![]() ![]() I understood the nuances and found some time to be enthralled by the translation itself - and imagined the loss I would have unknowingly suffered had they not been translated to English.Īnd then, most importantly, and because I had been given a primer to this book, in the form of my experience with the two previous ones, I did my own research on Argentina’s history. My second time reading Mariana Enriquez was a bit more critical. This was too was a Mariana Enriquez, and was translated by Megan McDowell. The third book in this genre (but definitely not the last) that I read was a recent November 2021 read that I went to many lengths to get a copy of. Things We Lost in the Fire, by Mariana Enriquez The Feral, The Brutal, and The Supernatural in ‘Mouthful of Birds’ It was macabre, sobering, but also like the disgusting smell of rot that stays on you, even after you pass by a garbage dump. It was another fantastic piece of work that stayed with me. ![]() I shudder even now.Īnd so, like a masochist, I read this collection too. A ‘mouthful’ of birds - how gross! And against that title, the luminescent glow of the fluttering and restless butterflies. People laugh when I tell them I am dead-scared of butterflies (and moths as well). This book too had been longlisted for the 2019 Man Booker International Prize.īutterflies always give me the heebie-jeebies. Coincidentally, one of those very books was Samanta Schweblin’s Mouthful of Birds. I had by then, collected a vast number of books (some of which I got precisely because of the affordable rates they were tagged at during a sale). ![]() And so I discovered that the translator Megan McDowell had also translated the works of Samanta Schweblin. I read the blurbs, the acknowledgements, and all of the fine print. Since I loved The Dangers of Smoking in Bed so much, I of course read it from cover to cover. The Vengeful and the Depraved in ‘The Dangers of Smoking in Bed’ I surely appreciated it - but did I understand the implication of it? This time, when I did a reread of this book, things were more meaningful. Like I mentioned in the beginning, I had never before read anything of this kind and so, I could not really fathom what I was reading. I read it and I loved it and I rated it 5 stars. I loved it, yes, with all its weirdness, its fetishes, and all its horror. But on the contrary, I have quite possibly never read anything like this. I read it and I loved it and I rated it 5 stars.Īt first glance at the synopsis, one might think that the stories are gross and disgusting and that would be reason enough to rate it really low. I remember writing in my Medium article for it: At first glance at the synopsis, one might think that the stories are gross and disgusting and that would be reason enough to rate it really low. I had come across the synopsis and despite the weirdness, I was intrigued. The first book that introduced me to this glittering yet unnerving world of literature, was Mariana Enrique’s collection that was shortlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, by Mariana Enriquez I cannot still completely grasp those feelings - they are out there, floating in the ether and I can only trust, that you (the delightful reader) will successfully grasp my intimations. I had dedicated entire Medium posts to each of them - racking my brain to try to weave words that could justify what I felt for each of them. Suffice it to say, I am enjoying the tales in the book and will perhaps share my thoughts on it soon!īut today, I want to share those very first three books that opened my eyes to this genre of literature. As a person who has never read anything of the sort before, it was a startling discovery for me.īut what was all the more surprising was how quickly I took to it - like perhaps an unfurling of one’s true self, and finding safety and similarity in what had seemed dangerous or alien before.Īnd so I read and re-read these stories and when I found an anthology of such spooky fantasy/horror stories at my local Sunday bookmarklet for just 100 INR, I scooped it up. It was only in 2021 that I first came across or rather, started reading literature that could be somewhat categorized as horror.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |