Enrique de Hériz

This was an interesting one - told from two points of view. Isabel Garcia Luna is in Guatemala when she is mistakenly reported dead and, as she spends some time reflecting on her life, work and family, she has to decide whether to return to her life. Meanwhile at the family home in Spain her children have gathered and her daughter Serena delves into the family past with a particular focus on the story of Simon, her grandfather who died before his son's birth.

Translated from Spanish by John show more Cullen the prose flows nicely. I was only baffled by one sentence which I presume was a translation of a Spanish saying. The importance of family stories and what is left unsaid is an intriguing premise and I really liked the way things developed. The story is told well with the layers of lies being uncovered slowly. I must say though that I never really got to know the other main characters, Isabel's husband, sons and grandson. Apart from that I did like reading this. So. all in all, not an outstanding read but also one I'm not sorry to have read. show less

This is a collection of short stories by Ibero-American authors.

Um tradutor em Paris by Bernardo Atxaga [A translator in Paris] is a very existentialist story. A man retraces the steps in taken 20 years before in Paris, in order to accept his disability. Strange, feels unfinished and definitely not my cup of tea.

Nunca lá estive by José Manuel Fajardo [I was never there] is about nostalgia and remembering a day in the past. It is beautifully done, like most of Fajardo's writing. My show more favourite story in the book.

Tragédia do homem que amava nos aeroportos by Santiago Gamboa [Tragedy of the man who loved in airports] is amusing. It's about a man that finds himself being the boy toy of flight attendants.

Antiga Morada by Antonio Sarabia [Old address] is another strange story, about a brother and sister living alone in a old mansion. There is incest, ghosts and attempted murder. I liked the writing style, but the story was a bit disturbing.

O anjo vingador by Luis Sepúlveda [The vengeful angel] is a Monty Python-ish CSI kind of story. And that's why it's amazing. I really couldn't care less about the crime, but I loved the surreality of it.

Final opinion: a enjoyable book where the good stories outweigh the bad.

Also at Spoilers and Nuts show less

It was an interesting book. Strange, not something I had read before at the time. Not a book that I read quickly, but it was one I enjoyed a lot.

La mentira como paliativo ante el dolor de vivir, ese es el tema central de esta novela. Y como es una novela y no un tratado filosófico o moral, estos postulados vienen de la mano de la historia que se nos cuenta, una madre antropóloga desaparecida en la jungla a la que se da por muerta, y una hija en proceso de duelo que se encarga de reconstruir la historia real o ficticia de la familia. Las narraciones en primera persona de estos dos personajes femeninos se van alternando para show more ofrecernos las dos caras de la misma historia: la una conoce las mentiras y se las calla, la otra anda en busca de la verdad pero no sabe qué va a hacer con ella cuando la encuentre.
Esta reconstrucción familiar a dos voces es un recurso narrativo muy acertado del autor, quien arriesga bastante al intentar recrear de manera verosímil dos conciencias femeninas tan dispares. Pero conforme avanza el libro las redundancias narrativas se vuelven excesivas, y hacia el final la historia se le va yendo de las manos al autor. Me parece que lo perdió la ambición, la trama llegó a un punto en el que el autor no supo ya cómo resolverla y acabó haciéndolo por la vía expedita. Es una novela llena de magia y realismo, de grandes historias y personajes cotidianos que conviven en una extraña armonía, y se la recomiendo a todo el mundo. show less