Conversations by César Aira
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lovely and totally, obviously, unexpectedly pretentious. I don’t mean that as a criticism, but it’s just something that needs to be said (at least to me since I’d just read THE LITERARY CONFERENCE which is more absurd than pretentious).
Anyway. Who cares about all that. This is a great great read. Even the book description -- which promises a somewhat metafictional absurdity -- seems to be part of the book’s core game/question: if we know something is fiction how much does realism matter? (I won’t spoil anything, but don’t expect the crazy climax the New Directions Paperback edition summary suggests is waiting for you in these pages.)
Like a great lecture, this is a story that explores, twists and tumbles around and is best enjoyed in 1 sitting so that all the various ideas can be held aloft and please one’s mind.
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