Invasion of the Spirit People Paperback – July 12, 2022 by Juan Pablo Villalobos (Author), Rosalind Harvey (Translator)
$17.95

Invasion of the Spirit People

Brand: And Other Stories
Current Stock:
UPC: 9781913505363
Gift Wrapping: Gift Wrapping Available
Authors: Juan Pablo Villalobos (Author), Rosalind Harvey (Translator)
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ And Other Stories (July 12, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1913505367
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1913505363
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.04 x 0.79 x 7.72 inches

 

Juan Pablo Villalobos’s fifth novel adopts a gentle, fable-like tone, approaching the problem of racism from the perspective that any position as idiotic as xenophobia can only be fought with sheer absurdity.

In an unnamed city, occupied by an unnamed world power, an immigrant named Gastón makes his living selling exotic vegetables to eateries around the city. He has a dog called Kitten, who’s been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and a good friend called Max, who’s in a deep depression after being forced to close his restaurant. Meanwhile, Max’s son, Pol, a scientist away on a scientific expedition into the Arctic, can offer little support.

Gastón begins a quest, or rather three: he must search for someone to put his dog to sleep humanely; he must find a space in which to open a new restaurant with Max; and he must look into the truth behind the news being sent back by Pol: that human life may be the by-product of an ancient alien attempt at colonization . . . and those aliens might intend to make a return visit.

 

Review

 

“This is a book about xenophobia and racism and the conflicted tug between isolation and community. It makes a fine—and deliciously strange—addition to Villalobos’ already grand personal canon. Wrought with tenderness, wit, and a wonderful sense of absurdity, Villalobos’ latest novel is a triumph.” —Kirkus Starred Review

“Invasion of the Spirit People is a celebration of closeness, of friendship . . . It implies a vision of the world that is anti-essentialist and anti-territorial, but is instead inclusive.” —Nadal Suau, El Mundo

“An extraordinary novel that you can read in one sitting and which confirms Villalobos’s place among the great writers of the city. Stories of rootlessness like these are as valuable as a sociological treatise, especially when they let you know that there’s always a friend nearby to give you a hand, which is something that never appears in manuals.” —Jordi Garrigós, Ara

About the Author

Juan Pablo Villalobos was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1973. He studied marketing and Spanish literature before working as a market researcher as well as writing travel stories and literary and film criticism. He has researched topics as diverse as the influence of the avant-garde on the work of César Aira and the flexibility of pipelines for electrical installations. His books include his Guardian First Book Award-shortlisted debut Down the Rabbit Hole, as well as Quesadillas, I’ll Sell You a Dog and I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me.

Rosalind Harvey is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, teaches translation at the University of Warwick, has served on the board of the Translators Association and is a founding member and chair of the Emerging Translators Network.

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