Friendship makes life worth living, and worth ending too.Eufrasia, a woman pressed by economic needs in a country with big class gaps, has become essential company for some of them. If she managed to raise enough money to buy enough guinea pigs, she could start a new life, as her uncle always told her. So, every day, she travels across the city on public transport to help Dona Carmen, who needs extra support because she's been feeling down lately and has lost almost all touch with her daughter. Eufrasia is good with emotional support, so good in fact that she starts to work for another neighbour in the same building: Jack Harrison, a retired, widowed, and deeply lonely doctor who enjoys jazz and whisky. She will also begin working at the local nursing home, where a group of elders have built a family and call themselves "The Magnificent Seven".Despite Eufrasia's care, the lives of these characters are drowned in medication, bland meals at regular hours, TV movies, ailments, and the occasional conversation, only to remember that the end is around the corner. Eufrasia is aware of all this, and she also knows that her close relationship and the trust she has managed to establish with all of them will end up bringing her to a crossroads.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"Both classic and rhythmic, the story unfolds into a lively road trip through old age. A final whirlwind before the inevitable leap: this luminous novel is a compassionate tribute to hearts and bodies that are weary yet remain defiant in the face of decrepitude." -Le Monde
"A tragicomic story, moving, crafted with skill and humour." -Claudia Pineiro , author of ELENA KNOWS
"A tragicomic novel about an important subject: our ability to care for the elderly in modern-day society and euthanasia as an option for dying with dignity. It is a fast-paced narrative with witty dialogue replete with references to film and pop culture. In addition to old age, Rodriguez's story touches on a number of significant issues, such as the many gaps between the rich and poor in Peru, empathy, and the ability to form human bonds regardless of social differences. It is also a novel that confronts the reader with important ethical questions about the meaning of a life well lived. A remarkable talent, Gustavo Rodriguez is a writer to follow in contemporary Latin American literature." -World Literature Today
"In his ninth novel the writer reveals just how little attention is paid to the elderly in our society, and advocates for worthy representation, at the same time that he challenges the taboo that is dignified death and offers a portrait of structural classism and racism in Peru. These topics could be difficult to digest, but Rodriguez seasons them with a wit that points to an astonishing literary maturity and brilliance." -Coolt
"Gustavo Rodriguez skilfully captures the metaphor of life as a passage to death, navigating it with a touch of humour and dignity, devoid of moralistic overtones or sensationalism." -ABC Cultural
"An appealing novel with an excellent plot development: endearing, moving, intelligent, and empowering." -Segre
"Gustavo Rodriguez once again alternates between the good and the bad in life to reveal a horrible indecency. (...) Racism, economic inequality, and the contradictions of Peruvian society are elements that One Hundred Guinea Pigs inherits from his previous work [...] luminous writing." -El periodico
"A work where tragedy and comedy intertwine in the exploration of the passage of time, old age, and its contradictions. [...] A masterful development that allows the voice of his country in world literature to rediscover its place, breaking free from what seemed like an eternal adolescence." -Zona de Obras
"An ode to old age, a song to existence, and a tribute to those women who work, suffer, care, empathise, yearn, and, despite everything, survive." -La Razon
"A story about the culture of caregiving, senectitude, the body, ageism, and death." -El Mundo
Sprache
Verlagsort
Produkt-Hinweis
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 198 mm
Breite: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-917260-24-4 (9781917260244)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Gustavo Rodriguez (Lima, 1968) is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Latin American literature, and is also known for his creative work in the media. He has published, among other titles, the novels La furia de Aquiles , La risa de tu madre (Herralde Novel Prize Finalist) and La semana tiene siete mujeres (Planeta-Casamerica Prize Finalist). He has also written children's and YA books that are read in schools throughout South America. He was the winner of the 2023 edition of the prestigious Alfaguara Prize for his novel One Hundred Guinea Pigs .
Daniel Hahn is a writer, editor and actual human translator. His work has won him the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, the International Dublin Literary Award and been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, among many others. His translations for Charco Press include novels from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru. He is the author of Catching Fire: A Translation Diary .
