
The novella "Bonsai" by Alejandro Zambra revolves around the intense physical relationship between two young people, Julio and Emilia, influenced by the books they read. The story delves into the psychology of their interactions, portraying a fear that love may be an illusion. The plot is intertwined with tidbits and vignettes, showcasing other dimensions and experiences of the characters outside their love for each other. Zambra's writing style is described as subtle, suggestive, and steeped in irony, with every sentence providing pleasure to the reader.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Bonsai include themes of substance abuse, mental health issues, and suicide.
Has Romance?
The book features a medium level of romance, focusing on the romantic relationship between the main characters, Julio and Emilia.
From The Publisher:
"Sublime . . . true and beautiful and moving." - The New York Times Book Review
The landmark first novel of one of the greatest living Latin American writers - now in a sparkling new translation by his longtime collaborator
When it was first published in 2006, then-literary critic and poet Alejandro Zambra's first novel, Bonsai, caused a sensation. "It was said," according to Chile's newspaper of record, El Mercurio, "that it represented the end of an era, or the beginning of another, in the nation's letters." Zambra would go on to become a writer of international renown, winning prizes in Chile and around the world for his funny, tender, sly fictions.
Here, in a brilliant new translation from four-time International Booker Prize nominee Megan McDowell, is the little book that started it all: The story of Julio and Emilia, two Chilean university students who, seeking truth in great literature, find one another instead. As they fall together and drift apart over the course of young adulthood, Zambra spins an emotionally engrossing, expertly distilled, formally inventive tale of love, art, and memory.
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