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Ernest Hemingway once said that a good story was like an iceberg; what is visible is always smaller than the part that remains hidden beneath the water, which confers intensity, mystery, power and meaning on what floats on the surface. This is certainly true of the fourteen stories here, the first collection by the universally acclaimed Chilean author to be published in English. Imbued with ‘the melancholy folklore of exile’, as Roberto Bolaño once put it, and set largely in the world of the Chilean diaspora in Central America and Europe, the narrators of these stories are usually writers grappling with private quests (Bolaño’s beloved ‘failed generation’), who typically speak in the first person, as if giving a deposition, l... Subscribe to read more
This book left no reader indifferent, with some loving it and others not. Most readers found the first few chapters very powerful and vivid, such as the scenes of the terrifying battle royal and the chaotic Golden Day. They found the narrator’s journey at times confusing, especially the scene in the paint factory’s hospital, though they enjoyed the expectation of discovering how he would extricate himself from the different situations he finds himself in. Some readers did not warm to the narrator describing him as unsympathetic and unbelievably naïve. Others were able to feel his alienation as he tries to discover his true self. Most readers liked the rich language and th... Subscribe to read more
Nicola is a lover of books, and equally a lover of world cultures. She believes that books represent the first step of a journey, a journey that frequently has an unknown destination. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s collection of essays “Moving the Centre” is one of Nicola’s great inspirations: it points to a wealth of stories from different cultures around the world, cultures which do not always get the visibility their rich heritage deserves. Nicola’s mission is to share these stories, her passion for books and her literary insight with readers the world over.
Former proprietor of Nicola’s Bookshop in Brussels, Nicola has developed her knowledge and enthusiasm for literature over many years. Through this website Nicola now reaches out to a wider audience. Read more