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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the least enjoyable aspects of the era of fiction that we live in is how bland many of the major critical darlings are. It seems like every writer is hellbent on capturing the ennui of modern life, the interior world of the highly anxious urban middle class. When I first encountered Cesar Aira, I was looking for an author that I wouldn't be able to find in every bookstore in the US. As I was browsing books at Powell's in Portland, I ran into a guy who had written a Master's thesis on Aira. This man made several recommendations, but also gave me some insight into Aira's process, which is to avoid rewriting/revising and instead to think of every piece of writing as a series of puzzles that have to be solved by the writer while writing. There is not heavy planning ahead of a book and Aira appears to revel in the process of creation itself. As a result, his books (I've read a few now) tend to capture something I remember from my childhood, storytelling for the joy of others. The plot of "The Seamstress and the Wind" would never hold up to heavy scrutiny and there are often completely ludicrous aspects, but I found it incredibly joyful to read. Moreover, it is filled with nuggets of wisdom, philosophical thoughts for the careful reader. Ultimately it functions as a meditation on writing with Aira injecting himself into the narrative and involving the reader in the creation of this work. "What in me is a miniscule incident, in you becomes destiny, adventure..." The book ends with many threads of the plot unresolved, but this choice is an invitation for the reader to become the creator. These characters go exactly where we want them to go. Storytelling is a gift that we can give ourselves. I'm glad that Aira reminded me of this fact.
It's probably brillant and mostly I thought it was fun. But the rest of the time... I just didn't get it. Feels like I am missing a lot of cultural, literary background here...
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
Really enjoyed this. Very oneiric. Quite memorable in its imagery.
Possibly the most "psychedelic" book of his I've read; and just as crazy and buoyant as you would expect from him. I read it cover to cover in an airplane and it really enhanced the flight. Parts of it slightly disappointed me (I think I wanted more resolution in the story; and less of Aira writing about writing the book); but still giving this five stars for the wild and unique ride, and for the visuals in it, which will stay with me for a long time.
(In particular, there's a scene where a character notices a blue car in his rearview mirror that stays the same distance, no matter what his speed is. He eventually peels the reflection of the car from the mirror, holds it in his hand, and notices it is in fact a blue butterfly wing. The book has many lovely and magical moments such as this; as well as grotesque and surreal ones).
(In particular, there's a scene where a character notices a blue car in his rearview mirror that stays the same distance, no matter what his speed is. He eventually peels the reflection of the car from the mirror, holds it in his hand, and notices it is in fact a blue butterfly wing. The book has many lovely and magical moments such as this; as well as grotesque and surreal ones).
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated