The latest addition to my website is Diego Cornejo Menacho‘s Las segundas criaturas [The Second Creatures]. This is the story of the great Latin American Boom writer, Marcel Chiriboga. Marcel Chiriboga did not exist but features (mockingly) in the work of both Carlos Fuentes and José Donoso. Cornejo Menacho has decided to give his full life story while, at the same time, brilliantly mocking the Boom and its writers. A host of real people – from Boom super literary agent Carmen Balcells (who narrates much of the novel) to Romain Gary and his wife Jean Seberg – people the novel. We follow Chiriboga’s life, loves and writings, the Gary/Seberg saga and the stories of other, real novelists. It is brilliant, very witty and very inventive but not, of course, available in any other language.
Thank you so much for pointing us to this novel. I had not seen any mention of it before. Book Depository is currently offering it at a good price ($20 with free shipping).
Your blog is a wonderful resource for those of us interested in world fiction. Thank you so much for all of your work.
Thanks for you comments. Hope you enjoy Las segundas criaturas.
Well unfortunately Book Depository just cancelled my order, after almost a month, and I can’t find the book anywhere else at a reasonable price. But it is now on my list of books to hunt for!
Both Amazon in Spain and abebooks.de have copies but, depending on where you live, postage might be costly.
Thanks for checking. I’m in San Francisco, and yes, shipping is a problem.
Sorry there is nothing in the US except Amazon Marketplace and they want $47.10 for it.
Finally I scored a reasonably priced copy of this book, and again I want to thank you for bringing it to our attention. It was great fun to read, and a physically gorgeous little book.
And on obscure Latin America writers, did you know that Cesar Aira’s Diccionario de Autores Latinamericanos has been republished? That is endlessly addictive to wander through. Not only are there hundreds of obscure writers (all born before 1940), but the author descriptions are often very Aira-ish. I periodically borrow it on an inter-library loan because by the time I discovered it, the cost was beyond my budget. The new edition, in a substantial hardback, is $57 from Book Depository.
Oh, and
Glad you enjoyed the Cornejo and thanks for the info on the Diccionario de Autores Latinamericanos. Amazon UK has it at a mere £32.38 and Amazon US at $42.64. I am tempted.