Scan barcode
A review by lauralhart
Fish Soup by Margarita García Robayo
2.0
"'Am I okay?' I asked her. I was panting.
She just shook her head."
It's not that I didn't enjoy this collection of novellas and stories because the characters were unlikeable or the endings were too abrupt. I agree with translator Charlotte Coombe in that the characters are unlikeable precisely because they are real, and the abrupt endings are also true to lived experience. I also appreciated the way that García Robayo portrayed dissatisfied people in various types of in betweens. Perhaps, ultimately, I simply didn't connect with the author's style or her flavor of dark humor. My favorite pieces were "Like a Pariah" and 'Sexual Education.'
She just shook her head."
It's not that I didn't enjoy this collection of novellas and stories because the characters were unlikeable or the endings were too abrupt. I agree with translator Charlotte Coombe in that the characters are unlikeable precisely because they are real, and the abrupt endings are also true to lived experience. I also appreciated the way that García Robayo portrayed dissatisfied people in various types of in betweens. Perhaps, ultimately, I simply didn't connect with the author's style or her flavor of dark humor. My favorite pieces were "Like a Pariah" and 'Sexual Education.'