I enjoyed this a lot - it’s well plotted, very immersive, and delightfully creepy. Though there were moments which lagged a bit for me, everything comes together nicely and even the parts that don’t directly contribute to the plot create this complex social world and the unsettling atmosphere that scaffolds the entire novel. I hope we get more of Enriquez’s novels in translation!

This is a nasty little piece of work. It is horror and fantasy that, at its best, is punctuated by the political and socioeconomic reality of Argentina in the 1960s-1990s. This strong sense of place--even of the Other places--usually means the novel moves along at a clip, but it drags when it loses that connection. (For example, I found my mind wandering when reading the portion of the book set in London.)

The story also garners strength from its central character, Gaspar, who is subjected to heartbreaking physical, mental, and emotional abuse, mostly by his father, Juan, even though it theoretically comes from a place of love and protection. (The amount of times I rolled my eyes and sighed "ok Juan" every time he pulls the "I DID THIS TO SAVE YOU FROM THE ORDER" routine...) It was hard to read, but it also made it more satisfying to watch Gaspar gain his own sense of power amidst the darkness. While I expected Mariana Enriquez to lean more into the lore of the tumultuous, grisly underworld she created, these more human moments broke up the story more--there are atrocities and brutality, but at least they vary in type.

Steel yourself before starting this one. It's going to be one hell of a ride.

Our Share of Night is a genre-bending epic and an equally enthralling novel that paints the extent to which corruption and wealth can drive us.

Mariana Enriquez is the author of two short story collections previously translated into English - The Dangers of Smoking in Bed and Things We Lost in the Fire. For readers who have read her previous works you will already have an idea of the tone and brutality that is present in Our Share of Night. Our Share of Night delves deeper in the occult, and a violent, erotic world. Some of the elements you can expect to see in this work range from music, journalism, paranormal encounters, secrets, things of the occult, and monsters. Some parts have a Stephen King-esque feeling to them that are particularly reminiscent of IT. We have a setting rich with history, and a large cast of characters; we follow some of them as children through their adulthood. Some are haunted by previous encounters with the paranormal.

The book is set in the decades during and after Argentina's military dictatorship. The atrocities and violence of the Dirty War are woven into the backdrop of our narrative. We primarily follow a father and son, Juan and Gaspar. Juan is a medium for a powerful cult called the Order. Aware of their disregard for human lives, Juan will go to any lengths to protect his son Gaspar from them, even if it means committing unspeakable acts himself. The father-son story sandwiches the narrative of Gaspar's mother, who is an anthropologist documenting the local customs and mythology of indigenous tribes, in particular the Guarani people of Paraguay.

Our Share of Night is an immense and violent story. It is not for the faint of heart.
Although it is an extremely bleak story filled with horrors, I found myself completely enthralled with the book. It is not an easy read and at times it's also not an enjoyable read. It's akin to a train wreck that you can't look away from, with its mystifying story that compels one to want to know what will happen next.

TW: Extreme violence towards children, brutality, mass murder, torture, dismembering of bodies, cruelty and much more.

I've been hearing about Enriquez in the same breath as Bolano for a while now. So when I was lucky enough for Hogart to pass me an advanced copy of her first novel to be translated into English, this translation by Megan McDowell, I was incredibly excited to read it. I've finally finished it and I can confirm it lives up to the hype. The overarching story is that of a child born into a cult and seemingly destined to be its next medium, and his parents' efforts to keep him away from the cult. Enriquez tells us this story through seemingly different narravites in parts, with various modes of storytelling, including one section written as an unpublished final article of a dead journalist, and the way they all end up coming together is gorgeous. It marries the political unrest of Argentina with dark cultic forces in high society, and the story of the family caught up in all of it. If you're looking for a good marriage of political reality and cultic horrors and a fantastic story that catches people unaware in its claws, you'll want to pick this up on 2/7. Highly recommended.

The best word I can think to sum up this book is just "interesting." It goes to a lot of different places over the course of its 600 pages, which at times really made me wonder what the story was even meant to be about, but there's a common thread through the whole book: this is about the lengths to which people are willing to go in order to get what they want. It centers around a father who is determined to protect his son from people who would do anything to keep and achieve power, and the effects of his desperation on his son's life. That storyline being intertwined with Argentina's history of exploitation and abuse was a really clever move and opened the novel up to explore its themes through multiple avenues.

That said, this book really dragged for me a lot of the time. I was interested in the characters and relationships and seeing what was going to happen, but I felt like there were so many diversions from the main plot that made the book too long and had me wishing I could be finished with it already. That could've also been because of the writing style, and it's likely I missed out on a lot of the depth of this book because I don't have the cultural knowledge to fully understand its context, but yeah. Altogether it just made the book not as enjoyable for me personally.

I will literally read anything Enriquez writes. To quote Lady Gaga, "talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, sh*t on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it."

This was a book with a really in-depth magical system. It was a very involved system in which the witches are subjected to a lot of pain. I thought it was very unique but the internalized trauma within the characters made me a little uncomfortable.

I thought the writing was fantastic. I thought the characters were all so well written, and fully formed. This author did such a wonderful job at truly painting a picture. I really enjoyed our protagonist’s determination to stop at nothing to protect his son from the family practices in which he is trying to escape from.

Over all, this was a book that I personally mesh with. I can completely see why other people have, and will continue to enjoy this, but there were parts in here that I couldn’t get past. I couldn’t get past the contradiction of our protagonist, wanting so strongly to protect his son, and simultaneously admitting to abusing the boy himself. Honestly, there were just so many times in the duration of reading this that I contemplated DNFing.

I do highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator, Frankie Corzo did a fantastic job. Her voice, her cadence, and the way she presents this story was the only way I was able to push through.

Thank you to Hogarth/Random House for this Netgalley arc!

Our Share of Night is the first novel translated into English by the renowned Mariana Enriquez (The Dangers of Smoking in Bed). Enriquez uses the violent history of Argentina's military dictatorship as a backdrop to explore how far a father will go in order to protect his son from a fate that feels inevitable. Told in a meandering writing style, the experience is tense and uncomfortable, like walking home at night and knowing someone is following you and getting closer - but each time you turn back, you see no one.

We spend the first part of the book following the perspective of Juan Peterson, whose wife has just passed away, leaving him alone with his son, Gaspar. Juan, who we quickly find out has a weak and vulnerable heart, is a medium for the Order, a cult with immense wealth and power who worship the Darkness in hopes to learn the secret to immortality. The Order controls Juan's life and his body, and he realizes he must do anything, at all costs, to prevent the same fate for Gaspar. This defiance against a powerful organization acts as the foundation from which the reader then spans out, as we follow different narrators throughout the next decade who lead us in seeing whether or not Juan is ultimately successful.

There is so much that I enjoyed about reading Our Share of Night: the representation and discussion of Argentinian history and politics, the macabre horror and magic that challenges the reader to look away, and the unreliable, morally grey narrators that provide no comfort as we piece everything together. There is a powerful message about intergenerational trauma - as a result of political forces such as violent dictatorship and revolution - and how hard it is to avoid passing down this darkness between generations. The relationship between Juan and Gaspar is the most powerful example of this, and their complex "love" was the most poignant aspect of the novel. It's also impossible not to address the absolute EVIL prevalent throughout -- in the women of the order, the rituals, the Darkness, the Other Place -- and there are some images described that I don't think will ever leave my head. While I can't say it was something I enjoyed, per se, it was extremely thrilling.

Unfortunately, despite these aspects I liked, the length and slow pace of the book ultimately harmed my enjoyment of its explorations. Certain paths the writing takes felt pointless and redundant, with some characters having a weight that felt undeserved or served very little in the overall plot (I'm thinking of the section of the book that was dedicated to the doctor, the amount of time spent in London, among other POVs). The relationships, outside of Juan and Gaspar, often lack consistency in their depth or felt rushed because of time skips (ironic, because it's a long book). I'm curious if this is a result of translation, or what other folks feel.

Ultimately, I think that this is still a book I would recommend for those seeking translated horror with a gothic twist. It's certainly not for those with a weak heart (ha) nor for those who despite meandering stories. While this wasn't a favorite of mine, I think there is much I will continue to chew on for a while; and I am only excited for more of Mariana Enriquez's work to be translated!

A challenging read that merges horror and the fraught politics of Argentina. While I'm certain others will find it illuminating and terrific, she lost me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I DNF at about 30 percent but would urge fans of world literature and literary fiction to give it. a try.

(Also posted on Goodreads on 1/30/2023).

(ARC from NetGalley)

I enjoyed this book. I really liked the dark world and all the magic blended with real events. It had some really good, dark moments and creepy scenes.

I found the book a little slow at times and I was bored, and sometimes the world got a little complicated for me.

Great themes, eerie image of a demon I will have stuck in my head, and super imaginative!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5306765612

I loved everything about this book. I was captivated from start to finish!

This novel was twisted, brilliant, and dark. The writing was incredible, leading to such a well-paced novel that was so addictive!

I cant wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this one!

This is such an epic and horrifying story. It starts with a father and son on a road trip. Soon you learn that this will not be a simple story. Sure there are ghosts, dead people, murder, gore, violence, and abuses all surrounding the context of a cult. However, it is also the story of people with strong emotional and familial ties being coerced financially and through otherworldly means. Each character we follow is struggling with trauma, and at the same time, they take actions that show them both as victims and, at times, perpetrators. On top of that, the backdrop is the military dictatorship in Argentina, state repression, and its aftermath.

This complex story grabbed me and has not let me go. If you can handle it, I highly recommend it.

Our Share of Night is a slow build of dread and unease as the reader follows a family in Argentina dealing with a horror-inducing Darkness. This book has a noir feeling to it when it comes to pacing, and an overall long journey that ends with a satisfying conclusion that maintains the thread of family connections, chosen and not-chosen. This was a rough read at times, but I'm glad I read it. This book is a journey in itself, and the quiet horrors stuck with me more than I thought they would. Overall, I'd recommend this to someone looking to deeply dive into a long noir-horror mystery tale.

Some content notes to be aware of: sexual assault, gore, body horror, homophobia, child abuse.

Set in the 1970s and 1980s Argentina, this is a sweeping family epic horror story, mysterious and twisted. The Order has lived through the years by exploiting the power of the medium. The current medium, Juan, has lived a harsh life - but also complicated further, by marrying into one of the families, and having a son, Gaspar. With his wife Rosario dead from a bus accident, Juan is left to parent Gaspar. And protect him from the Order, who see Gaspar as their next medium.

This was complicated and twisty and dark, fully of dread and disaster. It’s a heavy book (literally and figuratively), with a brutal family obsessed with the Darkness which drives the Order, and a little boy trapped by destiny. Enriquez’s story is so unsettling and brilliant, while McDowell’s translation maintains such a dark and creepy tone. Messed up but compelling.

DNF at 16% (~97 pages). Unfortunately this book and I just didn't mesh well. I was fairly bored and struggled to connect. I am definitely in the minority here, so I will recommend this to those interested. I think there is a lot to get out of this, but it's just not for me.

In the aftermath of the turmoil of Argentina’s Dirty War, the rich create their own darkness, seeking immortality by destroying the lives of others. Juan, a man who was forced to work at the service of this darkness from a young age, knows his end is near, but his greatest hope is to save his young son from the fate he cannot escape.

1️⃣ This is considered horror. And it is absolutely horrifying. But it took me a short while to adjust to the rules of the world, which I didn’t expect from the genre.

2️⃣ The relationships in this book are so complex, with the possibility of animalistic brutality simmering beneath every interaction between characters. And the simmer often, abruptly, reaches a boil. This book contains atrocities.

3️⃣ This is a thick book. If you pick it up on Kindle (🙋‍♀️), you may not realize that until you notice have been at the 1% mark for 25 minutes. Going into the book with that knowledge should help. You’ll need to pay attention and work a bit with this book, but it’s absolutely worth it.

4️⃣ Argentinian literature is one of my favorite things. I loved seeing how Enriquez explored this time period in history through this complicated, horrifying lens.

5️⃣ Although I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this book initially, it is very much worth the read. As best you can, prepare for horrors you don’t want to face and wade into this story.

I wanted to start off by comparing this to a book that possessed the same effect as Our Share of Night, but I simply can't come up with a single book. Nothing from the years of books I've read. I could say the reason for that is it's told not only in the voice of someone that tells of a place I have so seldom read about, Argentina, but it's done in a similar poetic, enchanting, and laser-focus manner on all the minute details, such as the late, great literary pillar, Peter Straub.

If you want to know what literary horror is, this is just about the greatest example you could ever have.

The horror in Our Share conjure some of the most gruesome images that will surely haunt me 'till my dying day. The folkloric aspects are so enticing that, at times, I can imagine someone romanticizing and glossing over all the awful (and very real) destruction of death and destruction, orchestrated by crooked politicians and evil leaders, and instead, focus on the magic and wonders of a young man trying to figure out life.

This tome checks off just about every damn thing a reader of the dark, twisted, and scary could ever desire. It's the first time this book has been translated in English, as well, which makes me wonder just how many exquisite books and authors I will never be able to enjoy because I don't speak their language.

This giant story is a lot. Author Mariana Enríquez is a very accomplished bilingual writer, but much of the subject matter covered here just wasn't my cup of tea. On one level, Our Share of Night is the story of Juan Peterson and his family: recently deceased wife Rosario and young son Gaspar. But Juan and Rosario's family histories are so intertwined and complex as to be bewildering. I took copious notes in an effort to keep track of all the many characters within several generations spanning 1904-1993 and beyond in both directions, but my confusion stemmed more from disbelief and horror than information overload.

The cruelty and madness within this family parallels political turmoil of South America's dictatorship, socioeconomics relating to colonialism and slavery, and the rigors of diaspora. There are many themes throughout this book having to do with physical and mental suffering, torture, violence and wounded or missing appendages. There is a secret occult society called The Order, that worships a cult of the Shadow, a wildly destructive, orgiastic force of evil. Juan has been a Medium connecting The Order to the Shadow since childhood and has suffered so much in that capacity that he'll do anything to protect his son Gaspar from the same fate. Tall and seductive Juan is a vampirish figure, beautiful in an otherworldly way; a widower caring for his young son but at the same time abusive towards Gaspar. Also he has graphic sex with partners of every gender, including his doctor, sister-in-law, and random photographers. This book was too long and too out there to hold my interest; I would recommend it to fans of epic paranormal sagas featuring gratuitous sex and gore.

Deeply unsettling and weird in the best possible way. 10/10 no notes I preordered it immediately after getting to the halfway point.

This was DARK. Very dark. And mysterious. And addictive. And so perfectly paced. Definitely one of my new favorite horror novels!