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Kingdom Cons
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
13 posts | 11 read | 22 to read
Blood was one thing he knew, and he could see that his was different. Could see it in the way the man filled all the space without any sense of urgency and with an all-knowing air ... Then he saw the jewels that graced him and he knew: he was a King.On the streets of a sprawling Mexican city, the Artist plays his accordion and sings: born into begging, he earns a living by the sweetness of his voice. Performing for a drug baron and his bodyguard one evening, the Artist recognises the power of his audience, and sees a way out. Swearing fealty at the 'court' of the King, he is allowed to live on the drug lord's compound, in exchange for composing flattering chronicles of the characters and lives inside. But the reign of such a King is often short, and the Artist is forced to witness not only the dizzy successes, but the inevitable crash of this fragile world.Told in a heady mixture of baroque imagery and contemporary street slang, Kingdom Cons is a wild and highly original take on the very real situation in Mexico today.
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review
vivastory
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Pickpick

I greatly enjoyed Herrera's Transmigration of Bodies when I read it several years ago. In Kingdom Cons all of the characters are frequently referred to by their professions. Lobo AKA Artist is the protagonist, a young street musician rescued & recruited into the services at the beginning of the novella of a drug lord referred to throughout as King. As critic Tobias Carroll writes, “There‘s a sense that the Artist is just a touch out of his👇

vivastory league among the powerful and lethal personages that reside within the palace. And the reminders of the dangers of this environment are plentiful..“ Ultimately this didn't work as well for me as Transmigration of Bodies, however it is a worthwhile debut & I was frequently reminded of Juan Pablo Villalobos' debut novella “Down the Rabbit Hole“ about lost innocence amidst drug violence. Published two years apart, these two works seem to (edited) 3y
vivastory be in conversation with one another. 3y
66 likes2 comments
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Karyp
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Imma keep it real with you, did not enjoy this book as much as I thought. I think the translation is a bit goofy, add to that the weird prose. I kept reading it because I love the way it describes corridos. I think it honors them very well, but I still could not get through it. This is definitely something I‘d like to try and read in Spanish :)

blurb
Karyp
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Excited to read from this genre known as #narcolit. I consume a lot of narco media through novelas, corridos, and the news so I am interested to see what the literature has to say. I find that this topic is better approaches through different forms of media as it is complex and tbh, sad and scary.

Theshadedbuffalo Welcome to Litsy! ⭐️📚 6y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 📚🤓 6y
5 likes2 comments
review
GuiltyFeat
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Pickpick

Possibly my first ever Mexican writer. This was longlisted for the Tournament of Books, so I picked it up, but at 103 pages it was hardly around long enough to leave a lasting impression. Some nice courtly intrigue and a light, accessible translation, but all too brief for my tastes.

Lola I absolutely love his writing. This is actually the first he wrote but the last published in the US in translation. Lisa Dillman‘s translation is beautiful; I have sought out her other English transitions of Spanish. If you want more Yuri, Signs Preceding the End of the World (which has a note by LD about doing the translation) and The Transmigration of Bodies (my favorite of the three) are both excellent. 6y
Lola Another great little (and creepy in the best way) book translated by Lisa Dillman (Spanish author) is 6y
GuiltyFeat Thanks @Lola I really noticed the quality of the translation and I was intrigued enough to consider exploring further. 6y
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blurb
Lola
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Short Book. I can't recommend Yuri Herrera enough. Lisa Dillman's translations of his beautiful prose are masterful. This is his first book but the one most recently translated to English, just published in the US a few months ago. Signs Preceding the End of the World and The Transmigration of Bodies also fit the #shortbook bill. And are also amazing. #readathon #30DaysofReadathon @DeweysReadathon

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review
Lola
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Pickpick

I took this picture a few weeks ago while having dinner on a restaurant's outdoor patio because I thought I'd be able to use at some point in a Litsy post 😂Turns out that it is very similar(minus the Gargoyle)to the cover of this wonderful little book.Tho' it's the 3rd of the author's to be translated into English, it's actually his debut novel & is a perfect intro to his weird and wonderful work. It's also perfect for #24in48 #booksintranslation

Kappadeemom Skerry 😳 7y
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Lola
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Today's late afternoon sun is perfect for getting in another few pages before dinner. #Sundayfunday

tjwill Beautiful yard! 7y
Blueberry Not here at 105 degrees. I'm hiding in the house with the air conditioner. 7y
54 likes2 comments
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Lola
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Yournewfriendsams Yeah! Love that mug! 7y
Lola @Yournewfriendsams My fave! Perfect size for frothy weekend lattes 😊 7y
Yournewfriendsams @Lola you make your own lattes?!? Super impressed! I've always wanted to invest in a machine but start looking and get overwhelmed. Which do you guys have? 7y
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Lola @Yournewfriendsams I'm sure my unimpressive methods would make a real coffee expert cringe, but it works for me: I have a Keurig Mini (I finally gave in on the Keurig thing) and I use this to froth my milk:https://www.nespresso.com/mobile/us/en/products/Accessory/Aeroccino%2B/p/milk-frother-aeroccino A little pricey but I love it. Cheaper than my old weekend Starbucks habit. And every day without SBs is a day I can buy a Kindle deal w/o guilt 😂 7y
Yournewfriendsams I love it! That's actually what I'm looking for, something small with good reviews, that can save me the $$! I think I might splurge today, thanks for sharing!! Also I just bought a kindle on prime day!! These daily deals are cheaper than a coffee!! Insane! Side note: I'm in line at a coffee place as I type 😩 (edited) 7y
Lola @Yournewfriendsams You'll love it! And 😂😂 re the coffee shop 😊 7y
43 likes6 comments
blurb
Lola
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Two #booksintranslation, both written in Spanish&translated by the incredible Lisa Dillman.KC is the most recent Yuri Herrera to be published in English.My library ordered it for me(as they did his last one)and I'm the first checkout :) SSH came highly recommended by Kelsey @RoscoeBooks I saw it was a Lisa Dillman translation & I was sold.Bonus points for me-the author is from Spain where my daughter is studying for the next few weeks. 🇲🇽 🇪🇸

Faibka Awesome! Definitely added to list! And yes she is a genius translator. How do you find these gems?? Right now I'm enjoying your pick for the postal book club 😉 7y
Lola @Faibka I think I spend as much time discovering new books as I do reading them 🙃 @bookriot gets credit for YH-and I'm so happy to have shared that find with you for so many reasons! SSH was a direct hand-sell from my favorite bookstore. So glad you're enjoying my 2nd round book! Can't wait to read the journal when it comes back :) (edited) 7y
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review
MatthewBurris
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Pickpick

Everybody that came through Receiving today was made to look at this. So much story packed into a slim 100pgs.

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BooksForYears
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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"When a person likes words, they're like booze for your ears."

This book is unputdownable and so beautifully & precisely written that I may just reread it as soon as I finish it.

ohyeahthatgirl That's exaxtly how I felt about Herrera's last one! 7y
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BooksForYears
Kingdom Cons | Yuri Herrera
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Happy book birthday to the latest English translated novel from Yuri Herrera - about a musician at the crossroads of patronage, integrity, and the arts.

haileybean I just ordered this book. I loved Transmigration of Bodies and am so excited for this one! 7y
89 likes5 stack adds1 comment