Unlike
many Latin American authors, Alberto Fuguet’s relationship to the
United States is not particularly traumatic. The author’s literary
material is mined from the middle and upper classes who move easily
about the country and – even more notable – through its culture,
be it high or purportedly low. Fuguet’s creatures are poor little
rich kids and not poor little immigrants.
But let’s be clear: the
problems are not trivial just because they belong to the comfortable
classes. In the end, as they say, los ricos also cry. That
might be where the unsuspecting reader falls into a trap as Fuguet
proves his narrative power in these tragi-comic stories. Here’s
another difference between this Chilean author and others who have
taken on the American dream; he never forces a pseudo-sociological or
anthropological analysis. Fuguet’s characters find themselves in
banal details like a random photo found in an airline magazine or an
old man who tries to eat cereal at a Denny’s.The design of Shorts: Stories deserves mention. The photos and drawings included here make the book an object as beautiful as it is delicate.
Vera
Review
Shorts: Stories (Cortos), Alberto Fuguet (Meansheets)
