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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Torres plays with form in a very interesting way here, weaving novel with prose with research with art—it really takes on its own form by the end of it. We follow the narrator (who Juan calls Nene) as he speaks with Juan about his history, queer history, etc on his deathbed. It is intimate and affectionate. Hard for me to get into, with the unique format, but a cool concept and story.
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Echoing Alexander Chee here: very Nabakov Pale Fire. A slue of erasures, partially blacked-out documents, a lot of which are from the real publication Sex Variants: A Study on Homosexual Pleasures. A young first person narrator (who is only affectionately referred to as nene), is with Juan, an older, dying man who is also gay and Puerto Rican. As Juan comes in an out of lucidity, Nene tries to make sense of the man's legacy, these blackouts and his relationship with Jan and Zhenya Gay through storytelling games and his numerous references-- it's all a historical speculative mess that simply replies: "Not all ambiguities need to be resolved."
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A dream-like queer exploration of queer histories and pathology.
Told in various pieced-together formats, from medical records to photographs and black-out poetry, connected by tales told at night in a room that feels disconnected from the world. All vibes yet also filled to the brim with stories, both personal and important for queer history in general.
Sad and rich and spacey, it more than once gave me Queer (movie by Luca Guardagnino) vibes but minus the drug excesses. Very quit read, could have been even longer. I missed the story the moment it was over.
Told in various pieced-together formats, from medical records to photographs and black-out poetry, connected by tales told at night in a room that feels disconnected from the world. All vibes yet also filled to the brim with stories, both personal and important for queer history in general.
Sad and rich and spacey, it more than once gave me Queer (movie by Luca Guardagnino) vibes but minus the drug excesses. Very quit read, could have been even longer. I missed the story the moment it was over.
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
LOVE THIS BOOK. Meta reflection on gay experiences and gay history. Reads like a memoir, but Torres claims it as fiction. Beautiful and eye opening.