Introducing
Salvador Plascencia's
The People of Paper.
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To preorder
The People of Paper,
click here.
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A Reader Review of
Salvador Plascencia's
The People of Paper.
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Editor's note: We were so excited about The People of Paper that we sent a few advance copies to loyal McSweeney's readers and asked them to tell us what they thought. We'll be sharing their impressions here over the next several days.
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Review 1.
BY JOHN PEABODY
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Well, it's been almost a whole day since I finished The People of Paper. It took three sittings, and I'm having a difficult time verbalizing any coherent musings about Plascencia's novel. I have that euphoric feeling you get after you see your favorite band play a really amazing show. You don't want to ruin the moment by speaking or trying to describe just what exactly it was that brought you to this state. You've surrendered to the art and now you've been rendered speechless. But when you get back to your car and start to drive, then you can turn the radio on and start rapping with your friends about how great that show was.
Where did The People of Paper come from? I asked myself this question so many times while reading it. It's so crazy and weird and honest. Salvador Plascencia has conjured this fantastically rich surreal place made up of metal tortoises, Mexican wrestlers, wars against planets, and totally authentic people.
The author not only dissolves the line between the real and the imaginary but also the lines between the reader and the writer and the story's characters, creating a reading experience that is really unparalleled.
And still nothing seems off about the whole situation. I would like to be the 1,000th person to say that the author has created a totally original piece of work.
This book is about more than lost love or fighting pointless battles. With the help of unusual devices and fantastical elements, Plascencia is able to effectively convey honest emotions. This allows the reader unusual entry into the souls of the book's characters.
Trying to describe why and how Plascencia created such a compelling book is really kind of tough and I feel like a complete poseur trying to elaborate my thoughts right now. The People of Paper is unusual, rich, and totally original, and attempting to effectively describe this book is almost like trying to fight Saturn, a strange and fruitless battle.
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Salvador and other McSweeney's writers
will be touring soon. To look at the schedule,
click here.
MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF PAPER
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