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itserinnn's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
xavtrip05's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
One of the best books I’ve ever read. Was so refreshing to read smth so unique and complex the dive into the society of mosquitoes was more interesting than I had expected, almost perfect read for a shorter book great look at the human character
smolsaknussemm's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mayahossain's review
4.0
Read more like a noir, pop-sci-fi than an eco-disaster literary fiction, but nonetheless still great! Sharp language and an exciting concept make this read from 1947 feel fresh - its author is as complicated as the politics it teeters on claiming.
littlemissparadox's review
3.0
It wasn’t my favorite book, I read it for a book club. I will say it was well-written and imaginative. Certainly. Such a creative premise.
However I felt like the leap (while necessary) from understanding “come” and “go” to have full complex conversations with the mosquitos was a lot. Also the white saviorism of the main character was a lot a lot. So was falling in love for the singular white woman in the novel (though perfectly in character).
And to be clear I know he’s an anti-hero but sometimes the anti-heroes do too good of a job and I end up not enjoying the book as much.
I did enjoy the complexity of the mosquito organization and the mosquito characters. I also enjoyed the ending, and the death of the woman. Though I wish we got to see if the mosquitos took over??
It was interesting, I definitely liked it more than I expected to.
However I felt like the leap (while necessary) from understanding “come” and “go” to have full complex conversations with the mosquitos was a lot. Also the white saviorism of the main character was a lot a lot. So was falling in love for the singular white woman in the novel (though perfectly in character).
And to be clear I know he’s an anti-hero but sometimes the anti-heroes do too good of a job and I end up not enjoying the book as much.
I did enjoy the complexity of the mosquito organization and the mosquito characters. I also enjoyed the ending, and the death of the woman. Though I wish we got to see if the mosquitos took over??
It was interesting, I definitely liked it more than I expected to.
adrianasturalvarez's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
Stop everything you are doing and read this book.
Written in 1947 but only translated into English last year (2021) the English speaking world has absolutely slept on Rafael Bernal and this needs to change. This is the story of a broken, desperate drunk losing himself in the jungles of Chiapas until one day, after a period of sobriety, he discovers how to learn the language of mosquitos. He terms it the Mosquil language and sets out to write its first dictionary using a custom flute. What he discovers once he starts to communicate with the mosquitos, however, is daaaaaark. Part science fiction story, part eco-fiction (the first, I believe), part horror story, part adventure story, and all literary (themes of colonialism, globalism, political corruption, and environmentalism, etc) this is 148 pages of narrative you just can't miss out on. I honestly can't believe what I just read.
I'm not sure what kind of promotional budget New Directions can give a book like this but I'm sure it isn't enough, especially for a book I will now recommend, confidently, to any kind of reader I know. It has that kind of cross-over appeal. Read this book!
Written in 1947 but only translated into English last year (2021) the English speaking world has absolutely slept on Rafael Bernal and this needs to change. This is the story of a broken, desperate drunk losing himself in the jungles of Chiapas until one day, after a period of sobriety, he discovers how to learn the language of mosquitos. He terms it the Mosquil language and sets out to write its first dictionary using a custom flute. What he discovers once he starts to communicate with the mosquitos, however, is daaaaaark. Part science fiction story, part eco-fiction (the first, I believe), part horror story, part adventure story, and all literary (themes of colonialism, globalism, political corruption, and environmentalism, etc) this is 148 pages of narrative you just can't miss out on. I honestly can't believe what I just read.
I'm not sure what kind of promotional budget New Directions can give a book like this but I'm sure it isn't enough, especially for a book I will now recommend, confidently, to any kind of reader I know. It has that kind of cross-over appeal. Read this book!
adoredwords's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-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
3.0
klimts15thchild's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
delore's review
3.0
I found the concept of this book surreal, Kafkaesque and fantastic. Bernal somehow manages to make sections that are essentially stylised as extended scientific explanations of an absurd regime of authoritarian mosquitoes some of the most engaging/best-written sections of the book. All at the same time, these sections are written in such a way to come across as serious and objective without devolving into pure slapstick (the best way I can describe it is like reading a pop-science book that explores some hair-brained concept from a Thomas Pynchon novel).
That being said, I found some of the nihilistic/religious overtones of the book very hamfisted. The protagonist is written as a fairly cliched alcoholic, life-has-no-meaning type character - which in my view was not explored with much subtlety or originality.
So overall, the book skips along at a fairly fast pace due to the absurdity of its central ideas, but gets weighed down to some extent by cliches and heavy-handedness.
That being said, I found some of the nihilistic/religious overtones of the book very hamfisted. The protagonist is written as a fairly cliched alcoholic, life-has-no-meaning type character - which in my view was not explored with much subtlety or originality.
So overall, the book skips along at a fairly fast pace due to the absurdity of its central ideas, but gets weighed down to some extent by cliches and heavy-handedness.