Scan barcode
laurenjoy's review against another edition
5.0
Once again Aira takes away my breath as his protagonists paint a journey through South America. The tale of two German naturalist painters traveling through Argentina and Chile becomes a vivid romance of the senses as Aira tackles the mountains and an Indian raid through the eyes of a disfigured painter who struggles against pain and the alternative- an opiate blend while catching intense and very vivid moments with his paint brush.
jeltenieuwhuis's review against another edition
5.0
Wat een trip. Verbijsterend. Kan zich wat mij betreft meten met mensen als Kafka en Bruno Schulz.
mmillerb's review against another edition
5.0
subtle. really like aira. a very different book than the one of his i’d read previously (shantytown). take it from bolaño: “if there is one contemporary writer who defies classification…”
danbooksit's review against another edition
5.0
I had not been especially interested in this Aire book, and the first ten pages in I thought it would be my least favorite to date, but it pays off soon. The writing becomes more engrossing, page-by-page, reaching by turns lyricism, the sublime, and comedy. Well worth the short time it takes to read.
sarahmorejohn's review against another edition
You’re already dead, make the art. Nothing else matters.
readbyrodkelly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
dreamtokens's review against another edition
3.0
This book is interesting, and by that I mean, it both holds something very precious, much like a secret, and lacks something. The omniscient narrator tells of the mature, travelling life of landscape painter Rugendas, but it doesn't do it with enough feeling, it doesn't make us care about him enough. I can't pin-point what it is that the author does wrong, maybe the fact that is tells the story with few beautiful details, but it doesn't recreate life itself. It's nice in a way that it writes about some great truths, but with not enough context.
paulaantonella's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
timweed's review against another edition
4.0
A dark and strangely compelling little novella. Not the easiest thing to read for various reasons, but if you're interested in the setting (mid-19th century Argentina), Latin American literature, visual art, and the history and theory of landscape painting, it's very much worth your time.