Second paragraph of third chapter:
Intento salir en silencio para no despertar a su padre, pero se sorprendio cuando lo encontro despierto, serio pero tranquilo, saliendo de la cocina con una taza de to en la mano. La casa, como siempre, no estaba iluminada por luz electrica: solamente el televisor encendido en el living, vacio salvo por el sillon de pana, amarillo, muy grande, casi una cama. Cuando Juan vio a Gaspar se le acerco y encendio un pequefio velador que estaba sobre el piso. Tenia un cigarrillo en la otra mano. | He tried to leave the house quietly so he wouldn’t wake his father, but was surprised to see him already awake, serious but serene, coming from the kitchen with a cup of tea. As always, there were no electric lights on in the house, only the TV in the living room, which was unfurnished but for the yellow corduroy sofa that was so big it was practically a bed. When Juan saw Gaspar, he went over to him and switched on a small lamp on the floor. His other hand held a cigarette. |
This was the longest of the books submitted for last year’s Arthur C. Clarke Award, and also one of the easiest to rule out; it is a fantasy novel with no trace of science fiction in it. I put it aside, knowing that I would come back to it at some point; but in the meantime I saw a lot of very negative reviews online, and suspected that I might not last 100 pages into the 725 of the English translation.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The book is about a boy whose relatives are involved with a black magic cult operating between Argentina and Europe, set during the alternation between military dictatorship and democracy; there are of course dark and intricate family relationships, murky happenings and a cute but doomed dog. It does go on rather a long time, but I found it engaging and page-turning. You can get it here.
This was my top unread book acquired in 2022. Next on that pile is The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine, by Serhii Plokhy.