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Comemadre

By Roque Larraquy
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3.66 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,445 ratings, 458 reviews)
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
Comemadre by Roque Larraquy is a darkly humorous and inventive novel exploring themes of mortality, science, and the futility of human ambition. Set in two timelines, the story unfolds with a group of doctors at a Buenos Aires sanatorium in the early 20th century experimenting on terminally ill patients, whilst decades later an artist grapples with existential questions through bizarre artworks. The narrative interweaves these moments in time, creating a meditation on the grotesque and the beauty within absurdity.
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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?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy surreal and thought-provoking narratives that blur the lines between science fiction and philosophical reflection. It offers a unique exploration of mortality, identity, and human desires, weaving a narrative filled with dark humour and imaginative elements. If you're intrigued by stories that challenge conventional storytelling and delve into deeper existential themes, this novel might captivate your interest.

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A surprising, engrossing and darkly funny novel that experiments with the idea of what it means to be human, from a powerful new voice in Argentinian fiction

A surprising, engrossing and darkly funny novel that experiments with the idea of what it means to be human, from a powerful new voice in Argentinian fiction.

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

On the outskirts of Buenos Aires in 1907, Doctor Quintana pines for head nurse Menéndez while he and his colleagues embark on a grisly series of experiments to investigate the line between life and death. One hundred years later, a celebrated artist goes to extremes in search of aesthetic transformation, turning himself into an art object.

How far are we willing to go in pursuit of transcendence? The world of Comemadre is full of vulgarity, excess and farce: strange ants that form almost perfect circles, missing body parts, obsessive love affairs and flesh-eating plants. Here the monstrous is not alien, but the consequence of our relentless drive for collective and personal progress.

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?

Comemadre is described as a spare, urgently paced novel that combines B-movie horror with dark comedy, delivering a blend of genuinely scary and amusing moments. Its exploration of art, lust, and ego unfolds in a compact 130 pages, showcasing Larraquy's skill in balancing grotesque themes with a crisp, comedic touch. The novel's unreliable narration and absurdist humour effectively illuminate the complex justifications humans concoct for their actions, making it a wickedly entertaining read appreciated for its fluid translation and clever plot construction.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781911231288

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 April 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Text Publishing

Contributors:

  • Translated by Heather Cleary

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 144

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Penguin Books Roque Larraquy

About the Author

Roque Larraquy is an Argentinian writer, screenwriter, professor of narrative and audiovisual design, and the author of two books, La comemadre and Informe sobre ectoplasma animal. Comemadre is his first book published in English

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  • Comemadre
    In the outskirts of Buenos Aires in 1907, a doctor becomes involved in a misguided experiment that investigates the threshold between life and death. One hundred years later, a celebrated artist goes to extremes in search of aesthetic transformation, turning himself into an art object. How far are we willing to go, Larraquy asks, in pursuit of transcendence? The world...
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