Narrated by the ghost of a murdered woman, A Pretty Face is set in the Madrid of Reig?s previous novel, Blood on the Saddle. It?s the recent past reinvented so that it seems like the future: the oil has run out; the Spanish Communist Party has been overthrown by a US Army invasion; Spain is now part of the USA and Anglo is the official language. The rich live in gated communities, the poor wherever they can, in fear of genetic engineers who are testing neuroprotein K666, which might conquer death itself. The late Lola Egu?bar, writer of children?s fiction and daughter of the retired discoverer of K666, uses her post-mortal invisibility to unravel the events preceding her killing. She has a sidekick too, the equally unreal Benito, a randy, one-eyed, teenage character from her series of successful kids? novels. A remarkable blend of crime, science fiction and satire, A Pretty Face is bursting with Rafael Reig?s inimitable power of imagination and sense of mischief.
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Review
'[A] wonderfully absurd little existential novel' -- Independent on Sunday
A brilliant and original author -- Daily Sport
Rafael Reig's manic inventiveness appears to know no bounds... Enjoy the humour and intellectual breadth -- Marcel Berlins, The Times
A brilliant and original author -- Daily Sport
Rafael Reig's manic inventiveness appears to know no bounds... Enjoy the humour and intellectual breadth -- Marcel Berlins, The Times
About the Author
Born in Asturias in 1963, Rafael Reig studied Philosophy and Humanities in Madrid and later in New York, where he wrote his PhD thesis on 19th-century literary depictions of the prostitute. Today Reig combines university teaching with his writing and editing activities. His latest novel is Guapa de cara ('A Pretty Face'), published in 2004. Blood on the Saddle is the first of his novels to be translated into English.
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By Boris
Format:Paperback
"A Pretty Face" is the follow up novel to the equally amusing "Blood on the Saddle" of the Spanish author. Both books are situated in a dystopian Spain of the present where petrol supply broke down and the Communists took over in 1976. Caused by this the USA occupied the Iberian Peninsula und annexed Spain as a new state of the US. "Anglo" turned official language, an artificial canal was dug through Madrid to improve public traffic and a Spain turned into a big slum is terrorized by pharmacy companies.
In this scenario the spirit of the first person narrator tries to solve the mystery of her own assassination. Like in "Blood on the Saddle" elements of crime mystery, SF and surrealism are mixed up, protagonists of fiction turn out to be alive. The alcoholic private investigator from "Blood on the Saddle" has a supporting role.
All in all the book is full of original ideas and surreal strands, few of them are elaborated. Still more than with "Blood on the Saddle" one gets the impression that this is just the preliminary study of the big thing still to be written by the author. Evidently is has not been written yet.
In this scenario the spirit of the first person narrator tries to solve the mystery of her own assassination. Like in "Blood on the Saddle" elements of crime mystery, SF and surrealism are mixed up, protagonists of fiction turn out to be alive. The alcoholic private investigator from "Blood on the Saddle" has a supporting role.
All in all the book is full of original ideas and surreal strands, few of them are elaborated. Still more than with "Blood on the Saddle" one gets the impression that this is just the preliminary study of the big thing still to be written by the author. Evidently is has not been written yet.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A superbly written blend of fantasy, mystery, and unconventional conventions
8 Nov 2008
By Midwest Book Review
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Deftly translated from the original Spanish by Paul Hammond, "A Pretty Face" is an original metaphysical mystery by Rafael Reig set in a kind of alternate universe where in the city of Madrid in 1999 the oil mines have been drained dry, the Spanish Communist party has succumbed to an American army coup making Spain a part of the USA and Anglo the official language. The rich reside in the safety of gated communities, the poor survive where ever and how ever they can. Drug addicts live in fear of genetic engineers who are testing a neuroprotein called K666 which they think might even put an end to death. The story is narrated by Maria Dolores Equibar's tormented ghost after she is murdered. The daughter of the doctor who discovered K666, and with the help of an imaginary sidekick Benito (a randy, one-eyed teenage hero from her series of successful kids novels), Maria's ghost slowly unravels the tangle of events which led to her own violent demise. "A Pretty Face" is a superbly written blend of fantasy, mystery, and unconventional conventions making it a fast paced, unexpectedly conflated, terrifically entertaining read. Also very highly recommended is Rafael Reig's previous sci- fi/detective/western/literary romance/comically detailed novel "Blood On The Saddle".
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