The Gods of Tango

This was a well written and fascinating novel that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and from which I learned a great deal. The physical setting is Buenos Aires, Argentina in the early 20th century, and it is the story of a young female violinist who takes drastic measures to survive in a world and a time and a culture that did not afford women many opportunities outside the home. This novel is also an excellent and informative study of the development of the tango, both musically and culturally. The language is beautiful and the author is masterful in getting inside the heads of the characters, with primary focus on the main character, the young girl. Highly recommended.

A tiny part of Gods of Tango is a Lesbian love story. A big part of it is a historical novel, which vividly brings to life the harsh lives of immigrants to Buenos Aires in the early part of the Twentieth Century. The biggest part is the evolution of a budding violinist into a world-class Argentine tango musician. One problem I had with the book is the discursions of de Robertis into the lives of ancillary characters, few of whom I found interesting. I understand the impulse: to give a more three-dimensional feel for the complex urban realities of BsAs of the time. But I had to skim and skip them to return to the character who really interested me: Leda.

I loved The Gods of Tango. It was fascinating and unique. The plot line was riveting. The characters were complex and easy to relate to even while they were different both culturally and individually. The story drew me in and kept me wanting to read more. The writing style is beautiful. The descriptions are vivid. I felt like I was experiencing wha the characters were experiencing right along with them. I truly enjoyed this novel.

Could not put it down. Great story line with a history of tango woven throughout. As a would be tanguero, this book tintillated the imagination of what Buenos Aries was like at the turn of the last century and how tango played a part in that history and became a legacy and identity for BA especially and Argentina at large. And that was not the only tintillation. The storyline blurs the general distinction of the tango dancing public between passion and sexuality. By the end of the book, I did not want the story to end but when it did, it left a sweet tear in my eye.

This is a fascinating story with a compelling central character. The author uses words and images beautifully....unfortunately the author knows that and indulges in overlong, redundant verbiage in many sections, blurting the sharpness of the narrative. This is particularly true when revealing Dante's thoughts and emotions....okay. , already, we get it! Glad I read it and glad it's done.

This is an interesting story that provides a history of Argentina through the music, simultaneously with an account of a woman caught in a strange country with few choices. The writing is poetic; I enjoyed this book about a place and time with which I had previously known little.

I cannot describe how much I love this book. I am generally not too impressed with most books I read, I guess I am looking for a lot out of something I put so much time into. I picked it up knowing almost nothing about it and it read fantastically that way, so I won't say much here except not only was I hooked from the first page because of the author's fantastic writing, but I was so satisfied throughout the book as I learned tons from a historical perspective, dived into the psychology and experience of many a truly fascinating character, and was thrilled at every turn by the tension and uniqueness of the events that unfolded. I have not had a favorite book since I was a preteen, but this is my favorite book now. I am making every one of my book clubs read this whether they like it or not. I can't imagine someone not liking - nay, LOVING - this book. High praise from a hyper-critic. Thank you Carolina De Robertis!

There is nothing more stunning than a Carolina de Robertis novel. I don't generally read "literary fiction." But her stories have a way of wrapping themselves around me, drawing me in, and the characters are so vividly drawn that they yank at my heart. It doesn't feel like reading a book, it feels like watching a life unfold. There were times when I was impatient because the story is somewhat predictable (as soon as Leda puts on men's clothes, you wait for the moment when s/he's exposed), but the gorgeousness of the prose kept calling me back in. I highlighted so many sentences just so I could go back and read them over and over again, I marvel at the beauty of her language, lines like, "Music, arrow to pierce all barriers. Music, invader of centuries. Nectar of demons, whiskey flask of God." or "Lust, after all, was a prismatic thing, refracting differently with different women." I never feel like she's trying to be highbrow, but more letting the words spill out to create an irresistible rhythm. A thrill.