Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
“This book deals with both sides of a controversal issue facing the United States right now - illegal immigration. I will say my sympathies are more with Candido and America Rincon mainly because they are struggling to have a better life for themselves. However, Candido constantly puts himself and America in danger. I really didn't identify with Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher, and I think Boyle intentially crates them as cold characters so you rootmore for the Ricons.
What I did find interesting the Rincons are struggling to earn enough money to get an apartment. However, neither try to learn English or look for a way to become legal - apply for citizenship, get a green card. Maybe I am naive and don't know ins and outs of immigration. I realize the Mexican community is a very close community and I was surprised in his few interactions with them that they didn't help him more due to the expectant wife.
I often thought about the movie Crash while reading this book. The only similarities is that both take place in LA and you get more than one side of the story.
I struggled with reading this book simply because Candido never could get ahead. You want to see something good happen. I had a hard time relating to the characters. They were very believeable, but they are not the people that are in my association.
What I did find interesting the Rincons are struggling to earn enough money to get an apartment. However, neither try to learn English or look for a way to become legal - apply for citizenship, get a green card. Maybe I am naive and don't know ins and outs of immigration. I realize the Mexican community is a very close community and I was surprised in his few interactions with them that they didn't help him more due to the expectant wife.
I often thought about the movie Crash while reading this book. The only similarities is that both take place in LA and you get more than one side of the story.
I struggled with reading this book simply because Candido never could get ahead. You want to see something good happen. I had a hard time relating to the characters. They were very believeable, but they are not the people that are in my association.
I did not enjoy any part of this…but I did finish it. Kind of wish I hadn’t.
oh, what i would give to erase the memory of this dreary, dragging, hopeless novel from my mind.
I did not like this book, which was kind of upsetting for me because I went in expecting it to be AMAZING. On paper, I should like [b:The Tortilla Curtain|24731|The Tortilla Curtain|T.C. Boyle|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388208754s/24731.jpg|1267673]. It's about immigration, weirdly, one of my favorite topics. It's whole point is to show the hypocrisy of the middle class, white, liberal existence, which I am ALL ABOUT. On top of these two excellent reasons that I should like this book, I borrowed it from a friend who loves it, and I generally trust his taste. But. But, but, but.
But, I found The Tortilla Curtain to be very heavy-handed, over-simplified look at immigration told from an obtrusively male perspective.
Breaking this down, first, the heavy-handedness: The Tortilla Curtain is unrelenting to the Mexican couple, Cándido and América. It's as if Boyle is determined to prove that immigrating to the US is hopeless. Every time that Cándido and América seem on the point of making it - of being able to live with dignity, something happens, and they lose all their money. The worst part is that many of the "something happens" happening are immigrant on immigrant, Latinx on Latinx.
The white characters, Delaney and Kyra, become more and more racist as the book progresses to a truly disgusting level of hate, despite Delaney's self-identified humanist and liberal values. Both Delaney and Kyra show a complete utter lack of compassion towards other human beings that I find incomprehensible. They both get repeatedly mad at the "Mexicans" for being homeless and for wanting work. The amount of privilege they each display only grows throughout the novel to ridiculous levels.
Over and over again, Cándido and América get screwed and Delaney and Kyra display obscene amounts of racism and privilege. Okay, okay, I freaking get it. Being Mexican/Latinx in this country sucks and white people have power. Thanks, Boyle.
The heavy-handedness leads into the over-simplification. Because América and Cándido keep getting screwed over and Kyra and Delaney keep exercising their privilege and hate, that's all there is to this story. The deeply complex issue of immigration is reduced to hopelessness and racism. The story is flat and empty and repetitive.
And, finally, the obtrusively male perspective. There are just little comments that a male narrator will make about a woman's body that are completely unnecessary to anything throughout the novel that drive me crazy. And, The compassionless characters, all of them, even the women, feels like imposed masculinity in the worst way.
The only thing I liked about this novel - why it's getting two stars - is that it did emphasize the hypocrisy of the white middle class. But I'm not sure that's worth the read.
Also, Boyle uses an insane amount of adjectives. To the point that it's overwhelming.
But, I found The Tortilla Curtain to be very heavy-handed, over-simplified look at immigration told from an obtrusively male perspective.
Breaking this down, first, the heavy-handedness: The Tortilla Curtain is unrelenting to the Mexican couple, Cándido and América. It's as if Boyle is determined to prove that immigrating to the US is hopeless. Every time that Cándido and América seem on the point of making it - of being able to live with dignity, something happens, and they lose all their money. The worst part is that many of the "something happens" happening are immigrant on immigrant, Latinx on Latinx.
The white characters, Delaney and Kyra, become more and more racist as the book progresses to a truly disgusting level of hate, despite Delaney's self-identified humanist and liberal values. Both Delaney and Kyra show a complete utter lack of compassion towards other human beings that I find incomprehensible. They both get repeatedly mad at the "Mexicans" for being homeless and for wanting work. The amount of privilege they each display only grows throughout the novel to ridiculous levels.
Over and over again, Cándido and América get screwed and Delaney and Kyra display obscene amounts of racism and privilege. Okay, okay, I freaking get it. Being Mexican/Latinx in this country sucks and white people have power. Thanks, Boyle.
The heavy-handedness leads into the over-simplification. Because América and Cándido keep getting screwed over and Kyra and Delaney keep exercising their privilege and hate, that's all there is to this story. The deeply complex issue of immigration is reduced to hopelessness and racism. The story is flat and empty and repetitive.
And, finally, the obtrusively male perspective. There are just little comments that a male narrator will make about a woman's body that are completely unnecessary to anything throughout the novel that drive me crazy. And,
Spoiler
there's a rape scene that's also completely unnecessary to the plot and ends up being more about the male character than the female character that was raped. What the heck.The only thing I liked about this novel - why it's getting two stars - is that it did emphasize the hypocrisy of the white middle class. But I'm not sure that's worth the read.
Also, Boyle uses an insane amount of adjectives. To the point that it's overwhelming.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Although written 15 years ago, this book remains agonizingly relevant to the ongoing discussion of immigration reform, if only to remind us that on both sides of the issue there are real people with real lives, not just the numbers we always hear in the news. I was interested to find, when I finished the book, that the reviews in goodreads seem to be mostly 4-5 or 1-2 - i.e., people either loved it or hated it. Not sure if this is a reflection of one's political perspectives, but I thought the book was very well written, the characters believeable, and overall quite worth reading.
This is an incredible book that made me feel unilaterally horrible about pretty much everything. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys liberal guilt!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book, and found the contrast between main characters parallel storylines really jarring but engaging. The ending was frustratingly unsatisfying, but I imagine this was intended.