The Sound of Things Falling

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From the opening paragraph of The Informers, I felt myself under the spell of a masterful writer. Juan Gabriel Vásquez has many gifts--intelligence, wit, energy, a deep vein of feeling--but he uses them so naturally that soon enough one forgets one's amazement at his talents, and then the strange, beautiful sorcery of his tale takes hold." -- Nicole Krauss Juan Gabriel Vasquez is a considerable writer. The Sound of Things Falling is an artful, ruminative mystery… And the reader comes away haunted by its strong playing out of an irreversible fate.”— E. L. DoctorowLe cose che cadono introdotte dal titolo sono un aereo passeggeri, uno di quelli grossi e affollati, che prima dell’atterraggio a Calì (Colombia) esplode perché Pablo Escobar vuole eliminare un avversario (uno dei pochi politici che non era riuscito a comprare). The novel elucidates with great acuity the complex relationship between memory and trauma, the "benefits or possible penalties" of revisiting the past, a theme powerfully explored in Vásquez's previous work, The Secret History of Costaguana and The Informers. Antonio begins what he calls "the damaging exercise of remembering", which he believes serves to "hinder our normal functioning" yet can paradoxically also be healing. There are basically two ways of reading this book (among many): Either the reader can treat Antonio's character as a broken, morally inferior person, or they can try and understand Antonio's life in this real socio-economic and political situation that Antonio really lived in.

For anyone who has read the entire works of Gabriel García Márquez and is in search of a new Colombian novelist, then Juan Gabriel Vásquez's The Informers is a thrilling new discovery.”— Colm Tóibín This is what makes this book so good. We fall for the story, wonder about our narrator Yammara, and want a proper outcome. But life changes that.The fact is that I am a fan of Latin American literature because, like this book and author, most of the translated works are political and tendentious in their natures, and so are the authors. So am I. So it's usually a good fit. Juan Gabriel Vasquez answers audience questions about The Sound of Things Falling. Set in Colombia, the novel examines the personal and private impact of the drug wars that ravaged the country during the 1970s, 80s and 90s. It's the story of a strange friendship between two men, Antonio and Ricardo, told through Antonio's eyes. He sets out to investigate his friend's mysterious life, after Ricardo is murdered. The Sound of Things Falling is a powerful read about memory and storytelling, and about the lasting impact of living in a country ruled by violence and criminality.

A good story (translated from the Spanish) that won the 2014 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award. I also enjoyed another novel by this author, The Secret History of Costaguana a historical novel about the building of the Panama Canal. The Sound of Things Falling study guide contains a biography of Juan Gabriel Vásquez, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Languid existential noir, one that may put you in mind of Paul Auster.”— Dwight Garner, New York Times One hallmark of a gifted novelist is the ability to see the potential for compelling fiction in an incident, anecdote or scrap of history, no matter how dry or seemingly obscure, that others have overlooked. By that standard and several others, the career of Juan Gabriel Vásquez…is off to a notable start.…[A] straight-ahead, old-fashioned narrative… Two years ago Mr. Vásquez was included on a list of the most ‘important’ Latin American writers under 40, nominated by more than 2,000 authors, literary agents, librarians, editors and critics. The Informers alone justifies their choice, given its challenging subject and psychological depth, but clearly there are bigger and even more intriguing things on the way.”— Larry Rohter, The New York Times Juan Gabriel Vasquez is a considerable writer. The Sound of Things Falling is an artful, ruminative mystery... And the reader comes away haunted by its strong playing out of an irreversible fate." — E. L. Doctorow Stated Bentivegna: “When Cristina brought The Sound Of Things Falling to my attention last year, I was immediately captivated by it. There have been several books, films and TV shows that attempt to tell the dark past of Colombian’s drug trade. Few, in my opinion, do so as poetically and evocatively as Juan Gabriel Vasquez’s masterpiece. It is a story about people, first and foremost – and a wonderful opportunity to depict a “Latin Noir” in the vein of the 70s existential thrillers I love.” As Yammara struggles with post-traumatic stress after his "accident" (a medic tells him that "the libido is the first to go"), his marriage to a former student wobbles. His growing connection with Laverde's daughter Maya, a seductive bee-keeping recluse, suggests the bond shared by peers who grew up in fear in the 1980s and early 90s, a time of assassinations and terrorist bombings. Only one incident, involving a pet armadillo, stretches credulity in what is a heartfelt account of the trauma suffered by a generation.