Damian Kelleher - Literary reviews and essays

The latest addition to the website is my review of Mexican author Rafael Pérez Gay's short story, The Way to Juarez.

The Way to Juarez is, to copy from myself, "a meditation on art as a communicative device, as seen through the prism of a man whose father is dying, a city dying of drug violence, a world killing itself with cocaine, a writer struggling to convey anything at all in his writing, and a reality fracturing under the impact of all these things."

You can read the review here.

The Way to Juarez is a short story from the Words Without Borders March 2012 issue, Mexican Drug War Issue.

The latest addition to the website is my review of Icelandic author Gyrðir Elíasson's short story, House No. 451.

House No. 451 explores the idea of nostalgia as seen through the eyes of a man in the future, looking at our present. Thought provoking, but it never quite rises above its initial concept.

You can read the review here.

House No. 451 is a short story from the Words Without Borders January 2012 issue, Apocalypse.

Other titles from the January 2012 issue include:
---Xerxenesky, Antônio - Seizing Cervantes
---Adamek, André-Marcel - The Ark
---Paiva, Fernando - God's Obituary

The latest addition to the website is my review of French author Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud's short story, A Life on Paper.

A Life on Paper questions the role, creation, importance and understanding of art through the madness of Stiegling, who organised to have over 90,000 photographs taken of his daughter over her short, stunted, tragic lifetime. Thought-provoking while remaining entertaining and fulfilling as a story in its own right.

You can read the review here.

A Life on Paper by Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud is a short story from Small Beer Press' Châteaureynaud collection, A Life on Paper, translated by Edward Gauvin

Other stories from Small Beer Press' Châteaureynaud collection, A Life on Paper include:
---May 1986 (Lozère): Come Out, Come Out

Other stories translated by Edward Gauvin under review include:
---Adamek, André-Marcel - The Ark
---Quiriny, Bernard - A Guide to Famous Stabbings

The latest addition to the website is my review of British author Mike Ormsby's short story, Democracy.

Democracy tells the story of a group of residents who vote on repairs, administrative salary and other sundry matters. Ormsby uses his scalpel to dissect the promises that democracy as a political concept so often makes, yet so rarely provides.

You can read the review here.

Democracy by Mike Ormsby is a short story from Bucharest Tales from the New Europe Writers series

Other stories from Bucharest Tales from the New Europe Writers series include:
---Bican, Florin - Penguins
---Lungu, Dan - Mr. Escu's Adventure
---Ruşti, Doina - Bill Clinton's Hand

The reviews for this book were made possible thanks to a kind gift from my friend Bogdan Suceavă.

The latest addition to the website is my review of French author Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud's short story, Come Out, Come Out.

Come Out, Come Out follows an old man as he reminisces about his love for watching his grandchildren play on his lands. He spent a good deal of money converting his land into a play area for children, but now they are older and don't wish to visit as much. And, worse, children playing brings up bad memories for him. Come Out, Come Out is an odd story, initially rather pastoral, though it soon becomes strange and somewhat menacing.

You can read the review here.

Come Out, Come Out by Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud is a short story from Small Beer Press' Châteaureynaud collection, A Life on Paper, translated by Edward Gauvin

Other stories from Small Beer Press' Châteaureynaud collection, A Life on Paper include:
---May 1986 (Lozère): Come Out, Come Out

Other stories translated by Edward Gauvin under review include:
---Adamek, André-Marcel - The Ark
---Quiriny, Bernard - A Guide to Famous Stabbings

The latest addition to the website is my review of Polish author Olga Tokarczuk's short story, The Bean Prophecies.

The Bean Prophecies shows another side to the generic, faceless, powerful government man - the side drawn to superstition, to prophecy, to fear of reality and attraction to esoterica. "S.", a high ranking government official, knows, deep down, in his heart, in a place he won't reveal to anyone, that he is not good enough for his job, and perhaps for his life. So, prophecies.

You can read the review here.

The Bean Prophecies by Olga Tokarczuk is a short story from Absinthe: New European Writing - Issue 4.

Other titles by Tokarczuk under review include:
---The Ugliest Woman in the World

The latest addition to the website is my review of Belgian author Bernard Quiriny's short story, A Guide to Famous Stabbings.

A Guide to Famous Stabbings dismantles one of my favourite books, Enrique Vila-Matas' Bartleby & Co., and examines one misguided author's attempt to take an idea from the novel to its terminal end point. A great, great story - recommended emphatically to those who love Vila-Matas, and for those who don't, it's still very accessible and entertaining.

You can read the review here.

Note: I stumbled across this story via translator Edward Gauvin's website. Gauvin was also responsible for translating André-Marcel Adamek's short story, The Ark, which I also enjoyed. I strongly recommended readers interested in French-language literature visit his page.

The latest addition to the website is my review of Brazilian author Fernando Paiva's short story, God's Obituary.

God's Obituary is a story written in the form of a newspaper obituary. Allan J. Winchmaster, "God", the creator of genetic architecture and the father of innumerable organic creations, has died. Paiva's story examines the ethical and political ramifications of science taken to the highest level - that of creating life. Paiva's neutrally toned narrative hides a sharply ironic take-down of the excesses of science and, more generally, of man.

You can read the review here.

God's Obituary is a short story from the Words Without Borders January 2012 issue, Apocalypse.

Other titles from the January 2012 issue include:
---Xerxenesky, Antônio - Seizing Cervantes
---Adamek, André-Marcel - The Ark

The latest addition to the website is my review of Spanish author Juan José Millás' short story, R. J.'s Tiny Corpse.

R. J.'s Tiny Corpse examines the concept of the author's identity as distinct from their personal identity through the conceit of the narrator, a failed writer and R. J., recently deceased, who found fame and fortune by publishing the narrator's work. Cleverly done, entertaining and well thought out.

You can read the review here.

R. J.'s Tiny Corpse by Juan José Millás is a short story from Absinthe: New European Writing - Issue 2.

Note: Due to external commitments (moving house), I was unable to post the past week's reviews. New reviews will be forthcoming at a normal pace.

The latest addition to the website is my review of Estonian author Mehis Heinsaar's short story, Butterfly Man.

Butterfly Man is the story of Anselm, a young, mediocre, wannabe magician who... has the ability to spawn butterflies from his body when he experiences strong emotion. He becomes a hit with the circus, with tragic, and tremendous, results. Highly recommended.

You can read the review here.

Butterfly Man by Mehis Heinsaar is a short story from Absinthe: New European Writing - Issue 1.

Other titles from Issue 1 include:
---Blatnik, Andrej - Too Close Together
---Ferić, Zoran – Make a Doctor Run - Make a Doctor Run