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avanders's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this quick little angry rant. Juan Pablo Villalobos is brilliant, witty, and dark. Quesadillas is a novella taking place in a small town in Mexico, featuring a 13-year-old boy that feels very much like the author's young self. This may be due in large part to the fact that the novel is supposed to be written by the boy, but 20'ish years later. Consequently, the narrator has the vocabulary and awareness of someone in their 30s, but the telling of the story itself has the maturity of a teen.
It's fun, funny (laugh-out-loud funny), smart, dark, and thought provoking. While poking at his own country of origin, Villalobos also opens the window into the inner-workings, thought processes, and difficulties of the poor/middle-class-poor of Mexico's rural communities.
Villalobos plays around with the magical realism that his country is known for, while still keeping his head above waters with a psychological smirk on his face. It was a pleasure reading Quesadillas.
Definitely recommend, but with the "warning" that the narrator is dark and crass. Very crass. But funny. FOUR of five stars.
It's fun, funny (laugh-out-loud funny), smart, dark, and thought provoking. While poking at his own country of origin, Villalobos also opens the window into the inner-workings, thought processes, and difficulties of the poor/middle-class-poor of Mexico's rural communities.
Villalobos plays around with the magical realism that his country is known for, while still keeping his head above waters with a psychological smirk on his face. It was a pleasure reading Quesadillas.
Definitely recommend, but with the "warning" that the narrator is dark and crass. Very crass. But funny. FOUR of five stars.
trippalli's review against another edition
3.0
Crazy story of teens growing up in Mexico by running away, the rich stealing from the poor, co-ops Farmers, Politicians and families surviving poverty
theartolater's review against another edition
3.0
I've now read two books from Juan Pablo Villalobos, and they're both good but strange stories that are a little off-kilter plotwise and might have some cultural touchstones I'm missing. In this story, we have a situation of electoral malfeasance combined with some conspiracy theories about aliens/flying saucers and, as the title suggests, a lot of quesadillas. The read is quick, more than a little silly, but generally succeeds in what it's trying to do even if I didn't love it. An interesting read no matter what.
jameejones1's review against another edition
5.0
Quesadillas is an entertainingly absurd satire. The style is similar to Kurt Vonnegut’s works, so if you like Slaughterhouse-Five, you’ll like this book.
sarah_e_j's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.
It's a story set in Mexico, that starts off as a basic tale of a family's struggle to survive. It throws up serious issues of poverty and equality but they are handled with humour, which makes this book an enjoyable read about a difficult subject.
I loved the writing style and the story was engaging throughout, meaning I easily finished it over a leisurely day's reading because I didn't want to put it down.
The ending was unexpected, it turns into more of a fantastical story, which highlights the ridiculousness of the situation. Personally I would have preferred a bit more of a rounded ending with 'what happened next', maybe still encompassing the fantasy element, but just more of a traditional 'end' to the story. That's just personal taste though - perhaps I'm just not forward thinking enough to be entirely happy with an ending that I'm sure would be enjoyed by a lot of people!
As an aside, the actual edition of the book itself is lovely. A very high quality paperback, which would certainly have me interested in other books from the publishers (And Other Stories).
Reading this book was a lovely way to use a long afternoon.
It's a story set in Mexico, that starts off as a basic tale of a family's struggle to survive. It throws up serious issues of poverty and equality but they are handled with humour, which makes this book an enjoyable read about a difficult subject.
I loved the writing style and the story was engaging throughout, meaning I easily finished it over a leisurely day's reading because I didn't want to put it down.
The ending was unexpected, it turns into more of a fantastical story, which highlights the ridiculousness of the situation. Personally I would have preferred a bit more of a rounded ending with 'what happened next', maybe still encompassing the fantasy element, but just more of a traditional 'end' to the story. That's just personal taste though - perhaps I'm just not forward thinking enough to be entirely happy with an ending that I'm sure would be enjoyed by a lot of people!
As an aside, the actual edition of the book itself is lovely. A very high quality paperback, which would certainly have me interested in other books from the publishers (And Other Stories).
Reading this book was a lovely way to use a long afternoon.
alisonannk's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, quirky and reminiscent of Luis de Bernier's Senor Vivo and the Coco Lord.
abbie_'s review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
I seem to have forgotten how to read in the last few days 🥲 My lukewarm reaction to this book is likely down to the lack of straightforward plot and my scattered brain. A plot is never something I usually need to enjoy a book, but it does help when your concentration span is AWOL. I devoured the first 100 pages of this 180 page book in one sitting, and then it took me three days to drag myself through the rest. While the narrative does slow down somewhat in the second half, don’t let my experience stop you from reading it if you feel like some absurd Mexican satire. This book is wry and smart and doesn’t hold back on exposing classism and corruption. There’s a lot packed into this slim volume that’s worth reading if it sounds up your alley!
ellenrhudy's review against another edition
5.0
Hilarious and weird. A political satire set in 1980s Mexico, narrated by Orestes - one of seven children, all with Greek names, who track the state of the national economy by the "fluctuating thickness" of the quesadillas their mother serves. Whatever I say about this one won't do it justice...so unpredictable and fun.
lbooks's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bibispizzas's review against another edition
4.25
I loved this so much. I hadn't related to a book or a character (or the family of a character) in a while and this made me feel oh so very connected with my own upbringing and truly, even for a little while, with my country's political history.
Si Juan Pablo Villalobos llega a leer esto, muchas gracias, la gente mexicana necesita de este humor para sobrevivir y tú lo has hecho posible ✌
Si Juan Pablo Villalobos llega a leer esto, muchas gracias, la gente mexicana necesita de este humor para sobrevivir y tú lo has hecho posible ✌