Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue

8 reviews

ukponge's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape

klabardee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Excrement and Sexism

shay_books's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Gore

theboricuabookworm's review

challenging informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I saw a review that called this book hallucinatory and that is incredibly accurate. Both in the actual uses and portrayals of hallucinogenic substances but also in a wonderfully vibrancy and vivid setting. I could genuinely picture the chinampas and soaring temples of Tenoxtitlan as well elaborate clothing and costuming of both parties. It was some of the most vivid storytelling I've ever experienced that attributed more to showing and not telling than one would think.

I have never had much interest in witnessing a fictionalized account of the arrival of the Spaniards in LatAm until I read this book. It is evident in every line the breadth of Enrigue's knowledge of the history but also his want to make this story a fictional one. Although the amount of quips and witty remarks I'm sure abounded during the conquistadores' time. This is a work of translation in more ways than one as we also follow Cortés's translators as they navigate Moctezuma's court as well. 

Enrigue wrote an intensely grotesque, sometimes vulgar, all around ride of a speculative historic fiction that I don't think I'll ever do justice in describing. However it is a story I loved if only in how those that hail from a colonized place can appreciate letting our colonizers get their comeuppance. 

cw: brief mentions of rape (on page and past occurance); colonization; violence; misogyny; gore; blood

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, Drug abuse, and Gore

Minor: Rape

aleyajo's review against another edition

adventurous informative medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

Fascinating look at Tenochtitlán history and what could have been. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Death, Gore, Violence, Drug use, Addiction, Colonisation, Blood, and Drug abuse

30something_reads's review

adventurous challenging dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Honestly, this was a fever-dream (in the best way possible.)

A hallucinogenic and fantastical rendering of Mexican colonial history.  

I found that I best enjoyed this as a tandem read with the audiobook. It was very interesting to see the exclusion of quotation marks throughout the entire book but the narrator provided such great differentiation between characters during the dialogue.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Drug use, Death, Colonisation, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual content

ritual sacrifice

clynns's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

Like taking mushrooms. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Torture, Pedophilia, Racism, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, and Xenophobia

sersi's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Gore and Cannibalism

Minor: Sexual assault