Reviews

Μέσα από τις σκιές by Juan José Millás

ripley2001's review against another edition

2.0

I wish someone would have warned me about the incest and Asian fetish, but the plot was really good. A very unsettling read where the reader is forced into the POV of a perverted, voyeuristic old man.

pearloz's review against another edition

4.0

Truly bizarre book about a man who stashed himself into an antique wardrobe at an antique shop and is delivered to a family when it is purchased and he proceeds to set up his life and act like a ghost. The ending was perfect too!

zellm's review against another edition

2.0

A very strange book. I think it had a compelling premise, and there were definitely some interesting/intriguing parts. But it felt implausible and the end was disappointing. Also, the thing with the sister was weird - incest is NEVER necessary for a good story.

kbrenn12's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

dios8008's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

4lberj's review against another edition

4.0

Como siempre, Juan José Millás sorprende en otra de sus novelas gracias a su gran capacidad imaginativa y su originalidad a la hora de tratar los temas más mundanos, dándolos la vuelta y convirtiéndolos en una historia apasionante de principio a fin.

sanok's review against another edition

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

tonyhightower's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

There's a branch of Magical Realism that treats a novel more like a game than a narrative story,and this fits firmly in that tradition of Calvino or Borges.

 It's clever in the way those works are clever, and the premise is original and interesting, and... I really wanted this to be more consistently innovative than it was. 

lindsayolivieri's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I don’t know- this book just didn’t do it for me. The premise was really interesting, and perhaps some things just went over my head, but I felt I underwhelmed and uncomfortable. It leaves a lot unanswered, which is probably intentional, just wasn’t my cup of tea. Wondering if certain things get lost in the translation.

It brings up some interesting ethical questions I guess- like should you feel happy for the murder of Fede? Damián’s presence in the home is so creepy, but if Fede were truly planning on killing his wife then was it a good thing that happened?

I feel like i understood a lot of what this book was trying to do with its commentary on capitalism but I’m not sure how I feel now that I’ve reached the end.

lorna178's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-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

4.0