by Felipe Alfau
First published 1990
Spanish immigrants navigate the bewildering streets of New York City, caught between the familiar rhythms of their homeland and the alien demands of America. Each character carries Spain in their bones while grappling with English and its complications. They plant one foot in Spanish culture and the other in an unwelcoming New World that refuses to accommodate their dual existence. The city warps around them as they attempt to forge connections between worlds that simply will not merge. Their efforts grow increasingly desperate and absurd. What begins as comic misunderstanding spirals toward something darker. The characters move through their American lives as the story builds toward complete collapse and final darkness.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, identity-crisis
Setting: New York City, Spain
Period: 20th Century
348 pages · Paperback · Dalkey Archive Press