A review by wrengaia
The Remainder by Alia Trabucco Zerán

2.0

This is a book that constantly teases its reader into thinking that it's about to become magnificent, that there will be some brilliant revelation, but never delivers on this promise. It lacks coherence and strength, I think, which is frustrating because it contains some truly brilliant ideas. Ultimately, Zerán demands that we rethink remembrance of the dead - whether this be collective memory, historical memory, or a personal remembrance. There are scenes that are utterly enchanting, but they're only loosely held together by a cast of characters who seem to edge towards wonderful richness but never quite arrive, and so instead seem hollow and two dimensional. I can understand why this book has received such critical acclaim, but for me it fell short of what I was expecting by quite some margin.