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A review by entamewitchlulu
Black Sugar by Miguel Bonnefoy
2.0
I picked this one for the Popsugar prompt "a book with 'pop', 'sugar' or 'challenge' in the title'
I really....have no idea what the point of that was. I kind of felt like I was being told a story by someone's grandparent, as there was a LOT of description and yet no real depth to it. Part of it may be chalked up to the fact that this is a translation, and it may in fact have sounded better in its original language, but I was just massively bored throughout the whole story. Being told all of the little details about the rum business or the economy or the town gossip, none of it felt important or engaging, and I still have no idea what the whole point was. What was the takeaway? What was I supposed to think or feel? I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either, it inspired no strong feelings and it just makes me feel like I wasted my time.
I have no doubt there WAS some important thing in here to learn, and there was something interesting in learning more about Venezuela in what it did talk about, but I didn't really grasp the importance. I also really haven't the slightest clue where the 'magical realism' that it was labeled as came in. It seemed pretty realistic to me.
I really....have no idea what the point of that was. I kind of felt like I was being told a story by someone's grandparent, as there was a LOT of description and yet no real depth to it. Part of it may be chalked up to the fact that this is a translation, and it may in fact have sounded better in its original language, but I was just massively bored throughout the whole story. Being told all of the little details about the rum business or the economy or the town gossip, none of it felt important or engaging, and I still have no idea what the whole point was. What was the takeaway? What was I supposed to think or feel? I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either, it inspired no strong feelings and it just makes me feel like I wasted my time.
I have no doubt there WAS some important thing in here to learn, and there was something interesting in learning more about Venezuela in what it did talk about, but I didn't really grasp the importance. I also really haven't the slightest clue where the 'magical realism' that it was labeled as came in. It seemed pretty realistic to me.