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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
weird, spooky, read it in a sitting then felt like I wasnt real afterwards
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
OOF. this book was so eerie and sad. i found it on a list of Lynchian-like novels, and it definitely did not disappoint in that aspect (but which furthers that this isn’t a book for everyone, and explains why i loved it lol).
once you’re in it, you’re trapped and you can’t get out. it’s like YOU’RE in the fever dream too. interesting because it also feels like being trapped in an OCD thought spiral in a way. this story captures relentless anxiety perfectly, and the horror is that you can’t out think it, no many how much you try — that horrible things will happen regardless of how much you prepare for them. horrifying!!!
i definitely had to do some reading about the story after finishing, and it reallllllly helped to have the Argentinean context. while the overlapping narration seemed confusing at parts, it really added to the story in my opinion. it WAS a fever dream, wasn’t it? the only part that made me question the story as a whole was the very ending bc it left the confinement of the story, especially when it almost came full circle.
once you’re in it, you’re trapped and you can’t get out. it’s like YOU’RE in the fever dream too. interesting because it also feels like being trapped in an OCD thought spiral in a way. this story captures relentless anxiety perfectly, and the horror is that you can’t out think it, no many how much you try — that horrible things will happen regardless of how much you prepare for them. horrifying!!!
i definitely had to do some reading about the story after finishing, and it reallllllly helped to have the Argentinean context. while the overlapping narration seemed confusing at parts, it really added to the story in my opinion. it WAS a fever dream, wasn’t it? the only part that made me question the story as a whole was the very ending bc it left the confinement of the story, especially when it almost came full circle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent
challenging
dark
fast-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I adored Little Eyes and this earlier novel of Schweblin's delivers a similarly haunting warning, but about environmental collapse rather than technology. The narration style was very effective at inducing thoughts of a feverish, confused state and I enjoyed the tension that it racked up. I would have loved it to be less esoteric in the plot department: I think I would have been more scared if things were clearer. But I understand the choice the author made and I see rave reviews! Definitely worth devouring.
i’ve wanted to read this book since i first saw it appear as a translation — samantha schweblin is one of my favorite authors, & the short stories of hers that i’ve read in spanish have been as riveting and incisive as this compact, bone-chilling novel. schweblin is especially deft at developing an immersive atmosphere through the narration — in this case, through he unbroken conversation between david and amanda — and i felt immediately enveloped in the murky, nightmarish scenes amanda describes. megan mcdowell’s translation of dialogue is seamless — it was a quick thrill of a read, one that left me feeling unsettled and paranoid, which only exceptional works of psychological horror can accomplish.
Esta historia describe perfectamente la inevitabilidad de ser una madre queriendo proteger a su hijo y no poder lograrlo por mucho que lo desees o lo intentes. Angustiante.
Le echo en falta más peso a la historia en general porque ciertas partes son brutales pero gran parte del desarrollo es más bien poco interesante. Aún así vale la pena porque jamás deja de hacerte sentir que hay algo mal, y que es inevitable que suceda.
Es un constante esperar el golpe pero no saber cuándo o cómo llegará.
Le echo en falta más peso a la historia en general porque ciertas partes son brutales pero gran parte del desarrollo es más bien poco interesante. Aún así vale la pena porque jamás deja de hacerte sentir que hay algo mal, y que es inevitable que suceda.
Es un constante esperar el golpe pero no saber cuándo o cómo llegará.
I had to read some reviews on order to make sure that I understood the gist. This is a creepy and fast read.
Pairs nicely with a cup of tea, just not my cup of tea. Hard to get into, but within 30 pages it kept me more or less glued to the page until the last one. Left a bit unsatisfied, but that's at least partially the point. Glad I read it. Didn't change my life. Three stars.
wish i could have read this through in one sitting but life did not allow… genuinely unsettling and relentless and full of dread! powerful thematically, i really enjoyed it as an ecocritical work and i loved the structure of the narrative… started kind of dubiouslyyyy like i wasn’t totally sold on its framing but then really took off. stuck the landing. big recommend