I'm a helpless bookworm. There, I said it. Now you can understand how I found out about this book. Last year there was a show on a local radio called Parrafus Interruptus. Every night, the host would begin to read either a play, a novel, a poem or a short story and you were supposed to guess its name and author. What did you get if you guessed right? Well, a book, what else! One night someone called and thank him for mentioning Augusto Monterroso's book since it was simply marvellous. Get it right away, said the green-eyed monster lurking inside me.This is a jewel of a book and each story is unique. Their power reside in their simplicity, in their social criticism, in their tenderness, witticism, gentle despair, and above all, in Monterroso's fantastic command of the language and an outstanding narrative technique.
I can't possibly choose my favourite because each is powerful in their own way. Take this one for example which is supposed to be the shortest story ever written (though Héctor Yánover -my favourite author and bookseller- claimed that it was Einstein's E=mc2)
The Dinosaur
Upon waking, the dinosaur was still there.
This is my first Monterroso but I'm sure I'll read more. Soon. Really soon.Upon waking, the dinosaur was still there.
This is also my second book for the Reading Across Borders Challenge. (I love this new challenge)
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Yes I remember "The Dinosaur"
(here is my contribution in Spanish: )
El Dinosaurio
Cuando despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba allí.
My favourite from collection I have is The Eclipse
Have you read that one?
¡Qué bueno que lo hayas leído en español! ¿Qué más leíste?
Heather
www.thelibraryladder.blogspot.com
¡Que chulo, hablas castellano!
Pues, mi colección es bastante corta; tiene solo 160 paginas y 30 cuentos (El libro se llama Cuentos)
Ah Leopoldo y sus trabajos ... de verdad pobre Leopoldo ... si es un buen cuento, le recuerdo pero vagamente. Debo leerlo otra vez.