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candeecrrz's review against another edition
5.0
Lo primero que leí a antes de empezar el libro fue que el autor lo mandó a un concurso y que salió ganador. Cuando lo terminé, pensé que posta lo tenía merecido.
No voy a pedirle a nadie que me crea es una historia fragmentada, un rompecabezas del que nunca sabés si ya te presentaron todas las piezas.
A veces la sucesión de hechos es tan inverosímil que lxs narradorxs repiten el título de vez en cuando. Un académico mexicano viaja a Barcelona para estudiar pero queda metido en el medio de negocios turbios con nuna organización que controla sus mínimos movimientos. En el medio, una crítica al academicismo literario, una parodia del rol del escritor e incluso una denuncia al poder y la corrupción.
Pero sobre todo es una novela llena de voces que se superponen, se complementa, se pisan, que dan la poca información con la que cuentan pero que nunca parece suficiente. En ocasiones parece que dialogan, y en otros momentos gritan y se tapan mutuamente.
Punto para la construcción de un lenguaje coloquial, oraciones eternas pero habladas, con la sonoridad de un castellano que se saborea en la oralidad.
Cada una de las partes está narrada por que se pisan, se complementan,
No voy a pedirle a nadie que me crea es una historia fragmentada, un rompecabezas del que nunca sabés si ya te presentaron todas las piezas.
A veces la sucesión de hechos es tan inverosímil que lxs narradorxs repiten el título de vez en cuando. Un académico mexicano viaja a Barcelona para estudiar pero queda metido en el medio de negocios turbios con nuna organización que controla sus mínimos movimientos. En el medio, una crítica al academicismo literario, una parodia del rol del escritor e incluso una denuncia al poder y la corrupción.
Pero sobre todo es una novela llena de voces que se superponen, se complementa, se pisan, que dan la poca información con la que cuentan pero que nunca parece suficiente. En ocasiones parece que dialogan, y en otros momentos gritan y se tapan mutuamente.
Punto para la construcción de un lenguaje coloquial, oraciones eternas pero habladas, con la sonoridad de un castellano que se saborea en la oralidad.
Cada una de las partes está narrada por que se pisan, se complementan,
rachech's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cdb2453's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dleiser's review
1.0
I typically don’t write reviews but this one called for one. I usually enjoy meta-fiction avant garde but this book had teetered on the edge of good and bad the entire time and ended up crashing and burning for me.
While I understand stereotypes and tropes and prejudices can be deployed for various effects, this book decided to take everything it could wrap it up in a ball and continue to throw it at you for the hell of it.
There was an element that kept you reading, like any good detective novel, so I’ll give him that. But at least offer in any single way a moment to make that worth it.
As self referential as he is, he should have been aware how bad this was and course corrected. In the end this was a poor attempt in my mind.
I’m also open to a new way to look at it, so if anyone has clarification or wants to shed light on this I’d be open to it.
While I understand stereotypes and tropes and prejudices can be deployed for various effects, this book decided to take everything it could wrap it up in a ball and continue to throw it at you for the hell of it.
There was an element that kept you reading, like any good detective novel, so I’ll give him that. But at least offer in any single way a moment to make that worth it.
As self referential as he is, he should have been aware how bad this was and course corrected. In the end this was a poor attempt in my mind.
I’m also open to a new way to look at it, so if anyone has clarification or wants to shed light on this I’d be open to it.
jroberts3456's review
5.0
A manic fever dream of recursive autofiction that delights in slow reveals and insane twists of fate. Hilarious and wonderful.
behindthecritic's review
4.0
A Mexican student called Juan Pablo Villalobos is about to fly to Barcelona to start his PhD. A gang are threatening his cousin and order Juan to work for them. His mission is to travel to Barcelona and find Laia, a Mexican student and daughter of a corrupt politician, and make her fall in love with him.
Part campus novel and part gangster thriller, this novel is absurd, funny and quite meta in some places. This is a hugely entertaining read and deals with quite difficult subjects such as immigration and family relationships.
This is told in multiple perspectives through the use of different narrative styles, such as diary entries, phone calls, and letters.
Also the translator's note at the end is brilliant.
Part campus novel and part gangster thriller, this novel is absurd, funny and quite meta in some places. This is a hugely entertaining read and deals with quite difficult subjects such as immigration and family relationships.
This is told in multiple perspectives through the use of different narrative styles, such as diary entries, phone calls, and letters.
Also the translator's note at the end is brilliant.
subdue_provide75's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookynooknook's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
annarella's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the style of writing but the story seemed somehow incomplete and it fell flat at the end of the day.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks tot he publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks tot he publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
correna_cunningham's review against another edition
5.0
I Don't Expect Anyone To Believe Me is rich in its language and characterisation. It is comparable to Melchor's Hurricane Season in the quality of the unravelling narrative.
The preservation of the gripping plot and quick-wittedness is a credit to Daniel Hahn, whose translator afterword is a treat in itself.
Would definitely recommend!
The preservation of the gripping plot and quick-wittedness is a credit to Daniel Hahn, whose translator afterword is a treat in itself.
Would definitely recommend!