The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara | International Booker Prize 2020 review
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- čas přidán 18. 03. 2020
- Hi, guys, it's Kamil here and it's time for the second review of International Booker Prize 2020 longlisted book. Today we are going to talk about The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezon Camara, translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre. This is an alternative, feminist and queer history of the origins of Argentina.
This video is part of the project of reading and reviewing all International Booker Prize 2020 longlisted books, the next one coming up, The Discomfort of Evening.
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Goodreads:
The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Fiona Mackintosh (Translator), Iona Macintyre (Translator)
/ the-adventures-of-chin...
Reading Schedule:
Reading and Posting Schedule
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Sunday, 15th of March:
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
Review: • The Enlightenment of t...
Goodreads: / 35708940
Wednesday, 18th of March
The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
/ the-adventures-of-chin...
Sunday 22nd, of March
The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, Michele Hutchison (Goodreads Author) (Translator)
/ the-discomfort-of-evening
Sunday 29th of March
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder (Translator)
/ the-memory-police
Sunday 5th of April
The Eighth Life: for Brilka by Nino Haratischwili, Charlotte Collins (Translator),
/ the-eighth-life
Thursday the 9th of April
Mac and His Problem by Enrique Vila-Matas, Margaret Jull Costa (Translator), Sophie Hughes (Translator)
/ mac-and-his-problem
Monday 13th of April
Red Dog by Willem Anker
/ red-dog
Saturday 18th of April
Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann
/ tyll
Wednesday 22nd of April
The Other Name: Septology I-II (Septologien #1-2) by Jon Fosse,
/ the-other-name
Sunday 26th of April
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor
/ temporada-de-huracanes
3rd of May
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
/ little-eyes
10th of May
Faces on the Tip of My Tongue by Emmanuelle Pagano, Jennifer Higgins (Translator), Sophie Lewis (Translator)
/ faces-on-the-tip-of-my...
17th of May
Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq
/ serotonin
#internationalbooker2020 #finestfiction #translatedfiction
I just read this book in its original language and it felt like a heartfelt hug. What a beautiful text, especially the final part. I think I'll never forget that idyllic world: that sensory twist is so palpable and beautiful.
Watching your video, I reflected on what you said about China's reaction to Hernández stealing of Fierro's work. It may be a matter of translation, since in Spanish it reads like an outburst of poetic justice that takes hold of China; like a woman who is suddenly aware of the cultural appropriation that is being inflicted upon her offsprings. It does not sound selfish.
Thanks for the video, it was very enjoyable.
Thank you for watching and envy you the ability to read it in its original.
I've just finished this book. It was a marvellous experience: the characters were well constructed, the scenery was vivid and the quality of the prose was outstanding. People say that this book is joyful and poetic, I can't agree more. Very inspirational.
I read the book in Spanish, as I'm from Peru, and I couldn't stop thinking about how difficult would be this book to be translated into English: Gabriela chose to write it using a mixture of English, Spanish and Spanglish so I wonder how the English translation managed to capture this language usage.
I really enjoy watching your book insights. Thank you!
Oh thank you so much, I heard Jennifer Croft, International Booker Judge, saying that she read both English and Spanish translations, both are quite different while great in own ways. I think the true translator often to some extent creates the book anew and probably that is what happened here.
I have a feeling this book will win. China Iron growth in the book is really cool plus the theme reading for the book is awesome as well.
I wouldn’t mind that at all! 😉
I paused around the 10 minute mark, because I'm still reading this. Well, I'm trying. Unfortunately, I'm not able to focus on much of anything right now. When I can, I read a chapter. I agree with you, the writing is brilliant, and though I didn't do a ton of research, the concept is so good, and I like that Martin has been off stage (so far). I also love that this is yet another historical fiction featuring a lesbian couple where one cross dresses... Sarah Waters, Emma Donoghue, and Kate Worsley are the other examples I can think of who've written this kind of story, and I can't get enough!
I'm quite interested how you would react to the ending, me and Eric had quite a vivid discussion about it. I liked it as I don't look at anything in this books through the lenses of probability, I rather read it as a playful alternative to our messed up world, but he made a few good points. Therefore looking forward to see what's your reaction to the book going forward. I just finished The Discomfort of Evening and am trying to wrap my head around that one, and there's a lot to take in, if you haven't read it yet.
Okay, this one is for me..its nice to hear of a historical, yet enchanting book...and I was fortunate enough to live in that wonderful country for a while.
Oh didn’t know that. This is an alternative version of history type of thing but still plenty to learn and definitely even more to enjoy!
I’ve been really looking forward to this since I read it recently too - what a fantastic job you did summarising the history/influence/style/political message of the novel! I wasn’t familiar with the epic poem before reading this book either. So interesting and fun how she’s subverted that narrative. I agree the language brings the characters so alive. The reintroduction of her concern of her children didn’t bother me so much because she’s SO YOUNG so it makes sense she’d almost forget them while coming of age herself but feeling a pang when confronted with them again. What bothered me more was the overly romanticised ending. But overall an excellent novel. And it should be noted she is careful to include graphic descriptions of Male-Male sex as well! 🤟😄
Thank you Eric a lot. I loved the ending. I agree it's totally bananas, but it'd be such a great world if it could be real.
You made a good point on China being very young, that seems like a valid explanation.
Then true, there's a bit of male male sex description but it's in the form of epic poem and I found it rather amusing than anything else. It'd made me chuckle quite a bit.
@@WhatKamilReads Oh yes, of course I agree I'd love to live in a world like that. I guess my issue is that it's so idealised - both in its portrayal of a community and the Indian people. I've explored a number of communes before and, while they usually start with the best intentions, they often falter because of internal problems which naturally arise from any group of people trying to live together peacefully. And I think portraying any ethnic group in such a romanticised fashion is in some ways as racist as portraying that group in negative terms. So I get a bit suspicious of such generalisations because obviously any group of people are complex and have different facets to them so can't be summed up so simply, but maybe the author was playfully showing China's naivety. It's not that I don't think we can't have happy endings like in this novel but that it might have been more meaningful if it wasn't so over-the-top perfect.
Eric Karl Anderson interesting, I didn’t look at it via the spectrum of probability. As a lot in this book is improbable, like the orgy after the party? I mean I’ve been to a lot of parties in my life where people had drunk way too much but I haven’t seen an orgy where all social norms are put aside, actually I have seen zero orgies, period. Therefore I was reading it as a playful alternative version of the world we live in. Throughout the entire novel. Then in terms of romanticising Indians, I once again didn’t look at them as our world representation of any social group but the idealistic vision of what we could be. I guess you can argue that racism is any form of simplification pertaining to given race but I I think we see here more of a glorification rather than anything else. Again my mind from the very beginning was set to read it as a playful alternative rather than anything else. On the other hand I can understand you expecting probability being taken under consideration.
@@WhatKamilReads Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I didn't think about it in that way and it's true the tone of the novel is more an amplification of reality than realistic representation... but, every party I go to ends in an orgy. I mean, it's not a party if it doesn't end in an orgy, right? 😜 Just kidding, obviously. I think you make a really good point, but I think it can be tricky when authors write about real historical groups of people and categorise them in broad generalisations. Obviously, it's fair to do this through the subjective perspective of a character because this is something real people do all the time. I guess it just stood out to me because it suddenly felt like I was suddenly in Disney's Pocahontas! Anyway, I'm so glad you're reading the books as it's good to have someone to engage with for longer conversations about these novels. And I'm VERY curious to see what you'll make of The Discomfort of Evening.
Eric you made me lough out loud reading about your orgiastic parties 😂😂 are the invitations coming our way? 😂 on a serious note though, I definitely see you can have a valid issues with the Pocahontas taking over the plot 😊 I enjoy this discussion with you too. Thank you for that
Hey! Argentine here. I read it too. I'm glad you pointed out that despite the heavy themes it's not a grueling read. I felt it was full of life and joy, contrary to most national and international literature I read. I don't usually say the prose of a book is poetic, but I felt this one was, so I hope the translators managed to preserve some of that.
One thing that stood out to me was the change of atmosphere when comparing this book to other texts I've read from this author. She wrote a short story called "Le viste la cara a Dios" (You Saw the Face of God) and then she wrote a graphic novel based on that with illustrator Iñaki Echeverría (called "Beya: Le viste la cara a Dios"). It's about human trafficking and it's really really dark and explicit. NSFW/NSFL: imgur.com/a/4hVvi
While both do social criticism, those feel so raw, dark and vengeful, while The Adventures of China Iron feels vital, luminous, radiant, even if it has brutality at some points. It also seemed to me less like a (necessary) vengeance against centuries of imposition of a certain morality and more like an expression of other possible ways of living and feeling. I recommend it to everyone here.
Btw it's Gabriela Cabezón CÁmara, not CaMAra. Accent is in the first sylabe, kinda like English name Cameron.
Been enjoying your videos, Kamil. Yours is the only 'booktuber' channel I've been watching the last half year.
I'll leave my GR here in case someone would like to add me: www.goodreads.com/user/show/18507048-mateo-r
I don't talk much but I really like checking out the interesting books other people are reading.
I just added you.
Thank you for a very thoughtful comment and advice of how to pronounce her name properly. The short story you mentioned although carrying a different atmosphere sound very interesting to me. Have you read her novel Slum Virgin? It seems to be the only other of her work available in English, also by Charco Press.
Hmmmmm 'Blue is the warmest color' won the Palme d'Or at Cannes..... So, you think this one might win the Booker international Prize?? Stupid question I know, but I am interested.....
I actually loved "Blue is the warmest color" but all my friends left the cinema during one of many sex scenes, none of them because of prudence, they were just tired of it.
There are not so many sex scenes here in this novel, so if that is the criterium the chances are lower :) nonetheless I wouldn't be surprised if it's shortlisted. Out of two very strong books, even though I believe The Enlightenment is more accessible and would be the public favorite if it comes to those two, China is, literary, a better book.
@@WhatKamilReads "There are not so many sex scenes here in this novel, so if that is the criteria the chances are lower :)" Bahaaaaahaaaaa very funny...... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Yes! I love 'Blue is the warmest color' too..... It could be quite awkward watching the sex scenes with your friends but, if you can stay put the experience will be very rewarding..... Especially because of the two lead actresses..... They are so good.....
@@WhatKamilReads Your winner predictions are always on point..... Like no one expected 'Milkman' was going to win except you..... 'China' sounds more interesting to me than 'The Enlightenment' but, lets see.....
Oh kind of you to remember that :)
I confess I'm very eurocentric in my reading and I have been mixing these two Booker Prize books from such different cultures with some Irish authors and a bit of Philippe Claudel who are more up my alley. I'm still quite in the beginning of China Iron but I can see that it has literary merit, just like the Greengage Tree. However I surely hope it picks up because until now it's just a young female narrator (again) in a kind of a road trip in a coming of age story where she's always talking about the weather, and that I'm afraid is not very compelling to me.
Let me see if the next Booker Prize nominee has a young female protagonist... Gosh, it has! :-)
I am as well rather Eurocentric, but I enjoy the experience a lot as I'm learning quite a bit about history mostly, which I do appreciate. I think you might enjoy The Adventures more when you get the the part called The Fort, it's the moment when the novel has more of social and political commentary.
Haha, about young female protagonist, are you talking about The Discomfort of Evening?
@@WhatKamilReads Yes, the next one on your list has a girl too albeit in Europe this time around. OK! I'm still on a chapter called Tank you Señora for Cure Me but I'm going to persevere as it's quite short.
Paula aka azelia lopes oh so still on the pampas