Alejandro Zambra

Not really sure what I gained from having read this short novel. Not really sure what to say about it. It was pleasant and it was sad, in its way, and a very quick read, but not at all memorable. Can’t say I understand the glowing hype surrounding it.
The characters felt quite flat and the metafictional elements only served to flatten them further. Perhaps their flatness was intentional, a kind of satire intended to point out the limitations of textual creation. But that would be a rather pallid, self-defeating game, considering the potential and all the many feats of literary characterization.… (more)