This was a challenging read but the structure of the nineteen stand-alone stories made it possible. After having given up on two of the first three winners I was determined to get through this one. With an average of eleven pages per tale it is a bit like eating an elephant - one bit at a time. That's a big task for a 6y0m boy but chapter at a time we got through this book.
The idea of this book is fun, tales gathered from the author's
travels around South America. Personally I have a bit more experience
with South America than the average person. Although, I've never heard
any references to any of these tales - I was never in search of tales so
perhaps I just never came across them, or perhaps they were before my
time.
So it's great then that Mr. Finger preserved these tales for all who
want to go in search of them, right? Well, it would be if there was
any value to these stories. Other than a name here or there they are
some of the most forgettable stories I've ever read. If there are
morals of the story, as you'd expect, they are difficult to discern.
This may be a factor of the dated language, which I excerpt here for
demonstration and your own evaluation whether you would enjoy the style:
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