Talking to Ourselves (B-Format Paperback) - Softcover

Andres Neuman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782270558 ISBN 13: 9781782270553

Publisher: Pushkin Press, 2014

Synopsis

'This is writing of a quality rarely encountered... when you read Neuman's beautiful novel, you realise a very high bar has been set' Guardian

Sooner or later, we all face loss.

Ten-year old Lito is sure that he can change the weather, if only he concentrates very hard. His seriously ill father Mario is anxious to create a life-long memory for the unsuspecting Lito, and takes him on a road-trip in a truck called Pedro. Together, they embark on a journey through strange landscapes which blur the borders of the Spanish-speaking world. In the meantime, Lito's mother Elena tries to find solace in books and undertakes a precarious adventure of her own that will challenge her moral limits.

Alternately narrated by the mother, father and son, Talking to Ourselves is a story about how we are transformed by loss, and how words, and sex, can serve as powerful modes of resistance. Each of these solitary, richly textured and strikingly unique voices forms a poignant communication while none of them dares to tell the others the whole truth.

A profound tribute to all those who have ever had to care for a loved one, told with Neuman's characteristic warmth, bittersweet humour and wide-ranging intellect.

Andrés Neuman was born in Buenos Aires in 1977, and grew up and lives in Spain. The son of Argentinian émigré musicians, he has published numerous novels, short stories, essays and poetry collections. His first novel to be translated into English, Traveller of the Century, was awarded the Alfaguara Prize and the National Critics Prize, and was shortlisted for the 2013 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

About this title

About the Author:

Andrés Neuman was born in 1977 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and grew up in Spain. He has a degree in Spanish philology from the University of Granada. Neuman was selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists and was elected to the Bogotá-39 list. Traveler of the Century was the winner of the Alfaguara Prize and the National Critics Prize, Spain’s two most prestigious literary awards.

Review:

“Neuman is one of the rare writers who can distill the most complex human emotions with apparent effortlessness. Bolaño's prophecy seems to have come true: Andrés Neuman has transcended the boundaries of geography, time, and language to become one of the most significant writers of the early twenty-first century.” ―Alex McElroy, Music and Literature

“This triptych of a dying man's commitment to his family and their response will infuse readers with its poignant, realistic experience.” ―Lawrence Olszewski, Library Journal

“An intimate and honest portrait of estranged love and inevitable loss in taut, exacting prose . . . Neuman's pitch-perfect, sympathetic characters create an intensely moving story that resists both saccharine sentimentality and easy closure. This nuanced juxtaposition of perspectives solidifies Neuman's place in the Spanish-language literary pantheon.” ―Diego Báez, Booklist (starred review)

“[A] gem of a novel, Talking to Ourselves is a profound meditation on illness, death and bereavement and brilliantly illustrates literature's ability to help readers confront and understand mortality . . . Neuman is a master craftsman.” ―Lucy Popescu, The Independent

“This is writing of a quality rarely encountered, which actually feels as though it touches on reality, translating something experienced into words, without loss of detail or clarity. That shouldn't be rare but when you read Neuman's beautiful novel, you realise a very high bar has been set.” ―Jane Housham, The Guardian

“An exceptional work of considerable emotional breadth. While the story itself may well be dolorous, it radiates with an authenticity that can often be elusive in fiction. There's a vibrancy and liveliness to Neuman's writing (as well-evidenced, too, in Traveler of the Century) that is irresistible. Even if one were not captivated by his arresting tale, persuasive characters, or sonorous prose, the impassioned effects of his storytelling are inescapable.” ―Jeremy Garber, Three Percent

“At the heart of this braided tale is a profound grief, but at the heart of that grief is the ecstatic joy of living. We come to see how lives are built out of passing detail, the flicker of small incidents, the intervention of literature, and the trace of forgotten things. Talking to Ourselves is both brilliant and wise, and Andrés Neuman is destined to be one of the essential writers of our time.” ―Teju Cole, author of Open City

“Neuman's first novel to be translated into English, Traveler of the Century, was an enormous feat of fabulism, and was critically acclaimed when it appeared here in 2012. Talking to Ourselves demonstrates Neuman's range by running in completely the opposite direction. This comparatively short work is set in the present day, and alternates among the voices of three family members. For those who missed Traveler of the Century, it may be an equally potent introduction to Neuman's work.” ―The Millions

“Moving and intelligent.” ―Justin Alvarez, The Paris Review

“Appealing to both intellect and emotion, this splendid novel from Neuman (Traveler of the Century) grapples with important questions and features well-developed, nuanced characters . . . Joy, regret, hope--it's all here.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A novelist of rare talent . . . at the book's end, the reader wishes for more pages: to see Lito grow up, to see if Elena remakes her life . . . That happens when the writer has the touch of a poet.” ―Grazia Giordani, L'Arena

“There are many reasons to love Andrés Neuman . . . The biggest reason is, of course, his writing. In Talking to Ourselves . . . he gives a luminous confirmation of this . . . Each character talks to himself, but in the end they speak for all of us.” ―Riccardo Staglianò, La Reppublica

“An exciting and risky literary adventure, brought to life with remarkable stylistic subtlety . . . Rich, complex, and playful, this novel by Andrés Neuman is, by far, one of the most valuable and stylistically substantial literary works I've read in recent years.” ―Carlo Algeri, El Gran Otro

“[Neuman] is not only capable of navigating different genres, writing works both long or short, and locating himself in eras both distant or contemporary, he also has a great delicacy in taking the reader by the hand to the frontiers of pain.” ―Elena Méndez, Siempre México

About this edition

• Publisher: Pushkin Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1782270558
• ISBN 13: 9781782270553
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160