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Title: Four Hands by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Laura C. Dail ISBN: 0-312-13079-1 Publisher: Picador USA Pub. Date: 01 July, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Worth the Effort
Comment: Have you read a lot of mystery novels? Can you guess "whodunnit" before the final chapter? If so, try your wits against this book. Written from several different perspectives, bridging not only gaps in point of view but time and geography as well, this novel will make you want to bang your head into the wall. Taibo's work, however, is well worth the all the confusion, because once you have a vague idea of what is going on, the work's machinations are fascinating. While Four Hands can be read as an exercise in disinformation, in the creation of history, it can also be read as the construction of a mystery. In other words, reading this novel is like seeing the cogs turning in Agatha Christie's head. Taibo supplies all of the necessary ingredients for a good mystery novel: the killer, the victim, the mastermind, and of course, the detectives (Greg and Julian, two journalists). The construction of the mystery then proves more important than the mystery itself; the reader waits and waits for all of these ingredients to come together. The character of Alex, the crazy agent in charge of the intelligence agency "SD" ("It is not especially clear who maintains the SD either. One time someone suggested their paychecks came directly from the National Security Council"(11)) is Taibo's mad artist figure, pulling all of the mystery's factors together. Alex, however, tries to plan the outcome of this mystery, and so there is potentially no mystery at all, but just the manipulations of an intelligence agency. Can all mystery novels be seen as the result of such careful and meticulous calculation? Is there any such thing as the unknown anymore? Luckily, there are enough twists and turns in this complicated narrative to keep every reader happy. In fact, if you can keep up with what exactly is going on, then you deserve a gold medal. My advice is to just enjoy this "mystery-in-reverse" and to appreciate the kind of thought and energy that goes into creating traditional mystery novels.
Rating: 5
Summary: Whoa! What a ride...
Comment: Yummy. This book is a real treat for any person who can string together alot of facts, loves details from the four corners of the earth that all play into a plot, and intellectualism in their mystery. I have to admit there were some chapters about a play in some prision that I did not get at all. But what I did get was a huge grin on my face for three days while I slogged through this fun fun book. So many subplots. The CIA (sort of, with a great oberkonig character), revolutionary-chasing reporters (they love Che and pal around in El Salvador when they're not drunk), stressed out drug dealers, Leon Trotsky, and some old International Marxist Organization surviving through a bunch of octagenarians. Oh-- I forgot my favorite-- a PhD student in search of a thesis topic. All these characters come together in an odd tale. And the best thing--- the book has NO POINT. At least none that I could pick up. Don't read this if you need to have your Ts crossed by the time you're done. Personally, it was sheer joy to read this. The author and translator are clever and witty to an art form and I hope someday I have friends who can amuse me so.
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Title: No Happy Ending by Paco Ignacio, Ii Taibo, William I. Neuman ISBN: 1590580389 Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Return to the Same City by Paco Ignacio Taibo II ISBN: 0892965908 Publisher: Mysterious Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 1996 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: An Easy Thing by Paco Ignacio Taibo II ISBN: 1590580060 Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Pub. Date: 15 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Some Clouds by Paco Ignacio, Ii Taibo, William I. Neuman ISBN: 159058032X Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Just Passing Through by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Martin Michael Roberts ISBN: 0938317474 Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press Pub. Date: 01 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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