Plants Don't Drink Coffee - Softcover

Elorriaga, Unai

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0977857689 ISBN 13: 9780977857685

Publisher: Archipelago, 2009

Synopsis

Four stories narrated from four different perspectives crisscross throughout this poignant and playful novel. Young Tomas – who wants above all else to be intelligent – embarks upon a dizzying search for a rare blue dragonfly, of which he believes there are only nine or ten in the world (and therefore probably only two or three in his town). Drawing us into the channels of his mercurial mind, skipping through misadventures and stumbling upon a host of small wonders, we are introduced to three generations of his motley family tree and accompany them on their odd quests. From the moonlit creation of a rugby field on a golf course, to the unearthing of the escapades of his anarchist grandfather, a celebrated carpenter, the medley of tales flips on their heads standard assumptions about age, wisdom, sensibility, and truth, inviting us to open our eyes to the bounty of tiny marvels that make up our world.

About this title

About the Author

Unai Elorriaga was born in 1973 in Bilbao, where he is currently a professor at the Instituto Labairu. He is the author of three novels written in Basque and self-translated into Spanish, including Van’t Hoffen ilea (Van’t Hoff ’s Hair), and his 2002 debut, SPrako Tranbia (A Tram to SP), winner of Spain’s prestigious Premio Nacional de Narrativa. Elorriaga’s numerous anthologized short stories have also been widely acclaimed.

Amaia Gabantxo is a literary translator, writer, and book critic. Her work has appeared in a variety of journals and newspapers, including the Times Literary Supplement and The Independent. Her translation of Anjel Lertxundi’s Perfect Happiness was released by the University of Nevada Press in 2007. Gabantxo moonlights as a flamenco singer.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Plants don’t drink coffee. They don’t like coffee, and neither do flowers or trees. Birds don’t like it either. My aunt told me. I do. Sometimes I don’t breathe while I drink my café con leche. One whole mug. It’s a big mug. I down the whole mug every morning, without taking a breath. That’s a record of mine. Maybe I’m the only one in the world who holds that record. Yesterday I learned the recipe for café con leche. Aunt Mar- tina explained it to me. I made some afterwards. By myself. And I made delicious café con leche, maybe the most delicious in the world.

About this edition

• Publisher: Archipelago
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0977857689
• ISBN 13: 9780977857685
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 200