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El Ruido de Las Cosas Al Caer (the Sound of Things Falling)
El Ruido de Las Cosas Al Caer (the Sound of Things Falling) | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
20 posts | 28 read | 25 to read
La exótica fuga y posterior caza de un hipopótamo, último vestigio del imposible zoológico con el que Pablo Escobar exhibía su poder, es la chispa que arranca los mecanismos de la memoria de Antonio Yammara, protagonista y narrador de El ruido de las cosas al caer, un negro balance de una época de terror y violencia, en una Bogotá descrita como un territorio literario lleno de significaciones. En 1995, Antonio conoce al intrigante Ricardo Laverde, quien ha pasado veinte años en la cárcel. Laverde, de quien se sabe que fue piloto, forma parte de la parroquia de unos billares donde Yammara, joven profesor universitario de Derecho, consume el ocio de su última juventud. Entre los dos se fraguará una estrecha amistad, y Antonio, que pasa por la vida desdibujado por la duda, creerá ver en la experiencia torturada de su amigo un aviso. Antonio intentará comprender a la generación de Laverde (la de sus padres, en definitiva, con sus historias de amor), para valorar el grado de inocencia y de complicidad que les corresponde en la creación de un clima social dominado por la corrupción, el caos y la violencia. El filtro de la memoria permite realizar un recorrido palpitante por la historia reciente de Colombia, recuperando a personajes atractivos y complejos. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION The exotic escape and subsequent capture of a hippopotamus--the final remnant of the incongruous zoo Pablo Escobar used to flaunt his power--is the spark that activates the mechanisms of Antonio Yammara’s memory, protagonist and narrator of El ruido de las cosas al caer--a dark balance from a time of terror and violence, set in a Bogota painted as a region full of literary significance. In 1995, Antonio meets the intriguing Ricardo Laverde, a man who has served a 20-year sentence. Laverde, an acknowledged pilot, is part of the group that gathers at the pool hall where Yammara, a young university Law professor, burns what is left of his youth. The two men become fast friends, to the point where Antonio, whose life has always been full of doubts, affirms that a warning hides within his friend’s tortuous experience. Antonio will try to understand Laverde’s generation (which is also his parent’s, with all its love stories), to evaluate their share of innocence and complicity in the creation of a society dominated by corruption, chaos and violence. Yammara’s memory takes us on a vibrant journey through Colombia’s recent history, bringing back attractive and complex characters.
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GatheringBooks
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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#HumbleHarvest Day 26: One of these books has #FallInTitle - book haul early this year: https://wp.me/pDlzr-p0X - posting a day early since traveling back to the Emirates from Bologna today. ✈ï¸ðŸ›©ï¸ðŸ§³

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect ðŸ‘🻠4mo
Eggs Brilliant ðŸ 4mo
49 likes2 comments
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AnneCecilie
Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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Pickpick

Antonio is looking back on some important days in his life, especially a day in 1996 when he was walking down a street with Ricardo Laverde when they were both shot. Laverde was a man Antonio had met on several occasions and as the year goes by he is by some point contacted by his daughter. This help Antonio discover Laverde‘s past; An aero plane accident in 1938 that would shape the family in generations. As we get to the 80s and 90s,

57 likes1 stack add1 comment
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VoraciousReader
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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Just got this in the mail! Can't wait to start reading it for Read Around the World book group on FB! #bookmail ! ðŸ˜

15 likes1 stack add
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Nitpickyabouttrains
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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Thank you thank you thank you to @CoffeeBooksRepeat for this most amazing box of gifts. I am thrilled by these books (none of which I have read 🤗). These socks looks so comfy and the candle smells like winter! What an awesome #wintersolsticebookexchange

Nitpickyabouttrains P.S @CoffeeBooksRepeat I am so curious which book you bought that I reviewed! 6y
CoffeeBooksRepeat Yay!!! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 it was 👇🻠Lol 😂 it was on my TBR as well so I guess I got a book for myself too. (edited) 6y
25 likes2 comments
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pitou215
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Pickpick

It's always interesting to read the stories of the civilians during Pablo Escobar's time. Enjoyed reading about how their lives have changed because of his reign and many others like him.

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Cecibmg
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“¿Usted lleva un diario, Antonio?
Le dije que no, que los diarios siempre me habían parecido ridículos, una vanidad o un anacronismo: la ficción de que nuestra vida importaâ€.

En eso pensaba cuando conocí a #JuanGabrielVasquez quien me regaló un “abrazo latinoamericanoâ€

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Abailliekaras
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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Pickpick

I love the originality of Juan Gabriel Vasquez's work (although rooted in the tradition of such greats as Garcia Marquez), and his rhythm - taut & lyrical, the prose flows beautifully with a wistful tone: "the nostalgia for things that weren't yet lost". A strong sense of place: Colombia from the 1960s to 1980s, and a story within a story. Antonio's slow, believable decline is matched by sympathetic Ricardo, Elena & Maya. #readaroundtheworld

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Simona
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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Pickpick

The story is told through the life of a individual, whose life is dramatically changed, because of the some drug business from the past, and with great involvement of some of the real events of recent Colombian (and Bogota) history. Excellent quite, introspective novel. Excellent characterization with very rich, fluid prose.

Juan Gabriel Vasquez - #Colombia 🇨🇴

#readingtheworld #readaroundtheworld #rockinmay #cocaine

batsy I recently read his book called Reputations. It was good. Definitely keen to check this out. 7y
Simona @batsy It's my first book by him, and absolutely not the last! Thanks for recommendation 🙠7y
Cinfhen This sounds really good! Thanks for sharing...you too @batsy 💕💕 7y
Currey I added this to my to my have to read stack- it sounds really good. Thank you 7y
Simona @currey Looks like he is the author for 'have to read' stack 😃 7y
74 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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DrBird
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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A slow paced opening that might not have held my interest but something about it has kept me going. Hard to describe except to give it about 50-60 pages.

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kimmychr0nicles
Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Pickpick

Wow. I loved this book. I folded over some many pages because of the profound sentences and ideas to think about. I love the ending. I think I found a new favorite author.

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Simona
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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Antonio suffers from PTSD and he thinks about fate, about the little things in life, that bring us to the point of breakage and fatal changes in life.

#rockinmay #dontstopbelievin

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Simona
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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I wonder, if this is Vasquez's personal opinion about the One Hundred Years of Solitude 🙄

Gissy I concurred! But you cannot say it loud because this book is considered as a masterpiece. But I can't read it either! 😳 7y
Suet624 😂😂😂 7y
Simona @Gissy @Suet624 I can see, and I can understand why people don't like this book ... it's one of my favorites and very dear to my heart 😉😘 7y
kimmychr0nicles I wondered that too. I keep trying with that 100 years of solitude but never finish it. 7y
Simona @kimmychr0nicles Someday, maybe ... I cheer for you 😉😘 7y
53 likes5 comments
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kimmychr0nicles
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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I can't stop reading this book. I need to sleep but I can't because it is so captivating! Chronicle of a Death Foretold was pretty good. A quick read. But Sound of things falling is getting me in touch with the city I was born in and it's making me feel very alive and in touch with the mysterious city and country I was adopted out of at 2 months old. #colombia #readaroundtheworld

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Simona
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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It's not #booksaboutmothers but is the quote about some maternity feelings.

#maybookflowers

Joanne1 Great quote. 7y
Simona @Joanne1 Yes, it is interesting. 7y
58 likes1 stack add2 comments
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CoffeeBooksRepeat
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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What better than a book and some flowers for an anniversary gift 🌻📚#goodreading

britt_brooke Lovely! Happy anniversary! 7y
Alfoster Congrats!🎉ðŸ·ðŸ“š! 7y
DivineDiana Nothing! Happy Anniversary! 7y
See All 10 Comments
CherylDeFranceschi Happy Anniversary! 🎉 7y
melbeautyandbooks Happy Anniversary! 7y
Cinfhen Happy anniversary 🌸🌺🌼🌷🌹 7y
CoffeeBooksRepeat Thank you @britt_brooke 😀 7y
kspenmoll Happy Anniversary! 📚🎉💠7y
Faibka Happy anniversary!! 📚📚📚 7y
102 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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KtG
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Mehso-so

Dull, detached narrator perfectly portrays the life-altering symptoms of PTSD.

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LitHousewife
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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Today the book I got from the book swap at Booktopia Ashville (which was fantastic and I'm sorry they're no longer being held) is today's featured book on my book a day calendar. I need to make time for it despite the invocation of Jonathan Franzen.

ramyasbookshelf I really like your calendar. Have to look for one! 8y
LitHousewife @ramyasbookshelf They are produced by the same company that does the page a day type of calendars. My library sold them for $5 this past December. My first year it was a gift and then I've bought them since because I enjoy them so much. 8y
LorriMcMahonCastro I have this calendar too! 8y
See All 7 Comments
SarahKay This was a wonderful book! 8y
SaraFair Book a day calendar?? Ooooooo. 8y
BookishFeminist Lord, this calendar would do a number on my TBR 📚 8y
Sydsavvy I'm still on last year's calendar! 😳🙄😑 8y
36 likes1 stack add7 comments
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ManditaCee
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Her face was like a party that everyone had left

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SarahKay
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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From The Sound of Things Falling

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LouRead
The Sound of Things Falling | Juan Gabriel Vásquez
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I call this one 'The sound of things falling asleep'.

Hobbinol 😂 7y
3 likes1 comment