Post #765316

📘 "We Are Green and Trembling" by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated from Spanish into English by Robin Myers Another IBP longlist entry. This book was okay for me. It's well-crafted and I enjoyed reading it enough to continue until the end, but I didn't feel that invested or connected to it. It happens, I'm certain this book will be others' favorite. This is a a reimagining of Antonio de Erauso's life with magical realism. He was born a girl in 16th century Spain and was meant to become a nun, but he escaped the convent, became a fugitive and started living as a man. He traveled to South America and was honestly a menace (albeit an interesting one). The book shows us a sweeter side of his personality and changes history somewhat, although it would be a spoiler to reveal how. The story is told in two timelines that eventually wind up together. I think that odd structure was fun to experience. I also liked the ending. It really grabbed me, which was a pity, because by then the book had already ended. Still, I think it was worth it to have read the book to reach that ending and to see the way the story evolved towards it. I've seen quite a few complaints online that this novel is too difficult or requires too much of a reader. I don't think it's an easy book, but I also don't think it's too demanding either. Here are three tips from me that I think will help if you wish to read this title but feel intimidated: - Read the Wikipedia page about Antonio de Erauso. It gives a lot of context for the book and the protagonist, without spoiling much of the novel. His life was wild, with dozens of twists and turns and identities and adventures and crimes. It's a good read. - Keep in mind the structure of the book. This explanation is not 100% accurate, but portrays it most clearly I think: imagine time as starting at point A and reaching point D, the end, by going through point B and C. Narrative One moves from point C to point D. Narrative Two moves from point B to point D, so in there you get to see what happened before and caused the events of Narrative One. But what happened before Narrative Two? In Narrative One the protagonist also writes letters, these letters go from point A to point B. So while all plot is moving forward towards point D, it's also constantly giving you looks into what led up to everything. It becomes easier to understand and more cohesive the further you are into the book. - Don't get stressed out by seeing a language you don't understand. The conversations are clear and repetitive enough that you'll pick up on the words you need to know to understand everything soon enough. Keep in mind how small children speak and are forever curious. Overall I do think it's a good book, just one I didn't fully love the reading experience of. It's a painful look at conquering, imperialism and domination, partially through the eyes of someone who's essentially part of that threat, but who's also vulnerable in their own way. It's an interesting dynamic. I can see why it was picked for the longlist. #WomenInTranslation #InternationalBooker2026