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fevi's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
sad
4.0
Asco é como se um cidadão de bem de classe média sentasse em um bar para conversar e resolvesse falar merda sobre o seu país de origem. Não há protagonista mais irritante. É um combo de inúmeros defeitos: racismo, classismo, soberba, misoginia. É preconceito para dar e vender.
No entanto, o livro é estupidamente bem escrito. É uma leitura que te afeta. Isso é excelente. O sarcasmo presente no texto é um brinde para quem gosta. Aliás, o texto é sobre El Salvador, mas poderia ser um compêndio sobre a América Latina. É uma excelente leitura. Recomendadíssimo.
No entanto, o livro é estupidamente bem escrito. É uma leitura que te afeta. Isso é excelente. O sarcasmo presente no texto é um brinde para quem gosta. Aliás, o texto é sobre El Salvador, mas poderia ser um compêndio sobre a América Latina. É uma excelente leitura. Recomendadíssimo.
axmed's review against another edition
3.0
It was clear what sort of a person the main character is from the first page, but to then have to read his horrible rant for 100 more pages, unfiltered, was way too much.
schwarzer_elch's review against another edition
5.0
Siempre he creído que, en América Latina, el patriotismo se construye sobre el menosprecio de lo extranjero (siempre y cuando venga del propio continente, porque si proviene de Europa, por ejemplo, la historia es otra). Así, tenemos a millones de ciudadanos empeñados en demostrar, a toda costa, que lo que su país produce no solo es superior a lo elaborado por otras repúblicas, si no que no hay absolutamente nada que se le pueda comparar. Parece que no sabemos vivir en armonía y que necesitamos aprender que amar lo propio no implica que no lo podamos criticar o que no podamos reconocer que, en otros lugares, también hay cosas interesantes.
Por eso, cuando leí la sinopsis de este libro me interesó muchísimo incluirlo en el desafío #WorldReadingChallenge como el texto seleccionado para El Salvador, un país que no conozco, pero que me resulta bastante interesante por todo lo que se escucha sobre él en mi propio país. Además, conocer un país a través de un texto que lo critica me resultaba una forma novedosa de ahondar en la literatura nacional de una determinada república.
El texto es fortísimo. El personaje principal se lanza con un monólogo en el que crítica todos los aspectos de la cultura moderna salvadoreña (valores sociales, formas de sociabilización, gastronomía, etc.) y a todos los que lo rodean. Nada ni nadie se salva. El desprecio es enorme y la pluma de Castellanos Moya, impecable. Hasta sientes lástima por los que tienen la mala suerte de cruzarse con Vega y caer en su red de desprecios. La narrativa es una especie de anti patriotismo tan negativo como el patriotismo ciego del que hablaba al principio. Pero considero que también es necesario tener un discurso así, que confronte los valores positivos y negativos de lo que implica, en este caso, ser salvadoreño.
Se trata de un libro pequeño (100 páginas) pero sumamente interesante. Me hubiera encantado encontrar uno que criticara de esta manera mi país. Saber cuáles son las cosas de las que nos sentimos ciega y patrióticamente orgullosos.
Además, el estilo narrativo de Castellanos Moya, como ya mencioné, es muy bueno. Tiene muy buenas descripciones y escenarios interesantes, sin resultar ninguno aburrido o pesado para el lector. Definitivamente, es un autor que volvería a leer sin pensarlo dos veces.
Por eso, cuando leí la sinopsis de este libro me interesó muchísimo incluirlo en el desafío #WorldReadingChallenge como el texto seleccionado para El Salvador, un país que no conozco, pero que me resulta bastante interesante por todo lo que se escucha sobre él en mi propio país. Además, conocer un país a través de un texto que lo critica me resultaba una forma novedosa de ahondar en la literatura nacional de una determinada república.
El texto es fortísimo. El personaje principal se lanza con un monólogo en el que crítica todos los aspectos de la cultura moderna salvadoreña (valores sociales, formas de sociabilización, gastronomía, etc.) y a todos los que lo rodean. Nada ni nadie se salva. El desprecio es enorme y la pluma de Castellanos Moya, impecable. Hasta sientes lástima por los que tienen la mala suerte de cruzarse con Vega y caer en su red de desprecios. La narrativa es una especie de anti patriotismo tan negativo como el patriotismo ciego del que hablaba al principio. Pero considero que también es necesario tener un discurso así, que confronte los valores positivos y negativos de lo que implica, en este caso, ser salvadoreño.
Se trata de un libro pequeño (100 páginas) pero sumamente interesante. Me hubiera encantado encontrar uno que criticara de esta manera mi país. Saber cuáles son las cosas de las que nos sentimos ciega y patrióticamente orgullosos.
Además, el estilo narrativo de Castellanos Moya, como ya mencioné, es muy bueno. Tiene muy buenas descripciones y escenarios interesantes, sin resultar ninguno aburrido o pesado para el lector. Definitivamente, es un autor que volvería a leer sin pensarlo dos veces.
cjf's review against another edition
4.0
A book that is also a fire at the base of a bridge, Revulsion: Thomas Bernhard in San Salvador, is an exercise in style. A note following the novella reveals as much: "I would pretend to imitate the Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard, as much in his prose based on cadence and repetition as in his themes, which contain a bitter critique of Austria and its culture."
The book is indeed repetitious, in the way that speech is repetitious (the book is a one-sided dialogue between an expat professor by the name of Vega and the character Castellanos Moya, who is in San Salvador in order to open a credible newspaper, one gathers). The book is also indeed a bitter critique of El Salvador, where the author Castellanos Moya is from, and its culture. Spoiler: it has none.
I enjoyed the hell out this. It is good that it is short. It is perfect that it is short. The plot, such as it is, is meant to take place between 5 and 7 p.m., the only two hours that Vega feels somewhat at peace in this revolting country that he's only returned to in order to claim the home that is mother, now dead, has left him. (He will sell it and return to Canada.) But yes, just two hours, which is about how long it'll take you to read this little book. And you'll likely be grateful that it's over when it is, you know, with the calcified Semen on the floors and the urine and the vomit and the character referred to as "El Negroid" and all.
It's not hard to believe that the author received death threats following the book's publication. What is surprising, and really kind of awesome, is that many of his colleagues apparently now would like him to write a sequel. There is more wrong with the country now, they say.
The book is indeed repetitious, in the way that speech is repetitious (the book is a one-sided dialogue between an expat professor by the name of Vega and the character Castellanos Moya, who is in San Salvador in order to open a credible newspaper, one gathers). The book is also indeed a bitter critique of El Salvador, where the author Castellanos Moya is from, and its culture. Spoiler: it has none.
I enjoyed the hell out this. It is good that it is short. It is perfect that it is short. The plot, such as it is, is meant to take place between 5 and 7 p.m., the only two hours that Vega feels somewhat at peace in this revolting country that he's only returned to in order to claim the home that is mother, now dead, has left him. (He will sell it and return to Canada.) But yes, just two hours, which is about how long it'll take you to read this little book. And you'll likely be grateful that it's over when it is, you know, with the calcified Semen on the floors and the urine and the vomit and the character referred to as "El Negroid" and all.
It's not hard to believe that the author received death threats following the book's publication. What is surprising, and really kind of awesome, is that many of his colleagues apparently now would like him to write a sequel. There is more wrong with the country now, they say.
piccoline's review against another edition
4.0
Another great work by Moya. This is an early one, translated only recently. Some of his other work bears the visible influence of Thomas Bernhard ([b:Senselessness|2635557|Senselessness|Horacio Castellanos Moya|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406349559s/2635557.jpg|2660267] especially) but nowhere is it as clear here. Indeed, he discusses in the afterword that this was begun and carried out as an exercise in style. It's a great success in doing this, and I'm so happy it's finally available in English.
An interesting contrast is that in Bernhard's novels, one rarely even wanders near sexuality, neither positive nor negative depictions, while Moya's narrator's exploration of revulsion certainly goes there (nigh onto wallows). It is tonally and topically appropriate, and would provide an interesting point of comparison between the two writers. Moya's made himself his own thing, certainly, has continued to evolve. Bernhard did too, I'd argue, but within a smaller range. Part of what I love about Bernhard is that his approach seems like it should have become intolerable within 10 pages, yet he wrote many brilliant novels, all but the first couple of which used this same approach.
But this review is supposed to be about this novel, which is a good one. Still, for Moya, I'd start with Senselessness.
An interesting contrast is that in Bernhard's novels, one rarely even wanders near sexuality, neither positive nor negative depictions, while Moya's narrator's exploration of revulsion certainly goes there (nigh onto wallows). It is tonally and topically appropriate, and would provide an interesting point of comparison between the two writers. Moya's made himself his own thing, certainly, has continued to evolve. Bernhard did too, I'd argue, but within a smaller range. Part of what I love about Bernhard is that his approach seems like it should have become intolerable within 10 pages, yet he wrote many brilliant novels, all but the first couple of which used this same approach.
But this review is supposed to be about this novel, which is a good one. Still, for Moya, I'd start with Senselessness.
zachkuhn's review against another edition
4.0
reads like if you asked a punk kid at a show in some small town why he still lives there even though it sucks.
sezensever's review against another edition
1.0
sadece 0 veremediğim için 1. pes ettim, yarıdan fazlası bitmişken rafa kaldırdım. her olasılığı geçtim, eğer sadece hastalıklı bir adamın beyninin içini göstermeye çalışıyorsa bile (ki en mantıklı olur-senaryo bu geliyo bana) onu bile tam becerememiş bir kitap. nasıl bu kadar övgü aldı, açıkçası aklım almıyor.