Divisadero

I like when an author switches from one perspective/narrator to another, and then successfully weaves them together to make a whole story. The key to this is the successful weaving part, though, and this is where “Divisadero” fails the most for me. Also, I prefer a plot, story arc, and a pretty high verb to adjective ratio, none of which did this book have. It was more a collection of vignettes, yet they didn't all come together to make something more than the sum of their parts like a good collection should. (An excellent example of vignettes coming together to make more than the sum of their parts is “The House on Mango Street” - super good read.)

This book was the July selection for my book club, and after talking it over and hearing their interpretations I actually have a much more positive view of this book than when I had first finished reading it. They discussed themes of loneliness and divisions (“divisaderos”), poetry disguised as prose, and the human need for closure. All these ideas are very tied to this book, yet did not become obvious to me until others pointed them out. Hearing the book clubbers talk about these themes was enjoyable, but reading this book was not.