Lush and atmospheric. Not my favorite of the "trilogy of men" (that would be Brickmakers), but worth spending time with!

Not a River is a short, quick book to read, but it is not without substance. Slim, but not slight. The island setting is constrained and the cast of characters is small, but the themes cover a wide territory. According to the title, the river is not a river, but Almada seems to mean it's not only a river. Themes of life, death, sustenance, wastefulness, ownership, belonging, transgression, and punishment surge in and out of the water in this poetic novel. The point of view shifts seamlessly from one character to another like flowing water, moving the reader along with intrigue but not urgency. It's a novel to savor and consider, like a smooth rock at the river's edge.

A sparse novel that reads almost like poetry, NOT A RIVER follows two friends on a fishing trip and their memories of their friend who drowned in the same river years ago. Covering toxic masculinity, survivor's guilt, and the feeling of alienation, Almada examines how one grieves and moves on from tragic deaths. McDermott's translation is superb, where characters seamlessly flow between each other, and timelines jump backward while moving forward.

At this point, my thoughts on Not a River by Selva Almada translated by Annie McDermott will probably have little bearing on whether or not you decide to pick it up. If this book is going to be something you’re interested in, you’ve likely already read it or added it to your TBR. Its place on the short list for the International Booker Prize is a pretty good indication that it is a worthwhile read.

I personally don’t need any convincing to pick up translated fiction by South American women writers. They are almost always a hit for me. And when it’s published by Graywolf that is an additional indication I’m likely to love it.

And I do love this one.

The book starts quietly. It is a story of connection to people and place and grief. Even though it starts out quiet it doesn’t take long for it to start building toward something less subdued. This is a story of contrast and juxtaposition; of past and present, insiders and outsiders, family and friends, young and old. As the story moves along additional layers are added, and the shifting between multiple storylines adds to the intensity and the blurring of lines between the separate narratives. This creates a dreamlike quality and a loss of perspective on what is happening now, what is real, and what is imagined. It is a slow reveal and build. It is difficult not to see the connection to the flames and sparks that are on the cover and mentioned throughout the story; the story feels like a flicker of flames, things ready to ignite, and ultimately burn.

The writing is beautiful and Almada is capable of putting words together that evoke feeling. I'm still thinking about it and realize there are certainly things I missed and layers of complexity that I don’t quite comprehend. I’m terrible at rereads but this would benefit from it as I’m sure I have just scratched the surface. I look forward to reading more of Almada’s work.

Thank you @graywolfpress @netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graywolf Press for an early review copy of this book. It releases May 7, 2024.

An interesting and kinetic tale of youth, gender, and violence. Reading this brief, chapterless novel was quite a dynamic experience, as I was able to get lost in its sparse prose. I wonder if this novel would have been more successful with less characters or a longer engagement with the characters, as there are figures here who read as undeveloped. Still, this was certainly a worthwhile if a bit forgetful tale of loss and toxic masculinity. This book was also just shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, so I'm glad to see it making the rounds on social media.

Incredible. Ok, I loved The Wind That Lays Waste more, because it lifted me up and gave me a reason to believe in redemption…but this novel is perfect in a completely different way. An Old Testament read, you might say. A harsh world with a harsh sense of justice. It reminded me of Goat Mountain by David Vann, Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia, Train by Pete Dexter. Relentless, pure, beautifully told.

I love Selma Almada’s Dead Girls so I was super excited to see Not A River being released!

I will admit that I was a bit lost in the beginning but around halfway through the book, I couldn’t put it down. I loved how it all came together.

I will be rereading this book soon because I want to go back and see what I missed the first time!! Beautiful prose and dream like story! I’m excited to read more from this author. I’m just amazed at the translator.

I loved the crackling dialogue in this fever dream of novella, which Annie McDermott has perfectly matched in both pacing and tone. I'll read anything she translates, and anything Graywolf publishes.