Items related to The Polish Boxer
[*Read by Armando Duran]
Mapping the geography of identity in a world scarred by a legacy of violence and exile, The Polish Boxer marks the debut of a major new Latin American voice in English.
The Polish Boxer covers a vast landscape of human experience while enfolding a search for origins: a grandson tries to make sense of his grandfather's past and the story behind his numbered tattoo; a Serbian classical pianist longs for his forbidden heritage; a Mayan poet is torn between his studies and filial obligations; a striking young Israeli woman seeks answers in Central America; a university professor yearns for knowledge that he can't find in books and discovers something unexpected at a Mark Twain conference. Drawn to what lies beyond the range of reason, they all reach for the beautiful and fleeting, whether through humor, music, poetry, or unspoken words. Across his encounters with each of them, the narrator -- a Guatemalan literature professor and writer named Eduardo Halfon -- pursues his most enigmatic subject: himself.
[Translators: Daniel Hahn, Ollie Brock, Lisa Dillman, Thomas Bunstead, Anne McLean]
Mapping the geography of identity in a world scarred by a legacy of violence and exile, The Polish Boxer marks the debut of a major new Latin American voice in English.
The Polish Boxer covers a vast landscape of human experience while enfolding a search for origins: a grandson tries to make sense of his grandfather's past and the story behind his numbered tattoo; a Serbian classical pianist longs for his forbidden heritage; a Mayan poet is torn between his studies and filial obligations; a striking young Israeli woman seeks answers in Central America; a university professor yearns for knowledge that he can't find in books and discovers something unexpected at a Mark Twain conference. Drawn to what lies beyond the range of reason, they all reach for the beautiful and fleeting, whether through humor, music, poetry, or unspoken words. Across his encounters with each of them, the narrator -- a Guatemalan literature professor and writer named Eduardo Halfon -- pursues his most enigmatic subject: himself.
[Translators: Daniel Hahn, Ollie Brock, Lisa Dillman, Thomas Bunstead, Anne McLean]
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
EDUARDO HALFON was born in Guatemala City, moved to the United States with his family at the age of ten, went to school in South Florida, studied industrial engineering at North Carolina State University, and then returned to Guatemala to teach literature for eight years at Universidad Francisco Marroquín. Named one of best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota, he is also the recipient of the prestigious Jose María de Pereda Prize for the Short Novel. Although bilingual, Halfon chooses to write in Spanish and has published nine books of fiction. In 2011 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship to work on continuing the story The Polish Boxer, which is inspired by his own family history and is the first of his novels to be published in English. Halfon currently lives in Nebraska and travels frequently to Guatemala.
Review:
International Latino Book Award Finalist
New York Times “Editors’ Choice”
Los Angeles Times “Holiday Gift Recommendation”
Two-time San Francisco Chronicle “Top Shelf” selection
Shelf Unbound Top 10 Book of the Year
Jewish Week “Fall Arts Preview” selection
Publishers Weekly “First Fiction” selection
Jewish Book Council “Weekly Book Recommendation”
Book Expo America “Big Book”
“Funny and revelatory.” ―New York Times Book Review
“Elegant” ―Marie Claire
“Deeply accessible, deeply moving.” ―Los Angeles Times
“Fantastic . . . Intense pain and beauty are offset by an unabashedly boyish sense of humor; in the same page, Halfon can skillfully switch from a discussion about intense immigrant alienation to a hilarious observation on the short male attention span for pornography.” ―NPR Alt.Latino
“Engrossing . . . The Polish Boxer by Guatemalan novelist Eduardo Halfon, is a semi-autobiographical tale about roots and origins, identity and cultural loss, and the complex relation between the individual, his or her family story, and the heavy burden of History . . . Short but intense.” ―NBC Latino
“Stimulating and inspiring.” ―Independent (UK)
“Tight and lean . . . falling somewhere between the novels of Roberto Bolaño, WG Sebald, and Junot Díaz.” ―Telegraph (UK)
“[The Polish Boxer] exists in the no-man’s-land between fiction and memoir. In the end, we decide, this is fable: only the stories are important.” ―Guardian (UK)
“A mix of finely nuanced prose and humor.” ―World Literature Today
“Beautiful and provocative . . . a wonderful read which begs to be re-read.” ―Jewish Book World
“This book provides multiple pleasures: clear, intense prose; sharp, laugh-out-loud depictions of classrooms and conferences . . . and the apparent seamlessness of the translations . . . . The book itself gives a resounding retort to those who might dismiss it as ‘another’ book ‘about’ the Holocaust.” ―Jewish Journal
“Halfon passionately and lyrically illustrates the significance of the journey and the beauty of true mystery. The Polish Boxer is sublime and arresting, and will linger with readers who will be sure to revisit it again and again.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“These are the stories of life . . . the question of survival (of both people and cultures) and the way the fictional makes the real bearable and intelligible.” ―Publishers Weekly (boxed review)
“Highly readable and engaging . . . provides readers food for thought about the nature of literary creations.” ―Library Journal
“Brilliant . . . opens with one of the best classroom scenes I’ve ever read.” ―Shelf Awareness for Readers
“In the simplest explanation, The Polish Boxer is a series of encounters for literature professor Eduardo―with a young poet, university professors at a Mark Twain conference, his grandfather, his charming girlfriend, who draws her orgasms, and Milan Rackic, a Serbian-Gypsy pianist. In the more complex explanation, it is a journey of self-discovery.” ―ForeWord Reviews
“Eduardo Halfon has been deemed one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota; read his first work to be translated into English, The Polish Boxer, and you’ll see why.” ―Shelf Unbound
“A brave and touching and dead stylish examination of the nature of fiction, truth and lies.” ―Dazed & Confused (UK)
“Halfon’s curiosity about his grandfather’s experience in a concentration camp burns through every chapter from the most subtle level to deep investigation . . . He has succeeded in warping a modern Balkan mystery into a Holocaust memoir . . . intrinsically blend[ing] fiction with reality in a deeply visceral way.” ―Rumpus
“The Polish Boxer immediately seduced me; on the first page, I felt the spark of recognition that comes from reading something with actual depth and import.” ―Full Stop
“The tales are spellbinding, the prose is magnificent, and several parts will make you laugh out loud.” ―Gozamos
“A revelation . . . The Polish Boxer is a book of small miracles. . . . For sheer narrative momentum and fascination with the mix of life and books, sex and art, there are echoes of the Chilean master Roberto Bolaño.” ―Words Without Borders
“Eduardo Halfon is a brilliant storyteller, whose gifts are displayed on every page of this beautiful, daring, and deeply humane book.” ―DANIEL ALARCÓN, author of War by Candlelight and Lost City Radio
“Eduardo Halfon’s prose is delicate, precise, and as ineffable as precocious art―a lighthouse that illuminates everything.” ―FRANCISCO GOLDMAN, author of Say Her Name
“The Polish Boxer is the most memorable new novel I have read all year―the voice pitch-perfect, the imagery indelible. What a wonderful writer.” ―NORMAN LEBRECHT, author of The Song of Names
“The Polish Boxer is an enchanting, unclassifiable book of encounters, impressions, and improvisations: a book for the ages, which can be read in one sitting, and then again, and again, and again.” ―CHRISTOPHER MERRILL, director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa and author of The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony, Expedition, War
“It is not often that one encounters such a mix of personal engagement and literary passion, or pain and tenderness.” ―ANDRÉS NEUMAN, author of Traveler of the Century
“Eduardo Halfon belongs to a new generation of Latin American writers who, from the beginning, demonstrate an impeccable mastery of their craft, without any hesitation in the use of language.” ―SERGIO RAMÍREZ, former Vice President of Nicaragua and author of Margarita, How Beautiful the Sea
International Latino Book Award Finalist
New York Times Editors’ Choice”
Los Angeles Times Holiday Gift Recommendation”
Two-time San Francisco Chronicle Top Shelf” selection
Shelf Unbound Top 10 Book of the Year
Jewish Week Fall Arts Preview” selection
Publishers Weekly First Fiction” selection
Jewish Book Council Weekly Book Recommendation”
Book Expo America Big Book”
Funny and revelatory.” New York Times Book Review
Elegant” Marie Claire
Deeply accessible, deeply moving.” Los Angeles Times
Fantastic . . . Intense pain and beauty are offset by an unabashedly boyish sense of humor; in the same page, Halfon can skillfully switch from a discussion about intense immigrant alienation to a hilarious observation on the short male attention span for pornography.” NPR Alt.Latino
Engrossing . . . The Polish Boxer by Guatemalan novelist Eduardo Halfon, is a semi-autobiographical tale about roots and origins, identity and cultural loss, and the complex relation between the individual, his or her family story, and the heavy burden of History . . . Short but intense.” NBC Latino
Stimulating and inspiring.” Independent (UK)
Tight and lean . . . falling somewhere between the novels of Roberto Bolaño, WG Sebald, and Junot Díaz.” Telegraph (UK)
[The Polish Boxer] exists in the no-man’s-land between fiction and memoir. In the end, we decide, this is fable: only the stories are important.” Guardian (UK)
A mix of finely nuanced prose and humor.” World Literature Today
Beautiful and provocative . . . a wonderful read which begs to be re-read.” Jewish Book World
This book provides multiple pleasures: clear, intense prose; sharp, laugh-out-loud depictions of classrooms and conferences . . . and the apparent seamlessness of the translations . . . . The book itself gives a resounding retort to those who might dismiss it as another’ book about’ the Holocaust.” Jewish Journal
Halfon passionately and lyrically illustrates the significance of the journey and the beauty of true mystery. The Polish Boxer is sublime and arresting, and will linger with readers who will be sure to revisit it again and again.” Booklist (starred review)
These are the stories of life . . . the question of survival (of both people and cultures) and the way the fictional makes the real bearable and intelligible.” Publishers Weekly (boxed review)
Highly readable and engaging . . . provides readers food for thought about the nature of literary creations.” Library Journal
Brilliant . . . opens with one of the best classroom scenes I’ve ever read.” Shelf Awareness for Readers
In the simplest explanation, The Polish Boxer is a series of encounters for literature professor Eduardo with a young poet, university professors at a Mark Twain conference, his grandfather, his charming girlfriend, who draws her orgasms, and Milan Rackic, a Serbian-Gypsy pianist. In the more complex explanation, it is a journey of self-discovery.” ForeWord Reviews
Eduardo Halfon has been deemed one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota; read his first work to be translated into English, The Polish Boxer, and you’ll see why.” Shelf Unbound
A brave and touching and dead stylish examination of the nature of fiction, truth and lies.” Dazed & Confused (UK)
Halfon’s curiosity about his grandfather’s experience in a concentration camp burns through every chapter from the most subtle level to deep investigation . . . He has succeeded in warping a modern Balkan mystery into a Holocaust memoir . . . intrinsically blend[ing] fiction with reality in a deeply visceral way.” Rumpus
The Polish Boxer immediately seduced me; on the first page, I felt the spark of recognition that comes from reading something with actual depth and import.” Full Stop
The tales are spellbinding, the prose is magnificent, and several parts will make you laugh out loud.” Gozamos
A revelation . . . The Polish Boxer is a book of small miracles. . . . For sheer narrative momentum and fascination with the mix of life and books, sex and art, there are echoes of the Chilean master Roberto Bolaño.” Words Without Borders
Eduardo Halfon is a brilliant storyteller, whose gifts are displayed on every page of this beautiful, daring, and deeply humane book.” DANIEL ALARCÓN, author of War by Candlelight and Lost City Radio
Eduardo Halfon’s prose is delicate, precise, and as ineffable as precocious art a lighthouse that illuminates everything.” FRANCISCO GOLDMAN, author of Say Her Name
The Polish Boxer is the most memorable new novel I have read all year the voice pitch-perfect, the imagery indelible. What a wonderful writer.” NORMAN LEBRECHT, author of The Song of Names
The Polish Boxer is an enchanting, unclassifiable book of encounters, impressions, and improvisations: a book for the ages, which can be read in one sitting, and then again, and again, and again.” CHRISTOPHER MERRILL, director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa and author of The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony, Expedition, War
It is not often that one encounters such a mix of personal engagement and literary passion, or pain and tenderness.” ANDRÉS NEUMAN, author of Traveler of the Century
Eduardo Halfon belongs to a new generation of Latin American writers who, from the beginning, demonstrate an impeccable mastery of their craft, without any hesitation in the use of language.” SERGIO RAMÍREZ, former Vice President of Nicaragua and author of Margarita, How Beautiful the Sea
New York Times “Editors’ Choice”
Los Angeles Times “Holiday Gift Recommendation”
Two-time San Francisco Chronicle “Top Shelf” selection
Shelf Unbound Top 10 Book of the Year
Jewish Week “Fall Arts Preview” selection
Publishers Weekly “First Fiction” selection
Jewish Book Council “Weekly Book Recommendation”
Book Expo America “Big Book”
“Funny and revelatory.” ―New York Times Book Review
“Elegant” ―Marie Claire
“Deeply accessible, deeply moving.” ―Los Angeles Times
“Fantastic . . . Intense pain and beauty are offset by an unabashedly boyish sense of humor; in the same page, Halfon can skillfully switch from a discussion about intense immigrant alienation to a hilarious observation on the short male attention span for pornography.” ―NPR Alt.Latino
“Engrossing . . . The Polish Boxer by Guatemalan novelist Eduardo Halfon, is a semi-autobiographical tale about roots and origins, identity and cultural loss, and the complex relation between the individual, his or her family story, and the heavy burden of History . . . Short but intense.” ―NBC Latino
“Stimulating and inspiring.” ―Independent (UK)
“Tight and lean . . . falling somewhere between the novels of Roberto Bolaño, WG Sebald, and Junot Díaz.” ―Telegraph (UK)
“[The Polish Boxer] exists in the no-man’s-land between fiction and memoir. In the end, we decide, this is fable: only the stories are important.” ―Guardian (UK)
“A mix of finely nuanced prose and humor.” ―World Literature Today
“Beautiful and provocative . . . a wonderful read which begs to be re-read.” ―Jewish Book World
“This book provides multiple pleasures: clear, intense prose; sharp, laugh-out-loud depictions of classrooms and conferences . . . and the apparent seamlessness of the translations . . . . The book itself gives a resounding retort to those who might dismiss it as ‘another’ book ‘about’ the Holocaust.” ―Jewish Journal
“Halfon passionately and lyrically illustrates the significance of the journey and the beauty of true mystery. The Polish Boxer is sublime and arresting, and will linger with readers who will be sure to revisit it again and again.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“These are the stories of life . . . the question of survival (of both people and cultures) and the way the fictional makes the real bearable and intelligible.” ―Publishers Weekly (boxed review)
“Highly readable and engaging . . . provides readers food for thought about the nature of literary creations.” ―Library Journal
“Brilliant . . . opens with one of the best classroom scenes I’ve ever read.” ―Shelf Awareness for Readers
“In the simplest explanation, The Polish Boxer is a series of encounters for literature professor Eduardo―with a young poet, university professors at a Mark Twain conference, his grandfather, his charming girlfriend, who draws her orgasms, and Milan Rackic, a Serbian-Gypsy pianist. In the more complex explanation, it is a journey of self-discovery.” ―ForeWord Reviews
“Eduardo Halfon has been deemed one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota; read his first work to be translated into English, The Polish Boxer, and you’ll see why.” ―Shelf Unbound
“A brave and touching and dead stylish examination of the nature of fiction, truth and lies.” ―Dazed & Confused (UK)
“Halfon’s curiosity about his grandfather’s experience in a concentration camp burns through every chapter from the most subtle level to deep investigation . . . He has succeeded in warping a modern Balkan mystery into a Holocaust memoir . . . intrinsically blend[ing] fiction with reality in a deeply visceral way.” ―Rumpus
“The Polish Boxer immediately seduced me; on the first page, I felt the spark of recognition that comes from reading something with actual depth and import.” ―Full Stop
“The tales are spellbinding, the prose is magnificent, and several parts will make you laugh out loud.” ―Gozamos
“A revelation . . . The Polish Boxer is a book of small miracles. . . . For sheer narrative momentum and fascination with the mix of life and books, sex and art, there are echoes of the Chilean master Roberto Bolaño.” ―Words Without Borders
“Eduardo Halfon is a brilliant storyteller, whose gifts are displayed on every page of this beautiful, daring, and deeply humane book.” ―DANIEL ALARCÓN, author of War by Candlelight and Lost City Radio
“Eduardo Halfon’s prose is delicate, precise, and as ineffable as precocious art―a lighthouse that illuminates everything.” ―FRANCISCO GOLDMAN, author of Say Her Name
“The Polish Boxer is the most memorable new novel I have read all year―the voice pitch-perfect, the imagery indelible. What a wonderful writer.” ―NORMAN LEBRECHT, author of The Song of Names
“The Polish Boxer is an enchanting, unclassifiable book of encounters, impressions, and improvisations: a book for the ages, which can be read in one sitting, and then again, and again, and again.” ―CHRISTOPHER MERRILL, director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa and author of The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony, Expedition, War
“It is not often that one encounters such a mix of personal engagement and literary passion, or pain and tenderness.” ―ANDRÉS NEUMAN, author of Traveler of the Century
“Eduardo Halfon belongs to a new generation of Latin American writers who, from the beginning, demonstrate an impeccable mastery of their craft, without any hesitation in the use of language.” ―SERGIO RAMÍREZ, former Vice President of Nicaragua and author of Margarita, How Beautiful the Sea
International Latino Book Award Finalist
New York Times Editors’ Choice”
Los Angeles Times Holiday Gift Recommendation”
Two-time San Francisco Chronicle Top Shelf” selection
Shelf Unbound Top 10 Book of the Year
Jewish Week Fall Arts Preview” selection
Publishers Weekly First Fiction” selection
Jewish Book Council Weekly Book Recommendation”
Book Expo America Big Book”
Funny and revelatory.” New York Times Book Review
Elegant” Marie Claire
Deeply accessible, deeply moving.” Los Angeles Times
Fantastic . . . Intense pain and beauty are offset by an unabashedly boyish sense of humor; in the same page, Halfon can skillfully switch from a discussion about intense immigrant alienation to a hilarious observation on the short male attention span for pornography.” NPR Alt.Latino
Engrossing . . . The Polish Boxer by Guatemalan novelist Eduardo Halfon, is a semi-autobiographical tale about roots and origins, identity and cultural loss, and the complex relation between the individual, his or her family story, and the heavy burden of History . . . Short but intense.” NBC Latino
Stimulating and inspiring.” Independent (UK)
Tight and lean . . . falling somewhere between the novels of Roberto Bolaño, WG Sebald, and Junot Díaz.” Telegraph (UK)
[The Polish Boxer] exists in the no-man’s-land between fiction and memoir. In the end, we decide, this is fable: only the stories are important.” Guardian (UK)
A mix of finely nuanced prose and humor.” World Literature Today
Beautiful and provocative . . . a wonderful read which begs to be re-read.” Jewish Book World
This book provides multiple pleasures: clear, intense prose; sharp, laugh-out-loud depictions of classrooms and conferences . . . and the apparent seamlessness of the translations . . . . The book itself gives a resounding retort to those who might dismiss it as another’ book about’ the Holocaust.” Jewish Journal
Halfon passionately and lyrically illustrates the significance of the journey and the beauty of true mystery. The Polish Boxer is sublime and arresting, and will linger with readers who will be sure to revisit it again and again.” Booklist (starred review)
These are the stories of life . . . the question of survival (of both people and cultures) and the way the fictional makes the real bearable and intelligible.” Publishers Weekly (boxed review)
Highly readable and engaging . . . provides readers food for thought about the nature of literary creations.” Library Journal
Brilliant . . . opens with one of the best classroom scenes I’ve ever read.” Shelf Awareness for Readers
In the simplest explanation, The Polish Boxer is a series of encounters for literature professor Eduardo with a young poet, university professors at a Mark Twain conference, his grandfather, his charming girlfriend, who draws her orgasms, and Milan Rackic, a Serbian-Gypsy pianist. In the more complex explanation, it is a journey of self-discovery.” ForeWord Reviews
Eduardo Halfon has been deemed one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogota; read his first work to be translated into English, The Polish Boxer, and you’ll see why.” Shelf Unbound
A brave and touching and dead stylish examination of the nature of fiction, truth and lies.” Dazed & Confused (UK)
Halfon’s curiosity about his grandfather’s experience in a concentration camp burns through every chapter from the most subtle level to deep investigation . . . He has succeeded in warping a modern Balkan mystery into a Holocaust memoir . . . intrinsically blend[ing] fiction with reality in a deeply visceral way.” Rumpus
The Polish Boxer immediately seduced me; on the first page, I felt the spark of recognition that comes from reading something with actual depth and import.” Full Stop
The tales are spellbinding, the prose is magnificent, and several parts will make you laugh out loud.” Gozamos
A revelation . . . The Polish Boxer is a book of small miracles. . . . For sheer narrative momentum and fascination with the mix of life and books, sex and art, there are echoes of the Chilean master Roberto Bolaño.” Words Without Borders
Eduardo Halfon is a brilliant storyteller, whose gifts are displayed on every page of this beautiful, daring, and deeply humane book.” DANIEL ALARCÓN, author of War by Candlelight and Lost City Radio
Eduardo Halfon’s prose is delicate, precise, and as ineffable as precocious art a lighthouse that illuminates everything.” FRANCISCO GOLDMAN, author of Say Her Name
The Polish Boxer is the most memorable new novel I have read all year the voice pitch-perfect, the imagery indelible. What a wonderful writer.” NORMAN LEBRECHT, author of The Song of Names
The Polish Boxer is an enchanting, unclassifiable book of encounters, impressions, and improvisations: a book for the ages, which can be read in one sitting, and then again, and again, and again.” CHRISTOPHER MERRILL, director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa and author of The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony, Expedition, War
It is not often that one encounters such a mix of personal engagement and literary passion, or pain and tenderness.” ANDRÉS NEUMAN, author of Traveler of the Century
Eduardo Halfon belongs to a new generation of Latin American writers who, from the beginning, demonstrate an impeccable mastery of their craft, without any hesitation in the use of language.” SERGIO RAMÍREZ, former Vice President of Nicaragua and author of Margarita, How Beautiful the Sea
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBlackstone Audiobooks
- Publication date2012
- ISBN 10 1470845512
- ISBN 13 9781470845513
- BindingAudio CD
- Rating
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
The Polish Boxer
Published by
Blackstone Audio, Inc.
(2012)
ISBN 10: 1470845512
ISBN 13: 9781470845513
Used
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition and ready to ship - Guaranteed to play!!. Seller Inventory # 00034699694
Buy Used
US$ 15.78
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Polish Boxer
Published by
Blackstone Audio, Inc., UNITED STATES
(2012)
ISBN 10: 1470845512
ISBN 13: 9781470845513
Used
Quantity: 6
Seller:
Rating
Book Description AudioCD. Condition: Very Good. 5 BRAND NEW AUDIO CDs. NEW CDs sealed in the shrink wrap. Slight publisher remainder mark. Enjoy this NEW Audio CD performance, GIFT QUALITY for your home and library. Seller Inventory # LoveAutmn161453
Buy Used
US$ 10.86
Convert currency