by Valeria Luiselli, translated by Christina McSweeney.

 

What a great way to start the reading year.  There was, of course, no way that I was going to pass up a book with this title, despite the fact that the amazon sample contained none of the text (just a few of the illustrations that are peppered throughout, which appear to be slides of cells from teeth).

I really enjoyed this book. It is spare, probably 175p or less after the illustrations are subtracted, but Luiselli manages to create a rich world, and a fascinating character in Gustavo Sanchez Sanchez, otherwise known as Highway.

It’s obvious from the beginning that the writing is flavored by Luiselli’s  wide literary and artistic influences, from the classical Greek through German modernism and , in the end, completely Po-Mo.  Borges  and Calvino are obvious, as is Marquez, but i was reminded of Eco and his eponymous character from Baudilino the most.

I most enjoy when an author presents a character that is supposed to be a good story teller, and then that character delivers.  It’s not done to perfection in TSOMT, but the book is ambitious and it comes close.

Luieselli is and author to seek out and to watch.

Q: (4) — ambitious and clever, it’s not perfect enough to be a masterpiece, but it has the qualities of books that are.

E: (5) — Enjoyable throughout — the spanishification of names was excellent

I: 4 — humorous and fun, but not quite deep enough to be truly moving

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