Book Review: El Juguete Rabioso, Roberto Arlt

Book Review: El Juguete Rabioso, Roberto Arlt

My Review in a Tweet:

It felt like reading The Catcher in the Rye but from Argentina, tinged with the economic and social issues of the early 20th century. Silvio Astier is a boy too old to be called a man and a man too young to be called a boy (no mistake made there).

My Full Review:

I read this book because of a sack of small reasons: it was short, I was one book shy from 30 in 2023, I wanted another argentinean author on my list and I had a physical copy of it.

El Juguete Rabioso (literally: The Rabid Toy) is the first novel of Roberto Arlt and, according to the copy I read, one of the founding books of the modern novel in our country. Commonly given as a mandatory reading in high school, I often saw this book here and there, postponing it indefinitively.

Now that I have finally read it, I think Arlt's place in our literary pantheon of writers is rightfully earned. The short novel is a quick glimpse into the life of Silvio Drodman Astier, a poor young boy from Buenos Aires, living in Floresta (at least from the second part on), fighting to stay out of the street and help his mother and sister.

The problem is, Silvio is too smart, too culturally cultivated for any of the jobs he can get as a poor boy from Floresta. He struggles with a feeling of entitlement to a better life in contrast with a sense of defeat while facing the circunstances he lives in.

The novel is carefully written, with a mix of refined language and old local slang that reflects on the dual nature of the character: a street rat at worst, a curious and smart young man at best.

His inner monologues are some of the best and most interesting parts, as his feelings of guilt, resentment and fear clash against each other.

The secondary characters function as common figures of Argentina's society from the early 20th century, when inmigration and poverty were high and people struggled to stay afloat. Their jobs, their cultural background, their relationships with one another highlight Silvio's own characteristics.

7/10.

My Other 2023 Readings.

Be careful, pay attention: not everything is at it seems.

what's the OF....? :)

Like any true hero, I send my nudes out for FREE. To people who have tricked me into thinking we have an emotional connection!

Don't open your gifts 'til midnight unless you want to be on my Naughty List...

Merry Christmas, I wish you all a wonderful time with your loved ones 🎄

Today, I offer you this. Tomorrow, probably nothing.

And with those two last books/reviews, I finish this year's reading list. 30 books doesn't sound bad at all, I hope I can read that many and maybe some more next year!

📚 Mis lecturas del 2023 📚

¡Hola!

Lo venía haciendo en Twitter y decidí darle un mejor formato y mayor espacio, así que acá están mis lecturas de este año, en el orden en que fui terminando los libros.

Algunos los arranqué antes pero los pausé y continué con otro. Están clasificados y ordenados según la fecha en la que los terminé.

Enero:

Le Guin, Úrsula K. (1976) El Nombre del Mundo es Bosque. Editorial Minotauro

Albertalli, B. y Silvera, A. (2018) What if it's us

Klune, T. J. (2020) The House in the Cerulean Sea

Klune, T. J. (2020-2022) The Extraordinaries, Flash Fire, Heat Wave

Febrero/Marzo:

Continué lecturas, pero no terminé ningún libro, estaba preparando finales.

Abril:

Hall, Alexis (2020) Boyfriend Material

Doyle, Arthur C. (1902) El Sabueso de los Baskerville. Editorial Salvat.

Dick, Philip K. (1988) Cuentos Completos I: Aquí Yace el Wub

Hall, Alexis (2022) Husband Material

Mayo:

Marcos, Álvaro (2021) El Mago Merlín y el Poder del Dragón

Hall, Alexis (2022) Paris Daillencourt is about to Crumble

El-Motar, Amar, Gladstone, Max (2019) This is How you Lose the Time War

Miller, F., Janson, K., Varley, L. (1986) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Editorial OVNI.

Lewis, R., Mazzuchelli, D., Miller, F. (1988) Batman: Año Uno. Editorial OVNI.

LeBlanc, Maurice (1907) Arsène Lupin: Caballero Ladrón. Editorial Salvat.

Junio:

Dick, Philip K. (1989) Cuentos completos II: La Segunda Variedad.

Julio:

Silvera, Adam (2022) The First to Die at the End

Jemas, B., Bendis, B. M., Bagley, M., Thibert, A., Buccellato, S., Javins, M. (2001-2002) Spiderman, Poder y Responsabilidad. Marvel Comics. Editorial Salvat.

Álvaro, Marcos (2021) El Mago Merlín en la Torre Oscura

Agosto:

Machado, Antonio. (1899-1939) Poemas Esenciales. Selección de Jesús García Sánchez. Editorial Salvat.

Septiembre:

Stevenson, Robert Louis (1894) El Club de los Suicidas. Editorial Salvat.

Octubre:

Wells, Herbert George (1897) El Hombre Invisible.

Shelley, Mary (1818) Frankenstein, o el Moderno Prometeo

Capullo, G., Kubert, A., Lee, J., Snyder, S., Romita Jr., J. (2017-2018) Dark Nights: Metal. DC Comics. Editorial OVNIPRESS.

Noviembre:

Dick, Philip K (1989) El Padre-Cosa

Diciembre:

Millar, M. Kubert, A. & A. (2001-2002) Marvel Ultimave: X-Men. Men of Tomorrow. Return to Weapon X. Editorial Salvat.

Rothfuss, P. (2007) The Name of the Wind. DAW Books.

Cortázar, J. (2023) Historias de Cronopios y de Famas. 9a Edición. Buenos Aires, Punto de Lectura Editorial.

Arlt, R. (1926) El Juguete Rabioso. CAPÍTULO Biblioteca Fundamental Argentina. Centro Editor de América Latina.