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A review by abbutterflie
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz
4.0
I really like Junot Diaz' writing style. It reminds me of the South American movies I used to watch when I was younger, like Amores Perros and City of God. It's fresh and vibrant and feels like its playing the world in technicolour.
Diaz often writes in the second person, not a common technique. I remember wondering, when I would try to write, why only the 1st and 3rd person voices were used. The second person voice draws the reader into the action, its not about someone else, its about you.
I've heard reviewers say that his female characters are very one dimensional. They may be, but I'm not sure if that isn't on purpose - I am not sure that Yunior really sees any of the women in his life as complete people. Like a child perhaps, no one is really real outside of himself, and that's how he is able to continue his pathological betrayals.
Oh, and as a side benefit, I learnt a ton of Spanish vocab reading this. Not sure how much of it is repeatable in polite company though... [or whether a more rudimentary knowledge of Spanish than mine, and mine isn't great, would detract too much from the experience of reading it]
Diaz often writes in the second person, not a common technique. I remember wondering, when I would try to write, why only the 1st and 3rd person voices were used. The second person voice draws the reader into the action, its not about someone else, its about you.
I've heard reviewers say that his female characters are very one dimensional. They may be, but I'm not sure if that isn't on purpose - I am not sure that Yunior really sees any of the women in his life as complete people. Like a child perhaps, no one is really real outside of himself, and that's how he is able to continue his pathological betrayals.
Oh, and as a side benefit, I learnt a ton of Spanish vocab reading this. Not sure how much of it is repeatable in polite company though... [or whether a more rudimentary knowledge of Spanish than mine, and mine isn't great, would detract too much from the experience of reading it]