City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg

Idioma original: English

Original title: City on fire

Translation: Cruz Rodríguez Judge

Year of publication: 2015

Valuation: highly recommended

More than being a counter-review, I see this as a good pretext to return to this novel and delve a little into the ideas of its writer, Garth Risk Hallberg. I have to say that I think the original review of this book is excellent and I agree with many of the opinions (I even took the liberty of creating some questions for the interview using points that are touched on in the review, thank you, Francesc), so , to avoid being redundant, I will limit myself to just making small notes (in addition to providing my opinion on the comments in the original review).

For many writers, including North Americans themselves, the literature currently produced in these areas has ceased to be what it was during that splendor of the 19th and early 20th centuries (in the words of the American writer Jesse Ball, interviewed in this blog, Most of what is written in the United States is garbage). We can go to the extreme of some writers, such as Carlos Fuentes, who claimed that literature in the English language has been in decline since Shakespeare, reaching its maximum potential in formal and aesthetic matters at that time (why not mention the BookTok phenomenon or Bookstagram).

Perhaps the noise from the avalanche of publications corrupts any work that is published, and the signal-to-noise ratio becomes more insignificant every day. Here is a great challenge for readers, if they want to enjoy exceptional readings from time to time. In my opinion, this book is worth it, a lot. You can see the work and care that was required when writing this great novel, in ambition and length. Although I agree that the first one may not have been fully achieved.

There are certain passages that serve exclusively to show us some hidden angles of the characters, which are not entirely relevant to the plot, but which help us understand their motivations and reactions to certain events a little better. For example, the report on the pyrotechnicians or a copy of Samantha’s fanzine. For many, they are dispensable fragments, and they should have been eliminated for the final edition, but perhaps it is these chapters that provide greater depth to the characters and enrich the narrative fabric of the novel.

City on Fire is ultimately an ambitious work (perhaps too ambitious) that, despite its excesses, offers a rich and detailed vision of a city in constant transformation (a city that could really be any city). Risk Hallberg manages to capture the essence of a tumultuous era, using different narrative elements to construct a detailed collage (or fresco, in the author’s words) of a chaotic city. For me, Hallberg’s mastery lies in his ability to weave multiple plots and characters in a coherent way, taking into account that there are at least 6 or 7 characters that have a fundamental role.

Without a doubt, a reading that deserves the time and attention of those who are looking for more than a simple story, but a literary experience beyond an entertaining plot.

By the way, a television series based on the book came out in 2023. Do yourself a favor and don’t even watch the trailer before reading the book, it’s going to ruin everything for you. She’s very badass.

You can see the original review here: TochoWeek #6. Garth Risk Hallberg: City on Fire