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The Barcelona Brothers
A gritty noir set in Barcelona's savage underbelly.
Epi Dalmau is a desperate man. Early one morning, he carries a duffle bag into a dingy bar in a rough neighborhood of Barcelona. Four other people are in the bar: his brother Alex, his good friend Tanveer, the bartender, and a Pakistani man who wandered in to use the restroom. Epi grabs a hammer out of his duffle bag and a...more
Epi Dalmau is a desperate man. Early one morning, he carries a duffle bag into a dingy bar in a rough neighborhood of Barcelona. Four other people are in the bar: his brother Alex, his good friend Tanveer, the bartender, and a Pakistani man who wandered in to use the restroom. Epi grabs a hammer out of his duffle bag and a...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 28th 2012
by Other Press
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(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this review, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Carlos Zanon's new The Barcelona Brothers is a fascinating update of a traditional literary genre; specifically, it's a slow-moving, character-heavy noir, but set within the dark rainbow of the lowlife people of color who populate the poor sections of urban southern Europe, in this case the barrios that r...more
Carlos Zanon's new The Barcelona Brothers is a fascinating update of a traditional literary genre; specifically, it's a slow-moving, character-heavy noir, but set within the dark rainbow of the lowlife people of color who populate the poor sections of urban southern Europe, in this case the barrios that r...more
I won this book on goodreads, and wasn't sure what to expect. The story line was very kafkaesque and told from multiple points of view. Many of the main characters were drug users or had mental illness. Because of these two things there were times where it got a little confusing but quickly smoothed itself right out and I think that it was part of the author's intention. It was interesting to read about the police corruption in another country, yet have the characters be so nonchalant about it t...more
This is not so much a whodunnit (as we see the crime taking place in the very first chapter), but a 'will they get away with it?' as the two surviving members of a dysfunctional family, two loving but challenging brothers, search for each other in the aftermath of a hammer attack on a Morrocan rival. This is a wild ride through the seamy underside of a poverty-stricken barrio of Barcelona. Some of the scenes are almost unbearably graphic and violent, but it's also a stinging social critique.
Mostly competent, but occasionally riveting noir set in Barcelona. I appreciate Zanon's flair for frenetic action, and for not gratuitously diving into the seedier parts of the narrators' world. By just commenting on them within the narrative, it makes them seem that much grimmer. Overall, it's a pretty entertaining story, shifting between multiple voices and perspectives, but whether it adds to the collective body of noir storytelling I leave entirely up to you.
This book is quite a page turner, I got to pg 70 in one sitting until I had to go and have some lunch. The characters are quite interesting and well-developed, and living in Barcelona, it is nice to read something set in a neighbourhood in the city that I don't know too much about. Still reading it...
Great nihilistic book. Compelling characters, story and profound insight into immigrant and Catalan identities in modern Europe.
I hate it
Interesting book..took me a short bit to get involved in the book, but once I did I enjoyed it. It reminds me of the movie Pulp Fiction as it kind of goes from the end to the beginning.
I received this book from Goodreads.com.
I received this book from Goodreads.com.
Jun 08, 2013
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