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Multiple Choice
by
Alejandro Zambra (Goodreads Author),
Megan McDowell (Goodreads Author)
“Multiple Choice is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered before. . . . Reading this book is a wonderfully disconcerting and unforgettable experience.” —Francisco Goldman, author of Say Her Name
“There is no writer like Alejandro Zambra, no one as bold, as subtle, as funny. Multiple Choice is his most accomplished work yet. This book is not to be missed.” —Daniel Alarcón ...more
“There is no writer like Alejandro Zambra, no one as bold, as subtle, as funny. Multiple Choice is his most accomplished work yet. This book is not to be missed.” —Daniel Alarcón ...more
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
July 19th 2016
by Penguin Books
(first published December 1st 2014)
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
Did you have 'Test Anxiety' when you were in school?
A Yes
B No
C Sometimes
D Always
This teeny-weeny book could take an hour to read --- or weeks. Your choice. You might feel a little intimidated by this tiny pale blue fiction-nonfiction-poetry-all of the of the above-none of the above, book, by Chilean author Alejandro Zamora.
Or....
You might settle in -and have an awesome and amazing time. Your choice.
If you hated taking multiple-choice tests in school, you have a chance to experience taking ...more
A Yes
B No
C Sometimes
D Always
This teeny-weeny book could take an hour to read --- or weeks. Your choice. You might feel a little intimidated by this tiny pale blue fiction-nonfiction-poetry-all of the of the above-none of the above, book, by Chilean author Alejandro Zamora.
Or....
You might settle in -and have an awesome and amazing time. Your choice.
If you hated taking multiple-choice tests in school, you have a chance to experience taking ...more
Find all my reviews here: https://thesuspenseisthrillingme.com
Date Read: 06/18/16
Pub Date: 07/19/16
5 STARS
The works of Alejandro Zambra, “the most talked-about writer to come out of Chile since Bolaño” (New York Times Book Review), are distinguished by their striking originality, their brevity, their strangeness, and their flouting of narrative convention. Now, at the height of his powers, Zambra returns with a book that is the natural extension of these qualities: Multiple Choice.
Written in the ...more
Date Read: 06/18/16
Pub Date: 07/19/16
5 STARS
The works of Alejandro Zambra, “the most talked-about writer to come out of Chile since Bolaño” (New York Times Book Review), are distinguished by their striking originality, their brevity, their strangeness, and their flouting of narrative convention. Now, at the height of his powers, Zambra returns with a book that is the natural extension of these qualities: Multiple Choice.
Written in the ...more
Very clever indeed! It was a super fast read, although highly enjoyable. I especially love the silent stance the author is taking with the absurdity of (some? all?) standardized testing.
A magnificent collision between Dadaism & literature. A radical experiment that depicts a solemn reality behind much artifice and minutiae. It is risky. Overall: one great find for me at the Denver Public Lib.!
My first Zambra, other than an interview I translated last year. Quick, clever, painless, joyful, melancholic, unpredictable, clear, cool, refreshing, effervescent -- and therefore like refrigerated lemon-lime seltzer, I guess. At worst felt like a little collection of stories padded by a great formal gimmick, one that I feel like I've seen before (maybe in Fakes: An Anthology of Pseudo-Interviews, Faux-Lectures, Quasi-Letters, "Found" Texts, and Other Fraudulent Artifacts) but I can't remember;
...more
Aug 31, 2016
Trish
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
fiction,
south-america,
something-completely-new,
political-science,
quirky,
family,
translated
This work is all kinds of novel. Chilean novelist Zambra really puts us through our paces by making us actually participate in the process of his fiction. He gives us choices on how to finish his sentences. He starts simply enough, asking us to decide which word has no relation to the words given. The structure of the book copies the Verbal section of the Chilean Academic Aptitude Test, required of all applicants to university in Chile. Our minds race with the possibilities he’s given us, and we
...more
If this were graded, I doubt I would receive better than a C-. Presented in test format, I found this to be too much work and often confusing. This could be a brilliant stylistic choice but I tired of it quickly. 2.5 stars
Sep 24, 2016
David Schaafsma
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
fiction-21st-century,
books-loved-2016
Did Alejandro Zambra actually create a novel in the form of a standardized test?!
A) Yes, he sure did, modeled on the Chilean Academic Aptitude Test which he himself took in 1993, with 90 multiple choice questions, some of them based on stories included in the test
B) No, I’m kidding.
C) Chile? That sounds like too cool of a place to have standardized tests!
D) None of the above
E) All of the above
Correct answer: A
Might you describe this book as
A) A tour de force accomplishment?
B) A pretentious post ...more
A) Yes, he sure did, modeled on the Chilean Academic Aptitude Test which he himself took in 1993, with 90 multiple choice questions, some of them based on stories included in the test
B) No, I’m kidding.
C) Chile? That sounds like too cool of a place to have standardized tests!
D) None of the above
E) All of the above
Correct answer: A
Might you describe this book as
A) A tour de force accomplishment?
B) A pretentious post ...more
Multiple Choice is a one-of-a-kind read in the best possible way. Chilean author Alejandro Zambra innovatively styled his new book after the Chilean Academic Aptitude Test which students took every December from 1967 to 2003 if they planned to apply to college in Chile. Specifically, he chose the Verbal Aptitude section as he took it in 1993 which consisted of ninety multiple choice questions contained in five sections. While each section of the book was fantastic in its own right, my favorites
...more
I agree with those who label this little book as pretentious, but I guess I don’t mind pretentious as long the author:
a) Has something interesting to say
b) Says what he has to say in an interesting way
c) Is interested in transmitting something beyond what he is saying
d) Is not interested in how what is saying will come across
e) All of the above
I read this in one breath and will need a second read to exhale it now.
If the Russians were born drunk, and the French were born perverted, then the Sout ...more
a) Has something interesting to say
b) Says what he has to say in an interesting way
c) Is interested in transmitting something beyond what he is saying
d) Is not interested in how what is saying will come across
e) All of the above
I read this in one breath and will need a second read to exhale it now.
If the Russians were born drunk, and the French were born perverted, then the Sout ...more
I absolutely adore Zambra’s work. He’s wildly inventive, never more so than with this novel, which invites readers to respond to thought-provoking, multiple choice questions, and to read short paragraphs, which illuminate his feelings on love, life, and family. Zambra is a gem, and I highly recommend checking out his backlist titles, too. His books are tiny treasures.
Backlist bump: My Documents by Alejandro Zambra (Author), Megan McDowell (Translator)
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to al ...more
Backlist bump: My Documents by Alejandro Zambra (Author), Megan McDowell (Translator)
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to al ...more
This got increasingly clever and poignant and "laugh out loud" funny and was a memorable way to spend a couple hours taking turns reading each "problem" out loud with a girlfriend I'd missed spending time with on a train last summer between Cologne and Berlin last summer. I'd probably not like it as much if I was reading it alone or silently as it wasn't linear and had such a choppy model. It was a mellow and interesting time with the countryside and villages for scenery and my husband and teena
...more
i'm not overly fond of gimmicks in my fiction (or anywhere else for that matter). having read only a single zambra book previously (bonsai, which left me, admittedly, lukewarm), i thought it altogether likely that this would solidify for me an enduring disinclination to seek out anything further from the chilean author/poet. but it didn't. and, despite myself, i enjoyed multiple choice (facsímil) far more than i thought i would (i anticipated a lazy man's oulipo).
based structurally on the chilea ...more
based structurally on the chilea ...more
Multiple Choice is one of the most unique reads I've sat through in awhile. Initially, I was drawn to the text due to its unique format, and because I was intrigued that a book would be written like an aptitude test. I'll be honest, at first, I was perplexed by Zambra. I was worried that the book would be mainly word connections and relations (the first third of the book) but then the novel takes a different turn, and the reader is given short passages that resemble short stories. The reading co
...more
I love epistolary novels so when I saw a recommendation for this one I immediately added it to my TBR list. A book written in the form of multiple choice tests could potentially be either really great or provoke nervous flashbacks of high school. It turned out to be the most enjoyable standardized testing experience of my life, although the bar was set pretty low on that one! The first part is full of clever wordplay and becomes surprisingly deep. I don't know how it's possible to convey such em
...more
What Happens When Constrained Writing Doesn't Follow Its Constraints?
Constrained writing, including Oulipo, depends in part on its constraints, or at least it advertises itself as depending on them. In the clearest cases, the constraint is simple and known to the reader, as in the Oulipean lipogram. In other instances, the constraints are multiple or private, and they lead the reader to puzzle over the text, deducing its departures from some normative path.
Since so much experimental writing is c ...more
Constrained writing, including Oulipo, depends in part on its constraints, or at least it advertises itself as depending on them. In the clearest cases, the constraint is simple and known to the reader, as in the Oulipean lipogram. In other instances, the constraints are multiple or private, and they lead the reader to puzzle over the text, deducing its departures from some normative path.
Since so much experimental writing is c ...more
Una vita senza di me
57. (1) Il coprifuoco consiste nel divieto di circolazione in orario notturno nelle strade di un determinato territorio. (2) Di solito viene indetto in tempo di guerra o di sommosse popolari. (3) In Cile la dittatura lo impose dall'11 settembre 1973 al 2 gennaio 1987. (4) Una sera mio padre uscì a fare un giro. Era estate. Non si rese conto dell'ora e dovette fermarsi a dormire da un'amica. (5) Fecero l'amore, lei rimase incinta, sono nato io.
Alejandro Zambra è uno degli auto ...more
57. (1) Il coprifuoco consiste nel divieto di circolazione in orario notturno nelle strade di un determinato territorio. (2) Di solito viene indetto in tempo di guerra o di sommosse popolari. (3) In Cile la dittatura lo impose dall'11 settembre 1973 al 2 gennaio 1987. (4) Una sera mio padre uscì a fare un giro. Era estate. Non si rese conto dell'ora e dovette fermarsi a dormire da un'amica. (5) Fecero l'amore, lei rimase incinta, sono nato io.
Alejandro Zambra è uno degli auto ...more
A luminous engaging inventive novel of micro-tales!
I was initially drawn to this book by the appealing cover as I like taking multiple choice tests, especially when I will not be graded. I was having much fun with Section 1 – Excluded Term, justifying to myself why I chose what I thought what the correct choice should be – there were a couple of times I changed my mind which changed the overall connection of the words in the group. But I thought to myself how cool this is this as I felt I was no ...more
I was initially drawn to this book by the appealing cover as I like taking multiple choice tests, especially when I will not be graded. I was having much fun with Section 1 – Excluded Term, justifying to myself why I chose what I thought what the correct choice should be – there were a couple of times I changed my mind which changed the overall connection of the words in the group. But I thought to myself how cool this is this as I felt I was no ...more
This is a quick read that is basically an Academic Aptitude Test. Well, not really. It is written in the style of one, but it quickly becomes apparent that it is questioning the practice of such tests and allows you to draw your own conclusions and reflect on the questions and ridiculousness of the answer choices.
It was a fun and thought provoking read, however, I missed a result at the end. Some kind of score and evaluation of my answers. But the frustration of not getting one is probably also ...more
It was a fun and thought provoking read, however, I missed a result at the end. Some kind of score and evaluation of my answers. But the frustration of not getting one is probably also ...more
Otra vez hay hombres solos y niños tristes. Otra vez la apática clase media cuyos miembros se despiertan todas las mañanas en una casa que, si todo sale bien, terminarán de pagar en veinte años en un barrio feo de una ciudad fea del tercer mundo, con hijos que no desearon y esposos que acaso tampoco, se meten en un elevador, evitan mirar a los ojos, no hablan con nadie y pasan sus días sentados en una oficina pensando su vida en meses sin intereses. Otra vez familias rotas e hijos sin hijos. [As
...more
I am having a hard time reviewing this book. On the one hand, this is wildly creative. On the other hand, I feel like if I was someone else, I would have extracted a lot more.
This is apparently structured like a Chilean college entrance exam, which appears similar to the American SAT. There are 5 parts: Excluded Term, Sentence Order, Sentence Completion, Sentence Elimination, and Reading Comprehension. The first one was the weakest for me, although it was clever in some parts (for example:
BEAR
A ...more
This is apparently structured like a Chilean college entrance exam, which appears similar to the American SAT. There are 5 parts: Excluded Term, Sentence Order, Sentence Completion, Sentence Elimination, and Reading Comprehension. The first one was the weakest for me, although it was clever in some parts (for example:
BEAR
A ...more
Wie me wat kent, weet dat ik het niet zo heb voor literaire spielereien. Het hoeft voor mij zeker geen dertien in een dozijn verhaal te zijn, maar geef me toch maar een mooi (zij het enigszins deprimerend) verhaal met een duidelijke plot. Het was dan ook met een zekere argwaan dat ik Alejandro Zambra's laatste 'Begrijpend lezen' heb meegenomen uit de Limerick, want opgesteld als een meerkeuzetoets (naar het voorbeeld van de eindexamens op Chileense scholen). Anderzijds, met 'Bonsai' had hij wel
...more
This is my first Alejandro Zambra book and I really enjoyed it.
The format is totally different from anything I've ever seen -- taking its form from the aptitude tests in Chile -- and I thought the stories, especially in the reading comprehension sections were devastating, hilarious, poetic, thoughtful and on and on. He is one of those writers who can encompass many different feels within one (and multiple) story.
His line "you were not educated, you were trained" is burned into my mind.
I recommen ...more
The format is totally different from anything I've ever seen -- taking its form from the aptitude tests in Chile -- and I thought the stories, especially in the reading comprehension sections were devastating, hilarious, poetic, thoughtful and on and on. He is one of those writers who can encompass many different feels within one (and multiple) story.
His line "you were not educated, you were trained" is burned into my mind.
I recommen ...more
I may have missed the point of this book completely, and yet I still enjoyed it. It’s structured like a multiple choice test and based on the Chilean National Aptitude test. I give this all the points for originality with the structure. Towards the end of the book, there are longer essays, which felt like short stories, and were easier for me to grasp. Even though I wasn’t sure I was understanding everything, I felt like I was exercising my mind, which is a good thing. Reading this also made me
...more
I remember loving multiple choice questions at school. I would actually look forward to that option at any exam or test, given that I could at least deduce some and get my answer and be almost sure that it would be the right option that I had chosen. Alejandro Zambra’s new book “Multiple Choice” is a book which is inventive, playful and based on the Chilean Academic Aptitude Test. It is one of the highly inventive books I have across in a long time (after Hopscotch by Cortazar I think and even h
...more
Summary: I'm not entirely certain what to make of this clever and darkly humorous book, but I definitely enjoyed how unique it was.
If you're like me and actually found standardized tests kind of fun or if you just share my enjoyment of unique book formats, you should definitely check out Multiple Choice. I've never read anything like this book, with its test-like format, before. The reading experience reminded me a tiny bit of Brown Girl Dreaming, because in both cases the authors' packed a lot ...more
If you're like me and actually found standardized tests kind of fun or if you just share my enjoyment of unique book formats, you should definitely check out Multiple Choice. I've never read anything like this book, with its test-like format, before. The reading experience reminded me a tiny bit of Brown Girl Dreaming, because in both cases the authors' packed a lot ...more
First and foremost, I feel it's important to note that I received a copy of this book in advance, courtesy of Penguin books. However, all of the ideas written here are my own.
I wish I could give half ratings, because I feel 3.5 stars is more fair, especially based on how Goodreads labels their stars. However, the reason the book doesn't get higher stars is a fault of my own and not the books; I'll own my ignorance because, in all honesty, I don't know much about Chile (it's government, culture, ...more
I wish I could give half ratings, because I feel 3.5 stars is more fair, especially based on how Goodreads labels their stars. However, the reason the book doesn't get higher stars is a fault of my own and not the books; I'll own my ignorance because, in all honesty, I don't know much about Chile (it's government, culture, ...more
This book is set up like an exam and has five chapters, each a different type of exam. Chapter 1 is Excluded Term containing 24 multiple choice questions/problems and your job is to select the answer that has no relation to the heading or the other words. Example: number 3 is
Yours
a) hers
b) his
c) mine
d) their
e) ours
Some of them are outlandish, some confusing but all were fun. The other chapters are Sentence Order, Sentence Completion, Sentence Elimination and Reading Comprehension. Zambra is Chi ...more
Yours
a) hers
b) his
c) mine
d) their
e) ours
Some of them are outlandish, some confusing but all were fun. The other chapters are Sentence Order, Sentence Completion, Sentence Elimination and Reading Comprehension. Zambra is Chi ...more
When I was reading this book, I really enjoyed it. But when I wasn't reading it, I had no inclination to pick it back up. So yeah.
Originalísimo. No solo se tiene la experiencia de leer de otra manera, sino que además es imposible no imaginarse a Zambra escribiéndolo e inventando las alternativas.
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Alejandro Zambra is a Chilean writer. He is the author of Bonsai, The Private Lives of Trees, Ways of Going Home, My Documents and Multiple Choice. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Granta, Harper's, Zoetrope, and McSweeney’s, among other places.
More about Alejandro Zambra...
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“The day you were born was the happiest day of my life, but I was so nervous that I don’t know if happiness is really the best word to describe what I felt. I think it is my obligation to tell you, in spite of the absolute love I have always felt for you, in spite of how much you have brightened my life, and I assume your mother’s as well—I haven’t seen her in around ten years now, but I’m sure that for her as well you have been a constant source of happiness—in spite of all that, I have to tell you that during the eighteen years you’ve now been alive, I’ve never stopped wondering what my life would have been like if you had never been born.
It’s an overwhelming thought, an exit that leads to the darkest of nights, to the most complete blackness, but also to shadow and sometimes, slowly, toward something like a clearing in the woods. These fantasies are normal, but it’s not so common for parents to confess them. For example, over the years I have thought thousands of times that if you hadn’t been born I would have needed less money, or could have disappeared for weeks on end without worrying about anyone. I could have prolonged my youth for several more years. I could have even killed myself. I mean, the first consequence of your birth was that from then on, I could never kill myself.”
—
3 likes
It’s an overwhelming thought, an exit that leads to the darkest of nights, to the most complete blackness, but also to shadow and sometimes, slowly, toward something like a clearing in the woods. These fantasies are normal, but it’s not so common for parents to confess them. For example, over the years I have thought thousands of times that if you hadn’t been born I would have needed less money, or could have disappeared for weeks on end without worrying about anyone. I could have prolonged my youth for several more years. I could have even killed myself. I mean, the first consequence of your birth was that from then on, I could never kill myself.”
“Everyone gets erased -- life consists of meeting people whom first you love and then you erase -- but you can't erase children, you can't erase parents.”
—
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