The Guardian of Amsterdam Street

by Sergio Schmucler

Roma meets A Gentleman in Moscow in this vivid portrait of the twentieth century, witnessed by one boy from his self-imposed refuge in Mexico City.

Galo has not left his home on Amsterdam Street, not since the day in 1938 when a shocking act of violence split his family apart. His hermitage is made easier by the peculiar design of the street. It is shaped like an ellipse — if you walk it, you will find yourself returning to the same place again and again.

Playing host to Jewish refugees, Spanish exiles, and Latin American revolutionaries, his home becomes the school at which Galo learns about a world he never sees, and the ideals and terrors that shape history. He begins to realize that Amsterdam Street, the site of endless returns, may be the true centre of the world. Appointing himself the street’s guardian, Galo witnesses the decades pass, knowing that everyone who walks away must one day come back.

A novel of rare humanity and grace, The Guardian of Amsterdam Street is a stunning portrait of a neighbourhood where the whole of the twentieth century comes alive and a moving inquiry into how we shape the world, and how it transforms us in turn.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2021

Reviews

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Guardian of Amsterdam is a surprising and engaging read. It's central character, Galo, is a young man who lives on an ovoid street in Mexico City. If he leaves his home and begins walking, he ultimately returns to the place he started from, which lead him to believe both that his home is a central point in the universe and that there is no point in leaving his home. This conceit makes for fun reading, but what really carry the novel are the various historical figures—real and imagined—who pass through Galo's world: anarchists, Spanish Republicans, Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. Meeting these characters is like being given a particularly personalized version of key moment in 20th Century fiction. Readers encounter the tensions between different refugee communities and the tensions between refugees and long-term residents of Mexico City. This novel offers an interesting survey of the lives of those who survived some of the worst moments of recent history and, with its quirky central character, entertains and it gives glimpses into a more complex world.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a peculiar read. It was equally heartbreaking and hopeful and a wonderful glimpse into a different life, in a different time. The writing style was beyond beautiful, it was poetic and whimsical but also raw and blunt. I almost wish it was longer, although the story felt like it was the perfect length. For such a short book, it's taken up a lot of space in my mind, in the best way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #TheGuardianofAmsterdamStreet. All opinions are my own.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️

I’m not sure if the translation is part of the problem, but this wasn’t for me. The main character was unlikable and much of the story was confusing. The best character dynamics fell flat because they were so short.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this eARC copy.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sergio Schmucler, author of The Guardian of Amsterdam Street, was born in Argentina but went into exile in Mexico during the early days of Argentina’s “Dirty War” (1976-1983), which targeted dissidents, students, writers, journalists, artists, and other suspected enemies of the government. Although The Guardian of Amsterdam Street begins before Schmucler’s birth, his experience clearly influenced the story he tells.

This unusual, thought-provoking novel recounts the story of Galo, a Mexican boy determined to change the world without leaving home. Following a 1938 domestic tragedy that drove his carpenter father from home and ended Galo’s intended career years before it could begin, the boy goes into self-exile on Mexico City’s Amsterdam Street, a huge ellipse. Only once after age five does Galo leave home, and when he does, he discovers that walking as far as he can on Amsterdam Street only brings him back to his own front door. With this realization, the child concludes that anyone who leaves is destined to return.

Although Galo stays home, he is not isolated. When his mother begins renting rooms to make ends meet, the world and 20th-century history come to Galo. A succession of varied refugees, exiles, and revolutionaries take up residence, introducing Galo to colorful characters, human tragedies, and individual efforts to better the world.

Pondering questions about life and devising his own plan to eliminate human suffering without leaving home, Galo gradually transforms from a five-year-old boy to a middle-aged man, sometimes reassessing his plan but remaining ever hopeful.

Exactly who are all these people who have influenced Galo’s life? What are their plans? How does each influence Galo’s thinking? Will he ever again leave his home on Amsterdam Street?

Novelist, screenwriter, and human rights activist, Sergio Schmucler died in 2019, approximately five years after the publication of El Guardián de la Calle Ámsterdam. Only now in 2021 has this touching, humane novel been translated into English, making it possible for English-speaking readers to join Galo in pondering how life’s events connect to each other and whether or not mankind can change the world for the better.

Thanks to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for the opportunity to review this unforgettable book.

[Alena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the peculiar life of Galo, in his childhood after a traumatic event he decides to never leave his house and later to become the guardian of Amsterdam Street.

His mother rents rooms in their house, it's by this that Galo will see the world, he will live through the tenants and their experiences.

It's a short story, the tenants and secondary characters come and go, they enter Galo's life quickly and even faster they leave. Set in the 40s, the world was changing, because of that, Amsterdam Street is a small world, Galo will coexist with Jews, Spaniards, revolutionaries, an endless number of characters.

Its feel very melancholic, Galo is always there, sitting in the chair that his father made. He is intelligent, imaginative and sensitive, he doesn't need to leave his house to see the world, just going up to the roof is enough for him, but even so the novel has an air of sadness around it.

It is a short but captivating story.

Thanks to Netgalley and House of Anansi Press Inc for the ARC.


----------------------------------------------
ESPAÑOL

Galo tiene una vida de lo más peculiar, en su infancia tras un evento traumático decide nunca abandonar su casa y más adelante convertirse en el guardián de Amsterdam Street.

Su madre renta unas habitaciones de la casa, es por este medio que Galo verá el mundo, vivirá a través de los inquilinos y sus experiencias.

Es una historia corta, los inquilinos y personajes secundarios van y vienen, entran rápido en la vida de Galo y aún más rápido se van. Está situada en los 40s, a nivel mundial, fue una época de cambios, gracias a ello, Amsterdam Street es un pequeño mundo, Galo convivirá con judíos, españoles, revolucionarios, un sin fin de personajes.

Tiene un aire de melancolía, Galo siempre esta en casa, sentando en la silla que su padre hizo antes de irse, el es inteligente, con mucha imaginación y sensible, no necesita salir de su casa para ver al mundo, con subir al techo le basta, pero aun así la novela tiene un aire de tristeza a su alrededor.
Es una historia corta pero cautivadora.

[Magnus Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb for this book starts with a comparison to one of my all-time favourite films, Roma (2018, dir. Alfonso Cuaron). So obviously that is a very lofty claim, and I was excited to see how I liked the book. Turns out, I really liked it, but there a few things that stopped this from being a 5-star read for me.

The story is of Galo, a child in Mexico City who, after a traumatic event, decides he will never leave his house again. This is the starting point, and his story is told across many decades, while never leaving his home. That being said, he is still able to experience the world via the people that pass through. There is a real sensitivity and imagination in this novel, which makes it feel so much bigger than it is. Conversations about God, memory, and revolution from the sheltered and simple perspective of a child confined to a few rooms was something I hadn't read before, and these chapters were the most interesting to me.

I read this in one sitting. I know it's a short novel, but I haven't done something like that in... years probably. So the plot stays interesting, and the short chapters make for a propulsive read. That being said, I actually think it moves too fast for its own good. Years went by in sentences sometimes, and while I understand the reasoning, I would have liked to get to know the people around Galo a little better. Transient characters come and go so fast, I felt like there wasn't enough time allocated to develop them. Their characters had the potential to be much more than they were, and that is my main issue with this book.

I was sad to learn at the end of the book that author died a few years ago. If that wasn't the case, I would have said that I was looking forward to seeing what he does next. While I don't think this novel lives up to Roma, I do recommend it. Thanks again to NetGalley for giving me an advanced reader's copy.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book publishers, attempting to attract readers by comparing their newest offerings to earlier works, can do a real disservice -- not only to the readers, but to the books themselves.

The marketing shorthand for The Guardian of Amsterdam Street is "Roma meets A Gentleman in Moscow." Here's how that comparison holds up: The 2018 film Roma indeed depicted the lives of humble Mexicans against a fraught political backdrop. The 2016 book A Gentleman in Moscow depicts a man confined for most of his lifetime to the premises of a single hotel, as history unfolds beyond its walls.

While this book is sweet and engaging, and features a homebound Mexican boy watching the fervor of 20th century war and revolution from his self-imposed hermitage, The Guardian of Amsterdam Street doesn't carry the weight of either the film or the earlier book it's likened to.

The book is part roman a clef, part Latin American magical realism, and part mystery: Is Galo, the main character, a savant? Is there mental illness, or --as his mother and priest believe -- some cognitive impairment?

In any case, this odd and winning child grows up and grows old in the space of a few hours of readers' time. He refuses to approach the world, but the world comes to him, via his mother's tenants and tradespeople and the refugees of war and revolt who have found their way to this corner of Mexico City.

Thanks to NetGalley and the House of Anansi Press for an advance readers copy.

[Alysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a beautiful, odd, heart-rending read. It follows the life and observances of Galo, a boy who grows into a man who will never leave his home, and Amsterdam Street, an oval area that myriad artists, students, dissidents and refugees have called home over the years. As a young boy, he resolved to guard Amsterdam Street from the dangers of the world he heard about on the radio and from other residents.

The writing was wonderful and poetic, allowing Galo's motivation, fears and loves. It tells the story of political intrigues, war and sadness from all over the world, by way of people who live and leave and return to Amsterdam Street. Galo's thoughts about these people and the sadness they have experienced were beautiful. I thought that this book depicted the inhumanity man can inflict upon man while also showing the hope and love that exists.

I would have been happy reading about every small observance and resident of Amsterdam Street, but the story was told so excellently that the book ended where it should have. I definitely recommend this.

[Lauren Boczek · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw that this book was compared to “A Gentleman in Moscow,” I had to request it. While it was a short novel, so much was packed into its pages. My heart broke for Galo and the sad life he lived sitting in the chair made by his father, waiting for life to happen.

While the priest convinced Galo’s mother there was something wrong mentally with him, it was almost like he was backward in a way from the life-altering events of his childhood: his father leaving when he was six and his mother cutting off the hand of his father’s mistress right in front of him. It was almost like he felt if time stood still, his life would eventually go back to what it was.

My only criticism of the book was that in fact was very short. We were able to meet a lot of characters throughout, but many weren’t given the chance to have their plots develop enough before they were erased from the storyline. I wish we could have learned what happened to Leonardo and Isabella especially. As well as the hairdresser and his compadre of friends & clients.

Thank you to NetGalley & House of Anansi Press for the ARC!

[Margaret]

The Guardian of Amsterdam Street was an interesting way to learn more about the disparate groups that fled repressive regimes and ended up in Mexico. I enjoyed learning about the La Condesa neighborhood and its place in the history of Mexico City.

At times the writing was powerful, especially so during interactions between minor characters. Too often the main character, Galo, felt one-dimensional. All the characters were passive, occasionally flaring up into anger/violence, and this was especially true with Galo. At times he erupted in ways which seemed very out of character while at other times he didn’t react at all in situations where strong emotion would have been an appropriate response.

Unfortunately there is too much foreshadowing; the “it will come around again” theme could have been more effective had it been more subtle. Several extraneous themes didn’t seem to lead anywhere, e.g. men with mustaches.

The novel is described as the story of a boy’s “self-imposed refuge”, but Galo’s inability to leave his home is no more self-imposed than Count Rostov’s is in A Gentleman in Moscow.


Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review the ARC via Netgalley.

[Tillymintball · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and unusual book telling what I found to be a rather sad story which focuses on the politics of South America in the 1960s. The writing style is both rich and simple which sounds like an oxymoron but is very appropriate for the main character’s thought patterns. I’m genuinely left not quite knowing what I think of the story other than frustration and sadness. I certainly didn’t experience it in the same way that I did The Gentleman in Moscow despite possible similarities.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at Anansi bookstore downtown. One of those browsing finds. After reading the first page I thought I would not like this book, based on the way it was written. However, I continued reading and couldn't stop. A lot happens and a lot doesn't happen, the viewpoint is of a boy and his experience of life watching the players around him, without him leaving his original home, in fact vowing never to step outside. I enjoyed it, it was very cinematic and then discovered that the author was also a film maker. Would recommend.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great cure for the misanthropic nihilistic blues. Guardian of Amsterdam Street by Sergio Schmucler and translated by Jessie Mendez Sayer is such a tender hopeful affirmation for humankind. At the same time, it does question in a melancholic voice whether we are doomed to keep on repeating history. Thank goodness for the dreamers, the idealists, the guardians and the revolutionaries in our midst.

[Nancy Dardarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the writing and the vague connection to important events of the time. He really does make Mexico City come to life. But I don't know, there's something that just troubles me about the book and the tiny life it profiles. Something I will have to think about a while. That is something that usually happens to me with very special books. I think this will end up being one of those for me.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick but satisfying read written in a very effective style. Some books loose something in translation, but not this one. Most historical fiction fans will like this one. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After witnessing a traumatic incident that rips his family apart, a boy resolves to never leave home and spends the rest of his life guarding an ever-changing street.

[BookstagrammingInNYC · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be SO incredibly difficult to get through. The story was basically nonexistent, the characters were flat, and the writing style was simplistic. There was a random scene in which a girl who escapes the Holocaust with her family calls Jews the 'murderers of Christ.' This scene sat horribly with me. To perpetuate stereotypes through your characters or have them repeat known lies, is unfair to the audience; this leads to readers believing these lies themselves-- especially when a book is set within a historical context. I do not recommend this book one bit. There were countless incidents of stereotypes and disingenuous characters just doing something because that's what they 'should' be doing. Such a bad read and not worth the time wasted trying to make my way through it.

1/5 stars

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Guardian of Amsterdam Street tells the story of Galo, a boy who grows into a man without leaving his home on Amsterdam Street in Mexico City. It is written from Galo’s point of view, so the reader sees the world as he sees it, first as a boy, as a teen, and then as a man. Galo is a rather unusual character, the cause of which is presumed to be a violent act he witnessed in his youth. As he grows, his thoughts and assumptions become more and more unusual. But Galo is a uniquely observant character. He encounters a microcosm of the world within his mother’s rented rooms. The people he meets with teach him about the world outside Amsterdam Street. But Amsterdam Street is Galo’s entire world. He spends his life working to protect what he loves. Ultimately, he comes to realize that he is his most important thing.

This is a story of the things that keep us stuck in our lives. It’s also a story of growing up, changing the world, and discovering self. The writing is poetic and sometimes shocking. Overall, this was an interesting look at a time and place I was unfamiliar with.

Sensitive readers should know that this book contains some violence, attempted suicide, sexual content, and adult language.

The Guardian of Amsterdam Street is available now.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Galo’s house at one end of Amsterdam Street, Mexico City, is the result of a series of mistakes. First, the oval street was supposed to be a round track. Then a house was promised in such a position it messes up the layout of the street. More mistakes cause that house to become the home of a carpenter in the middle of a well-to-do area. This series of chance occurrences set the tone for The Guardian of Amsterdam Street, by Sergio Schmucler and smoothly translated by Jessica Sayer. Galo grows up in that house believing that he must guard it and the memories of its inhabitants so that the world can keep spinning on...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher from Edelweiss, for review consideration.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird