Source – library
Translator -Alistair Reid
Ignacio Padilla is a mexican writer ,he grew up liking Joyce and Stevenson as a child ,he studied communication and got a masters in english literature .Eventually end up teaching hispanic american literature at university of Salamanca in spain .He is also with Eloy Urroz and Jorge Volpi part of the crack movement ,a new movement of writing from mexico to move on from the latin american boom movement ,by using complex literature ,different structural writing .
So that in mind what did I learn from Antipodes about Ignacio and the crack movement well this book is structured round a collection of twelve very short stories all about five or six pages long .There all sort of boys own stories ,sometimes funny sometimes reminding me of a collection I had adventure stories for boys and also the tv series ripping yarns where the stories were all slightly tall tales but based on real types of characters .The characters on whole tend to be English or ex pats and a lot of locations are in the English speaking world from India to Scotland.Included in the mad adventures include rebuilding a copy of Edinburgh in the desert ,a man the may have climb Everest this reminded me of the great true story of George Mallory ,who was born near were I grew up so heard his story as a kid .Another is the one I quote from about a famous gun and how there were a number of fakes made of it at the time and how you could tell they were fakes .
There is no denying that the craftsmen of Cappadocia were extremely accomplished ,but anyone with half an eye could recognize an authentic Hutchinson – van Neuvel among the many pirated copies that have shown up in the armies of europe over the last five years .For a start the butt of the Hutchinson almost always carved from Fijian red oak ,weights exactly 3 pounds ,25 ounces and measures 15.4 inches from the stock to the firing pin .
the opening of the short story ballistics :some notes .
Well its hard to say much twelve very short stories I did like them the brought to mind Bolanos nazi literature ,small insights and maybe Borges a brief history of infamy style wise .I liked them a lot like I liked the Borges and Bolano ,maybe flippish and no real story but jumping almost leaping in and pout these places and times getting a taste like A Tapas of Padilla style well if these are nibbles I m hook .If you want something to pass a cheerful hour or two try these little nibbles of Ignacio Padilla .Reid did a good job on the translation keeping the sense of fun at times in these tales .
Jul 22, 2011 @ 04:27:10
I’m on the lookout for Mexican writers as I live so close to Mexico and really want to read Mexican literature. Thanks for alerting me to this author and this book of “nibbles”!
Jul 25, 2011 @ 22:53:36
welcome I ve a couple more mexican writers on tbr pile to come up ,all the best stu
Jul 22, 2011 @ 08:48:08
Ah, tapas. What an excellent invention, I tell you, and what a great fiction/food comparison you thought up! Haven’t read Padilla (although I have Volpi’s Klingsor book on my shelves) though I suspect any work that receives a favorable stylistic comparison to Bolaño’s Nazi Literature in the Americas would be right up my alley. Thanks for the tip.
Jul 25, 2011 @ 22:52:25
Yes I thought it was one for you as I read it Richard ,i want try Volpi soon ,all the best stu
Jul 24, 2011 @ 19:43:47
Hi, Stu,
I’m very interested in the cross-continental, trans-atlantic literature that has been going on between Spain and South America. Fascinating. It seems that an entire genre is developing along these lines.
I want to thank you for supporting my reading of The Return of Captain John Emmett. It is truly an excellent read. Speller has certainly done her historical homework, and moreover, it’s an engaging mystery.
Best wishes,
Keep cool!
Judith (Reader in the Wilderness)
Jul 25, 2011 @ 22:50:36
yes I think the is still lot of connections between old and new world ,all the best stu
Aug 03, 2011 @ 17:11:50
Thanks for the review. I want to read more contemporary Latin American writers.
Aug 03, 2011 @ 22:58:11
this is a nice short one Kinna and just reviewed another ,all the best stu