Tag Archive | El País
The Spanish E-Book Wars Have Started
El Pais has an article about the start of the Spanish e-book wars that Amazon has started. It is fairly typical of what we have seen in the US. The One big exception is how the Amazon is getting around the fixed book price law in Spain. Apparently, Amazon claims that they are selling direct [...]
Ernesto Sabato – A Profile and Unpublished Work
El Pais has a lengthy profile of the late Argentine writer Ernesto Sabato that goes into more of his personality then a recital of dates. Considering the scant coverage of his death it is worth a read. His literary output has always struck me as uneven not in its quality, but its frequency. Reading this [...]
Peruvian Writer Iván Thays Interviewed in El Pais
El Pais has an interview with the Peruvian writer Iván Thays about his book and literary life. Iván Thays also writes the blog Moleskine Literario which I read quite often. Pregunta ¿Qué le ha llevado a crear un universo literario, a modo de pequeño taller, en el que de una u otra manera están representados el [...]
Ana Maria Matute Interview Video at El Pais (Spanish Only)
El Pais has an interview with Ana Maria Matute where she talks about the role literature has had in her life, including saving her life. Matute explains from her home in Barcelona what literature has meant to her, ” it even saved my life,” she confesses; she explains the use of reality and imagination at the [...]
A Conversation Between Umberto Eco and Javier Marías
El Pais has a lengthy conversation between Umberto Eco and Javier Marías about literature, technology and the break with the cannon. It is interesting but I can’t say I agree with it all, esspecially this piece of nonsense that says French and Italian are more syntactically rich than English: U. Eco. Ése es otro problema, [...]
Javier Cercas on Spanish Politics and Catalan Nationalism
I don’t usually cover political subjects on this blog because there are more than enough blogs that do have that covered, even Spanish politics in English. However, with the coming publication of an Anatomy of an Instant in English in February, the following editorial that appeared in El Pais this weekend is a good way to [...]
Mario Vargas Llosa Gives Alberto Fuguet’s Missing a Rave Review in El Pais
I’ve been looking forward to reading Alberto Fuguet’s Missing for sometime now and with Mario Vargas Llosa’s rave review in El Pais I think it is a book worth reading. Most of what I’ve liked of Fuguet has been interesting so I have high hopes that this one will be good, especially if it is [...]
Excerpt Of Cesar Arias New Book El Error
El Pais has a 10 page excerpt of Cesar Arias’ new book El error.
16 Excerpts from Mario Vargas Llosa’s Newest Novel
El Pais has 16 excerpts selected by Mario Vargas Llosa’s from his newest novel about the Belgian Congo and Roger Casement who fought to end the horrendous condition. I’ll be curious to see the reviews. He certainly despised the system the Belgians instituted, but will that make an interesting novel? Man’s inhumanity to man is [...]
Mario Vargas Llosas’ Newest Novel, an Excerpt
You can read an excerpt of Nobel winning author Mario Vargas Llosas’ newest novel at El Pais. You can read it in web version here, or pdf here. And you can read an analysis of the novel here, although, honestly, doesn’t really tell you much. Es un libro escalofriante del que uno sale con la [...]
BabeliAmérica Spain-Latin America On-line Literary Conference Starts Monday
Babelia y El Pais have created an on-line conference that will from Monday October 4 to 10. It will feature authors and artists from Latin America. Babelia will have interviews, profiles, conversations, and other digital means of getting to know the invited artists from Latin America as they discuss the different paths of culture in [...]
Granta to Publish the Best Spanish Language Novelists Firday 10/1
El Pais is reporting that Granta en Espanol is going to publish its volume of the best Spanish Language Novelists on Friday 10/1/10. I’ve been waiting for this edition for sometime although I always find the best under issues a little contrived. At the same time I can’t wait to see if there is someone I [...]
Cristina Fernandez Cubas Profiled in El Pais
El Pais has a short profile of Cristina Fernandez Cubas this week. She is an excellent short story writer, one of those I wish would be translated into English. I’m still reading her stories, but they all are excellent. You can also see what her study looks like here. Ha escrito también novela, memorias y [...]
Carlos Funtes Remembers Carlos Monsiváis
El Pais has an interesting reflection from Carlos Fuentes about his friend, the late writer Carlos Monsiváis. He sounded like quite the iconoclast, at least, as Fuentes saw him. A man of diverse passions and a seeming voracious appetite for knowledge. Worth the read or Google translate. Me inquietaba siempre la escasa atención que Carlos [...]
Jorge Volpi Interview at El País: History Is Often More Important Than Fiction in a Novel
El País offered readers a chance to submit questions to Jorge Volpi for a form of on-line interview. I took the opportunity to submit a question about Season of Ash which I reviewed for the Quarterly Conversation and found to be more interested in writing history than a novel, sacrificing character development to his thesis. [...]
Javier Marias – I Would Like to Be Sherlock Holmes – Spanish Only Video
El País in celebration of the Madrid Book Fair has a video of Javier Marias explaining that if he were to be any character he would like to be Sherlock Holmes. It is a brief interview, but fun for its willingness to pick a character that might not seem the most literary—although, that is not [...]
