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bilfy's review against another edition
2.0
La traducción de la primera y segunda parte fue horrible, si no continuaba con la parte 3, no calificaría esto con un 2/5. Me gusta este tipo de historia, desafortunadamente, el traductor fracasó miserablemente en dar vida a la historia.
part 3 sangat menolong karena it was more decent (the translation) walaupun nggak bagus juga. huft. kecewa, buku pertama di 2023;( mungkin terjemahannya akan terbaca biasa aja kalo aku gangerti bahasa spanyol, tapi karena aku paham dan aku bisa nangkep konteks ketika temanteman natives ku ngobrol pake bahasa spanyol, buku ini jadi kayak... ya gak hidup. otakku auto membayangkan bahasa aslinya ketika membaca, dan buku ini jadi kesana kemari. sayang sekali.
part 3 sangat menolong karena it was more decent (the translation) walaupun nggak bagus juga. huft. kecewa, buku pertama di 2023;( mungkin terjemahannya akan terbaca biasa aja kalo aku gangerti bahasa spanyol, tapi karena aku paham dan aku bisa nangkep konteks ketika temanteman natives ku ngobrol pake bahasa spanyol, buku ini jadi kayak... ya gak hidup. otakku auto membayangkan bahasa aslinya ketika membaca, dan buku ini jadi kesana kemari. sayang sekali.
aimeereadsthebooks's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
mabeaver84's review against another edition
3.0
Politically engaged novel about dictatorship in early 20th century Guatemala. Themes include: nature of evil, oppression, terror, violence, imprisonment, torture, death and the internalization of totalitarianism.
persimmonandprose's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Brutal and terrifying.
adam613's review against another edition
5.0
"There's nothing more stupid," he thought, "than the foolish explanations people give for the behavior of others. Behavior of others! Others! A rebuke is often no more than an annoying murmur. It silences the good and amplifies the basest actions. What a pile of shit, painful as a hairbrush striking a sore. And this veiled, fine-haired rebuke goes deeper, and disguises itself as a familiar, friendly, or charitable comment. Even the servants gossip. To hell with all these busybodies."
It takes many things to uphold a dictatorship, including people, deceit, intimidation, desperation and others I can't possibly imagine. For the citizens of this unnamed Latin American country, everyday seems to be a matter of life and death with paranoia lurking around every corner, literally and psychologically. Loosely based on the life and President Manuel Estrada Cabrera of Guatemala, Asturias masterfully paints a lurid picture of life under Mr President, using beautiful syntax and passionate prose to create the original Latin American dictator novel and one of the first to incorporate magical realism.
"A storm raged in Canales's heart, as when a good man confronts injustice. He suffered for his country, its corrupted blood. There was an ache in his skin, his bones, the roots of his hairs, under his nails, between his teeth. What was true? Having used his cap, not his brain, to think. To keep a group of thieves, exploiters, and arrogant traitors in power is so much sadder than to die of hunger in exile. What God do soldiers serve if His regimes betray ideas, the earth, the human race?"
Along with the mesmerizing writing, the plot of Mr President is filled with psychological terror, and a plot that moves at times like a thriller, all the while keeping a pace that is in parlance with the moment. This book has it all; magical realism, action, captivating characters, mystery, villains, hidden agendas, love, revenge and satire. Released earlier this year and first written in 1946, this is the first English translation of this masterpiece in over sixty years. I could tell you more about Me President yet it would not properly explain it in this short post/review. Also, I found it best to go in with very little knowledge of the plot, and for that I was more than pleasantly rewarded.
"The landscape took on the quinine color of the moon, and forest leaves shivered. The soldiers waited in vain for the order to advance. The sound of a dog barking indicated the spot where an invisible village stood. It was daybreak. The immobilized troops, ready to attack the first garrison, felt a weird under- aking the ground force steal away their speed, turning them into stone. The rain turned everything to mush on that sunless morning. It ran down the soldiers' faces and bare backs. Everything was much louder when God wept."
I'm suffering from the classic tale of loving a book so much that I find it very difficult to review. Mr President goes beyond words for me and the only bad thing I have to say about this book, is that I will never again be able to read it for the first time. You can though, and I really hope that you do. There is something for everyone whether you're a fan character driven or plot driven books, Mr President has it all. With so much awesomeness packed into its pages, I may have just read one of my favourite books of the year.
"Canales banged his fist on the table. "What a crook!" He banged his fist again, shaking plates, silverware, and glasses. He opened and closed his fingers as if to strangle that filthy crook, but also to choke a shameful social system. That's why, he thought, the poor are promised the Kingdom of Heaven. What crap! So they'll put up with thieves like this. Enough of this Kingdom of Deceit!"
"The weight of the dead makes the earth revolve at night just as the weight of the living makes it revolve by day. When there are more dead than living, night will be eternal, will have no end, for the living won't be heavy enough to bring."
"The sun was rising when they said goodbye at the border. Alligator-shaped clouds with sparks of light on their backs sailed over emerald fields, the dense mountain forest that birds had transformed into music boxes."
It takes many things to uphold a dictatorship, including people, deceit, intimidation, desperation and others I can't possibly imagine. For the citizens of this unnamed Latin American country, everyday seems to be a matter of life and death with paranoia lurking around every corner, literally and psychologically. Loosely based on the life and President Manuel Estrada Cabrera of Guatemala, Asturias masterfully paints a lurid picture of life under Mr President, using beautiful syntax and passionate prose to create the original Latin American dictator novel and one of the first to incorporate magical realism.
"A storm raged in Canales's heart, as when a good man confronts injustice. He suffered for his country, its corrupted blood. There was an ache in his skin, his bones, the roots of his hairs, under his nails, between his teeth. What was true? Having used his cap, not his brain, to think. To keep a group of thieves, exploiters, and arrogant traitors in power is so much sadder than to die of hunger in exile. What God do soldiers serve if His regimes betray ideas, the earth, the human race?"
Along with the mesmerizing writing, the plot of Mr President is filled with psychological terror, and a plot that moves at times like a thriller, all the while keeping a pace that is in parlance with the moment. This book has it all; magical realism, action, captivating characters, mystery, villains, hidden agendas, love, revenge and satire. Released earlier this year and first written in 1946, this is the first English translation of this masterpiece in over sixty years. I could tell you more about Me President yet it would not properly explain it in this short post/review. Also, I found it best to go in with very little knowledge of the plot, and for that I was more than pleasantly rewarded.
"The landscape took on the quinine color of the moon, and forest leaves shivered. The soldiers waited in vain for the order to advance. The sound of a dog barking indicated the spot where an invisible village stood. It was daybreak. The immobilized troops, ready to attack the first garrison, felt a weird under- aking the ground force steal away their speed, turning them into stone. The rain turned everything to mush on that sunless morning. It ran down the soldiers' faces and bare backs. Everything was much louder when God wept."
I'm suffering from the classic tale of loving a book so much that I find it very difficult to review. Mr President goes beyond words for me and the only bad thing I have to say about this book, is that I will never again be able to read it for the first time. You can though, and I really hope that you do. There is something for everyone whether you're a fan character driven or plot driven books, Mr President has it all. With so much awesomeness packed into its pages, I may have just read one of my favourite books of the year.
"Canales banged his fist on the table. "What a crook!" He banged his fist again, shaking plates, silverware, and glasses. He opened and closed his fingers as if to strangle that filthy crook, but also to choke a shameful social system. That's why, he thought, the poor are promised the Kingdom of Heaven. What crap! So they'll put up with thieves like this. Enough of this Kingdom of Deceit!"
"The weight of the dead makes the earth revolve at night just as the weight of the living makes it revolve by day. When there are more dead than living, night will be eternal, will have no end, for the living won't be heavy enough to bring."
"The sun was rising when they said goodbye at the border. Alligator-shaped clouds with sparks of light on their backs sailed over emerald fields, the dense mountain forest that birds had transformed into music boxes."
megatsunami's review
4.0
I can't really in good conscience recommend this book to anyone, unless you like really depressing books full of terrible unfair things happening. (Also, if you are or have ever been a nursing mother, definitely don't read this book.)
hanntastic's review against another edition
4.0
Global Read Challenge 73: Guatemala
I'm really glad I discovered Miguel Angel Asturias and this book. It was incredible. It was difficult to read at parts, both because it was slow and because many of the scenes were horrifying, but I'm glad I pushed through it. One of the blurbs on the back of the book compares it to Guernica and even though it may be weird to compare a book to a painting I think it is apt. There is a ton going on, it is upsetting, it is unique and it has a clear message.
I'm really glad I discovered Miguel Angel Asturias and this book. It was incredible. It was difficult to read at parts, both because it was slow and because many of the scenes were horrifying, but I'm glad I pushed through it. One of the blurbs on the back of the book compares it to Guernica and even though it may be weird to compare a book to a painting I think it is apt. There is a ton going on, it is upsetting, it is unique and it has a clear message.
libellus's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25