to celebrate portable literature secretly.
As usual, Vila-Matas mixes real and invented places and authors. We do not find it at all, but whatever—a little more challenging to follow this one than others. And I did not find the highly festive atmosphere of Laurence Sterne, whose Tristram makes us smile all the time despite the sometimes absurd subjects offered to the reader. Here, the parody is at the rendezvous, but the vision is less favourable; it must say that we are talking about what will become of art.
The author invents a community of "shandys" about the English work of the 18th century "The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy, gentleman" by Laurence Sterne. Whose character is also somewhat nutty, and Vila-Matas's footnote reminds us that Shandy is synonymous with merry, wacky and talkative.
This community of "shandys" he creates brings together authors or artists little known to the general public who favour minimalism in expression and go from town to town to celebrate portable literature secretly.
As usual, Vila-Matas mixes real and invented places and authors. We do not find it at all, but whatever—a little more challenging to follow this one than others. And I did not find the highly festive atmosphere of Laurence Sterne, whose Tristram makes us smile all the time despite the sometimes absurd subjects offered to the reader. Here, the parody is at the rendezvous, but the vision is less favourable; it must say that we are talking about what will become of art.
lyindis's review against another edition
3.0
Vila-Matas nos cuenta cómo se divertían la gente famosilla de principios del siglo XX; aunque todo sea ficción, estoy segurísima que esta gente hacía cosas cien mil veces peores para emborracharse y pasárselo bien.
hannahgadbois's review
3.0
“This is the decision of a person who knows that history in its true countenance swiftly passes by, and that the past can only be retained as an image emitting - like the lightning bolt of insolence, in its visible moment - a radiance that will never be seen again. Only because the past is dead are we able to read it.”