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A review by realadhdoug
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
3.75
This is one of those novels that’s much more poetry than it is narrative. I honestly don’t know if I could even say what the plot is, if there even is one. A patriarch of a large Mexican-American family reflects on his life experiences—especially related to his relationship with his younger brother—as the family gathers together to mourn the death of his 100year-old mother.
A bunch of other stuff happens in the lives of other family members, and all of that is woven in. It’s not really a story so much as it is a window into the lives of this family. At times, I found it difficult to understand what was going on as it bounced from character to character. If you’re looking for a good story, this probably isn’t for you.
That being said, if you just appreciate the beauty of language, this is a must-read. There are so many profound, quotable passages that I think I’ll be reading this again just to document them and file them away. Lots of insight into the human experience. Worth checking out for this reason alone.
A bunch of other stuff happens in the lives of other family members, and all of that is woven in. It’s not really a story so much as it is a window into the lives of this family. At times, I found it difficult to understand what was going on as it bounced from character to character. If you’re looking for a good story, this probably isn’t for you.
That being said, if you just appreciate the beauty of language, this is a must-read. There are so many profound, quotable passages that I think I’ll be reading this again just to document them and file them away. Lots of insight into the human experience. Worth checking out for this reason alone.