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La Ligne bleue
Buenos Aires, années 1970. Julia a hérité de sa grand-mère Josefina un don précieux et encombrant : parfois des scènes de l'avenir lui apparaissent, vues à travers le regard de l'autre. À charge pour elle d'interpréter sa vision. Dès l'âge de cinq ans, elle doit intervenir pour empêcher le déroulement d'événements malheureux.
L'histoire de Julia va basculer lors du retour de Perón en Argentine. Sympathisants du mouvement des Montoneros, elle et son compagnon vont connaître le destin de cette jeunesse idéaliste et révolutionnaire d'Amérique latine, fascinée tout autant par la figure du Christ que par celle de Che Guevara et confrontée à la réalité de la dictature militaire. Capturés par des escadrons de la mort, ils réussiront à s'évader...
On retrouve ici certains des thèmes qui traversaient Même le silence a une fin, le grand récit d'Ingrid Betancourt relatant ses années de captivité dans la jungle : la privation de liberté et ses conséquences, le courage individuel et la servilité collective, l'espoir en l'avenir de l'humanité considéré comme un acte de foi. Mais de ce dilemme entre le choix de la vengeance et celui de la vie, elle a d'abord fait la matière d'un vrai roman d'aventures.
L'histoire de Julia va basculer lors du retour de Perón en Argentine. Sympathisants du mouvement des Montoneros, elle et son compagnon vont connaître le destin de cette jeunesse idéaliste et révolutionnaire d'Amérique latine, fascinée tout autant par la figure du Christ que par celle de Che Guevara et confrontée à la réalité de la dictature militaire. Capturés par des escadrons de la mort, ils réussiront à s'évader...
On retrouve ici certains des thèmes qui traversaient Même le silence a une fin, le grand récit d'Ingrid Betancourt relatant ses années de captivité dans la jungle : la privation de liberté et ses conséquences, le courage individuel et la servilité collective, l'espoir en l'avenir de l'humanité considéré comme un acte de foi. Mais de ce dilemme entre le choix de la vengeance et celui de la vie, elle a d'abord fait la matière d'un vrai roman d'aventures.
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2014
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2058 people want to read
About the author
Ingrid Betancourt
28 books68 followersFormer Colombian politician, mostly known for being kidnapped by the FARC.
Was voted in the Colombian congress in 1998 and was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002 during her presidential campaign until she was freed in 2008.
Was voted in the Colombian congress in 1998 and was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002 during her presidential campaign until she was freed in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
February 8, 2016
3.5 This book goes back and forward in time, a structure that I usually don't like but which worked for this book, at least until the end. A vivid and graphic description of the torture and violence that was Argentina in the seventies, the military coups and the disappeared. Julia, who also has the power of vision, showing her small snippets of events in the future, becomes caught up in the plight of the Montenaros and is therefore wanted by the government. Not sure this type of magical realism was necessary though it did serve her a good turn on one important occasion and is not an overwhelming theme of the novel. Loved her grandmother, who also has this sight. She is a very memorable character.
The author's own background leads to her expertise in writing this type of novel, as she herself was a prisoner in the Colombia jungle for six years. The parts in the prison, the fear and terror, the torturers were hard to read but this was when her writing was the strongest. So many people went through such horrible things. Such a horrible time in this countries past. The story of Julia and Theo was very interesting, and it showed two sides of the people involved in such horror, one bent on revenge, the other willing and wanting to start over, not forget but just to live. Felt the ending was a bit rushed and confusing but all in all a very interesting story and an indepth look at a particular if devastating time in history.
The author's own background leads to her expertise in writing this type of novel, as she herself was a prisoner in the Colombia jungle for six years. The parts in the prison, the fear and terror, the torturers were hard to read but this was when her writing was the strongest. So many people went through such horrible things. Such a horrible time in this countries past. The story of Julia and Theo was very interesting, and it showed two sides of the people involved in such horror, one bent on revenge, the other willing and wanting to start over, not forget but just to live. Felt the ending was a bit rushed and confusing but all in all a very interesting story and an indepth look at a particular if devastating time in history.
January 7, 2016
Ingrid Betancourt’s fiction debut is a smart, sophisticated, compelling psychological thriller about the nature of marriage, love, and revenge. Socially relevant and politically astute, it has a restraint, grace, and fluency few novelists master.
Set in Argentina in the late 1970’s, and the United States in the early 2000’s, the chapters outline a time of political tumult and its aftermath in Argentina, through the rise of a military junta and a notorious period called the “Dirty War” in which many regime opponents are jailed or disappeared. While the novel’s cover description describes the use of magical realism, the inherited prophetic capabilities of some of the characters did not reach the otherworldly heights of that narrative technique as seen in the work of other South American authors. The capacity to glance briefly into the future and possibly to tweak the outcome of events allowed the mystery and thriller elements of the novel to involve readers by anticipating moments of crisis.
The story is narrated by Julia, one of the “seers,” who is educated into the mysteries of her gift by her aunt, who is similarly blessed. It appears the gift must be used with courage and compassion or it will be taken away. Julia falls in love with a young man, Theo, who is involved in protests against government corruption in Argentina. When Julia and Theo are separated, jailed, beaten and tortured for their resistance to the regime, one of Julia’s visions suggests a moment when escape might be attempted.
Years later, Julia will discover what happened to her lover, Theo, while she spent time raising their child. Julia and Theo get back together, but they both have changed much in the intervening years. The book opens on Julia contemplating the meaning of one vision suggesting Theo is romantically involved with someone new.
The exquisite use of language and the precise observations about the nature of marriage and motherhood raise this book to the level of literature. We are treated to a the tiny changes in a husband’s habits when he takes a lover, how a child abused at school behaves when he returns home in the afternoon, how a distracted but loving mother acts when her child insists on playing, reading, or stories to stretch the limits of bedtime.
The sophistication of the novel lies in its assumption that readers will accept that some mysteries, just as in life, will never be answered. The novel also raises questions of accountability, retribution, and recompense for abuses suffered under a regime gone mad, and encourages readers to imagine how one reacts when confronted with a perpetrator of those crimes, sometimes years after the fact, when one is living a new life in a different country. Betancourt manages to present important ethical and political dilemmas and make them thrilling.
Betancourt was a presidential candidate in Colombia’s 2002 national election when she was taken prisoner by FARC, a guerilla organization ostensibly promoting an agrarian and anti-imperialist platform but operating by extortion, kidnap, illegal taxation, and drug sales. Betancourt was held captive six and a half years in the jungles of Colombia until a covert military operation freed her, three American contractors, and eleven Colombian police in 2008. Betancourt wrote a nonfiction memoir about her ordeal demonstrating her ravishing literary talent, called Even Silence has an End (2008). Her first memoir, Until Death Do Us Part (1989), was a bestseller in France.
Set in Argentina in the late 1970’s, and the United States in the early 2000’s, the chapters outline a time of political tumult and its aftermath in Argentina, through the rise of a military junta and a notorious period called the “Dirty War” in which many regime opponents are jailed or disappeared. While the novel’s cover description describes the use of magical realism, the inherited prophetic capabilities of some of the characters did not reach the otherworldly heights of that narrative technique as seen in the work of other South American authors. The capacity to glance briefly into the future and possibly to tweak the outcome of events allowed the mystery and thriller elements of the novel to involve readers by anticipating moments of crisis.
The story is narrated by Julia, one of the “seers,” who is educated into the mysteries of her gift by her aunt, who is similarly blessed. It appears the gift must be used with courage and compassion or it will be taken away. Julia falls in love with a young man, Theo, who is involved in protests against government corruption in Argentina. When Julia and Theo are separated, jailed, beaten and tortured for their resistance to the regime, one of Julia’s visions suggests a moment when escape might be attempted.
Years later, Julia will discover what happened to her lover, Theo, while she spent time raising their child. Julia and Theo get back together, but they both have changed much in the intervening years. The book opens on Julia contemplating the meaning of one vision suggesting Theo is romantically involved with someone new.
The exquisite use of language and the precise observations about the nature of marriage and motherhood raise this book to the level of literature. We are treated to a the tiny changes in a husband’s habits when he takes a lover, how a child abused at school behaves when he returns home in the afternoon, how a distracted but loving mother acts when her child insists on playing, reading, or stories to stretch the limits of bedtime.
The sophistication of the novel lies in its assumption that readers will accept that some mysteries, just as in life, will never be answered. The novel also raises questions of accountability, retribution, and recompense for abuses suffered under a regime gone mad, and encourages readers to imagine how one reacts when confronted with a perpetrator of those crimes, sometimes years after the fact, when one is living a new life in a different country. Betancourt manages to present important ethical and political dilemmas and make them thrilling.
Betancourt was a presidential candidate in Colombia’s 2002 national election when she was taken prisoner by FARC, a guerilla organization ostensibly promoting an agrarian and anti-imperialist platform but operating by extortion, kidnap, illegal taxation, and drug sales. Betancourt was held captive six and a half years in the jungles of Colombia until a covert military operation freed her, three American contractors, and eleven Colombian police in 2008. Betancourt wrote a nonfiction memoir about her ordeal demonstrating her ravishing literary talent, called Even Silence has an End (2008). Her first memoir, Until Death Do Us Part (1989), was a bestseller in France.
August 17, 2016
It's taken me 6 months to process what I've read here.
Some thoughts/disclaimers before I even start:
--I've been deleting ARC offers from publishers for years; this is the only one I've ever accepted (don't ask why, it's a long story)
--I can never fairly review anything this chick has written, given that my review of Betancourt's memoir was a colossal f*ck up, and given that meeting her in person had me do a complete 180
--I hate fiction, and I particularly loathe historical fiction about eras of human tragedy. I also have a special hatred for magic realism.
--Not only does this book have everything I can't stand--historical fiction and magic realism--it also covers a historical period that makes me want to vomit: there was something especially evil about the Dirty War. The messy torture, killing and disappearing of 20-somethings for having the wrong political views, and kidnapping their newborns and passing them off as the children of military families? It makes the clean, systematic extirmination during the Holocuast seem more merciful in some ways. I'd rather read 20 Holocaust novels than 1 about the Dirty War -- that's how badly I hate this topic.
--I was able to get around the hatred for historical fiction/magic realism/the Dirty War for a couple of reasons. 1) I fell for the bullshit non-analysis factor of "seeing yourself" in the story: the characters in the story frequent my old stomping grounds in Connecticut and NYC, down to my old block and the church next door to my building on W. 14th Street in Manhattan; the single mother's relationship with her son probably got me, too, especially the mother happening to hear a child psychologist on the radio. Freaky shit coincidences, total non-analysis, but it kept me going. 2) I figured out early on what the author is doing -- I'm guessing her intent here isn't to have you curl up with a book and be a passive reader. I think it's pretty obvious that there's something else, something way larger and profound going on between the lines here.
--I didn't hate this book at all. In fact, I loved it and respect what (I think) Betancourt has done. She may have been a politician, but there's no question that this chick is a writer, 100%. And a damn good one.
--I think a lot of this book's lukewarm reviews on GR are from people who haven't had an analytical thought since 9th grade English. I may have to rip into those people a little, but I'll try to be nice-ish...
But I'll get to that later...
Review coming...just need a few more days to organize my thoughts.
February 1, 2018
Political Heroine, but Inexperienced Novelist
[NOTE (2018): This review has recently come to my attention again, through correspondence with a friend who gave the book five stars. Since we seem to agree on other things, I am racking my brains to understand the discrepancy here. I usually give one star only to books that are obvious trash—clearly not the case here—or those that deal with unpleasant subjects with such skill that they get under my skin and remain there whether I welcome them or not. But as I have totally forgotten the book, and my main criticism below is the author's lack of experience as a writer of fiction, it cannot be that either. I'm obviously not in a position to change my rating, but do take it with a pinch of salt! rb.]
Before she was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002, Ingrid Betancourt was a Colombian senator and presidential candidate for the Green Party. Born into a political family, educated mainly in England and France, and later married to a French diplomat, she is a citizen of the world, privileged, connected, beautiful, and talented. To be forcibly removed from this world and held in captivity for six and a half years must have been traumatic. It is no wonder that her two memoirs— Until Death Do Us Part (about her political career) and Even Silence Has an End (about her captivity)—were international best-sellers. But the ability to write a novel—to imagine oneself into the heart and mind of another person in a different situation, place, and time—that is another matter entirely. The Blue Line, her fictional debut, may be about a subject with parallels to her own life (anti-government resistance in Argentina during the late 1970s), and deal also with a politically active young woman in captivity, but it is so clumsily put together that little of the expected empathy comes through. Instead, it seems more like a vanity project.
The novel is told in two alternating time periods, rather cutely indicated by subtitles such as "Austral Winter, 1976" and "Boreal Autumn, 2006." The earlier period is set in Buenos Aires and deals with the childhood of Julia, the protagonist, and especially her later teens when she is in love with a student named Theo, the leader of a revolutionary cell in the university. By 2006, Julia and Theo are married with a grown son, living a comfortable middle-class life in Connecticut. Anyone who knows anything about the first period realizes that Julia and Theo will become victims of the "dirty war" and be subject to abduction, torture, and constant threat of death. We will see Julia become involved with a number of real-life figures and events, such as the "liberation theology" priest Father Carlos Mugica and the Ezieza Massacre. And yes, there will be imprisonment, degradation, and torture. Betancourt describes all this through Julia's eyes, but not from inside her soul. At least in the uninspired translation by Lakshmi Ramakrishnan Iyer and Rebekah Wilson (acknowledged only in the smallest of small print), she has a dry style of short declarative sentences that utterly failed to stir my imagination or frankly my sympathy. I will illustrate the short-breathed style, however, from a less charged passage: what she would have us believe is an ordinary domestic dialogue but which merely shows the clumsy way in which Betancourt handles exposition (and still doesn't make the political situation much clearer, even so):
[NOTE (2018): This review has recently come to my attention again, through correspondence with a friend who gave the book five stars. Since we seem to agree on other things, I am racking my brains to understand the discrepancy here. I usually give one star only to books that are obvious trash—clearly not the case here—or those that deal with unpleasant subjects with such skill that they get under my skin and remain there whether I welcome them or not. But as I have totally forgotten the book, and my main criticism below is the author's lack of experience as a writer of fiction, it cannot be that either. I'm obviously not in a position to change my rating, but do take it with a pinch of salt! rb.]
Before she was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002, Ingrid Betancourt was a Colombian senator and presidential candidate for the Green Party. Born into a political family, educated mainly in England and France, and later married to a French diplomat, she is a citizen of the world, privileged, connected, beautiful, and talented. To be forcibly removed from this world and held in captivity for six and a half years must have been traumatic. It is no wonder that her two memoirs— Until Death Do Us Part (about her political career) and Even Silence Has an End (about her captivity)—were international best-sellers. But the ability to write a novel—to imagine oneself into the heart and mind of another person in a different situation, place, and time—that is another matter entirely. The Blue Line, her fictional debut, may be about a subject with parallels to her own life (anti-government resistance in Argentina during the late 1970s), and deal also with a politically active young woman in captivity, but it is so clumsily put together that little of the expected empathy comes through. Instead, it seems more like a vanity project.
The novel is told in two alternating time periods, rather cutely indicated by subtitles such as "Austral Winter, 1976" and "Boreal Autumn, 2006." The earlier period is set in Buenos Aires and deals with the childhood of Julia, the protagonist, and especially her later teens when she is in love with a student named Theo, the leader of a revolutionary cell in the university. By 2006, Julia and Theo are married with a grown son, living a comfortable middle-class life in Connecticut. Anyone who knows anything about the first period realizes that Julia and Theo will become victims of the "dirty war" and be subject to abduction, torture, and constant threat of death. We will see Julia become involved with a number of real-life figures and events, such as the "liberation theology" priest Father Carlos Mugica and the Ezieza Massacre. And yes, there will be imprisonment, degradation, and torture. Betancourt describes all this through Julia's eyes, but not from inside her soul. At least in the uninspired translation by Lakshmi Ramakrishnan Iyer and Rebekah Wilson (acknowledged only in the smallest of small print), she has a dry style of short declarative sentences that utterly failed to stir my imagination or frankly my sympathy. I will illustrate the short-breathed style, however, from a less charged passage: what she would have us believe is an ordinary domestic dialogue but which merely shows the clumsy way in which Betancourt handles exposition (and still doesn't make the political situation much clearer, even so):
Theo paused, then went on: "Closer to home, take the death of Juan Garcia Elorria. It was apparently a car accident. But a lot of people wanted to silence him. He was the editor of 'Christianity and Revolution.' Either way, the magazine didn't survive his death."The "dirty war" was, at one time, an important subject to bring to the fore. But in addition to the histories and memoirs, there have now been a number of novels written about it. What may make Betancourt's different is her use of magic realism to offset the hard facts, and including scenes set thirty years later. But other novels, such as Perla by Carolina De Robertis, have used magical devices, and more effectively than Betancourt. She gives Julia an inherited "gift" that enables her to foresee terrible events in a trance, and so be better equipped to cope with them. I think it is supposed to prolong the dread of approaching terror, but the visions are too detailed to work that way. Instead it turned the book into a mere sequence: "Sometime I'm going to be tortured… Now I'm being tortured… Now I'm trying to recover." And while US sections would seem to be an interesting way to study the effects of delayed PTSD, there is something so predictable in the suburban story of adultery in a tired marriage to be a worthy counterpoint to the genuine anguish suffered by countless young men and women a great deal more real than Betancourt's Julia.
April 14, 2017
Preface: I borrowed this from the library because I loved the cover. (The art is exquisite!) I didn't know much about the author, who now I know was an activist who was captured and imprisoned for 6 years, nor did I know about Argentina's Dirty War (1976-1983).
The story follows Julia, a young lady in 1976 who, with her boyfriend Theo, becomes part of the resistance in Argentina. It flips back and forth between her time in Argentina (and her capture and torture) and present-day (2006) in the US.
Julia also has a third eye, which was a big selling point to me. Historical fiction with a little magical realism. It's subtle enough that you aren't taken over by it, but it serves a good purpose and is a nice element to the story.
I got a little muddied in the end with the converging timelines. I still think that there was too much coincidence? or just a neatly sewn up ending. But it was a good story for the most part.
The story follows Julia, a young lady in 1976 who, with her boyfriend Theo, becomes part of the resistance in Argentina. It flips back and forth between her time in Argentina (and her capture and torture) and present-day (2006) in the US.
Julia also has a third eye, which was a big selling point to me. Historical fiction with a little magical realism. It's subtle enough that you aren't taken over by it, but it serves a good purpose and is a nice element to the story.
I got a little muddied in the end with the converging timelines. I still think that there was too much coincidence? or just a neatly sewn up ending. But it was a good story for the most part.
September 14, 2017
Even though it has a distant feel to it, I still found it hard/emotionally challenging to read. That's good, as it's about Argentina's Dirty War. Stressful to read.
The reviews mention that it has a magical realism component, but I wouldn't call it that. It hinges more on a few people who are 'seers', who can see the future or the past. So, not really magical realism, imo, nor did it have the feel of magical realism as it was related to the story.
This was a tough one. I actually had some nightmares last night related to the story & other semi-related topics.
The reviews mention that it has a magical realism component, but I wouldn't call it that. It hinges more on a few people who are 'seers', who can see the future or the past. So, not really magical realism, imo, nor did it have the feel of magical realism as it was related to the story.
This was a tough one. I actually had some nightmares last night related to the story & other semi-related topics.
October 2, 2016
Loved this book. It deserves a proper review,whenever I can find the time to do one.
September 28, 2015
While this has magical realism, it is heavier than what normally is expected from said genre. This is a love story that self-destructs and are the reasons due to the tragic and traumatic events years in the past as Julia's country was falling apart? "Get too close and love suffocates. The other person's presence becomes oppressive. So you learn to live without seeing each other, the way you stop noticing the pedestal table in the hallway."
Love between radicals in Argentina (being Montoneros sympathizers) gives us a tumultuous coming of age and while Julia is a visionary (blessed or cursed with the gift of sight passed down from her beloved Grandmother) she seems unable to dodge capture by the death squadrons, unable to dodge future heartache too. Julia and Theo escape physically but the horrors haunt and poison their lives long after.
The reader is able to share in Julia's often terrible visions, always as if she is in possession of the person whose life premonitions she is privy to. It is her fate to intervene and prevent the events she foresees, whether she wishes to or not. While her gift helps, it doesn't guarantee a life of peace and happiness for herself. There will come a time when her life is calm, seemingly safe, certainly having left behind the tortuous time spent as a prisoner, when she sees too much, and knows it will bring her nothing but heartbreak. Which brings to mind that even when the environment isn't dangerous, there are always threats to love from outside forces. There is still hope and faith, but both Theo and Julia have been damaged by the youthful idealism that forced them on a path they otherwise may have avoided. While surviving a nightmare together can make the bonds of love stronger, too one's lover can sadly serve as a terrible reminder of a time in one's life that is better buried and forgotten.
This novel carries a dangerous history, youthful idealism, radicalism, and heavy betrayal. It has beauty and monstrous ugliness pertaining to Argentina's history that has not let it's claws out of Theo and Julia. There is hope for everyone, even when nothing ends as one hoped- there is always other beginnings to be found. This is not a light read at all, and the magical realism is profound through the story but it is not a simple one, it is rich in a painful history that doesn't play nice with your heart. Well done.
Love between radicals in Argentina (being Montoneros sympathizers) gives us a tumultuous coming of age and while Julia is a visionary (blessed or cursed with the gift of sight passed down from her beloved Grandmother) she seems unable to dodge capture by the death squadrons, unable to dodge future heartache too. Julia and Theo escape physically but the horrors haunt and poison their lives long after.
The reader is able to share in Julia's often terrible visions, always as if she is in possession of the person whose life premonitions she is privy to. It is her fate to intervene and prevent the events she foresees, whether she wishes to or not. While her gift helps, it doesn't guarantee a life of peace and happiness for herself. There will come a time when her life is calm, seemingly safe, certainly having left behind the tortuous time spent as a prisoner, when she sees too much, and knows it will bring her nothing but heartbreak. Which brings to mind that even when the environment isn't dangerous, there are always threats to love from outside forces. There is still hope and faith, but both Theo and Julia have been damaged by the youthful idealism that forced them on a path they otherwise may have avoided. While surviving a nightmare together can make the bonds of love stronger, too one's lover can sadly serve as a terrible reminder of a time in one's life that is better buried and forgotten.
This novel carries a dangerous history, youthful idealism, radicalism, and heavy betrayal. It has beauty and monstrous ugliness pertaining to Argentina's history that has not let it's claws out of Theo and Julia. There is hope for everyone, even when nothing ends as one hoped- there is always other beginnings to be found. This is not a light read at all, and the magical realism is profound through the story but it is not a simple one, it is rich in a painful history that doesn't play nice with your heart. Well done.
January 31, 2016
Well, on the plus side, the supernatural aspect is there right from the get-go. No surprise aliens or alternate personalities thrust upon me after I've gone a good way into the novel. Julia, our protagonist, is one of a long line of women in her family who have some sort of second sight, able to foretell future deaths and work to avoid them. Anyone remember that show from the 90, Early Edition? Sort of like that, but set during Argentina's Dirty War and its aftermath. But right there, at the beginning, bam, supernatural. Thank you Ingrid Betancourt for not trying to trick me or surprise me, but just being honest from page one that there is some weird otherwordly stuff that's going to be going on.
You know what else happens right around page one: two or three metaphors right after each other. Then more. Then characters that earnestly spout vapid phrases like Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Then coincidences. Then a narrative that jumps around from Julia to other people and back again. Each time I think Okay, I can deal with this, the book goes back into airport thriller style, completely illogical.
So I don't believe any of the characters. Or the plot. But I do believe Betancourt really really really really really really tried. She can do some things well; she writes the violence amazingly. But then she has a wife hide in the trunk of her husband's car to see if he's cheating on her and people oh so randomly running into each other on buses or seeing enemies countries away in photographs hung on the wall of a lover's house and I think Sure to myself. Whatever.
Maybe go read The Dancer Upstairs if interested in a South American dirty war-esque struggle. Or read The Blue Line, but for the violence, not the book itself.
The Blue Line by Ingrid Betancourt went on sale January 12, 2016.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know what else happens right around page one: two or three metaphors right after each other. Then more. Then characters that earnestly spout vapid phrases like Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Then coincidences. Then a narrative that jumps around from Julia to other people and back again. Each time I think Okay, I can deal with this, the book goes back into airport thriller style, completely illogical.
So I don't believe any of the characters. Or the plot. But I do believe Betancourt really really really really really really tried. She can do some things well; she writes the violence amazingly. But then she has a wife hide in the trunk of her husband's car to see if he's cheating on her and people oh so randomly running into each other on buses or seeing enemies countries away in photographs hung on the wall of a lover's house and I think Sure to myself. Whatever.
Maybe go read The Dancer Upstairs if interested in a South American dirty war-esque struggle. Or read The Blue Line, but for the violence, not the book itself.
The Blue Line by Ingrid Betancourt went on sale January 12, 2016.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2024
2.5 stars
Ingrid Betancourt, a politician who was kidnapped by FARC and held for over 6 years, wrote this novel about a young woman, Julia, living in Argentina in the 1970s, during the Dirty War. She and her boyfriend join the radical Montoneros opposed to the military dictatorship of the country and are eventually kidnapped and tortured.
There are two timelines – one following Julia as a young woman when she meets and falls in love with Theo and his political leanings, leading into their kidnapping; and a second taking place roughly 30 years later, when she and Theo are married and she suspects him of having an affair.
Julia has the gift of premonition, and this promise of magical realism was one of the main reasons I read the book. This premonitory aspect, though threading together certain events, was not a big part of the story. I'm just disappointed that the publisher's description made this out to be something that it wasn't.
I loved the first two chapters, but then Betancourt starts to lay the foundation for the political upheaval, and she lost me. The writing style became very dry and there was too much information overall, but not enough of the kind I needed – the kind specific to the main characters. I disliked how she wove real historical figures into her characters' lives with detail – rather than portraying their lives objectively to simply set the scene. After Julia is kidnapped and tortured, I started to get more interested in the story. Her imprisonment was the best part of this book, undoubtedly informed by the author's own time as a prisoner.
Most of the book is written from Julia's perspective but over halfway in, we're shown things from Theo's perspective all of a sudden, and then it bounces back between the two. I didn't like this shift at all.
The dialogue was somewhat stilted and unrealistic, as were some other parts of the writing – I'm not sure how much of this was the author's doing and how much happened in translation, as this was originally written in French.
Though I enjoyed some of the book, it was disjointed and I'm not sure how much of the story I'll actually retain because of that.
Ingrid Betancourt, a politician who was kidnapped by FARC and held for over 6 years, wrote this novel about a young woman, Julia, living in Argentina in the 1970s, during the Dirty War. She and her boyfriend join the radical Montoneros opposed to the military dictatorship of the country and are eventually kidnapped and tortured.
There are two timelines – one following Julia as a young woman when she meets and falls in love with Theo and his political leanings, leading into their kidnapping; and a second taking place roughly 30 years later, when she and Theo are married and she suspects him of having an affair.
Julia has the gift of premonition, and this promise of magical realism was one of the main reasons I read the book. This premonitory aspect, though threading together certain events, was not a big part of the story. I'm just disappointed that the publisher's description made this out to be something that it wasn't.
I loved the first two chapters, but then Betancourt starts to lay the foundation for the political upheaval, and she lost me. The writing style became very dry and there was too much information overall, but not enough of the kind I needed – the kind specific to the main characters. I disliked how she wove real historical figures into her characters' lives with detail – rather than portraying their lives objectively to simply set the scene. After Julia is kidnapped and tortured, I started to get more interested in the story. Her imprisonment was the best part of this book, undoubtedly informed by the author's own time as a prisoner.
Most of the book is written from Julia's perspective but over halfway in, we're shown things from Theo's perspective all of a sudden, and then it bounces back between the two. I didn't like this shift at all.
The dialogue was somewhat stilted and unrealistic, as were some other parts of the writing – I'm not sure how much of this was the author's doing and how much happened in translation, as this was originally written in French.
Though I enjoyed some of the book, it was disjointed and I'm not sure how much of the story I'll actually retain because of that.
February 28, 2016
It's always tempting to read a best-selling memoirist's first novel through the lens of her past self-revelations, but in the case of Ingrid Betancourt's fiction debut "The Blue Line," the impulse is particularly hard to resist. . . In 2002, the Colombian-French politician was kidnapped by FARC rebels while campaigning for the Colombian presidency. Six years later she emerged from the jungle a temporary hero, only to face scandal when her intention to sue the Colombian government turned public opinion against her; later, unflattering memoirs from her less famous fellow captives began to emerge.
In 2010, Betancourt answered with her own memoir. "Even Silence Has an End" describes six miserable years of starvation, abuse and suffocating confinement, during which time Betancourt's refusal to cooperate with her rebel captors increasingly drew the resentment of the other hostages. Depending on whose account you read, Betancourt's decision to campaign in the dangerous San Vicente region can be seen as either brave or naive, her resistance and repeated escape attempts testifying to either strength of character or narcissism. One thing is indisputable: her will to survive.
Something of that steely will is discernible in Betancourt's fiction debut, "The Blue Line," where it holds together disparate genres that often feel like completely separate novels, jostling against each other like ice floes. [ . . . ]
Read my full review here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifesty...
In 2010, Betancourt answered with her own memoir. "Even Silence Has an End" describes six miserable years of starvation, abuse and suffocating confinement, during which time Betancourt's refusal to cooperate with her rebel captors increasingly drew the resentment of the other hostages. Depending on whose account you read, Betancourt's decision to campaign in the dangerous San Vicente region can be seen as either brave or naive, her resistance and repeated escape attempts testifying to either strength of character or narcissism. One thing is indisputable: her will to survive.
Something of that steely will is discernible in Betancourt's fiction debut, "The Blue Line," where it holds together disparate genres that often feel like completely separate novels, jostling against each other like ice floes. [ . . . ]
Read my full review here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifesty...
January 25, 2019
The Blue Line by Ingrid Betancourt was about one particular woman and her courage. However, the entire plotline lost me completely. It told me what was happening instead of showing me. I felt like a kindergartener was telling me every sentence. It was frustrating to read. I wanted to get enjoy the story. But it was impossible. The way it was told was not done well. Usually, there's something that connects readers to the characters. From the beginning to end, there was no connection between me and the characters. It felt flat. I believe the way it was written caused for more dislike of the book than anything else. Just words filling up space on good paper. Then there was the switching from back in the past to the present that made it more unlikable.
The two star rating was given for an attempt to make a decent story. The back blurb of the book was better written then the book itself. The writer received more than one star because her message is a powerful one. Although it just clearly lacked in the way it was written. I was not entertained at all. My interest was peaked enough to attempt reading this book.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
The two star rating was given for an attempt to make a decent story. The back blurb of the book was better written then the book itself. The writer received more than one star because her message is a powerful one. Although it just clearly lacked in the way it was written. I was not entertained at all. My interest was peaked enough to attempt reading this book.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
January 7, 2016
This is an astonishing work of historical fiction, weaving together the plotline as it jumps to and fro in time with history. Julia survives the Dirty War in Argentina to continue to Paris and then America, carrying her history with her. The most vivid passages are the hardest to read -- they detail torture techniques. The plot has to jump around so that it doesn't become so nauseating we can't continue. And the current-day plotline assures us that Julia gets out. Against all odds. And even stranger and harder to believe, the baby in her womb during that torture survives.
There are literary and style bits I could criticize -- it's jumpy and awkward here and there. But the rich history, as awful as it is, makes up for these shortcomings. The book opens a window on a formative piece of the history of modern Argentina and Argentinians -- this struggle, for justice long delayed, continues today. Julia, a woman, a survivor, a warrior, a mother, is the right character to bring this story to us.
I got a copy of this from First to Read.
There are literary and style bits I could criticize -- it's jumpy and awkward here and there. But the rich history, as awful as it is, makes up for these shortcomings. The book opens a window on a formative piece of the history of modern Argentina and Argentinians -- this struggle, for justice long delayed, continues today. Julia, a woman, a survivor, a warrior, a mother, is the right character to bring this story to us.
I got a copy of this from First to Read.
September 6, 2018
This book was a good interesting read, but trigger warning, there are several scenes of torture and human suffering. It also has a bit of magical realism which I found interesting but a bit inconsistent. IT's a quite prominent part of the book at the beginning, gets dropped towards the middle, and by the end it all comes back to tie everything up. While I really liked the narrator's voice, I found some of the jumpings around in time a bit disjointed. I like a non-linear narrative, but I tend to enjoy it more when the transition from one time to another is a bit smoother.
The dirty ar is a horrible and fascinating historical event, I would be interested to read more historical fiction like this.
The dirty ar is a horrible and fascinating historical event, I would be interested to read more historical fiction like this.
March 24, 2016
Please check out all of my reviews at http://ultraviolentlit.blogspot.ca!
Betancourt is a Columbian politician and activist, abducted and held hostage by the guerilla organization FARC during her campaign for president in Columbia’s 2002 election. She uses her experiences as a captive in the jungles of Columbia in this novel, an exploration of Argentina’s Dirty War. The setting moves from late-1970s South America to early-2000s United States, as main character Julia reflects back on her time in Buenos Aires during the war, while trying to manage her present domestic problems in the U.S.
The synopsis of the novel claims to include Magic Realism, which seems to have become a catchall phrase for anything remotely unusual that happens in South American literature. I don’t feel that The Blue Line can really be classified as Magic Realism in the vein of Allende or Garcia Marquez, but there is a supernatural element at play – Julia is a “seer”. She has inherited the gift from her grandmother, and the women experience visions of the future from an unknown perspective – it is Julia’s job to figure out whose vision she is experiencing, and she is often forced to intervene in order to prevent horrific events from taking place. These visions are used to create suspense throughout the novel, providing foreshadowing for a final climactic event that will take place before the novel ends.
In the alternating chapters that occur in the 1970s, Julia is a young woman who has fallen in love with the revolutionary Theo. He is involved with the infamous Montoneros rebels, and his sympathizing with the group makes a target of both Julia and himself. As the rebels are being rounded up by the corrupt government forces, Theo and Julia are separated. Julia spends many years in her search for Theo, and in the present day she is forced into the realization that love can’t always conquer all.
The lack of a happy ending (which we find out about almost right away, although the actual ending is still a surprise) makes the story so much more realistic, especially after the characters’ horrific experiences of war. The characters are strong individuals, especially Julia, who is a survivor in spite of everything. My only problem with the writing was that it was a bit jumpy and sometimes hard to follow – but it also added to the surreal feeling of the story. There were also some seemingly random plot lines, but it mostly came together in the end. The subject of war and its effects on civilians is very interesting and topical, and for the most part it felt authentic. The Blue Line is most definitely fiction with a political agenda, and although it does stand on its own, I sometimes felt that the story was being forced unnaturally to fit its agenda.
I received this novel from Penguin Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Betancourt is a Columbian politician and activist, abducted and held hostage by the guerilla organization FARC during her campaign for president in Columbia’s 2002 election. She uses her experiences as a captive in the jungles of Columbia in this novel, an exploration of Argentina’s Dirty War. The setting moves from late-1970s South America to early-2000s United States, as main character Julia reflects back on her time in Buenos Aires during the war, while trying to manage her present domestic problems in the U.S.
The synopsis of the novel claims to include Magic Realism, which seems to have become a catchall phrase for anything remotely unusual that happens in South American literature. I don’t feel that The Blue Line can really be classified as Magic Realism in the vein of Allende or Garcia Marquez, but there is a supernatural element at play – Julia is a “seer”. She has inherited the gift from her grandmother, and the women experience visions of the future from an unknown perspective – it is Julia’s job to figure out whose vision she is experiencing, and she is often forced to intervene in order to prevent horrific events from taking place. These visions are used to create suspense throughout the novel, providing foreshadowing for a final climactic event that will take place before the novel ends.
In the alternating chapters that occur in the 1970s, Julia is a young woman who has fallen in love with the revolutionary Theo. He is involved with the infamous Montoneros rebels, and his sympathizing with the group makes a target of both Julia and himself. As the rebels are being rounded up by the corrupt government forces, Theo and Julia are separated. Julia spends many years in her search for Theo, and in the present day she is forced into the realization that love can’t always conquer all.
The lack of a happy ending (which we find out about almost right away, although the actual ending is still a surprise) makes the story so much more realistic, especially after the characters’ horrific experiences of war. The characters are strong individuals, especially Julia, who is a survivor in spite of everything. My only problem with the writing was that it was a bit jumpy and sometimes hard to follow – but it also added to the surreal feeling of the story. There were also some seemingly random plot lines, but it mostly came together in the end. The subject of war and its effects on civilians is very interesting and topical, and for the most part it felt authentic. The Blue Line is most definitely fiction with a political agenda, and although it does stand on its own, I sometimes felt that the story was being forced unnaturally to fit its agenda.
I received this novel from Penguin Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2015
“La Ligne Bleue” is about Julia’s life and her search for happiness amiss the struggles and disappointments. The narrative beautifully alternates from her present life in United States to her past in Argentina during the 70’s. Julia meets her future husband, Theo, on her 18th birthday celebration party. She is suddenly engulfed in a different path of political realm that will forever mark her destiny. She will become part of the “Montoneros”, a young revolutionary group that will eliminate the dictatorship of General Aramburu to reinstate President Peron for a third round in power. We witness all the political confusion in those troubled years followed by the horrendous military dictatorship.
I thought there was nothing worst out there after the Holocaust or the Genocide of Rwanda, but I was wrong. After all, I asked myself the same question as one of the characters in the novel: "Comment ses compatriotes avaient-ils pu en arriver la?" (p.196)
I was just petrified by the horrors of this dictatorship. I had completely forgotten about South America. I don’t really know much about that part of the world. I kept asking myself how can something like this keep occurring after the Holocaust, when we are more vigilant about crimes against humanity.
I read this novel in French. I am not sure the translation in English is released yet. If you read in French, I urge you to read it because the narrative is just beautiful and profound. The author uses many words from the old French which heighten the experience. I had completely forgotten how diverse was the vocabulary palette in French. One could perceives the different dimension and degrees of the words.
I thought there was nothing worst out there after the Holocaust or the Genocide of Rwanda, but I was wrong. After all, I asked myself the same question as one of the characters in the novel: "Comment ses compatriotes avaient-ils pu en arriver la?" (p.196)
I was just petrified by the horrors of this dictatorship. I had completely forgotten about South America. I don’t really know much about that part of the world. I kept asking myself how can something like this keep occurring after the Holocaust, when we are more vigilant about crimes against humanity.
I read this novel in French. I am not sure the translation in English is released yet. If you read in French, I urge you to read it because the narrative is just beautiful and profound. The author uses many words from the old French which heighten the experience. I had completely forgotten how diverse was the vocabulary palette in French. One could perceives the different dimension and degrees of the words.
June 20, 2016
I had no idea what to expect from this book. I liked the parts of when Julia was a younger girl and coming into her "gift" of seeing the future. The premise of the book was magical realism to me from the start. But then it wasn't.
The book went back and forth through different years. When Julia was a child, when she was married and finding out her spouse was having an affair and as a young woman caught up in the middle of The Dirty War in Argentina.
I thought the writing was good and the story kept me reading but I will admit, I skimmed through the torture scenes. I didn't like reading about the pain the prisoners went through, including a couple of pregnant women. I also didn't like reading about the evil men who enjoyed doling out the torture. I do understand this happened, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
The ending shouldn't be a surprise but as a reader I still hoped it would have turned out happier. :)
The history is real in the book and I learned a little about more about a time I didn't know about (I was in elementary when it happened). It's a very sad, terrible time in Argentina, a time that shouldn't have existed.
V: yes
L: I don't remember any
S: Kissing I really don't remember much more (I did skim)
3.5 STARS
Thanks to netgalley for the read!
The book went back and forth through different years. When Julia was a child, when she was married and finding out her spouse was having an affair and as a young woman caught up in the middle of The Dirty War in Argentina.
I thought the writing was good and the story kept me reading but I will admit, I skimmed through the torture scenes. I didn't like reading about the pain the prisoners went through, including a couple of pregnant women. I also didn't like reading about the evil men who enjoyed doling out the torture. I do understand this happened, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
The ending shouldn't be a surprise but as a reader I still hoped it would have turned out happier. :)
The history is real in the book and I learned a little about more about a time I didn't know about (I was in elementary when it happened). It's a very sad, terrible time in Argentina, a time that shouldn't have existed.
V: yes
L: I don't remember any
S: Kissing I really don't remember much more (I did skim)
3.5 STARS
Thanks to netgalley for the read!
January 31, 2016
Set against the background of Argentina's Dirty War in the 1970s, with a bit of magic realism thrown into the mix, this is a compelling story of a young woman coming of age as her country plunges deeper and deeper into savagery and chaos. It’s a story of love and loss, betrayal and courage, and draws heavily on the author’s own personal experience. Ingrid Betancourt was held hostage by FARC for 6 years, and knows first-hand about oppression and torture. This gives an added authenticity to the book and makes it even more moving. Julia, the heroine of the tale, inherits form her grandmother a mysterious gift, which sometimes allows her to see visions of the future from the perspective of the other person, and is impelled to intervene in an attempt to prevent often horrific events. Her life is turned upside down when former president and military dictator Peron returns to take power in Argentina and the realities of a brutal military dictatorship once more exerts its grip. At its heart the novel is a love story, a love story that only goes to underscore the horror of political persecution, and Betancourt is unflinching in her descriptions. Powerful reading indeed.
June 23, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I registered for a summer reading program and was given a free book as an incentive; The Blue Line was my off-the-cuff choice. Prior to reading this book, I knew nothing about the war in Argentina with the exception of a passing knowledge that it had occurred. I was googling and researching for the first third of the book but had to make a concerted effort to just enjoy the book and stop looking up information. I love books that pique my interest and help me learn and grow. This book did that. It was well written and, as far as I can tell, well researched.
After reading this book, I have a longer list of Want to Reads, including the authors memoir, historical accounts of the Dirty War, and books about Peron. I will also be watching Evita (a movie I have tended to avoid).
After reading this book, I have a longer list of Want to Reads, including the authors memoir, historical accounts of the Dirty War, and books about Peron. I will also be watching Evita (a movie I have tended to avoid).
March 3, 2017
The ending was beyond cheesy and I couldn't stand it. Ruined the book for me, there was no emotion or meaning and it was detached in a way that disconnects and disengages the reader.
If you'd like to read I'd suggest you stop about 75% through because frankly the rest just isn't worth it.
The beginning was interesting and well written (in stark contrast) and provided an interesting (if not torture-filled) historical background on Argentina with intriguing characters and a plot that unfurled beautifully.
I feel as if the writer was switched out at the end or perhaps the editor died before she could correct the last few chapters! Hopefully no such thing occurred but it would explain the disparity between the writing quality at the beginning and end of the novel.
If you'd like to read I'd suggest you stop about 75% through because frankly the rest just isn't worth it.
The beginning was interesting and well written (in stark contrast) and provided an interesting (if not torture-filled) historical background on Argentina with intriguing characters and a plot that unfurled beautifully.
I feel as if the writer was switched out at the end or perhaps the editor died before she could correct the last few chapters! Hopefully no such thing occurred but it would explain the disparity between the writing quality at the beginning and end of the novel.
January 31, 2016
Excellent little book. How politics and life always go together The personal becomes political. Much of the book takes place in Argentina during The Dirty War in the 70s. But the book also shows how this War affected some of the players in the battle against the military junta. I recommend this book.
December 12, 2018
I enjoyed this book. However, there was a lot of back and forth between years and stories. I was hoping that there would be more about her “visions”. And there were some times when they were describing politics of that time period that seemed to go on forever. All in all it was a good story and if you enjoy book about the Holocaust, this book is for you.
October 19, 2014
Tout simplement magnifique! Une écriture fluide, on est pris dans l'histoire de Julia dès le début. les scènes de torture sont dures mais vitales à l'histoire. Un pan de l'histoire argentine 'los desaparecidos' décrit avec brio.
May 12, 2017
Loved it. Kept my attention from beginning to end.
March 12, 2016
Isabel Allende is not the only South American activist who can spin a magical tale. Ingrid Betancourt, famous for having been kidnapped for 6 and a half years by the FARC while campaigning for president, brings us her first adventure tale. It is a story of female strength, as well as the story of the 13 000o activists, students, academics and innocents who disappeared during Argentina’s Dirty War. Finally, it is a story about fate and the freedom to choose the sort of life you wish to lead. Betancourt’s descriptive style gives a strong sense of place, time and character to her first novel.
Julia discovers her gift as a child, when she foresees her siblings’ death by drowning during an ocean voyage. Her grandmother, who shares the gift, tells her that the ability to slip into the mind of someone at the pivotal moment of their life runs in their family. It is a gift that she should use to help others; if she does not, she will lose it. The opportunity to use her gift comes quickly as Julia becomes involved with revolutionaries who are struggling against the Peronist military dictatorship. A radical idealist, Julia and her boyfriend Theo find themselves caught up in horrific violence which will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Something I loved about this book was that at no point does Julia ever feel that she needed to be rescued by a man. She is a strong, determined and sincere female character who has the ability to solve her own problems. In fact, as a result of her gift, Julia often winds up helping the men more than they help her. Furthermore, the relationship between Julia and her grandmother is touching. While the book shows the struggles of being a woman during terribly violent times, it also shows them as equal to the men. I think it could have been improved with a bit more explanation of Julia’s relationship with her mother and her sisters, though; they seemed rather peripheral and I didn’t quite understand the tensions there. Finally, Julia’s relationship with her husband gives an underlying tension that keeps the suspense going (even with all the action happening in parallel, in the past), as Julia suspects him of having an affair.
It was also very interesting to read about the Dirty War, of which I had no prior knowledge. The attention to detail in the novel shows a deep level of research imbued with the insight of personal experience; I think that Betancourt’s own experiences in captivity probably informed her description of it. As Julia sinks deeper and deeper into the nightmare of torture, rape and murder at the hands of the military, I found it increasingly difficult to read. It should never be easy to read about atrocity. Betancourt lays it bare and forces you to look at what really happened, what has been covered up and what has been forgotten by the passage of time. Perhaps now more than ever, it is important to study the past so that we don’t repeat it; it is crucial that we recognize the brutality of dictatorships founded on ideological extremism and fear-based hatred so that we stop such things from ever happening again. We should be building libraries, not walls, and The Blue Line is a great place to start reading.
Finally, this is a novel about fate, its inevitability and the pursuit of the freedom to choose your own path. Julia’s gift gives her the ability to see a possible future and alter it, if she is able. It would have been interesting to explore the idea of a predetermined fate vs one that we choose for ourselves a little more, although Julia does have a choice of acting on her visions. As a plot device, it was interesting, but I felt it was not explored to the extent that it could have been. Maybe pushing it further would have taken the novel too far to the Magical side of Magical Realism; by not pushing it far enough, I wonder if it was all that necessary to begin with.
In the end, this is a complex novel, with graphic violence that was quite disturbing, but I feel that it was absolutely worth it. The value in this book lies in the lingering thoughts after you have finished it, and the awareness that it is within everyone’s power to do something to help others. “Evil flourishes where good people do nothing,” and while Julia’s opportunities are made obvious by her gift, it is a little trickier for us to see them in real life.
I received this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This Connecticut wind is strangely similar to the wind of her Buenos Aires childhood. It’s not as intense perhaps; lighter, more delicate. Or perhaps not. She knows from experience that memory can’t be relied on to capture the true essence of things. The present often seems less vibrant than our recollections of the past.
Julia discovers her gift as a child, when she foresees her siblings’ death by drowning during an ocean voyage. Her grandmother, who shares the gift, tells her that the ability to slip into the mind of someone at the pivotal moment of their life runs in their family. It is a gift that she should use to help others; if she does not, she will lose it. The opportunity to use her gift comes quickly as Julia becomes involved with revolutionaries who are struggling against the Peronist military dictatorship. A radical idealist, Julia and her boyfriend Theo find themselves caught up in horrific violence which will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
All at once she couldn’t see. She thought she had fallen into the River of Silver. She was suffocating, trapped inside a thick white substance with no taste or smell. Disconnected from her body, petrified and blinded, she floated in a state of nothingness. She would remember that moment for the rest of her life. Emptied of her being, she understood what it meant to die.
Something I loved about this book was that at no point does Julia ever feel that she needed to be rescued by a man. She is a strong, determined and sincere female character who has the ability to solve her own problems. In fact, as a result of her gift, Julia often winds up helping the men more than they help her. Furthermore, the relationship between Julia and her grandmother is touching. While the book shows the struggles of being a woman during terribly violent times, it also shows them as equal to the men. I think it could have been improved with a bit more explanation of Julia’s relationship with her mother and her sisters, though; they seemed rather peripheral and I didn’t quite understand the tensions there. Finally, Julia’s relationship with her husband gives an underlying tension that keeps the suspense going (even with all the action happening in parallel, in the past), as Julia suspects him of having an affair.
We think people who live in poverty are different, feel differently, because they are used to being destitute. They bother us because they mar the beauty of our capital city. Gradually we forget that they’re human beings. It’s not much of a stretch from there to putting them into concentration camps.
It was also very interesting to read about the Dirty War, of which I had no prior knowledge. The attention to detail in the novel shows a deep level of research imbued with the insight of personal experience; I think that Betancourt’s own experiences in captivity probably informed her description of it. As Julia sinks deeper and deeper into the nightmare of torture, rape and murder at the hands of the military, I found it increasingly difficult to read. It should never be easy to read about atrocity. Betancourt lays it bare and forces you to look at what really happened, what has been covered up and what has been forgotten by the passage of time. Perhaps now more than ever, it is important to study the past so that we don’t repeat it; it is crucial that we recognize the brutality of dictatorships founded on ideological extremism and fear-based hatred so that we stop such things from ever happening again. We should be building libraries, not walls, and The Blue Line is a great place to start reading.
There’s no instruction manual. With or without the gift, we all face the same difficult condition of living with the awareness of our own mortality, even as we believe ourselves to be eternal. We all have a longing to break free from the shackles of time. But you and I know from experience that there are escape routes, that freedom is possible.
Finally, this is a novel about fate, its inevitability and the pursuit of the freedom to choose your own path. Julia’s gift gives her the ability to see a possible future and alter it, if she is able. It would have been interesting to explore the idea of a predetermined fate vs one that we choose for ourselves a little more, although Julia does have a choice of acting on her visions. As a plot device, it was interesting, but I felt it was not explored to the extent that it could have been. Maybe pushing it further would have taken the novel too far to the Magical side of Magical Realism; by not pushing it far enough, I wonder if it was all that necessary to begin with.
He would hold on to her for a moment to hear her beg, then let go, and her body, her name, and her entire existence would disappear for all time, swallowed up by the dark waters of the estuary. Julia didn’t know what she was more afraid of: being hooked up to la máquina again or being thrown alive from an airplane into the sea.
In the end, this is a complex novel, with graphic violence that was quite disturbing, but I feel that it was absolutely worth it. The value in this book lies in the lingering thoughts after you have finished it, and the awareness that it is within everyone’s power to do something to help others. “Evil flourishes where good people do nothing,” and while Julia’s opportunities are made obvious by her gift, it is a little trickier for us to see them in real life.
I received this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2025
Dostałam tę książkę wiele lat temu jako nagrodę w szkole. Opis mnie nie zaciekawił. Nie przeczytawszy, odłożyłam ją na półkę.
Sięgnęłam po nią tak naprawdę z braku laku. Będąc w przerwie świątecznej u rodziców miałam ochotę coś przeczytać i akurat ta książka wpadła mi w ręce.
W mojej ocenie jest bardzo dobra, świetnie przedstawione zostały losy głównych bohaterów na tle wydarzeń politycznych - oba wątki są bardzo ciekawe.
Akcja toczy się na dwóch, poprzeplatanych ze sobą, liniach czasowych - opisywane są wydarzenia z przeszłości i teraźniejszości. Jedyne, co miejscami mnie irytowało to moment przejścia z jednej linii na drugą - zwykle działo się to w kulminacyjnych momentach, kiedy jedna linia interesowała mnie bardziej od drugiej. Potem zaczynała się druga, znowu mnie wciągała i z powrotem byłam ściągana na pierwszą, która w tym momencie nie interesowała mnie już aż tak.
Mimo to, uważam że pozycja jest warta przeczytania. Być może miejscami jest zbyt dużo zbiegów okoliczności, ale przecież główna bohaterka jest medium - w takim świecie zbiegi okoliczności są zatem prawdopodobne.
Sięgnęłam po nią tak naprawdę z braku laku. Będąc w przerwie świątecznej u rodziców miałam ochotę coś przeczytać i akurat ta książka wpadła mi w ręce.
W mojej ocenie jest bardzo dobra, świetnie przedstawione zostały losy głównych bohaterów na tle wydarzeń politycznych - oba wątki są bardzo ciekawe.
Akcja toczy się na dwóch, poprzeplatanych ze sobą, liniach czasowych - opisywane są wydarzenia z przeszłości i teraźniejszości. Jedyne, co miejscami mnie irytowało to moment przejścia z jednej linii na drugą - zwykle działo się to w kulminacyjnych momentach, kiedy jedna linia interesowała mnie bardziej od drugiej. Potem zaczynała się druga, znowu mnie wciągała i z powrotem byłam ściągana na pierwszą, która w tym momencie nie interesowała mnie już aż tak.
Mimo to, uważam że pozycja jest warta przeczytania. Być może miejscami jest zbyt dużo zbiegów okoliczności, ale przecież główna bohaterka jest medium - w takim świecie zbiegi okoliczności są zatem prawdopodobne.
August 18, 2024
beautiful novel
i enjoyed the magical realism element and the time jumps, though confusing at times
would recommend for someone looking to learn slightly more about the dirty war
i enjoyed the magical realism element and the time jumps, though confusing at times
would recommend for someone looking to learn slightly more about the dirty war
August 7, 2025
Un destin poignant, dans lequel on retrace les années noires de la dictature Argentine. Chaque chapitre est une pièce, qui nous aide à reconstituer un puzzle qu'on a hâte de finir.
January 15, 2019
A very absorbing novel. The depiction of torture is true portrayal of what happened in Argentina during 1976-83. It is very chilling and very sad.
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