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The Sound of a Broken Chain
A DON QUIXOTE FOR OUR CENTURY
Two high schoolers become unlikely friends across the distance between their cultures. They are two Quixotes who are each other’s Sancho. Julian, an Argentine who’s a budding conspiracy theorist, would try to infiltrate a military dictatorship and expose its crimes. Edgar, a lonely American expat and science genius, would risk everything to rescue his idealistic Dulcinea from the claws of those same monsters. While fighting to find reason in a world that has lost it completely, they will both doubt their sanity in confronting a massive evil that builds deceptions to hide its nightmares.
But as Edgar’s reality starts to unravel, he realizes that his quest might be impossible. Because he has received a message from the future, which poses an unsolvable question: what do you need to change to save humanity’s future? And the messenger was very clear about how important it is for him to solve this puzzle. Because if Edgar doesn’t, the man from the future would have to kill him.
Set in Buenos Aires and against the background of the 1978 Soccer World Cup—with Argentina both suffering a bloodthirsty tyranny and cheering for a victory of their National Team—this is a story about fighting at all costs to alter the unfathomable mechanism of human history.
A fight that could break the chains of time.
Two high schoolers become unlikely friends across the distance between their cultures. They are two Quixotes who are each other’s Sancho. Julian, an Argentine who’s a budding conspiracy theorist, would try to infiltrate a military dictatorship and expose its crimes. Edgar, a lonely American expat and science genius, would risk everything to rescue his idealistic Dulcinea from the claws of those same monsters. While fighting to find reason in a world that has lost it completely, they will both doubt their sanity in confronting a massive evil that builds deceptions to hide its nightmares.
But as Edgar’s reality starts to unravel, he realizes that his quest might be impossible. Because he has received a message from the future, which poses an unsolvable question: what do you need to change to save humanity’s future? And the messenger was very clear about how important it is for him to solve this puzzle. Because if Edgar doesn’t, the man from the future would have to kill him.
Set in Buenos Aires and against the background of the 1978 Soccer World Cup—with Argentina both suffering a bloodthirsty tyranny and cheering for a victory of their National Team—this is a story about fighting at all costs to alter the unfathomable mechanism of human history.
A fight that could break the chains of time.
440 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2018
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Cortese
3 books24 followersJ.D. Cortese is a scientist and educator by training, and a writer out of a passion for communication. He has written regularly for a widely-read scientific newspaper—The Scientist—and served as at-large editor for educational magazines and large publishing houses. Winner of awards for both science and teaching, he has received also the prestigious annual award of The Writers’ Workshop of Asheville for literary fiction.
After extensively pinning a world map, he and his itinerant wife have found a home in North Carolina’s Durham. His two children remain closer to New York, a city he misses as much as Buenos Aires, Shanghai, and Paris. All these places keep appearing in the dream worlds of his stories, as much in the now as in distant futures. When not at his desk writing, he feeds his two lifelong passions, photography and table tennis.
Follow his books and blogs at J.D. Cortese Books
After extensively pinning a world map, he and his itinerant wife have found a home in North Carolina’s Durham. His two children remain closer to New York, a city he misses as much as Buenos Aires, Shanghai, and Paris. All these places keep appearing in the dream worlds of his stories, as much in the now as in distant futures. When not at his desk writing, he feeds his two lifelong passions, photography and table tennis.
Follow his books and blogs at J.D. Cortese Books
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 16, 2018
J. D. Cortese’s novel, THE SOUND OF A BROKEN CHAIN, is so lyrical, I felt as if I were reading music. From its first melodic page (…it’s no surprise I would miss the exact moment when the threads of time started to slide out of their eyelets.), I was hooked and remained so until the very last word.
Set against the backdrop of the 1978 Soccer World Cup in Buenos Aires, THE SOUND OF A BROKEN CHAIN, is an engaging first-person narrative of two teens, Edgardo and Julian, modern-day Quixotes tilting at the windmills of Argentine political turmoil and tyranny. Equal parts coming-of-age story, suspenseful thriller, love story, historical fiction, and science fiction, Cortese’s action-packed odyssey is one-hundred percent enthralling. I could not wait to turn each adrenalin-rushing page, yet, at the same time, was frightened to do so. Yes, it is that suspenseful!
If you’re a fan of intrigue, time travel, magical realism, and, especially, excellent writing, THE SOUND OF A BROKEN CHAIN is a must-read for you.
Set against the backdrop of the 1978 Soccer World Cup in Buenos Aires, THE SOUND OF A BROKEN CHAIN, is an engaging first-person narrative of two teens, Edgardo and Julian, modern-day Quixotes tilting at the windmills of Argentine political turmoil and tyranny. Equal parts coming-of-age story, suspenseful thriller, love story, historical fiction, and science fiction, Cortese’s action-packed odyssey is one-hundred percent enthralling. I could not wait to turn each adrenalin-rushing page, yet, at the same time, was frightened to do so. Yes, it is that suspenseful!
If you’re a fan of intrigue, time travel, magical realism, and, especially, excellent writing, THE SOUND OF A BROKEN CHAIN is a must-read for you.
November 18, 2018
The Sound of a Broken Chain, by JD Cortese, is an ultimate adventure bringing the 1970’s Argentine era of broken politics and dashed hopes for the future together with a Don Quixote-like teenager willing to risk his life for the girl he loves. Filled with verisimilitude, the book is a perfect contrast of humor and darkness, with evil men and good boys as the perfect foils. With the big final soccer (football) game of 1978 and the city of Buenos Aires as not only backdrops to the story but often times characters themselves, the protagonist, Edgar, a lover of physics, comes of age in a most unusual way; a way that will test his beliefs regarding time and space.
It is difficult to describe without giving away the plot, but I will try: Edgar, our story’s ultimate hero, must find a way to deal with shifting time and otherworldly situations that befall him and the citizens of Buenos Aires as he travels on his quest to save his love interest and possibly the world. With his buddy Julian tagging along for support and as a catalyst to moving the plot forward (and I mean WAY forward, but no spoilers here) the two unlikely heroes find themselves fighting evil that has risen in the form of Montoneros (leftist urban guerrillas). From a plethora of coffee houses, to Buenos Aires streets, to underground places where evil men extract information from those who may help them with their cause, the author uses a deft hand at bringing the reader into an unpredictable world.
The metaphors within the story are perfect for magical realism, the writing bordering on poetic. As a matter of fact, the entire story is a metaphor…for what, however, I will let you decide. With fast-moving chapters (many of which end with one cliff-hanging sentence), and an underlying sense of doom, the book feels a bit like the Da Vince Code, only with Argentine dictatorship instead of Papal control at its core.
The only downside to the story is that it gets a bit wordy at times, and the author sometimes dips into telling instead of actually showing. Luckily, the latter weakness is overshadowed by the beautifully structured sentences themselves. I also would have enjoyed seeing more of the seventies culture, like the hair, clothes, music, advertisements, products, and so on, as I kept forgetting this was in another era until the narrator occasionally reminded me.
The Sound of a Broken Chain is a clever story and moves forward like a speeding bullet. If you like the idea of time travel, embedded with political mayhem and the ultimate quest for good, then this is the book for you. But be forewarned: all is not as it seems, and that is exactly what makes the story tick!
It is difficult to describe without giving away the plot, but I will try: Edgar, our story’s ultimate hero, must find a way to deal with shifting time and otherworldly situations that befall him and the citizens of Buenos Aires as he travels on his quest to save his love interest and possibly the world. With his buddy Julian tagging along for support and as a catalyst to moving the plot forward (and I mean WAY forward, but no spoilers here) the two unlikely heroes find themselves fighting evil that has risen in the form of Montoneros (leftist urban guerrillas). From a plethora of coffee houses, to Buenos Aires streets, to underground places where evil men extract information from those who may help them with their cause, the author uses a deft hand at bringing the reader into an unpredictable world.
The metaphors within the story are perfect for magical realism, the writing bordering on poetic. As a matter of fact, the entire story is a metaphor…for what, however, I will let you decide. With fast-moving chapters (many of which end with one cliff-hanging sentence), and an underlying sense of doom, the book feels a bit like the Da Vince Code, only with Argentine dictatorship instead of Papal control at its core.
The only downside to the story is that it gets a bit wordy at times, and the author sometimes dips into telling instead of actually showing. Luckily, the latter weakness is overshadowed by the beautifully structured sentences themselves. I also would have enjoyed seeing more of the seventies culture, like the hair, clothes, music, advertisements, products, and so on, as I kept forgetting this was in another era until the narrator occasionally reminded me.
The Sound of a Broken Chain is a clever story and moves forward like a speeding bullet. If you like the idea of time travel, embedded with political mayhem and the ultimate quest for good, then this is the book for you. But be forewarned: all is not as it seems, and that is exactly what makes the story tick!
September 26, 2018
In this poised and considered novel, Jorge D. Cortese unspools a time-bending narrative of identity and political idealism set against the backdrop of 1970s Argentina. More than just the outcome of the World Cup or the fates of the Disappeared rest in the balance: at stake is the future of humankind, if Edgardo can figure out who he is—or the man he might one day might become.
Defying genre, The Sound of a Broken Chain mashes World Noir with Sci-Fi thriller, offering an international narrator for today’s true believers, a weary and wise-beyond-his years high-school kid with a heart of gold, who, once he’s legally able to drink, would be equally at home in any work by Robert Heinlein or Jean Claude Izzo.
Defying genre, The Sound of a Broken Chain mashes World Noir with Sci-Fi thriller, offering an international narrator for today’s true believers, a weary and wise-beyond-his years high-school kid with a heart of gold, who, once he’s legally able to drink, would be equally at home in any work by Robert Heinlein or Jean Claude Izzo.
December 15, 2018
The Sound of a Broken Chain does a nice job of integrating young adult/historical fiction with a science fiction "time travel" narrative. I very much enjoyed the plot while learning more about the military take over of Argentina between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Cortese does an excellent job weaving this constant threat of violence into his love and knowledge of the city of Buenos Aires. His feel for the city, in fact, is so strong that it often comes across as a significant character in the book. If nothing else, through such details, Cortese creates a strong backdrop of street scenes, stores, coffee shops and city parks through which his characters are interact - which, in turn, enhances the story's believability. So too, his young protagonists are well developed and, though the military and insurgents, along with the ongoing World Cup event, are a significant tread in enhancing the tension, the plot remains focused on their intimate story. One could quibble with how the parents come across and various others, but keeping the story focused on the central characters and the constant movement of their plot-line is more than sufficient to ignore the less-developed characters or to questions some of the "very adult-like" decision/actions the young people make in bringing the story to a climax. In terms of the science fiction element, Cortese does a nice job of weaving this into the story without it being abrasive. I was reminded, in fact, of Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Not a bad thing in which to be compared at all! Overall, I very much enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in a good read. The quick chapters, the cliff-hanging use of final sentences, and the author's own very obvious love of Buenos Aires more than propels the reader. Yet, in closing the book, I realized I was given more than just a few hours of entertainment. Rather I have thought much about the atrocities the people of Argentina went through, and, though The Sound of a Broken Chain is a work of fiction, in reality, it tells of a very sad, if not horrible, chapter in the history of what must be a wonderful country.
March 24, 2019
Argentinean Time Travel
An exciting adventure set against the backdrop of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina and the military junta repression and disappearance of dossiers- with some time travel reminiscent of Slaughterhouse Five.
An exciting adventure set against the backdrop of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina and the military junta repression and disappearance of dossiers- with some time travel reminiscent of Slaughterhouse Five.
February 17, 2021
To be all things to all readers, aspire to write like J.D. Cortese in "The Sound of a Broken Chain." YA novel? Check. Science novel? Check. Literary novel? Check. Culture? Mystery? Drama? History? Yes, yes, yes, yes.
The setting is 1978 Buenos Aires, Argentina, yet your narrating protagonist is American Edward (Edgardo) Weston, all of 17 years old, smart, alone, and introverted. One friend and one girl change everything.
The natural conversational language of this work captures teenage thoughts and life, while flourishing phrases and deft descriptions make it a pleasure for all readers.
The author accepts comparisons to the story Don Quixote. Fair enough, but the psychological machinations of Edgardo's mind are reminiscent of Crime and Punishment's Rodion Roskolnikov, as are the descriptive walks through city lanes and parks. Fyodor Dostoyevsky alongside Miguel de Cervantes? I love it.
A thread of time travel artfully enters, flavoring the tapestry of the tale. Some readers may think of "The "Matrix" film series.
The writer's desire for drama dangles a ferocious thought about war, and the control that is sought by warring factions. Goals of property and power seem huge, but what if there is something bigger?
Postulated in these pages is this concept: "A war like no other is going to ensue. A war in time." Control of time itself could be the real war to end all wars, - - even those in the past.
Lady Macbeth said, "What's done cannot be undone," but Edgardo is not so sure as she.
Be careful, young man. While embroiled in your very worldly and daring adventure with friends and Argentine history, you ponder if it is "... possible, not likely but possible, that one day we'd attempt to [go back and] correct whatever had gone wrong with humanity." Endeavor to remember this prior exchange, good sir:
Edgardo: "What do you want?"
The Man: "What's best for everybody - and I really mean everybody."
Edgardo: "And what's that?"
The Man: "That is the grand question."
One thing this reader would not question is a recommendation to read "The Sound of a Broken Chain" by J.D. Cortese. It is well worth your time.
The setting is 1978 Buenos Aires, Argentina, yet your narrating protagonist is American Edward (Edgardo) Weston, all of 17 years old, smart, alone, and introverted. One friend and one girl change everything.
The natural conversational language of this work captures teenage thoughts and life, while flourishing phrases and deft descriptions make it a pleasure for all readers.
The author accepts comparisons to the story Don Quixote. Fair enough, but the psychological machinations of Edgardo's mind are reminiscent of Crime and Punishment's Rodion Roskolnikov, as are the descriptive walks through city lanes and parks. Fyodor Dostoyevsky alongside Miguel de Cervantes? I love it.
A thread of time travel artfully enters, flavoring the tapestry of the tale. Some readers may think of "The "Matrix" film series.
The writer's desire for drama dangles a ferocious thought about war, and the control that is sought by warring factions. Goals of property and power seem huge, but what if there is something bigger?
Postulated in these pages is this concept: "A war like no other is going to ensue. A war in time." Control of time itself could be the real war to end all wars, - - even those in the past.
Lady Macbeth said, "What's done cannot be undone," but Edgardo is not so sure as she.
Be careful, young man. While embroiled in your very worldly and daring adventure with friends and Argentine history, you ponder if it is "... possible, not likely but possible, that one day we'd attempt to [go back and] correct whatever had gone wrong with humanity." Endeavor to remember this prior exchange, good sir:
Edgardo: "What do you want?"
The Man: "What's best for everybody - and I really mean everybody."
Edgardo: "And what's that?"
The Man: "That is the grand question."
One thing this reader would not question is a recommendation to read "The Sound of a Broken Chain" by J.D. Cortese. It is well worth your time.
December 27, 2018
I truly liked this book. JD Cortese has created an unusual novel that fuses in perfect harmony magic realism, adventure, history, and romance. While reading “The Sound of a broken Chain” I was transported to my beautiful Buenos Aires of the past and had the feeling of walking alongside Edgardo those enchanted and troublesome streets during the tumultuous year of 1978.
The novel makes you a witness of the friendship of two teenagers, Edgardo and Julian, and traps you on the uneasy excitement of violence when they have to rescue Mariana, a young Montonera, from the hands of the unscrupulous military dictatorship. Messages from the future complicate the picture; time starts to unravel for Edgardo, and a man from the future puts in front of him an impossible dilemma: you only can save one….
After finishing the book, you wander what is true and what is just the unleashed imagination of Edgardo's young powerful mind.
One thing for sure, when you start it will be hard to put it down
The novel makes you a witness of the friendship of two teenagers, Edgardo and Julian, and traps you on the uneasy excitement of violence when they have to rescue Mariana, a young Montonera, from the hands of the unscrupulous military dictatorship. Messages from the future complicate the picture; time starts to unravel for Edgardo, and a man from the future puts in front of him an impossible dilemma: you only can save one….
After finishing the book, you wander what is true and what is just the unleashed imagination of Edgardo's young powerful mind.
One thing for sure, when you start it will be hard to put it down
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews