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patsy12's review
4.0
It doesn’t matter that this is part of a trilogy!!! Just read it!!!
I’m hesitant to say people will like it, but I think magical realism has just become one of my favorite genres :)
I really liked this book, it was very fun and animated with cooky characters. Senor Vivo reminded me of inspector crusoe from the pink panther films (live action), he survives many assassination attempts and doesn’t seem to realize he is the one people want to kill. BUT this book is very sneaky, you get to know the characters, you learn to love them and think ahhhh this is all very happy then BAM the coca lords strike and I am sad and I think oh god drugs and the government and the gringos have done South America very bad. I thought it was very clever, the way the story is so unbelievable but there are elements of truth and idk it’s just good to read something out of your comfort zone.
I also liked the talk about religion in these area, the weird rituals and meshing of religions from the conquistadors, slaves and indigenous people.
Mark really pulled through XD
I’m hesitant to say people will like it, but I think magical realism has just become one of my favorite genres :)
I really liked this book, it was very fun and animated with cooky characters. Senor Vivo reminded me of inspector crusoe from the pink panther films (live action), he survives many assassination attempts and doesn’t seem to realize he is the one people want to kill. BUT this book is very sneaky, you get to know the characters, you learn to love them and think ahhhh this is all very happy then BAM the coca lords strike and I am sad and I think oh god drugs and the government and the gringos have done South America very bad. I thought it was very clever, the way the story is so unbelievable but there are elements of truth and idk it’s just good to read something out of your comfort zone.
I also liked the talk about religion in these area, the weird rituals and meshing of religions from the conquistadors, slaves and indigenous people.
Mark really pulled through XD
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
4.0
The lushness of magical realism combined with the dry smart-assery of more modern writers. I thought it was a bit of a cop-out to have the climactic show-down described via newspaper article, but other than that, pretty danged awesome.
thetoreadlistpodcast's review against another edition
2.0
"I would like to say this is like 100 Years of Solitude... if it sucked, and was offensive, and unsettlingly pervy." - Episode 71, CROSSING TO COCA
fleurette's review against another edition
3.0
I could say that this book is on the very edge of my comfort zone, but the truth is that it is far away from my comfort zone and everything I usually read.
I rarely read typical modern literature and usually avoid magical realism and books with plenty of symbolism. I also avoid humorous books, because usually they do not make me laugh instead irritate me. Though, this is not a big problem since this is more of a tragicomic story rather than a comedy.
Under the guise of a trivial, cheerful and funny story about the love adventures of Dionisio and his epistolary war with drug cartels, there is a much more serious sense. Especially that the situation can easily be related to the one in countries plagued by organized crime and wars of drug gangs, such as Colombia or Mexico. Despite the playful language, the plot of the book abounds in brutal deaths and images of the difficult life of ordinary people in areas under the control of drug cartels.
As a political scientist, I am also observing the country governance aspects of the plot. Here we have a caricature of a poorly administrated country struggling with corruption, nepotism and incompetence. Again, although the picture is clearly exaggerated, it is easy to refer it to the situation in many real countries. I consider these caricatures extremely successful.
I’m really glad this book unlike any other that I read before.
I rarely read typical modern literature and usually avoid magical realism and books with plenty of symbolism. I also avoid humorous books, because usually they do not make me laugh instead irritate me. Though, this is not a big problem since this is more of a tragicomic story rather than a comedy.
Under the guise of a trivial, cheerful and funny story about the love adventures of Dionisio and his epistolary war with drug cartels, there is a much more serious sense. Especially that the situation can easily be related to the one in countries plagued by organized crime and wars of drug gangs, such as Colombia or Mexico. Despite the playful language, the plot of the book abounds in brutal deaths and images of the difficult life of ordinary people in areas under the control of drug cartels.
As a political scientist, I am also observing the country governance aspects of the plot. Here we have a caricature of a poorly administrated country struggling with corruption, nepotism and incompetence. Again, although the picture is clearly exaggerated, it is easy to refer it to the situation in many real countries. I consider these caricatures extremely successful.
I’m really glad this book unlike any other that I read before.
harrietjwood's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kearac's review
dark
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence
teresa_r's review
4.0
Un cóctel de coca, corbatas colombianas y realismo mágico al puro estilo García Márquez.
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