Não tem um começo poético, mas se torna poético a cada página. Um livro muito bonito, que eu definitivamente tenho que reler. ( )

This collection of stories highlights many of the themes and ideas expressed in Cozarinsky's novel, The Moldavian Pimp, which I read and loved earlier this month. Characters move from country to country, search for their true identity and their ancestors, sometimes change their identity, feel lost in a new (or old) land, obsess over the past, and find or lose love. Like Cozarinksy himself, many character are, or were once, Jewish Argentinians, but nearly all of them (or their ancestors) wander between Europe and the "new" world. Some of the stories, such as the title one, are extremely compelling, others less so, but it is overall a fine collection and Cozarinsky is an excellent writer.

A collection of short stories from the Argentine filmmaker Edgardo Cozarinsky. Many of the stories have an immigrant and/or Eastern European Jewish theme--or themes about identificaton or mis-identification. In particular I liked the title story--Budapest and Emigre Hotel. Budapest is about an artist who has given up his own creations to fake masterpieces because he can make more money at it. In the story he arrives at an estate in Hungary with the purpose of bilking an old lady out of her one art treasure. For some inexplicable reason he decides not to and then later on that night dies of a heart attack. Emigre Hotel is set in Portugal on the eve of World War II and involves two German refugees from the Spanish Civil War--one Jewish--one not and their friend an American heiress who can marry only one to bring back to the United States.

These stories are well concieved. Not hard to figure that Cozarinsky's career as a filmmaker doesn't hurt him at all. Scene by scene they unfold. They are well told--both lucid and compelling--oftentimes insightful. A short work however--only 161 pages--but well worth reading. ( )