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Informers
Informers | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
4 posts | 2 read | 2 to read
From the author of The Sound of Things Falling, a "brilliant new novel" (New York Times Book Review) and one of the most buzzed about books of the year! "One of the most original new voices of Latin American literature." -- Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature When Gabriel Santoro's book is scathingly reviewed by his own father, a famous Bogota rhetorician, Gabriel is devastated. Cataloguing the life of longtime family friend Sara Guterman, a Jewish German immigrant who escaped to Colombia during the 1930s, Gabriel's book seemed an innocent attempt to preserve a piece of his country's rapidly vanishing past. But as Gabriel pours over his research looking for clues to his father's anger, he discovers a sinister secret locked in the pages. After his father's death, and with the help of Sara Guterman and his father's girlfriend, Angelina, Gabriel peels back layer after shocking layer of family history-from the streets of 1940s Bogota to a stranger's doorstep in 1990s Medellin-to reveal a hidden portrait of their past-dark, complex, and inescapable. Juan Gabriel Vasquez has been hailed as one of the leading writers of his generation, compared to Borges, John Le Carre, Joseph Conrad and W. G. Sebald.
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blurb
Dilara
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I left the library with The Informers by Colombian writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez, and went straight to the park with my cup of Ugandan tea for a nice reading session under the shade of a huge cedar tree. Bliss!

#foodandlit #foodandlit2022 #Colombia
@Butterfinger, @Texreader, @Catsandbooks

Graywacke Lovely! 2y
Texreader How awesome! Have a gorgeous day! 2y
31 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
Currey
Pickpick

A slow, artfully crafted book set in Colombia of the 90's but referencing a time when everyone could be an informer but most had the courage to remain silent. The main character is a writer, and there are 2 books that he writes and we read. Much of the book is interviews, meetings, phone calls, an exchanges of words that investigates betrayal. What does it means to betray your friend, your father, your vision of yourself, your future.

Currey #readaroundtheworld Although not really an historical novel, it did have notes in the back from which I learned a great deal (using google search) about Colombia. Also, the author had a great way of hinting at the world around him. For example, instead of talking about the violence in Colombia he said only that Colombians do not stop at stop signs out of fear. 7y
JenP Sounds good! 7y
7 likes2 comments
blurb
Currey

#readaroundtheworld I am 2/3rds of the way through this slow, tightly wound, incredibly crafted book. I am learning quite a bit about Colombia but that is very incidental to the book. Although it highlights one moment of Colombian history, it is not about that history so Much as about the nature of people, their language, their sense of place and the multiple ways that they betray each other. I will post more when I have finished.

JenP Interesting! I have heard one person (a blog reader) say they gave up on it and another person @kimmychr0nicles who is also enjoying it. I hope to squeeze in one of his books if I have extra time this month. 7y
kimmychr0nicles Yes I'm in process of reading it now. I liked and would recommend Sound of things falling before this one. I do enjoy it though! It's a lot of stream of consciousness writing which can be quite difficult to read for some 7y
Currey Yes, nothing actually happens in the book in the present moment except recording interviews, phone calls, evening walks, writing, thinking etc. and you don't get to the core of the book until about half way thru. Not a juicy book for that reason but I am enjoying how he slowly unfolds the issues. @kimmychr0nicles @JenP 7y
Currey Also thank you for the Sounds of Things Falling recommendation. I was going to attempt to fit in Delirium this month. 7y
8 likes4 comments
blurb
kimmychr0nicles
Informers | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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I so enjoyed Sound of Things Falling that I had to get more of his books. Another read for #readaroundtheworld #colombia #colombianauthors So far I am enjoying this one too.

JenP Wow, you are speeding through them. 7y
kimmychr0nicles @JenP well to be fair I didn't finish the one that I posted about yesterday. I started it but since I was already 70ish pages in, I didn't want to bring it on my travels because I like to use 2 books that aren't touched at all when I travel. Plus I want to read as many Colombia books as possible before this month is up. ☺ 7y
4 likes2 comments