A review by gabriellejane
The Remainder by Alia Trabucco Zerán

dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


~The Remainder~ 


It's Monday morning, the day after my partner left after visiting for the weekend, puffy eyes from saying see you later, alligator (in a while crocodile), the aftermath of feeling lonely in a long distance relationship heightened during a pandemic, ruminating on this little book, counting down the days until we get to zero, to see each other, until that number goes back to not zero, and we start the process again, always trying to reach the time when we no longer need to count, days. 


The Remainder by Alia Trabucco Zerán and translated by Sophie Hughes was an unexpected read and one I didn't know much about before buying it way back in March. I wanted to read more translated lit this year (LOL that hasn't happened), saw that it was written AND translated by women, and up for some awards.  One of the main questions the book proposes is how do we get back to zero? What happens when griefs/grief/Grief piles on top of you? Told against the backdrop of the aftermath of Chile's dictatorship, Zerán tells a story of reconciliation and the ways people seek it. 


Told in alternating perspectives between 2 of the protagonists, Felipe and Iquela, and different styles (my first paragraph is an ode to Felipe's chapters) that pushed the boundaries of literary writing. 


While the translation is spectacular, I did not connect to Felipe's chapters and sections. I kind of wish it had been a story that focused on Iquela and/or had included Paloma's POV as well. Both narrators were unreliable but not at the same time - a lot was just left unsaid and unraveled over time. The ending did leave me rattled and shocked although in retrospect one that should have been anticipated. 


Recommended for lovers of translated lit, unreliable narrators,  unique writing style, and short books (~200 pages). 



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