I recently read a novel by Paco Ignacio Taibo II : La
bicicletta de Leonardo (1994) [literally: Leonardo's bicycle]
Because it's written in Spanish (Mexican) and as my command
of this language does not allow me to currently read novels,
I read it in its French translation (a language that is
closer to the Spanish grammar than English is).
I was really fascinated by the construction of the novel, its
style and a kind of dark epic that goes trough the whole
thing. It's a mix of plots, of historical times, of fiction
and historical facts, but the result works. The very
realistic style of Taibo II serves well the rather baroque
fresco he's painting in this novel. But the painting can be
dark, especially when it depicts the revolutionary Barcelona
of the twenties, full of blood and madness, or when it
narrates the quest of the modern Mexican writer in search of
explanations concerning a bleak traffic between USA and
Mexico, not forgetting some black humor twist.
Taibo II is using a parallel construction of the plots more
as a research on " the story that could harbor all the
stories" than as an attempt of real deconstruction. On
certain moments it's even a laboratory experimenting on the
narrative tenses in fiction. But, even if construction is
important, Taibo II's writing carries enough power and soul
to keep the reader on its maelstrom, totally captivated by
its stories. IMHO a great book.
It's the first book by Taibo II I read, because I had a wrong
perception of the writer through some critics, but I wonder
if they really read his work. I was still interested,
however, because some Avians were praising this author (quite
some time ago). A rewarding discovery (at least in my
case).
E.Borgers Hard-Boiled Mysteries http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6384
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