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A review by franka17
The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes
3.0
The Death of Artemio Cruz was befall one of the most difficult pieces of literature that I've ever read. Naturally, that being the case, I felt rather conflicted about this work. On one hand, the stream of consciousness style provided for an incredibly fascinating and intimate (and occasionally disturbing) look at death through the eyes of the man passing away. As a piece of art, I found this incredibly intriguing and effective at the same time.
On the other hand, I didn't especially enjoy this novel as a story. I felt that the thoughts, ideas, and stories became lost in the overly-poetic tone of the book. Additionally, when point of view, subject, and time period are all changing at any given second with no announcement of the fact that its happening, it can lead to a confusing and occasionally frustrating reading experience.
I believe that this book is far more valuable as a work of art and as a philosophical analysis than it is as a story or a look at Latin American culture. Few other novels that I've read have been able to so perfectly take me along on a mental journey inside of the mind of a single person, but because of this and its inherent chaos, the story was frequently disjointed and became incredibly frustrating to read.
On the other hand, I didn't especially enjoy this novel as a story. I felt that the thoughts, ideas, and stories became lost in the overly-poetic tone of the book. Additionally, when point of view, subject, and time period are all changing at any given second with no announcement of the fact that its happening, it can lead to a confusing and occasionally frustrating reading experience.
I believe that this book is far more valuable as a work of art and as a philosophical analysis than it is as a story or a look at Latin American culture. Few other novels that I've read have been able to so perfectly take me along on a mental journey inside of the mind of a single person, but because of this and its inherent chaos, the story was frequently disjointed and became incredibly frustrating to read.