International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
Leseratte said:
Crooked Plow/Torto Arado is at present one of the most important (if not the most important) novel recently written. It shows an archaic country seen from the point of view of the protagonist and their families. And I dare to affirm that it includes the spirit that at one certain point becomes the narrator.
I found an extensive review https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/crooked-plow-itamar-vieira-junior/, but it has several spoilers.
That said, I fully agree with you. I dislike the cover, because it really looks like a children´s book. Compare it with the originals.

First cover, Brazilian edition: View attachment 2390
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Thanks for the follow-up and link. Google Books has a lengthy preview (60 pages), so I think I'll start there.
 
Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
Daniel del Real said:
It's an amazing book Stevie, one of my favorite reads from last year. Totally recommend it.
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In one of the other threads, we were just talking about not relying on customer reviews when selecting books to read. However, I did notice that this book averages better than a 4.5 on Goodreads with over 18,000 reviews. Those are pretty amazing numbers, so there are a lot of people who agree with you. Thanks for the recommendation, Daniel. By the way, it appears that the novel is set in the Bahia region of Brasil. Isn't that area the setting for many Jorge Amado books?
 
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Stevie B said:
In one of the other threads, we were just talking about not relying on customer reviews when selecting books to read. However, I did notice that this book averages better than a 4.5 on Goodreads with over 18,000 reviews. Those are pretty amazing numbers, so there are a lot of people who agree with you. Thanks for the recommendation, Daniel. By the way, it appears that the novel is set in the Bahia region of Brasil. Isn't that area the setting for many Jorge Amado books?
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18.000 client reviews !Amazing!
 
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Daniel del Real

Daniel del Real

Moderator
Stevie B said:
In one of the other threads, we were just talking about not relying on customer reviews when selecting books to read. However, I did notice that this book averages better than a 4.5 on Goodreads with over 18,000 reviews. Those are pretty amazing numbers, so there are a lot of people who agree with you. Thanks for the recommendation, Daniel. By the way, it appears that the novel is set in the Bahia region of Brasil. Isn't that area the setting for many Jorge Amado books?
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I agree, I never put atention to Goodreads or these sort of reviews. I care about what you guys say about abouk here, at the forum.
 
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Stevie B said:
By the way, it appears that the novel is set in the Bahia region of Brasil. Isn't that area the setting for many Jorge Amado books?
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Yes, you are right, Stevie. But while Jorge Amado's Bahia is picturesque and colorful, in Vieira Jr. the scenario reflects the archaic relationship depicted in the novel. For example: People live in huts of clay because they are forbidden to build more solid dwellings.
 
Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
Leseratte said:
Yes, you are right, Stevie. But while Jorge Amado's Bahia is picturesque and colorful, in Vieira Jr. the scenario reflects the archaic relationship depicted in the novel. For example: People live in huts of clay because they are forbidden to build more solid dwellings.
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I'm intrigued. I'm heading down to Minneapolis/St. Paul for the weekend. I'm hoping to find a copy of Crooked Plow in one of the larger bookstores. If I don't have any luck, I'll order it online.
 
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Stevie B said:
I'm intrigued. I'm heading down to Minneapolis/St. Paul for the weekend. I'm hoping to find a copy of Crooked Plow in one of the larger bookstores. If I don't have any luck, I'll order it online.
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Hoping for your comments after reading, Stevie!
 
Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
Leseratte said:
Hoping for your comments after reading, Stevie!
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No luck finding Crooked Plow in two bookstores yesterday, including the one I felt most hopeful would carry it (a large Barnes & Noble store). I'll be checking out one more store today, a smaller one with an international fiction niche.
 
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Stevie B said:
No luck finding Crooked Plow in two bookstores yesterday, including the one I felt most hopeful would carry it (a large Barnes & Noble store). I'll be checking out one more store today, a smaller one with an international fiction niche.
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Looks like either the libraries have not updated as yet or everybody is buying the book.
 
Bartleby

Bartleby

Moderator
The 2024 shortlist has been revealed:

  • Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry.
  • Solenoid by Mircea Cărtărescu, translated from Romanian by Sean Cotter.
  • Haven by Emma Donoghue.
  • If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery.
  • The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr.
  • Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright.

The winner will be announced on 23rd May.

www.irishtimes.com

Sebastian Barry and Emma Donoghue shortlisted for Dublin Literary Award 2024

Unusually varied list also includes Jonathan Escoffery’s debut, If I Survive You
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com
 
J

Johnny

Well-known member
Daniel del Real said:
I would say BULLSHIT!
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Agreed, seems a light enough list. The 2 standouts for me are Solenoid and Praiseworthy. Both authors seem to be getting a lot of recognition at the moment. I haven’t read Alexis Wright yet and only Blinding by Cartarescu which I thought was outstanding. Has anyone read Solenoid?
 
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