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hector_viruega's review against another edition
5.0
Amé la prosa, tal vez nunca había leido un libro escrito con lenguaje tan hermoso.
tonatyuh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
One of the best novels I’ve read.. if you can read Spanish, I implore you to read this in its original language you won’t be disappointed 🧎🏽♀️
samcibula's review against another edition
4.5
This was my first re-read of the year (of a novel at least) and my first time reading in English. Definitely more evocative and haunting in the original but it was still an immensely enjoyable read, and the translation was good. A wonderful, wonderful novel.
mak99's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
pvchu's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Siento que el libro es bueno seguramente pero no lo pude disfrutar tanto, hubo momentos en que disfrute mucho leerlo pero tambien hubo otros en los que estaba muy confundido para pasarlo bien, creo que mi decisión de tenerlo como libro para leer en la micro fue mala idea porque siento que gracias a eso me costo entenderlo mas. Ademas que no leí tan seguido como otros meses entonces cuando volvia al libro no recordaba bien las cosas y me confundia más aun. Quizas algun dia lo pueda leer con el cuidado que necesite y lo pueda disfrutar más, pero en este momento de mi vida quiero pasar a otros libros.
d5lefko's review against another edition
3.0
Confusing and difficult and only 123 pages and pretty thoroughly confounding and I’m certain I need to reread it and I think (I think) I liked it
bujobyfilo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
magic_miles's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
olya_hakob's review against another edition
Pedro Páramo is considered one of the most important works of Latin American literature and a formative influence on Magic Realism. Importantly, as the narration cannot unambiguously be interpreted as reality, the novel cannot be cleanly classified as Magic Realism.
One aspect that is striking about this novel is the setting and the imagery. It's easy to get immersed in the world that the author tried to convey, although at times it was hard to follow which story is being told. Despite the overall gloomy tone, there are ingenious pieces of humor, such as this passage:
That town sits on the coals of the earth, at the very mouth of hell. They say that when people from there die and go to hell, they come back for a blanket
In terms of content, do not expect any heartwarming or feel-good story. This is a bluntly honest book about the loss of hope, hope that had once fuelled people's lives and then ended up succumbing to the harsh reality. The most unsettling thing was that the death (of hope) does not end anything but leads to a dragging and paralytic "purgatory" existence. Not a perspective anybody would like to imagine let alone encounter but something that unfortunately does happen.
Finally, the character of Pedro Páramo himself. He seems an epitome of a self-absorbed, incompetent, and authoritarian leader, somebody who might just "cross his arms" and let people starve. A leader whose unwise decisions might destroy the fates of countless people. A leader who forces people into uncomfortable moral dilemmas: think of the priest that had to act against his moral compass because "prayers don't fill a stomach".
Overall, a very gloomy yet important novel full of vivid descriptions and thought-provoking turns.
One aspect that is striking about this novel is the setting and the imagery. It's easy to get immersed in the world that the author tried to convey, although at times it was hard to follow which story is being told. Despite the overall gloomy tone, there are ingenious pieces of humor, such as this passage:
That town sits on the coals of the earth, at the very mouth of hell. They say that when people from there die and go to hell, they come back for a blanket
In terms of content, do not expect any heartwarming or feel-good story. This is a bluntly honest book about the loss of hope, hope that had once fuelled people's lives and then ended up succumbing to the harsh reality. The most unsettling thing was that the death (of hope) does not end anything but leads to a dragging and paralytic "purgatory" existence. Not a perspective anybody would like to imagine let alone encounter but something that unfortunately does happen.
Finally, the character of Pedro Páramo himself. He seems an epitome of a self-absorbed, incompetent, and authoritarian leader, somebody who might just "cross his arms" and let people starve. A leader whose unwise decisions might destroy the fates of countless people. A leader who forces people into uncomfortable moral dilemmas: think of the priest that had to act against his moral compass because "prayers don't fill a stomach".
Overall, a very gloomy yet important novel full of vivid descriptions and thought-provoking turns.