Overview

It is the late 1970s and Argentina is wracked by the worst excesses of its “Dirty Wars,” as thousands have disappeared or have been tortured and murdered by a dying dictatorship. Luz Goldman, on the other hand, lives in Buenos Aires in a bubble of wealth and privilege where such horrors are simply ignored. Luz is precocious yet solipsistic, rich yet disaffected. She and her friends spend their allowances on expensive drugs, their unfettered days having casual sex. Written in stark language that echoes the unsentimental, bored mind of a young teen, this novel highlights a generation's need to ignore the realities of a politically disturbed Latin American country.

Full Product Details

9781609402693

Table of Contents

Reviews

Luz's unaffected narration, told in fractured flashback following her father's sudden death, is both naive and strangely perceptive. Although the brashness of her apathy is eventually tempered as she grows into her own, her rebellious character arc and her matter-of-fact delivery make her the embodiment of self-centered youth. Varsavsky's debut novel has been rightfully compared to the works of Hemingway and Salinger, and fans of Holden Caulfield will find this Argentinean Catcher in the Rye to be an apt comparison. Booklist (January 2013)

With a sparseness that brings Hemingwayesque echoes and a minimalist emotional restraint, the narrator, Luz Goldman, guides us through the complexities of her own psyche, a steaming force that keeps the reader totally engaged till the touching ending. -Elena Castedo, author, Paradise | The novel's toughness and irony surround a core of tenderness and loss, as if Luz were a kind of female Holden Caulfield. -Marion Winik, author, First Comes Love | The narrator's dry wit, sarcastic humor and irreverent charm depict the life of times of a generation of privileged Argentine teenagers who struggle to find their identity in the face of alienation and loss. Set in the backdrop of post-military repression, the political losses experienced by Argentines loom over Luz's travails like a silent, invisible ghost. -Gwendolyn Diaz, PhD, author, Women and Power in Argentine Literature | Urban, modern, Argentine but also universal, Paula Varsavsky is very much in step with the best of her generation. -Francisco Goldman, author, The Long Night of White Chickens| Luz's unaffected narration, told in fractured flashback following her father's sudden death, is both naive and strangely perceptive. Although the brashness of her apathy is eventually tempered as she grows into her own, her rebellious character arc and her matter-of-fact delivery make her the embodiment of self-centered youth. Varsavsky's debut novel has been rightfully compared to the works of Hemingway and Salinger, and fans of Holden Caulfield will find this Argentinean Catcher in the Rye to be an apt comparison. -Booklist (January 2013)

Luz's unaffected narration, told in fractured flashback following her father's sudden death, is both naive and strangely perceptive. Although the brashness of her apathy is eventually tempered as she grows into her own, her rebellious character arc and her matter-of-fact delivery make her the embodiment of self-centered youth. Varsavsky's debut novel has been rightfully compared to the works of Hemingway and Salinger, and fans of Holden Caulfield will find this Argentinean Catcher in the Rye to be an apt comparison. --Booklist (January 2013) Urban, modern, Argentine but also universal, Paula Varsavsky is very much in step with the best of her generation. --Francisco Goldman, author, The Long Night of White Chickens The narrator's dry wit, sarcastic humor and irreverent charm depict the life of times of a generation of privileged Argentine teenagers who struggle to find their identity in the face of alienation and loss. Set in the backdrop of post-military repression, the political losses experienced by Argentines loom over Luz's travails like a silent, invisible ghost. --Gwendolyn D az, PhD, author, Women and Power in Argentine Literature The novel's toughness and irony surround a core of tenderness and loss, as if Luz were a kind of female Holden Caulfield. --Marion Winik, author, First Comes Love With a sparseness that brings Hemingwayesque echoes and a minimalist emotional restraint, the narrator, Luz Goldman, guides us through the complexities of her own psyche, a steaming force that keeps the reader totally engaged till the touching ending. --Elena Castedo, author, Paradise

Luz's unaffected narration, told in fractured flashback following her father's sudden death, is both naive and strangely perceptive. Although the brashness of her apathy is eventually tempered as she grows into her own, her rebellious character arc and her matter-of-fact delivery make her the embodiment of self-centered youth. Varsavsky's debut novel has been rightfully compared to the works of Hemingway and Salinger, and fans of Holden Caulfield will find this Argentinean Catcher in the Rye to be an apt comparison. -- Booklist (January 2013)

Author Information

Paula Varsavsky is a journalist, a short story writer, and the author of Nadie alzaba la voz and El resto de su vida. Her work has been published in several journals and anthologies, including Hostos Review, Translation, and World Literature Today.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available