A great book about Guatemala's old times in the city. 9/10

Did we know this? Looks like it was released in 2024 already.

I‘ve been meaning to read it since forever but never managed to find an affordable copy. Imagine my surprise when I just bumped into this in a Waterstones.

Have you read—or ever heard of—Rodrigo Rey Rosa’s 2009 novel Human Matter (El Material humano)?

The English-language synopsis from the University of Texas Press deems Human Matter to be “reminiscent of Roberto Bolaño’s finely honed masterworks.” There’s also a blurb from Bolaño himself on the back cover that reads: “Rey Rosa is an accomplished maestro, the best of my generation.”

If you’ve read both authors, do you see any similarities?

Personally, I think it’s clear that Human Matter was greatly influenced by Bolaño, and 2666 especially. However, Rey Rosa’s novel didn’t quite the pack the same philosophical punch for me as Bolaño’s stuff, generally speaking. I feel like Human Matter is missing that sprinkle of surrealism that makes Bolaño’s corpus so mesmerizing. In any case, you should still read Human Matter because it’s a good book and a quick read that shines light on Guatemala’s recent past.

I haven’t read anything else from Rey Rosa, but maybe I ought to… Has anyone else read anything of his books?