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My Tender Matador
My Tender Matador | Pedro Lemebel
7 posts | 8 read | 9 to read
As Chile descends into chaos, two disparate souls begin an odd-couple romance, in the tradition of Kiss of the Spider Woman or The Crying Game (Kirkus Reviews). It is the spring of 1986, and Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is losing his grip on power. In one of Santiagos many poor neighborhoods, a man known as the Queen of the Corner embroiders linens for the wealthy. A hopeless and lonely romantic, he listens to boleros to drown out the gunshots. Then he meets Carlos, a young, handsome man who befriends the aging homosexual and uses his house to store mysterious boxes and hold clandestine meetings. And as the relationship between these two very different men blossoms, they find themselves caught in a revolution that could doom them both. By turns funny and profoundly moving, Pedro Lemebels lyrical prose offers an intimate window into the mind of Pinochet himself as the world of Carlos and the Queen prepares to collide with the dictators own in a wonderful snapshot of this period of Chiles history . . . A touching tale of love and danger (Booklist).
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ChaoticMissAdventures
My Tender Matador | Pedro Lemebel
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Pickpick

Set in Chile during a politically turbulent time. Following a gay man who is used by revolutionary forces and who falls for one of the members is a sad &meditative read. It is very short about 170 pages but you feel for the Queen throughout, the author uses both She/He pronouns for our main character, she is a vivid character. We also follow the nasty president & his annoying wife through this time you will want them to bet him by the end also.

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TiminCalifornia
My Tender Matador | Pedro Lemebel
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Pickpick

Imbued with a certain pathos from beginning to end. The writing is beautiful, the story nicely paced and peopled by vivid characters.

I was struck by how meager the expectations were of life, from life. This is most notable from our main character, the Queen of the Corner, but really I got a sense that no one expected much from their lives, not even Chile's dictator Pinochet.

Great choice from the book club.

#doublespin
#bookspinbingo

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TiminCalifornia
My Tender Matador | Pedro Lemebel
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“As she got off the bus..she heard the soldier‘s order for the men to go here and the women to go over there, she didn‘t know what to do, and just as she was getting totally flustered and all in a tizzy, she sensed the emergence of her emergency drag queen.”

#emergencydragqueen

Excerpt From
My Tender Matador
Pedro Lemebel & Katherine Silver

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TiminCalifornia
My Tender Matador | Pedro Lemebel
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July #Bookspin List is assembled. Added a couple placeholders for whatever I find on my mom‘s bookshelves while I am house/dog sitting for her. Another placeholder for a draft of a story written by a friend.

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 3y
33 likes1 comment
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AlizaApp
My Tender Matador | Pedro Lemebel
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Pickpick

Queer life in Chile during the end of Pinochet‘s regime. The Queen lives a quiet life in Santiago, embroiders fancy tablecloths and falls for a handsome young rebel, who may have feelings back. An unconventional romance, but very moving. The birthday party scene was really something.

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Nitpickyabouttrains
My Tender Matador | Pedro Lemebel
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A poetically written book about a period of history in Chile I did not know a lot about. Fiction but semi autobiographical.

13 likes2 stack adds
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Giulia
Tengo miedo torero | Pedro Lemebel
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I'm reading "Ho paura torero"

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