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Delirium
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
13 posts | 15 read | 26 to read
In this remarkably nuanced novel, both a gripping detective story and a passionate, devastating tale of eros and insanity in Colombia, internationally acclaimed author Laura Restrepo delves into the minds of four characters. There's Agustina, a beautiful woman from an upper-class family who is caught in the throes of madness; her husband Aguilar, a man passionately in love with his wife and determined to rescue her from insanity; Agustina's former lover Midas, a drug-trafficker and money-launderer; and Nicols, Agustina's grandfather. Through the blend of these distinct voices, Restrepo creates a searing portrait of a society battered by war and corruption, as well as an intimate look at the daily lives of people struggling to stay sane in an unstable reality. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Gissy
Delirio | Laura Restrepo
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#AutumnPleass Day 23
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

“Delirium is associated with delusion, so it counts 😜

Eggs Sounds good 👍🏼 1y
26 likes1 comment
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violabrain
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
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Pickpick

Not quite sure what to make of this book. The writing was amazing, as was the pacing and the structure. But, I really disliked every single character and the ending didn‘t seem to wrap up in a satisfying or even logical way. It seems like the whole book was leading to some big finale that just never came. I‘m left feeling befuddled… But it‘s a pick because of the writing.

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MySharonaK
Delirio | Laura Restrepo
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7 days 7 covers - day 5

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angela_fi13
Delirio | Laura Restrepo
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review
Abailliekaras
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
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Pickpick

A tour de force, but starts slowly. Aguilar tracks his wife Agustina‘s descent into madness. We also hear from her former lover Midas the money launderer - a colourful character & in some ways the most honest; & her grandfather. Agustina is wildly unstable so it was hard to get a firm foothold in her sections; her family is ‘old money‘ but lie to each other for the sake of appearances. Some wonderful, vivid, tragi-comic scenes. Masterful.

46 likes5 stack adds
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Abailliekaras
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
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#bookmail ! The Screaming of the Innocent was for August, a Botswana author for #readaroundtheworld - better late than never 😉 ... and Delirium was a Colombia pick and sounds amazing. #womenintranslation

Tamra Stacked Screaming of the Innocent. 7y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Currey
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
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Pickpick

I enjoyed the weave of voices as the story of multiple incidences of unraveling is untangled. However, I found that I had to read it in small chunks as I could not live with these chaotic minds for very long. The translation was very good but I was told that it lost the humor in translation. #readaroundtheworld #colombia

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Ncostell
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
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Pickpick

I just read Delirium for the #readaroundtheworld challenge as my pick for #colombia. It is the story of a woman's descent into delirium told from four characters' perspectives. I'm enjoying this challenge as I like discovering new authors that I may not otherwise have found. I would definitely like to pick up more of Laura Restrepo's work.

JenP Im so glad you liked it! I really enjoyed it too and found the narrative style really interesting - after getting used to it 8y
Ncostell @JenP Yes, it did take a little getting used to but then picked up from there. I also enjoyed piecing together the entire family's history as well. 8y
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JenP
Delirio | Laura Restrepo
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Pickpick

#readaroundtheworld #colombia
I've read a lot of Garcia Marquez so I wanted to pick something different for my Colombia read. This was my first book by Restrepo & I really enjoyed it. I alternated btwn English & Spanish. The humor was much more salient in the original Spanish

Aguilar comes home from a trip to find his wife delirious in a hotel room. Told from multiple perspective, the book explores what happened to her. More below.

JenP On the surface it's a simple mystery/suspense but below the surface it's a profound book that touches on family, women's roles, political situation in Colombia, and mental illness 8y
kimmychr0nicles Now I definitely want to read this based on your description. Adding to my to read pile! 8y
JenP @kimmychr0nicles I really enjoyed it and she'll be an author I return to in the future. While I don't necessarily agree with all of how mental illness was portrayed (I'm a psychologist so very sensitive to this), it certainly made me reflect on several things. 8y
kimmychr0nicles @JenP interesting. I am studying to be a mental health counselor so I am definitely curious about that aspect. 8y
JenP @kimmychr0nicles ooh, I'll be very curious to see what you think 8y
37 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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Ncostell
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
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I swung by the library to pick this up today for the #readaroundtheworld challenge. Of course my hold also came in for 11/22/63 by Stephen King and I know that's a long one. Hope to get both read though, I love a challenge!

JenP Ooh, I hope we can compare and contrast. I'm trying to read it in Spanish and finding it challenging because of the constant switching of pronouns and perspective. 8y
Ncostell @Jenp Wow, that is impressive! I will be sticking to English but would love to compare and contrast. 8y
JenP @Ncostell I grew up in Costa Rica and half my family is Costa Rican so I'm pretty fluent in Spanish although English is my first language and I'm more comfortable reading I'm English. 8y
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Ncostell @Jenp Very cool! I am going to try starting it tonight. 8y
Ncostell @JenP I can definitely imagine how this book could be challenging in Spanish. I noticed within one of Agustina's sections there was both first and third person point of view. It also embarrassingly took me a little while to realize that the sections regarding Spider were from Midas' perspective rather than Aguilar's. I'm about 65 pages in though and hopefully on the right track now! 8y
JenP @Ncostell I switched to English halfway through. 😂 how are you liking it? 8y
Ncostell @Jenp I'm enjoying it so far, about half way through. I like the shifting perspectives, trying to piece together Agustina's story and hopefully find out the reason behind her delirium. 8y
38 likes7 comments
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JenP
Delirio | Laura Restrepo
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This book is very confusing. I'm trying to read it in Spanish but struggling a little because the author switches perspectives (different characters) from one second to the next, and from 1st to 3rd person narration within the same paragraph.

Not sure if it would be easier for me to read the English translation.
#readaroundtheworld #colombia

Hooked_on_books Looks like it's aptly named! 8y
JenP @Hooked_on_books yes very much so. It's very disorienting so far 8y
28 likes2 comments
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JenP
Delirium: A Novel | Laura Restrepo
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Looking for a book to read for #readaroundtheworld

This month we are traveling to Colombia. Laura Restrepo is a Colombian writer to check out. Born in Colombia in 1950, her books are realistic fiction that integrates political themes relevant to Colombia. She has been critical of Marquez' magical realism and her style is influenced by her experience as an investigative journalist - a result of which caused her to go into exile for death threats.

JenP I'll be reading Delirium or Delirio if I can find a Spanish copy in time 8y
Ncostell I was thinking of this one-I know my library has it. 8y
JenP @Ncostell it sounds really good. I just got a copy on kindle. Maybe we'll be reading it together! 8y
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Ncostell Perhaps! I may do this one or Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vasquez which my library has as well. Decisions, decisions! 8y
JenP @Ncostell I didn't love Reputations. I liked it but didn't love it. 8y
Ncostell Ok, good to know! 8y
37 likes6 comments
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RealLifeReading
Delirio | Laura Restrepo
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#booktober Day 2: Books set in South America. So the reason behind today's prompt is to get more recommendations for books set in South America, preferably by South American writers. My own S American reads are very lacking! The ones above are some of those I've read altho technically Malinche is set in Central America. If you've got recs for great reads by S American writers or books set in S America, let me know!! Add to my TBR list!!

read_diverse_books I was also looking forward to this prompt because I want to read more books set in SA! I've read a few but that's not nearly enough. 8y
RanaElizabeth Technically Central America and definitely fantasy, Aliette de Bodard's series is amazing and well-researched about Aztec politics and religion. 8y
RanaElizabeth While I haven't read her, Clarice Lispector is supposed to be great, her short stories especially. 8y
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WOCreads I still haven't read any Laura Esquivel🙈 Need to get on that! 8y
RealLifeReading @read_diverse_books hope you find some good recs! 8y
RealLifeReading @RanaElizabeth thanks! I've not heard of de Bodard before. As for Lispector, yes I've heard of her but haven't read her work yet 8y
repolreads Isabelle Allende is amazing in my opinion. 8y
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