Thursday, March 29, 2012

Back to Basics

Yes, it's been awhile since I wrote a post actually about one of the novels. Bad me. So, let's re-focus.

Have you read Cocaine Nights? If so, I'd like to talk with you, because I'm still attempting to process how I feel about this one. First, it is extremely triggering. It's interesting, because the novel starts off feeling pretty classic noir, which lulls you into a certain place of complacency, and then bham, it just hits you.

I didn't realize how triggering it was, actually, until I re-read the part about the pornography film, and then I seriously almost felt like throwing up. Which is interesting to me, because at first I just read it without noticing what was happening, then paused, realized what I had just read, and felt ill.

Thus, I can't actually recommend it to anyone given the triggering aspects relating to sexual assault. But that said, it's certainly a thought-provoking read, and it certainly paints a remarkably bleak picture of humanity.

Essentially, the plot is a writer goes to the Iberian Peninsula where his younger brother has been managing a resort, because said younger brother has been arrested for a gruesome murder. The protagonist initially aims to clear his brother, but gets further dragged into this dystopian world. As he attempts to unravel the mystery, he becomes further trapped.

So yes, a worthwhile read, but very upsetting. Again, though, I have a pretty low trigger threshold.

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