Colombian novel wins UK literary prize

kalder says on Jun 18, 2009, 05:02:

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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kalder says on Jun 18, 2009, 05:04:

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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kalder says on Jun 19, 2009, 00:25:

Yeah...I should've known better...

Let's talk about hookers then...

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jun 19, 2009, 00:28:

kalder says on Jun 19, 2009, 00:35:

I don't like 'weepies' much myself- I get upset too easily. However, the Vásquez novel is going for about £3.50 on Amazon, so I'll think I'll get a copy of that.

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jun 19, 2009, 00:42:

kalder says on Jun 19, 2009, 00:48:

I keep meaning to read La voragine. But the cheapest translation's about £30.

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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larumberainglesa says on Jun 23, 2009, 03:34:

I will buy the book Kalder. Don't resort to talking about hookers - keep doing what you're doing!

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kalder says on Jun 23, 2009, 05:14:

Oh, hi you!

I've just this moment ordered 'The Informers' on Amazon.

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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larumberainglesa says on Jun 24, 2009, 05:27:

U still in London?

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kalder says on Jul 13, 2009, 09:03:

I am.

You still in Essex?

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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kalder says on Jul 13, 2009, 09:04:

btw: "Los Informantes" was boring :(

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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gatogris says on Jul 13, 2009, 09:52:

I found "The Armies" a little disappointing. It was compelling in its depiction of village life, and the writing was convincing, but the violence and mayhem, vulnerability and insanity that ensues feels too random, too much a thing of chaos. Now I realize this is part of the point - the war is not experienced by the majority of those whom it impacts as a clash of ideals or political standpoints, but rather as arbitrary and anonymous terror. I get it, and also how form follows content, as the novel becomes more disordered stylistically, following the disintegration of Ismael's disordered mind.

But from what I have seen of the war and conflict in Colombia, events and sense-experience did not follow even this pure a narrative arc. In the midst of bloodshed there is absurdity, laughter, tenderness. It is not so much that violence drives people morally insane as it seems to be able to coexist along with all the other more comfortable manifestations of human expression. In some ways this is even more terrifying than Rosero's portrait of a man and a community distorted - how naturally violence comes to us.

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gatogris says on Jul 13, 2009, 09:56:

But seriously, that prostituta had an unbelievable set of mangoes on top and a dripping ripe papaya down below. God Bless $30 and Cra 53! Ba-Donk-A-Donk, Latina Styles!

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kalder says on Jul 14, 2009, 00:31:

I'm sold.

"A piece of cheese may entrap a mouse, but a bicycle could ensnare the Imperial Chancellor."~~An Bai Kuang

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larumberainglesa says on Jul 15, 2009, 05:46:

Yes Kalder, still in Essex ...

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