You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue - 4 stars (Steeplechase)

[Joy D]

You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue - 4* - My Review

This book is an unusual mix of alternate history, satire, and revenge story. It takes the meeting between the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and Moctezuma of the Aztec Empire and turns it on its head. It takes place in 1519 in Tenochtitlan, where the two cultures collide. It conveys a sense of bewilderment at the “strange” behavior of each side from the perspective of the other. The author employs metafictional techniques and dark humor (which did not seem particularly funny to me). Time is compressed into a single day. Anyone who knows the history of this event will know that it is bound to be a gruesome and gory tale but may be surprised at the outcome. It goes beyond the realistic, with both the Aztecs and Spaniards communicating through the haze of psychoactive substances, as well as a few intentionally anachronistic references. It is a quirky and offbeat condemnation of colonialism that reads almost if describing a fever dream. I admire the creativity.

PBT Steeplechase: Tagged "wishlist" x13:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...

Content Warning: (view spoiler)[rape, descriptions of brutal and gory killings (hide spoiler)]