on an objective level, this is an amazing book. it is well crafted, accomplishes precisely what it set out to do, along with great prose. if anyone asked me about it, i'd readily recommend it. 

however, i didn't connect with it like i thought i would. i think it's either the nature of the translation, or of raul's point of view. the book is best described as surreal, keeping you in a quiet haze of introspection and reminiscence, undercut by a swift undercurrent of moments of brutality. part of the hazy quality of the book is the way marcial gala seamlessly transitions between past, present, and future in both subtle and piercing ways. the brutality of this stood out, as well as the occasional moments of sharp emotion from raul, but the haze (the majority of the book) did not especially. 

it's hard to put my finger on what exactly would have made the book better for me, but i do think it should've been longer, and perhaps having a different translator / translation style.

this book is filled with triggers, heed all warnings.