Profil

I'm simultaneously jealous of this whole Caucasus mountain trek, and grateful that the author described the scenery, the people he meets and their history in such a generous and humble way. This is not an ethno-study, an adventure book full of swagger or a historical essay, it's journalism in the purest form, with genuine curiosity and a real attachment to a region and its inhabitants.

This books quotes Kill Bill, Cyndi Lauper and Shania Twain -- and also numerous other authors and books, zines, movies more... directly on the subject --, which makes it not just interesting but also funny and smart.

I had the re-read The Space Between Worlds quickly, after beginning this one, because there were things I didn't remember and a lot of the context is needed for this one. I liked the change of perspective, with Mr Scales being a runner this time and her different views on things. It was interesting to see that she's also an unreliable narrator, and that's all right really. One thing I regretted was the lack of explanation as to why a certain event happen (I won't spoil with explaining why what, it should be obvious I guess) In any case, it's a great read, lots of action, despair, anti-heroes and queerness.

J'aime bien écouter le podcast d'Arte "Bookmakers", parce que régulièrement, ça me fait découvrir des voix très singulières et des auteur·es dont je n'avais jamais entendu parler. Et après trois épisodes avec Justine Niogret, ça donnait pas mal envie. Alors sans doute Gueule de Truie n'est pas le plus évident pour aborder sa bibliographie, l'écriture est brutale, très imagée, le propos sans interdits, donc on aime ou pas. C'est un peu indigeste parfois, dans la seconde moitié, lorsqu'on perd un peu de vue où l'auteure veut nous emmener, où on a l'impression de tourner en rond dans la folie des personnages sans aller vers une résolution. Malgré tout, il y a plein de choses intéressantes, de tournures de phrases, d'idées, d'images.

Another brilliant book by Nghi Vo, who is such a consumed storyteller, the kind who gently take your hand and make you believe every detail. A fascinating read.

Un court livre hyper percutant, à la croisée entre le récit (des bribes du procès des dirigeants d'Orange), l'essai (sur le monde du travail et le langage managérial), et l'objet littéraire pour parler de cette langue et porter ce récit. Le chapitre 23 est l'illustration parfaite de la violence des entreprises et du mépris insondable de ses dirigeants pour leurs employés.

It has the tropes of the genre : a tired detective in a metropolis he doesn't quite know, powerful men, booze and prohibition, sleazy journalists, and of course, melancholia, jazz and femmes fatales. But the rest is a very smart departure in an alternate history: what if the smallpox brought to America was a non-lethal variant? The Native community would be thriving, along the Mississippi, it would have a city and a state built on their power and syncretic beliefs. That's Cahokia, where the delicate balance that holds it all is threatened by a gruesome murder. It's a book that takes you in, and embraces you and makes you believe that Cahokia is real and pulsating, on the right bank of the Mississippi.