According to a recent posting, books fall into two categories: (1) you MUST read this immediately; and (2) don't judge me for reading this. This book definitely falls into the first category, but the title may make it a hard sell. I noticed when reading it in public, it received odd stares, but don't judge this book by its cover. It's remarkable. An award winner from Brazil, via a clear and accessible translation, it tells of an unnamed protagonist, unable to remember faces of those he has met. Seeking the truth about his grandfather's death, he takes up residence in a coastal resort town that is transitioning from traditional fishing village to surfers' destination. He has moved there with his father's dog Beta, and that relationship is one of the great love stories of our time. I was somewhat reminded of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, in which another protagonist with a neurological condition had an almost mystical relationship with his dog. Much happens in this book, and one quibble I may have is the positioning of a brief introduction. Future readers will have to determine if they agree. I received this from the publisher through First to Read.This book is an amazing experience, but I'm not sure I fully processed all of it, and I'm not sure I'm satisfied with where it landed, philosophically. It's the story of an unnamed protagonist whose father kills himself at the beginning of the book. He takes his father's dog and goes to the village where he's just learned his grandfather was killed years before. His grandfather has become a taboo legend, and his efforts to find out what happened there forty years before are blocked at every turn. In the mean time, he settles in to life, finds a job at a gym, enjoys life on the beach, falls in and out of love. The mystery plot involving his grandfather evolves incredibly slowly, as does the story of his lost love, and why he won't speak to his brother. There's a lot of time hanging around, meeting interesting people, living life, discussing life and its complications. You have to be patient to enjoy the story but it's well-written enough to enjoy it at its slow pace.The last 100 pages or so are somewhat difficult to swallow, both in their literal interpretation (the plot takes a strange turn) and their metaphorical meaning (it's unclear to me exactly what Galera was trying to accomplish with it). The novel ends with the narrator's impassioned philosophical argument. He's figured it all out. Forgiveness is impossible, and we should never forgive. He also discusses fate, choice, and precognition. It's all thought-provoking, but at this point he isn't making much sense to me, and that's the bang the novel ends with. Eh. I'm just not there with him.But that doesn't change the fact that this is a beautiful novel, which vivid symbolism, solid characters, and enjoyable discussions of important topics. I really enjoyed it.
What do You think about Flut (2012)?
se fosse um filme seria tipo um blockbuster, mas um bom blokbuster
—Lilyyyy
