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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
What did I just read! Part clinical observation, part drug induced fever dream? A surreal yet all too real commentary on class, iconography, and meaning? Whatever it was, it was a blast :P
reflective
fast-paced
An Exercise In Precision
I personally would categorize this fascinating book as a novella. It's an incredibly interesting and powerful testament to the abilities of Juan Cárdenas as an author. It's a quick read, but filled with an immense amount of depth and commentary beneath the surface. The prose is incredibly descriptive in its descriptions of actions and settings, but moreso as a vignette or a montage. He executes the actions and confined spaces with precision, but balances it out by leaving the full outside world abstract enough that it feels like it could be anywhere (which I believe is the point). I think his true skills shine in the fact that there's so much symbolism and meaning imbued into all these brief moments. There's probably many ways to read this, however I read it as a depiction of late-stage capitalism from the perspective of someone in the upper class. The problems created by the main character's actions are always abstract and seem to happen in some far-away location, even though it's sometimes as close as his own backyard. Even when the ramifications of the crisis manifest themselves in his workplace, it's seen through a very surreal and hauntingly brief glimpse. Despite his active role in creating these crises, his status affords him insulation from the worst results. A brief, but incredibly engaging read - you could easily finish it in a sitting. However, I think it invites rereads and some deeper analysis. I'll be returning to this one soon.
I personally would categorize this fascinating book as a novella. It's an incredibly interesting and powerful testament to the abilities of Juan Cárdenas as an author. It's a quick read, but filled with an immense amount of depth and commentary beneath the surface. The prose is incredibly descriptive in its descriptions of actions and settings, but moreso as a vignette or a montage. He executes the actions and confined spaces with precision, but balances it out by leaving the full outside world abstract enough that it feels like it could be anywhere (which I believe is the point). I think his true skills shine in the fact that there's so much symbolism and meaning imbued into all these brief moments. There's probably many ways to read this, however I read it as a depiction of late-stage capitalism from the perspective of someone in the upper class. The problems created by the main character's actions are always abstract and seem to happen in some far-away location, even though it's sometimes as close as his own backyard. Even when the ramifications of the crisis manifest themselves in his workplace, it's seen through a very surreal and hauntingly brief glimpse. Despite his active role in creating these crises, his status affords him insulation from the worst results. A brief, but incredibly engaging read - you could easily finish it in a sitting. However, I think it invites rereads and some deeper analysis. I'll be returning to this one soon.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
La primera mitad esta buena, pense que se iba a desarrolar más la trama. Pero después decayó y me terminó aburriendo.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"La risa inteligente de las mujeres tiene una música particular, un cristalino desparrame de notas muy bien estructurado."
I got the chance to read this book early through a relationship at Coffee House Press (and to help with the translation which was an unqualified thrill) and I've been eagerly waiting for it to finally be available to the public. Unfortunately, I didn't take notes throughout my read (I rarely, if ever do) and my memories of it are over a year old but a few impressions are still strong enough to share here. First, Cardenas' style is very typical of the Latin American style and rhythm - staccato without losing propulsive connectivity, loosely told through a voice that holds together the narrative with the confidence in the having of a good story to tell, and finally, that friendly feel of a campfire story voiced by an animated, participatory narrator (such a contrast to the cold, slick, impersonal MFA novels of the US - written all, as if spit from a bot without thought or care for a reader's personal humanity). Cardenas is a skillful writer and I am struck first when remembering this book by his terrific use of metaphor. It can feel like - when reading writers whom are particularly good at this - a reader is reading two narratives at once: the surface level and the subversive level (for what is great literature if not inherently rebellious). Cardenas handles this with rarely matched skill. The story of the doctor, his wife, and 4 is compelling, but the underlying commentary he's making is the real treat
*A note on the translation: Ms. Davis' artistic musicality cannot be praised highly enough. Cardenas' novel jolts and flows, coils and expands, it simply sings with authority under her talented hand
If you are a lover of Latin American literature and the collaborative beauty that is often created between author and translator, you will love "Ornamental"
The Paris Review recently put up a terrific essay on the book written by the translator, Lizzie Davis - I encourage you to check it out:
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2020/07/16/the-city-has-no-name/
*A note on the translation: Ms. Davis' artistic musicality cannot be praised highly enough. Cardenas' novel jolts and flows, coils and expands, it simply sings with authority under her talented hand
If you are a lover of Latin American literature and the collaborative beauty that is often created between author and translator, you will love "Ornamental"
The Paris Review recently put up a terrific essay on the book written by the translator, Lizzie Davis - I encourage you to check it out:
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2020/07/16/the-city-has-no-name/