Interesante construcción de los personajes. La historia de un hombre contada desde 4 perspectivas diferentes, narradas en distintos tiempos, voces y momentos temporales la configuración nunca se completa y deja al lector con la duda de hasta dónde llega la realidad dentro de esta ficción.

Juguemos a ser mortales suplantando dioses.

I hate to say this, but this book was over my head. Made me feel like I was taking the SATs again, vocab section. I could tell that there was a lot of research incorporated of historical value and the creatively infused fictional interpretation was unique in style, but ultimately, I had a lot of trouble folllowing the name changes, who killed who, and general timeline of events.

I first came across this book when I was asked to 'debate' with the author about the 'death of magic realism'. It wasn't much a debate (i.e. we both agreed that magic realism wasn't 'dead'), but I did read his book and I think it's terrific.

Keep notes. It's a tricky one. Or just enjoy it!

Padilla, via Borges.

The game of chess, its decisive outcome, was perfect representation for the ways a novelist adopts a strategy, moves his pieces around according to his plan, and goes for the kill when the opportunity arises. At the back of the characters, with all their attendant complexities and motivations, we tended to assume it was the novelist who was doing the pushing. Behind the novelist, it was harder to see who was in control.

Full review: http://booktrek.blogspot.com/2014/07/...

Interesante novela de las dos guerras mundiales.

Muy interesante planteamiento sobre la identidad y la impostura. Cada sección del libro es una nueva perspectiva y otra vuelta de tuerca.

Trata de suplantaciones de identidad y las consecuencias psicológicas que vive quien se hace de la nueva identidad. El autor no es explícito en mostrar las respuestas y me confundí en muchas oportunidades.

Para mí fue un ejercicio mental entender esta trama... aún tengo pendientes por aclarar... jajajaja

La prosa del autor es bastante elaborada, disfrute muchas frases, dejó acá algunas:

"...y su rostro acusa ya el miedo de quien va descubriendo, acaso demasiado tarde, el valor de su corta vida de pronto amenazada."

"Lo cierto es que los términos de la partida quedaron pronto delineados con una claridad tal, que disuena con la atmósfera neblinosa que impregna toda la historia:..." (Mi comentario: la atmósfera que impregna toda historia es mucho más que neblina, es un nubarrón... :D)

"Debo reconocer que al principio este tipo de confesiones provocaba en mí la molesta sensación de quien se ve obligado a escuchar las intimidades de un extraño que no ha pedido nuestro aval para brindarnos su amistad."

a founding member of the "crack" movement (along with jorge volpi, amongst others), mexican writer and diplomat ignacio padilla has written a half dozen novels and a number of short stories. shadow without a name is his only novel currently available in english translation (though a collection of his stories, antipodes, was published by fsg in 2004). shadow without a name (amphitryon) is a complex tale of identity and intrigue, set on two continents over some four decades following world war ii. brimming with nazis and fateful games of chess, padilla's novel is a literary labyrinth that requires careful contemplation, lest one lose themselves amidst the assumed identities and multiple deceits. shadow without a name is a taut, historical thriller that is both captivating and richly conceived.

n  individual faces, names, destinies were by then so submerged in the anonymity of armed multitudes that it would have been pointless to pretend the whirlpool of history could be calmed by the opinions of individuals flailing in its chaotic eddies.n

*translated from the spanish by peter bush (goytisolo, monzó, et al.) and anne mclean (vila-matas, cercas, rosero, cortázar, et al.)

Fenomenal!!!

Although the idea behind the book is very good and I liked the beginning very much, I found it a bit tedious to read and ended up skipping a few pages here and there. Then again, I've never liked Mexican & South-American litterature much so this is no surprise for me. I did find the historical facts really interesting, especially the Amphitryon Project (I'll probably do some research about it).

"O problema de jogar xadrez com peças humanas é estas não costumam respeitar as regras mais elementares." pág.150

"Sinto que sou ninguém salvo uma sombra
De um vulto que não vejo e que me assombra,
E em nada existo como a treva fria." - Fernando Pessoa

I happened to be standing in the P section at the library when this very familiar name caught my eye and I figured I was meant to read the book! It was a very interesting story about men who assume alternate identities during the first and second world wars, and the consequences of those decisions. I’m not sure I would have chosen the book for myself if the author and I didn’t share a name, but was entertained, if a little saddened by the defeated, cynical characters. I would like to read it again in the original Spanish to see if it makes a little bit more sense, because I found it cryptic in places and wondered if something had been lost in translation. I would also like to read more of this author’s work, but I think I will choose the Spanish language versions!