A Sweet Scent of Death

Mycket intressant intrig som författaren följer ända in i slutet. Gillar språket och handlingen kommer förmodligen leva kvar ett tag i mitt huvud.

I read this in Beograd in 2002. The surreal aspect of the novel is sublime; the chatter of the protagonist's neighbors not only informs his reality, it creates it and motivates his final actions.

Me encantó. El tema inicial es sombrío pero todo pasa y se cuenta de una manera tan pintoresca que da risa y enojo y risa de nuevo.
Tiene un "feeling" Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada.

From: Sorghum Justice: Murder and Vengeance in Mexico
http://wp.me/p14mpp-bx

Un Dulce Olor a Muerte (A Sweet Scent of Death, tr. Alan Page),
Guillermo Arriaga (Mexico, 1994).

This novel is an excellent profile of life and death in the rural Mexican countryside. The story takes place in a time before the proliferation of AK-47s and drug cartels—drug dealers and drug use do not play a part in the novel. Read and enjoy Guillermo Arriaga's first published novel, written long before he became famous for his movie work (Amores Perros, 21 Gramos and Babel).

The opening scene of this rural crime drama takes place in the farmlands of eastern Mexico inland from Tampico near Ciudad Victoria. A child shrieks an alarm and a young man follows the sound show more to a ripening sorghum field. As he enters the field, Ramón sees an unclothed girl lying face down in her own blood. He takes off his shirt to place it over the girl’s nakedness. As he approaches closely, he sees her face; it is Adela.

Ramón scarcely knew Adela, but the whole town thought he was her boyfriend. She was meeting another man, but now she was dead and Ramón was in trapped in his lie.
Because of the intense heat, Adela’s body must be quickly prepared for burial. The author describes the embalming of the corpse by the local butcher, and poignant dressing the corpse for burial. It is powerfully written and easily visualized by the reader.

After the burial, the men of the village meet in the store to discuss the murder. They decide that a contraband dealer known as the Gypsy is the likely murderer and the boyfriend is bullied into promising to carry out vengeance. Ramón is free from suspicion of murder, but must carry out the horrible sentence of the people’s court—he must murder the Gypsy.

Guillermo’s sparse, direct story telling is dramatic and visually strong, but the writing doesn’t translate well into English. The literal translation by Alan Page seems overly formal, somewhat choppy and lacks the power of the original, so, if you can, read this book in the author’s Spanish edition.
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Title: Un dulce olor a muerte
("A Sweet Scent of Death" in the English translation)
Author: Guillermo Arriaga
Length: 166 pages
Country of Origin: Mexico

Summary (from Amazon):
From the award-winning, internationally acclaimed screenwriter of Amores Perros, 21 Grams, and Babel, "A Sweet Scent of Death" is Guillermo Arriaga's tale of deception, passion, and violence fused together by the tragic killing of a young girl in a small Mexican village.
Early one morning in a deserted field, Ramón Castaños is confronted with the dead body of Adela, a lovely young girl, whom he had only admired from afar. Within an hour, rumor of the death of Ramón Castaños's girlfriend has spread to every corner of Loma Grande. This powder-trail of gossip ignites show more further violence when the villagers, thirsty for revenge, cast about for answers and hit upon the nomadic José Echeverri-Berriozábal, known as "the Gypsy." Honor then demands that Ramón must now live out his imaginary past in a brutal reality and prove his manhood by avenging Adela's cruel fate.

Opinions:
This book is a little different than what I usually read. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie "Amores Perros" and figured I would try some of his literature. Although I probably should have started with "A Buffalo in the Night" since that is his most famous book (and is also coming out soon in theatres). I enjoyed his writing style, the development of his characters, the imagery of the dry Mexican town and the continual theme of the smell of death. It was an enjoyable read and it was relaxing as well but I wasn't as engrossed in the book as I hoped to be. There were times like I felt I was in the room looking at Adela's body and then there were times where I just felt, well, like a reader. Overall though, I'm glad I read the book and will certainly read "Buffalo in the Night". I would suggest this as a good book to read as a break from all the delicious thought-provoking lit out there because on its own it is certainily enjoyable.

For those interested on the Amazon page you can even read chapter 1. Enjoy! show less

The author is Mexican and this was translated. A tight chilling little novel of murder, and timeless lawlessness in a little Mexican village. It could have been set in the 1800s, except its era betrayed by info such as the selling and smuggling of tape recorders. Polished it off this afternoon in about 2-3 hours.

The author is Mexican and this was translated. A tight chilling little novel of murder, and timeless lawlessness in a little Mexican village. It could have been set in the 1800s, except its era betrayed by info such as the selling and smuggling of tape recorders.
Polished it off this afternoon in about 2-3 hours.