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Sensations, sounds, and silence in the Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

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No. 101 (2020): Mayo

Abstract

In The Sound of Things Falling (2011) by Colombian Juan Gabriel Vásquez references to senses, sounds, and silences abound. We argue that this emphasis on sensory perceptions and specifically on aural expressions is closely linked to the painful recovery of the past and reflects a profound consciousness of the limitations of language to reconstruct memory. In order to substantiate our argument, we discuss three approaches frequently commented on in sound studies. First, we analyze the role that visual and auditory memory plays in the act of remembering. Secondly, we demonstrate how different aural forms such as mechanical sounds and noises and poetical musicality, contribute to activate the processes of recalling the past or to create echoes between past and present. Thirdly, we concentrate on silence, the opposite of sound, in its ontological implications.

Keywords:

Juan Gabriel Vásquez, The Sound of Things Falling, sensory perceptions, sound studies, Colombian literature

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How to Cite
De Maeseneer, R., & Vervaeke, J. (2020). Sensations, sounds, and silence in the Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez. Revista Chilena De Literatura, (101), pp. 405–425. Retrieved from https://actascoloquiogiannini.uchile.cl/index.php/RCL/article/view/57326
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Revista Chilena de Literatura
Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades
Universidad de Chile
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