ANU SHARMA

JAMES, PERCIVAL EVERETTE Could this book be on the @thebookerprizes longlist this year? This is my second book by Percival Everette, the first one being The Trees (Shortlisted for 2022 @thebookerprizes) I was initially a bit apprehensive to read a book labelled as a ‘retelling,’ but once I started, it was unputdownable. The story happens in Missouri before the Civil War. The story is narrated by the enslaved James/Jim, who is now on the run. He meets Huck, and an adventure unfolds. Their time together on the river-fishing, hiding from the white men who are searching for them, going without food, or shivering with cold makes for a delightful, adventurous read. What I enjoyed the most was Jim's playful use of language. The part where he teaches black children how to talk to the white tormentors is witty. The grammar is intentionally wrong, yet it conveys the significant themes of fear, injustice, and psychology. Jim’s eagerness to read and write and his thirst for knowledge was moving. The story behind how he obtained a simple writing tool pencil was very touching. He even dreams of philosophers like Voltaire and John Locke, with whom he has debates on freedom. QOTD: WHAT’S YOUR GOTO MOVIE OR SERIES? WHAT IS A BOOK THAT YOU REREAD? Parts of the story and many characters are very heartrending, which talk about injustice and torture. Percival was able to give a more real, vivid, and harrowing picture of the scenario of that time. The ending was very different, and many twists to the tale A masterpiece, a story that gets etched in one’s mind. The whole book makes one think, rethink, and question this complex historical situation of that era and freedom. Though I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn when I was a child, I’m sure James is what will be retained in my mind now. A must-read, I recommend it to one and all! Quotes from the book: “HOW STRANGE A WORLD, HOW STRANGE AN EXISTENCE, THAT ONE’S EQUAL MUST ARGUE FOR ONE’S EQUALITY, THAT ONE’S EQUAL MUST HOLD A STATION THAT ALLOWS AIRING OF THAT ARGUMENT, THAT ONE CANNOT MAKE THAT ARGUMENT FOR ONESELF, THAT PREMISES OF SAID ARGUMENT MUST BE VETTED BY THOSE EQUALS WHO DO NOT AGREE.” “IT’S A HORRIBLE WORLD. WHITE PEOPLE TRY TO TELL US THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE WHEN WE GO TO HEAVEN. MY QUESTION IS, WILL THEY BE THERE? IF SO, I MIGHT MAKE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.” “JIM, YOU WORK THE MULES AND YOU FIX THE WAGON WHEELS AND NOW YOU FIXIN’ THIS HERE PORCH. WHO TAUGHT YOU TO DO ALL THEM THINGS?” I STOPPED AND LOOKED AT THE HAMMER IN MY HAND, FLIPPED IT. “DAT BE A GOOD QUESTION, HUCK.” “SO, WHO DID?” “NECESSITY.” “WHAT?” “ ’CESSITY,” I CORRECTED MYSELF. “ ’CESSITY IS WHEN YOU GOTS TO DO SUMPTIN’ OR ELSE.” “OR ELSE WHAT?” “ELSE’N THEY TAKES YOU TO THE POST AND WHIPS YA OR THEY DRAGS YA DOWN TO THE RIVER AND SELLS YA. NUFFIN YOU GOTS TO WORRY ’BOUT.”

BROTHERLESS NIGHT, V.V. GANESHANANTHAN, SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024, WINNER OF CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE 2024 Compelling, impactful, nuanced… I’m running out of adjectives for this book. “SOME PEOPLE TELL THE STORY ONE WAY, AND SOME PEOPLE TELL IT ANOTHER. DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS ARE THE SAME; DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THE DIFFERENT TELLERS HAVE THE SAME KINDS OF FREEDOM.” Sashikala or Sashi, while sitting in NY, recalls her time in Jaffna. Sashi, while in school, aspires to become a doctor. Her eldest brother goes missing and thus the title. The story is about Sashi and her family, their struggles, and the unrest due to the Sri Lankan civil war. The book vividly portrays the horrifying reality of war. In war, safety is elusive, and the line between right and wrong becomes blurred. Despite being written in simple language, the book delivers its message powerfully. Sashi’s narration makes it read like a memoir, yet it’s an epic tale. The inclusion of Tamil words adds a delightful touch. Sashi’s determination and relentless work ethic are endearing, making her a protagonist to admire. This wonderful feminist novel highlights the struggles of many women and their efforts to raise awareness about the hardships faced by ordinary people. “A TRANSGRESSION AGAINST A MOTHER IS A UNIVERSAL TRANSGRESSION; WHEN A MAN TREATS A MOTHER KINDLY, HE IMAGINES THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE, SOMEONE IS GETTING UP ON A TRAIN TO OFFER A SEAT TO HIS OWN MOTHER, OR PERHAPS HELPING HER TO CARRY HER SHOPPING FROM THE MARKET.” One of the most compelling parts of the book is the portrayal of a group of mothers whose collective strength compels the authorities to return their sons, who were taken away by force. “THIS WAS WHAT OUR MOTHERS HAD WARNED US ABOUT: MEN AND THEIR DESIRES, MEN AND THEIR WILLS, MEN AND THEIR BODIES ENCROACHING ON OURS. IN WHISPERS WE HAD BEEN WARNED OF THE RUIN OF RAPE, HOW IT WAS SOMETHING FROM WHICH WE COULD NOT RECOVER.” The book arouses indignation for those perpetrators who instigate abductions, rapes, and killings. It is sad to read about the people affected by these. The family in the novel are avid readers, with brothers recommending books like Mother by Maxim Gorky and Kumari Jayawardane’s Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World. “IN STANDING UP FOR OTHERS WE ALSO STAND UP FOR OURSELVES. THIS COURSE REQUIRES COURAGE, AND NO OTHER IS OPEN TO US” This is a very interesting, poignant novel which is must-read.

BOOK 12: A DICTATOR CALLS, ISMAIL KADARE, TR. JOHN HODGSON, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is about the phone call Stalin made to Boris Pasternak, during which they discussed the arrest of Osip Mandelstam. Yes, the same Pasternak who wrote Doctor Zhivago and was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958, which he was forced to decline due to the furious Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1989, his son finally accepted the prize on his father’s behalf. What transpired between them in those three minutes? Why did he call? How did Pasternak react? Ismail Kadare beautifully narrates different versions of the same phone call—thirteen in all. It reads like an extremely well-researched document, enriched with literary gossip and anecdotes of that era. A story often takes on the colour and tone offered by the narrator, and each narrative in this book presents a unique version. The translation is impeccable. The idea of turning a phone call into a story is just brilliant! Pasternak ended his first marriage to marry his then-lover, Zinaida Neuhaus, the wife of Russian pianist Heinrich Neuhaus. Zinaida’s version of the phone call was the wife’s version. The two versions that I enjoyed reading the most were that of Anna Akhmatova and  Nadezda Mandelstam, the wife of the poet who was arrested. It’s exhilarating to read such a rich, intellectual story about the influence/ involvement of many poets and writers of that era, including Dostoevsky, Freud, Pushkin, and many more. There are these brilliant poets and writers, juxtaposed with the authoritative dictator who had the power to vanquish the most powerful writer. Some Quotes: “THE TYRANT AND THE POET, HOWEVER MUCH THEY MAY SEEM OPPOSITES, BOTH HELD POWER. THE FIRST ASSOCIATIONS OF THE WORD POWER CAN ONLY BE GRIM: OPPRESSION, VIOLENCE, DISPOSSESSION. YET HUMAN LANGUAGE HAS ALSO THOUGHT OF GENTLER USAGES. POWER CAN BE USED FOR BAD ENDS, BUT AN ARTISTIC GENIUS HAS POWER, AND SO DOES A SWEET FAIR-HAIRED WOMAN.”   “AND A CURSORY GLANCE AT KARL MARX SHOWS THAT A MAN WHO HAD DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE WORLD ORDER NEVER DEVOTES HALF A PAGE IN ANY OF HIS DOZENS OF BOOKS TO THE TRAUMA AND REMORSE CAUSED BY THE SHEDDING OF HUMAN BLOOD.”

BOOK 10: SIMPATÍA BY RODRIGO BLANCO CALDERÓN, TRANSLATED BY NOEL HERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ AND DANIEL HAHN, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 I obtained this book after much searching. I finally got it on Kobo but found the app to be very stubborn. It only displays the chapter pages and not the total pages or the current page number.  It wouldn’t highlight text easily. Anyway, I finished this novel. Yaay! Like Ulysses (Odysseus), our protagonist, Ulises Kan, is also on a mission. Ulises’s wife leaves him, and his father-in-law dies, and he inherits a will that tasks him with transforming their Ayala estate into a nonprofit dog rescue home within a specified timeframe He takes up this challenge and faces more and more difficulties. Some help him and others make things worse.   A fan of the movie Godfather, he is found quoting it here and there. There is a constant reference to the Collected works of Elizabeth von Arnim, which delves into dogs' lives, among other topics. I found this novel rather confusing. It is set in a Venezuela plagued by poverty and corruption, and the stray dogs portray some aspect of it?? Did you know Tasseography is a fortune-telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, and even wine sediments? A part of the book talks about coffee reading, lucky, not lucky, danger, etc. Although there are no stray dogs in Amsterdam, a very interesting point was made regarding the availability of bikes as cheap commodities, which are frequently stolen and discarded into the river. I never understood the relevance of this comparison. Perhaps the author was trying to compare the two countries, Venezuela and the Netherlands, particularly Amsterdam. So, are people in Venezuela heartlessly dumping dogs as opposed to the cycles in Amsterdam?! I loved the huge dog Iros, a Leonberger. Did you know that the breed Leonbergers could weigh sixty to eighty kilos? The translation is impeccable, and i didn't feel like i was reading a translated literature. "SOMETIMES ONE SIMPLY DECIDES THAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT SUFFERING FOR ANOTHER PERSON. JUST LIKE THAT. AND ONLY DEATH, WHETHER THEIR OWN OR THAT OF THE OTHER PERSON, CAN BREAK THAT BOND." I’m unclear about many aspects of the book. The ending was ambiguous, leaving me with a sense of lack of closure, and maybe that was intentional?!

BOOK 8 (from the longlist), (and the 6th from the shortlist): MATER 2-10 BY HWANG SOK-YONG, TRANSLATED BY SORA KIM-RUSSELL AND JOSEPHINE BAE YOUNGJAE, SHORTLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 If James Watt hadn’t invented the steam engine, then would humanity have been spared of all difficulties associated with industrialization? A laid-off factory worker,  Yi Jino, stages a sit-in. He sits next to a chimney, atop a factory. His protest goes on for more than a year. He narrates the story of his family, many of whom are railway workers. I came across this  German word WELTSCHMERZ, which means mental depression or apathy caused by a comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state. That got me thinking, and I found that Hwang Sok Yong has depicted WELTSCHMERZ beautifully across many generations. It is a historical saga that explores chaos theory and how changes impacted the trajectory of Korean history, which is a major part of the book. The book is about conflicts, movements, displacement due to the laying of railroads, the impact of development;  injustice, exploitation, and cultural impact due to imperialistic Japanese rule, Parts of it read like a political thriller with police chases and conspiracies. The book incorporates subtle elements of humour, adding a touch of lightness amidst its serious themes. The book portrays the fights staged by various generations, showcasing the perennial problems faced by people regardless of their era. To obtain what's rightfully yours, one must fight and fight they did! Whether it was the pro-democratic movement or a sit-in against unjust factory management, the angst, struggles, and fights are depicted beautifully throughout the book. QOTD According to you, what features in a book make it interesting? The working of a coal-driven train is explained at length. My father used to really admire these beautiful chugging engines, and I’m sure he would have enjoyed reading about it too if he were alive. “BAEKMAN TOLD HIS GRANDSON JISAN TIME AND AGAIN, ‘THE RAILROAD WAS BUILT FROM THE BLOOD AND TEARS OF THE PEOPLE OF JOSEON.’” I enjoyed reading about Juan-daek, wife of Baekman, great grandfather of Yi Jino. Her strength, her determination reminded me of characters and some parts of the book Whale (Cheon Myeong-Kwan) What I loved the most were the apparitions, which would pop up now and then, helping or guiding them when they were in dire straits; adding a touch of magic to the story.   “THERE’S ONE THING I’VE OFTEN FOUND KIND OF STRANGE. DOESN’T IT SEEM LIKE LIFE IS ALWAYS FALLING SHORT OR TURNING INTO SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT WE HOPE FOR? AND IT’S USUALLY ONLY AFTER A VERY LONG TIME HAS PASSED THAT ANYTHING CHANGES. COMPARED TO THE PASSAGE OF TIME, WE’RE NO MORE THAN SPECKS OF DUST.” The translation was seamless, feeling as if it were originally written in English. Though it was a 500+ page book, it was overall a great read.

BOOK 7: WHAT I’D RATHER NOT THINK ABOUT, JENTE POSTHUMA, Tr. SARAH TIMMER HARVEY, SHORTLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 In this narrative, we encounter fraternal twins, a brother, and a sister, with the sister serving as the narrator. The story unfolds through vignettes from their past and their present, not constrained by chronological order, each reflecting the sister's introspection on her bond with her brother and her quest to understand the 'why' behind his passing. The narrative delves into the profound challenges of mental health that the brother faced, as recounted from the sister's perspective. The author skilfully portrays his inner struggles and the impact on those around him. It's a poignant exploration that does not shy away from the complexities of mental well-being, particularly regarding the sensitive subject of ‘ending one’s life’ and its aftermath on loved ones. “BY MY TWENTY-SEVENTH BIRTHDAY, I OWNED 142 SWEATERS, AND IT WAS HIGH TIME I SAW A THERAPIST.” The sister has an affinity for sweaters, which leads her to impulsively purchase them, often gifting them to her twin; emphasizing their close bond. The book stresses the beautiful connection between the twins, highlighting the heightened sense of empathy, protective attitude, and understanding for each other.  “A RECOLLECTION IS OFTEN BLEAKER THAN THE EVENT ITSELF.” Why are some memories called fond memories while others are easily forgotten? How do people deal with recurrent memories? As they mature, their paths diverge, and the narrator tries hard to maintain the closeness. To her, what seemed like a lifelong bond abruptly ended when her brother took his own life, evoking a profound sense of sadness. Witnessing the brother’s mental health challenges, suffering, and eventual termination of his life was heart-wrenching. It was equally difficult for her as she grappled with the aftermath. “I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE LOVE WE HAVE INSIDE US AND HOW ONLY A SHRED OF THAT REACHES THE PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT.” QOTD: WHAT GENRES DO YOU READ THE MOST? EVERYTHING HAD TO GO, THE WORLD WAS BUCKLING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF OUR POSSESSIONS. THE FACT THAT REUSING THINGS WAS FAR BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THAN DESTROYING THEM DIDN'T SEEM TO GET THROUGH TO HIM." The author's references to historical events and literary figures like Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, and a few others, who all took their own lives, add depth without overshadowing the core theme. The translation preserves the narrative's emotional depth. Despite its brevity, it's a weighty read, tackling difficult subjects with grace and empathy.

BOOK 6. THE HOUSE ON VIA GEMITO, DOMENICO STARNONE Tr. OONAGH STRANSKY, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 The book opens with the impactful line, “WHEN MY FATHER TOLD ME HE HIT MY MOTHER ONLY ONCE IN TWENTY-THREE YEARS OF MARRIAGE, I DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER REPLYING.” Set in post-war Naples, the story is narrated by Mimi, the eldest son of Federi, a railway station ticket vendor with an artist's soul. Mimi harbours shame and fear towards his father due to his explosive temper. “HE SUFFERED AND HE MADE US SUFFER. WHY HE MISTREATED US MERELY BECAUSE HE WAS MISTREATED STILL CONFUSES ME, AND I WISH I UNDERSTOOD IT BETTER.” Mimi witnesses his father’s abusive behaviour towards his mother and his disrespect and disregard for his close relatives. Though he narrates various incidents from his father’s life, he is not sure of the truth behind it as he talks about how his father keeps narrating different versions of the same incident, fabricating stories, to justify the physical abuse or boasting about his accomplishments. Federi feels frustrated by the lack of recognition and for not being able to give enough time for art. Federi took to painting from a very young age and felt that he would become a famous artist. “IT REALLY IS TRUE—MY FATHER, WHO WAS ALSO HAPPY, SAID—WOMEN ARE BROODMARES. IT’S PART OF THEIR NATURE. THEY’RE ONLY HAPPY WHEN THEY’RE FOALING.” Rusine, Mimi’s, beautiful, popular, creative, and dreamy mother, sacrifices her dreams for Federi’s ever-controlling, abusive, possessive nature. Mimi observes everything as a child but never does anything. Federi blames her for anything and everything. “I WAS ALWAYS SULKY. I LAUGHED AND SMILED BUT, ON THE INSIDE, I NURTURED ONLY UNKIND SENTIMENTS. ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT: WHAT AN ANNOYING ALLUSION. IT SEEMED EVEN WORSE THAN THE BEATINGS HE GAVE RUSINÈ.” The book poignantly depicts the impact of parental conflicts on children like Mimi. One impactful scene from part two of the book involves Mimi posing uncomfortably for his father’s painting, symbolizing the fear and eagerness to please his ill-tempered father. The painting is the infamous painting called The Drinkers, which is also the cover of the book. It is the author’s father’s painting. The story behind the possession of the titular house was also very interesting. The narrative weaves flashbacks from Federi's life without a strict chronological order. Many believe that Domenico Starnone is the writer behind the pseudonym Elena Ferrante. (source: Wikipedia) The book is divided into three parts and, while lengthy, could benefit from fewer repetitions and verbal outpourings from Federi. Despite its length, the storyline is beautifully written, with a spectacular translation that sparks curiosity about the original Italian phrases.

BOOK 5: KAIROS, JENNY ERPENBECK, TR. MICHAEL HOFMANN, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 QOTD: HAVE YOU READ BOOKS BASED ON INFIDELITY/ EXTRA MARITAL AFFAIRS? AOTD: I have read Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier), Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy), Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert), and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Milan Kundera). This book also deals with infidelity. The story delves into a complex labyrinth of love, morality, and deceit. This labyrinth unfolds against the backdrop of the collapse of the GDR. Hans is a fifty-something married writer who falls in love with nineteen-year-old Katharina. Hans has a son who is fourteen years old. Hans was brought up in the fascist times before GDR was formed. She was born 34 years later. "...THE BUS MOVED OFF, AND SHE FELT FOR A HANDHOLD. AND THAT’S WHEN SHE SAW HIM. AND HE SAW HER." They see each other on a bus. The two feel connected. Was this the moment of Kairos? In ancient Greek, Kairos meant the right or the critical moment. Kairos is also the God of Fortunate moments. They fall in love and share a common taste for music, discussing Greek gods and goddesses. They both like going to the movies. Hans is very possessive of Katharina. He has had many other affairs earlier. He expects Katharina to be faithful to him, though he commits adultery. He expects utmost loyalty from her even though he cheats on his wife many times.   From the beginning till the end, I wanted  Katharina to be free from the relationship she had with Hans.  "STRANGE, SHE THINKS, THAT TIME, WHICH IS INVISIBLE, BECOMES INDIRECTLY VISIBLE IN TERMS OF UNHAPPINESS. AS THOUGH UNHAPPINESS WERE THE COSTUME OF TIME." The story unfolds against the backdrop of Germany's significant changes, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, widespread chaos, unrest, and social upheaval. What about the sanctity of marriage in the context of this extramarital affair? What about morals? Why couldn't Katharina think straight at the first instance? "HE TAKES HER COAT DOWN FROM THE HOOK, HOLDS IT OPEN FOR HER, SHE SLIPS IN FRONTWISE, AS BEFORE, AS ALWAYS, QUICKLY HUGS HIM, THEN SLIPS OUT AGAIN AND PUTS IT ON RIGHT WAY AROUND." These lines, repeated throughout the book, symbolize her deep affection for him. I found the book a tough read as it is rather fragmented, and I am not very fond of this topic. I enjoyed reading all the rhetorical questions sprinkled all over the novel. The translation maintains an elegant style, narrated in the third person. The writing is brilliant, and it’s a remarkable novel. "THE DEAD HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD, BUT HOW MUCH TIME HAVE THE LIVING GOT TO DEAL WITH TRUTH WITHOUT BEING CONSUMED BY IT?"

#IBPCHALLENGE2024 BOOK 3: UNDISCOVERED, GABRIELA WIENER, TR. JULIA SANCHES, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 "THE STRANGEST THING ABOUT BEING ALONE HERE IN PARIS, IN AN ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM GALLERY MORE OR LESS BENEATH THE EIFFEL TOWER, IS THE THOUGHT THAT ALL THESE STATUETTES THAT LOOK LIKE ME WERE WRENCHED FROM MY COUNTRY BY A MAN WHOSE LAST NAME I INHERITED."- These are the opening lines of the book. This work is rather unconventional: Is it an autobiography or fiction? The protagonist is the author, Gabriela Wiener, herself. The book is primarily a reconnaissance into the life of her great-great-grandfather Charles Wiener (a Jewish-Austrian explorer). It’s a quest to unravel her family legacy, or history, which she believes remains largely undiscovered. "MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER WAS A HUAQUERO OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTE. HUAQUERO IS NOT A EUPHEMISM. IT’S HOW I REFER TO THE LOOTERS WHO TO THIS DAY REMOVE CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC PROPERTIES FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES." She is horrified by all this, and he has even been accused of stealing and selling an indigenous child. She is traumatised to have her brown body associated with an Austrian surname. In one instance, she recounts being mistaken for her own child's nanny and, at a dinner party, being mistaken for a maid despite being a journalist. The book seamlessly blends facts into the narrative, making it challenging to distinguish between reality and fiction. Throughout the book, she narrates events about Charles Wiener, delving deeply into his true identity. She also discusses her father’s life, his infidelity to her mother, his mistress, and his daughter born out of wedlock. After her father's death, she further investigates her lineage. The narrative also touches on her polyamorous life, her two spouses, and her other relationships. The book explores themes of identity crisis, discrimination, racism, slavery, colonial wounds, child theft during colonialism, ancestry, and infidelity, and presents a plethora of facts. Did you know Cristopher Columbus ordered six of the natives to be seized and work for him? “ALL OF US HAVE A WHITE FATHER. BY THAT I MEAN, GOD IS WHITE. OR AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN TOLD. THE COLONIZER IS WHITE. HISTORY IS WHITE AND MALE.” The author reads One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is her dad's favourite book, too. This part resonated with me as my dad had many favourites that he would recommend. "POWER IS REPUDIATED BECAUSE POWER IS ALSO RACIAL." Wiener is a witty, bold, and fluid narrator who has skillfully woven this blend of fact and fiction into her composition. Julia Sanches was also the translator for #internationalbookerprize2023 shortlisted book BOULDER by Eva Baltasar. This could be the one!

#IBPCHALLENGE2024 BOOK 2: NOT A RIVER, SELVA ALMADA, TR. ANNIE McDERMOTT, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024 The story revolves around an island and its inhabitants -three fishermen, their memories and a ray. It gave the vibes of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, minus the children, plus the adults. This is an island whose inhabitants are welcoming as well as not-so-welcoming. The book begins with the fishermen Enero Rey, El negro, both in their fifties and Tilo, a young man who is the son of their late friend Eusebio, who drowned in the river. The names sounded similar and caused a bit of confusion. On a fishing trip, they catch an enormous ray after shooting it and the story unfurls with an air of tension. There is Enero’s dream which causes a stir and is interpreted as a projection of the future. A dark, short novel, portraying aggressive masculine pride, the culture, and the superstitions of the island. A community where the women are not treated well, objectified and which has incest, cheating, and adultery. I enjoyed reading this lyrical excerpt: “SOMETIMES SHE THINKS THE FIRE TALKS TO HER. NOT LIKE A PERSON DOES, NOT WITH WORDS. BUT THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE CRACKLE, THE SOFT SOUND OF THE FLAMES, AS IF SHE COULD ALMOST HEAR THE AIR BURNING AWAY, YES, SOMETHING, RIGHT THERE, THAT SPEAKS TO HER ALONE. EVEN IF IT DOESN’T USE HUMAN WORDS, SIOMARA KNOWS IT’S CALLING HER. SAYING: COME ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. JUST LIKE ALL THE MEN SHE FELL FOR, JUST LIKE THE FATHER OF HER DAUGHTERS, JUST LIKE SO MANY OTHERS.” The brilliant use of personification to describe the fire talking to her and comparing it to a man, symbolic of how they both cause hurt, was fascinating. The story is written without chapter breaks, allowing the past and present to mingle like a river with a confluence of narratives. The translator's note at the end of the book talks about how she had to read books by various authors that influenced Selva. She talks about how the author has removed speech tags, chapter division etc to make her prose lyrical or poetic. “IT’S NOT A RIVER, IT’S THE RIVER.” “IT WASN’T A RAY. IT WAS THAT RAY” “PULLED FROM THE RIVER TO BE THROWN BACK IN LATER” “DEAD” Truly captivating! A straightforward yet remarkable read!