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Dublinesque

By Enrique Vila-Matas
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Dublinesque by Enrique Vila-Matas follows a retired publisher named Samuel Riba who becomes obsessed with the decline of the literary world and organises a pilgrimage to Dublin to hold a symbolic funeral for literature. As he journeys, Riba grapples with personal anxieties and the ghostly presence of famous writers, confronting questions of existence, creativity, and memory in a richly layered narrative. The story weaves together themes of loss, renewal, and the enduring power of books.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate a layered and reflective narrative, blending literary homage with the existential musings of a retired publisher journeying to Dublin. It's an intriguing exploration of literary landscapes and personal transformation, ideal for those who love meditative fiction with a nod to literary history.

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Dublinesque

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDEPENDENT FOREIGN FICTION PRIZE

'A writer who has no equal in the contemporary landscape of the Spanish novel.' Roberto Bolaño

Samuel Riba is about to turn 60.

From one of Spain's greatest writers, a witty, moving novel about art, life, death and James Joyce.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From one of Spain's greatest writers, a witty, moving novel about art, life, death and James Joyce.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDEPENDENT FOREIGN FICTION PRIZE

'A writer who has no equal in the contemporary landscape of the Spanish novel.' Roberto Bolano

Samuel Riba is about to turn 60. A successful publisher in Barcelona, he is increasingly prone to attacks of anxiety and, looking for distraction, he concocts a spur-of-the-moment trip to Dublin, a city he has never visited but once dreamed about.

He sets off for Dublin on the pretext of honouring James Joyce's Ulysses on Bloomsday. But as he and his friends gather in the cemetery to give their orations, a mysterious figure in a mackintosh resembling Joyce's protege Samuel Beckett hovers in the background. Is it Beckett, or is it the writer of genius that Riba has spent his whole career trying, and failing, to find?

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Vila-Matas's novel is celebrated for its joy and pleasure, expertly weaving literary allusions into a tapestry that echoes Joyce and Ulysses. It is praised for its humour and erudition without pretentiousness, providing an entertaining and delightful postmodern reflection on modernist literature. Critics appreciate its cleverness and depth, describing it as a meditation on the boundaries between fiction and reality.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099555841

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 May 2013

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Contributors:

  • Translated by Anne McLean
  • Translated by Rosalind Harvey

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 19.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 223g

Pages: 320

Collections

Enrique Vila-Matas Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Born in Barcelona in 1948, Enrique Vila-Matas is widely considered to be one of Spain's most important contemporary novelists, and Dublinesque has been declared his masterpiece. His extraordinary oeuvre, translated into 30 languages, includes Bartleby & Co, Montano (longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize) and Never Any End to Paris (a finalist for the Best Translated Book Award).

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