"The factual skeleton of the author's life is given flesh and blood in his strangely beautiful book, in which poetry, fiction, autobiography, histo...
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reviews
Oct 11, 2010
Ruth
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This is a book of little political/personal/regional stories (actually they feel more like prose poems) side-by-side with these crazy recurring and transmuting illustrations that kind of make their own visual stories (I like the one of a cow looking up at some insects that are actually tiny helicopters & planes) about life and culture in the Americas. The titles vary from The Function of Art to The Culture of Terror to The Air and the Wind. You can just pick it up and read one or two of them a
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Nov 24, 2008
Powells.com
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"I write for those who cannot read me: the downtrodden, the ones who have been waiting on line for centuries to get into history, who cannot read a book or afford to buy one." Eduardo Galeano is a Uruguayan journalist whose works tread the border between poetry and historical narrative. The Book of Embraces is composed of nearly 200 vignettes, brief anecdotes an entire universe unto themselves. The breathtaking scope of Galeano's writing is unrivaled: he skillfully muses upon art, hist
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Mar 12, 2009
Tait
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Eduardo Galeano’s The Book of Embraces reads like a collection of politically charged fairy tales. He does this by drawing on the form, style, and tone of Aesop’s Fables (which was essentially the first collection of short short prose fiction) and inserting in moments of magic or myth at pivotal moments in his short narratives, such as the line, “he scoured heaven and earth in vain” (16) in the section The Origin of the World, the title of which also partakes and sets up this mythic scope. But
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Aug 05, 2011
Beatriz
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"Un hombre del pueblo de Neguá, en la costa de Co-
lombia, pudo subir al alto cielo.
A la vuelta contó. Dijo que había contemplado desde
arriba, la vida humana.
Y dijo que somos un mar de fueguitos.
-El mundo es eso -reveló- un montón de gente, un mar
de fueguitos.
Cada persona brilla con luz propia entre todas las
demás.
No hay dos fuegos iguales. Hay fuegos grandes y fue-
gos chicos y fuegos de todos los colores. Hay gente de
fuego sereno, que ni se entera del viento, y gente de fue-
go loco que llen More...
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Oct 22, 2011
Victor
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Cuando uno tiene preguntas difíciles, revisa entre sus cajones por aquellas certezas por las que ha optado, conciente o no, pero que están ahí como ejes directrices para el provenir.
Eso es Galeano para mí, y eso ha sido este libro, que fue como otros un libro de cabecera en algún tiempo importante para mí. Que rayé en muros anónimos, que seguí profundamente, buscando los abrazos que prometía y que cumplió.
A veces cuando uno se encuentra con una pregunta difícil busc More...
Eso es Galeano para mí, y eso ha sido este libro, que fue como otros un libro de cabecera en algún tiempo importante para mí. Que rayé en muros anónimos, que seguí profundamente, buscando los abrazos que prometía y que cumplió.
A veces cuando uno se encuentra con una pregunta difícil busc More...
Nov 22, 2007
jeremy
rated it:
"I write for those who cannot read me: the downtrodden, the ones who have been waiting on line for centuries to get into history, who cannot read a book or afford to buy one."
Eduardo Galeano is a Uruguayan journalist whose works tread the border between poetry and historical narrative. The Book of Embraces is composed of nearly two hundred vignettes, brief anecdotes an entire universe unto themselves.
The breathtaking scope of Galeano's writing is unrivaled: he skill More...
Eduardo Galeano is a Uruguayan journalist whose works tread the border between poetry and historical narrative. The Book of Embraces is composed of nearly two hundred vignettes, brief anecdotes an entire universe unto themselves.
The breathtaking scope of Galeano's writing is unrivaled: he skill More...
Dec 10, 2008
Flávia
rated it:
Galeano me surpreende a cada linha, mesmo que isso tenha acontecido com os únicos dois livros dele que li até agora. O Livro dos Abraços me fez voltar a uma sensação que ainda não consegui definir direito, próxima de conforto e dor, que julgava que não existir mais pra mim. Devo confessar que só voltei ao GoodReads pra contar pra quem quiser ler que chorei hoje.
Sep 21, 2011
Carolyn
rated it:
Some of the most beautifully objective and yet dream-like visions of life i have ever read. Every other page is a story, and all together they make a life--not in the linear sense we expect a life to be read, but in the more honest, more real way that a life is experienced, a putting together of all the soul's pieces, as Galeano writes.
Nov 24, 2011
Nayeli
rated it: 
I don't know how reading this book in English would be like. I read it in Spanish and it's, dare I say, beautiful. I hesitate to use those kinds of adjectives in my everyday life, but here... well, it applies. The really really short story format (some are even like tiny poems) allowed me to go through it even with the burden of school finals upon me, as I could go back without feeling like I've missed/forgotten something. Recommended (and a lot), pero en español.
Jan 29, 2012
Barbara
rated it:
La casa delle parole
Alla casa delle parole, sognava Helena Villagra, accorrevano i poeti. Le parole, serbate in vecchie fiasche di cristallo, aspettavano i poeti, per offrirsi a loro pazze di desiderio: volevano essere scelte. Pregavano i poeti di guardarle, di odorarle, di toccarle, di leccarle. I poeti aprivano le fiasche, assaggiavano le parole con un dito, e poi si leccavano i baffi, o storcevano il naso. I poeti andavano in cerca di parole che conoscevano e avevano perduto.
Nella casa delle More...
Alla casa delle parole, sognava Helena Villagra, accorrevano i poeti. Le parole, serbate in vecchie fiasche di cristallo, aspettavano i poeti, per offrirsi a loro pazze di desiderio: volevano essere scelte. Pregavano i poeti di guardarle, di odorarle, di toccarle, di leccarle. I poeti aprivano le fiasche, assaggiavano le parole con un dito, e poi si leccavano i baffi, o storcevano il naso. I poeti andavano in cerca di parole che conoscevano e avevano perduto.
Nella casa delle More...
Jun 22, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
A remarkable book for its structure and social commentary. Made up entirely of short anecdotes, THE BOOK OF EMBRACES is unified by voice (curmudgeonly, observant, funny) and by a sweeping critique of colonial culture, pop culture, dictatorships, and market-based economies. A thoughtful but quick read.
Sep 16, 2009
Terri
rated it:
Not only is this one of my all-time favorite books (filled with essays on life, love, oppression, politics, dreams, torture, survival, theology, and freedom) but it also has fascinating pen and ink drawings - a part of which is my new tattoo. A volume to read and reread constantly!
May 18, 2009
Desertwoman
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I saw this book and thumbed through it at a friend's home and had to go out and buy it.
It is an English translation of an originally Spanish written book that is a compilation of poems and short stories that have, in many cases, political overtones like so many Latin American writers.
It is an English translation of an originally Spanish written book that is a compilation of poems and short stories that have, in many cases, political overtones like so many Latin American writers.
Sep 02, 2011
Rachel Ann
rated it:
Just as amazing, if not more so, than I expected from all the recommendations I received to read this book. Galeano is one of those writers that makes me feel like anything is possible -- write what you like, what helps you tell the most truthful version of what you want to tell, and don't care about any of the rules.
Aug 02, 2009
Edmundo
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I read this book in the hallways of the Miami Dada public library around 1993 when "The System" and "The Culture of Terror" were meant to be the end of history. I have carried it with me sever since.
Aug 07, 2011
Javier
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Un libro que recarga las pilas, mirando al pasado para mejorar el presente y el futuro. Galeano demuestra una vez más que es un genio a la hora de unificar la estética con el realismo más duro.
Oct 26, 2010
Laura
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Thought I'd hate it, started liking it, ended up loving bits of it. A book of 200 vignettes, it has something for everyone. Not all of them appealed to me, but several will stick with me forever.
Dec 23, 2009
Bradley
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A series of powerfully beautiful, poignant and often moving vignettes. I can't recommend this highly enough. The perfect read for journeys as it can be taken in bitesize chunks. Read it! Please!
Nov 25, 2011
Zahra Ali
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هذا الكتاب عبارة عن سوناتات تصاعدية ؛؛ تتجمع و تتوحّد و تعتمل مع بعضها لتكوّن نشيدًا كونيًّا ملحميًّا ..
كاليانو يصرخ بقوة | يجعلك تتحسس هشاشتك ؛ يجعلكَ تهوي / تقفز / تضجر / تنكمش / تنأى / تهرول / ترقص / تغني /تموت / تفنى
تُبعَث / تتداعى / تمّحي / تعشق / تزعق / تلوّح / ترمّد كلّ انتصارًا وتجهشُ في وجهِ النّهاية , تعنّف ذاتك وتحنو عليها ؛ ثم تحتفي و
تحتفي وتحتفي بالوجووووود .. More...
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Dec 08, 2011
Chanti
rated it:
A book where poetry, fiction, fantasy, history, autobiography & political commentary mingle together in unexpected & beautiful ways. This collection is so poetic, thoughtful, rich... Galeano is definitely one of Latin America's finest writers. "In 'The Book of Embraces,' Galeano goes out on a tightrope and then levitates in the air above it..." (Washington Post Book World)
"[Galeano] is a dangerous radical storyteller, like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, like Isabel Allende, a More...
"[Galeano] is a dangerous radical storyteller, like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, like Isabel Allende, a More...
Mar 02, 2009
Dalia
rated it:
CHANGED MY FUCKING LIFE!!!!
FOR REAL!!!!
BEAUTIFUL AND INCREDIBLE AND TOTALLY A BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ/INGEST!!!
(the visuals are amazing too!)
FOR REAL!!!!
BEAUTIFUL AND INCREDIBLE AND TOTALLY A BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ/INGEST!!!
(the visuals are amazing too!)
Jan 20, 2009
sheena
rated it:
my new favorite series of short stories.
while reading this book i was so overwhelmed that i thought "i can't wait to re-read this." normally (shamefully?) i have to forget about a book to want to re-read it.
gritty. sad. simple language. and moving. (insert more descriptive cliches, please) for me galeano = neruda + kundera + winterson + amichai, on the rocks.
galeano says it well, "all i know is this: art is art, or it's shit."
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while reading this book i was so overwhelmed that i thought "i can't wait to re-read this." normally (shamefully?) i have to forget about a book to want to re-read it.
gritty. sad. simple language. and moving. (insert more descriptive cliches, please) for me galeano = neruda + kundera + winterson + amichai, on the rocks.
galeano says it well, "all i know is this: art is art, or it's shit."
More...
Jul 31, 2011
Emma
rated it:
This book was really good. It took me a little while to get into it,but once I understood the style of writing it was easy to read. I think this is definately one of those books that you can read many times and always take something different away from it. I picked out a few quotes from the book that I really liked. At points I felt like I missed the point of the story,and I think that might be a lack in my understanding of Latin America and its history, and the stories settings overtook the
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Jan 18, 2011
Megan
rated it:
Poignant. Witty. Heartbreaking. Hilarious. Each and every poem caused me to reflect and grow. Galeano is my poet.
Apr 15, 2009
Marianne
rated it:
A gift from my dear friend Bassam. Beautiful, quick read that will lift your spirits
Dec 27, 2011
LonelyRose
rated it:
قُصاصات و ذكريات و خواطر
مؤلمه, عذبه, صادقه ....لأبعد الحدود
----
عيبه: الترجمه
فيه كتير من تفاصيل تاريخ أمريكا اللاتينيه -اللي مش عندي فكره عنه- و بالتالي في تفاصيل مقدرتش أفهمها للأسف
مؤلمه, عذبه, صادقه ....لأبعد الحدود
----
عيبه: الترجمه
فيه كتير من تفاصيل تاريخ أمريكا اللاتينيه -اللي مش عندي فكره عنه- و بالتالي في تفاصيل مقدرتش أفهمها للأسف
