SF Chron Reviews 'The Invisible Mountain'

You've been hearing me talk about this book for years. I encountered it, and its author, my first semester in graduate school, back in 2005. Now Carolina De Robertis is winning the praises of the wider world, not only of her partisan (but critically acute!) friends.

From the SF Chronicle Sunday Book Review:

'The Invisible Mountain'.

Writing is energy, someone once reminded me. And by comparison with much writing that mumbles along, polite and bloodless, Carolina De Robertis' debut novel fairly bellows into life. A galloping saga of three generations - particularly their women - a partial chronicle of the countries of Uruguay and Argentina, and a celebration of art and language, it's a hugely ambitious work: De Robertis (who was reared abroad by Uruguayan parents, has relatives in both countries, and now lives in Oakland) has flung herself into it with no sacrifice of detail. In fact lavish, almost pointillistic detail seems to power her project. While grounded in actual history, the story commences with a squirt of magical realism, folding in generous amounts, thereafter, of Dickensian coincidence. But such is its full-tilt exuberance that a reader finds herself caught up and swept away.

Comments

[Alice Groves]

Dear Leila,

I came across your site when trying to track down Borre Ludvigsen who took extensive photographs of Beirut, some of which I would like to include in a project of my own.

I lived in Beirut 1973-76 (Canadian Embassy posting) and
wrote and published poetry ("Babylon and Other Dreams")
and short stories which arose out of that experience. I also wrote a novel which I would like to see published but keep coming up against a brick wall regarding. Since you are both writer and Lebanese, I am writing to see, essentially, if you might have any ideas who might be interested in this novel, set in Beirut during April-May, 1975. Let me know if you want to know more.

[Anonymous]

Dear Leila, you did annoy me a lot there on Mondoweiss. I couldn't stand your constant pontification and your lack of appreciation for our olympic bikini thread (even LeaNder, that german bother of a lady liked our bikini thread.) But girl, you were also brave and fair. Be at peace. We'll be with you soon enough.

[A fan]

Rest in peace darling Leila, though I did not agree with all of your politics, I always loved you as a person.

[Mohamed Hamdy]

Good bless ur soul