A review by rodrovich
An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter by César Aira

3.0

This started out somewhat light-hearted and quaint, with Rugendas and his traveling companions trekking through Argentinian natural terrains. However, the tone became significantly more intense, and honestly, all the better for it. I liked the (unfortunately sparse) moments of reflection on art and the spirit that Aira took in his biographical fiction of a narrative, and the bits of comedy added to the surreal feeling in the last leg of the book. Still, I wish the book's first 20 pages or so weren't relatively as dry and slow-paced.

7/10