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Amigoland: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.02) - 282 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, critically acclaimed short-story writer Oscar Casares delivers a heartfelt and humorous first novel. Stubborn brothers Don Fidencio and Don Celestino are getting old and have let a family argument divide them for too long. So with the help of his good-natured housekeeper, Don Celestino liberates his brother from a nursing home, and they hit the road to solve the mystery at the heart of their dispute.
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"Wonderful, seemingly accurate, descriptions of life in a nursing home highlight the beginning of this novel. Yet things really get going when a 91-year-old escapes with his 70-something brother to go south of the border looking for the family's old homestead in Mexico. "
— Tracings (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A winning novel…It’s plain to see how love, borders, death-and most of all, willful ignorance-are part of everyday reawakenings. With Casares’ blessing, you can laugh at them all.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Knowing, touching and true.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“Oscar Casares’ Amigoland, his first novel and a follow-up to his much-acclaimed book of short stories, Brownsville, is a liberating journey full of warmth and color….The group’s impromptu trip to Mexico feels like a refreshing, rejuvenating trip for the reader as well as the characters. And the ending? Bittersweet, unexpected and undeniably precious. All told, Amigoland is full of new friends and makes for perfect summer reading.”
— Bookpage
Amigoland Listener Reviews
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" Mayor's Book Club selection for 2010 "
— Debbie, 2/8/2014 -
" Typical geriatric Mexican road trip novel. "
— Rick, 1/29/2014 -
" Oscar Casares is such a good writer that he made me _want_ to like Brownsville/Matamoros. "
— Jenn, 1/28/2014 -
" The book is very slow, painfull and tedious at the beginning, but hang in there. It gets so much better. "
— Cindy, 1/26/2014 -
" an entertaining and good-humored book; this is mayor's book selection for all Austinites to read and discuss "
— Odoublegood, 1/21/2014 -
" Good story. Interesting backdrop along the Texas-Mexico border. "
— Meghan, 1/18/2014 -
" 15 chapters was all I could get through. It just did not work for me. The story wasn't interesting. The characters weren't redeeming. It was just a boring read for me. Maybe someday I'll attempt it again but, I don't plan on it. "
— Erica, 1/4/2014 -
" Tedious dialogue for 300 pages leading to a nice ending. Great setting. Would have been a good short story. "
— Larry, 11/15/2013 -
" Sweet story of two elderly brothers who set off on a journey into Mexico to visit their grandfather's original home, accompanied by the younger brother's housekeeper/girlfriend. Casares deals with the realities of old age, but in a no-nonsense, often funny way. "
— Ann, 10/11/2013 -
" A good traditional story. I liked it and it's the second time I read a mexi-mixed story but this one was more accurate. :) "
— Eva, 9/18/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book quite a bit, though the ending felt somewhat unrealistic. On the other hand, Casares does a masterful job of speaking from the perspective of a nonegenarian in a nursing home. Well worth reading. "
— Cindy, 9/10/2013 -
" In much the same way that I couldn't get through Confederacy of Dunces until I lived in New Orleans, and the way I swell up with Midwest longing while reading Willa Cather, I'm not sure I'm Texas enough to truly appreciate Casares. Yet. "
— Lindsey, 9/5/2013 -
" Characters were a bit too cardboard for my tastes. I liked the ending. "
— Justin, 7/9/2013 -
" Wonderful, seemingly accurate, descriptions of life in a nursing home highlight the beginning of this novel. Yet things really get going when a 91-year-old escapes with his 70-something brother to go south of the border looking for the family's old homestead in Mexico. "
— Tracings, 6/15/2013 -
" Nowhere near as good as Brownsville stories. Casares excels at capturing the dialogue and spirit of the Rio Grande Valley, but the characters and storyline in Amigoland were just kinda....meh. Still, a good book and good writing, but just couldn't get into it. "
— Aaron, 12/25/2012 -
" It was good, not great. "
— Shelly, 9/18/2012 -
" very funny...senior citzen is trying to escape from a rest home...he feels he's fine and just needs a little help...everyone else seees it a little differently...he tries every form of escape possible. "
— Joan, 6/10/2012 -
" Another good read found by chance, been reading lots of mexicano. This was more about family and stories and real love that lasts. It was funny too. Yay for Oscar Casares, hope to see more of you! "
— Mary, 5/10/2012 -
" This book was too slow for me. It was between "didn't like it" and "it was okay." "
— Allison, 4/8/2012 -
" An unusual work of fiction about two brothers, one in his 90's and one in his 70's living along the Texas-Mexico border. I'm barely into it, but so far it is fun! OK, now I finished it. All in all, it was a fair story with some unusual characters. Take it or leave it! "
— Clif, 1/5/2012 -
" Tedious dialogue for 300 pages leading to a nice ending. Great setting. Would have been a good short story. "
— Larry, 3/17/2011 -
" Kind of depressing book, but really insightful. It is also a really interesting exploration of mexican/american culture. "
— Kelsey, 1/16/2011 -
" Oscar Casares is such a good writer that he made me _want_ to like Brownsville/Matamoros. "
— Jennifer, 1/7/2011 -
" A little dull at times but the end of the novel made up for it. Amigoland is a great story of starting a new life at the end of life. "
— Samantha, 12/28/2010 -
" running away from a nursing home.....just like Water for Elephants. But I loved the myth that came true for the family. "
— Sally, 9/7/2010 -
" Mayor's Book Club selection for 2010 "
— Debbie, 6/6/2010 -
" The book is very slow, painfull and tedious at the beginning, but hang in there. It gets so much better. "
— Cindy, 4/13/2010 -
" Richly drawn characters, wonderful dialogue, nicely written in a clean, simple style. "
— Clay, 2/22/2010 -
" Nowhere near as good as Brownsville stories. Casares excels at capturing the dialogue and spirit of the Rio Grande Valley, but the characters and storyline in Amigoland were just kinda....meh. Still, a good book and good writing, but just couldn't get into it. "
— Aaron, 2/15/2010 -
" In much the same way that I couldn't get through Confederacy of Dunces until I lived in New Orleans, and the way I swell up with Midwest longing while reading Willa Cather, I'm not sure I'm Texas enough to truly appreciate Casares. Yet. "
— Lindsey, 2/1/2010
About Oscar Casares
Oscar Casares was born in the border town of Brownsville, Texas, the setting for his critically acclaimed story collection. The recipient of a 2006 National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, Casares is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and now teaches creative writing at the University of Texas in Austin, where he lives with his wife and young son.
About Luis Moreno
Luis Moreno, a voice actor, has narrated several audiobooks throughout his career.