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The Sons of Ishmael
Sewn hardcover, limited to only 150 numbered copies, 124 pp with dust-jacket, end papers and a full-color frontispiece.
According to the Book of Genesis, Ishmael was Abraham’s first son by Hagar, a handmaiden of Abraham’s first wife, Sarah. After Sarah gave birth to Isaac, she commanded Abraham to banish Hagar from their home. Taking her son Ishmael with her, Hagar journeyed towards Egypt, but lost her way in the wilderness. When she ran out of water, she placed Ishmael under a tree and gave a heart-wrenching cry.
All of the characters in George Berguño’s first collection of short stories are spiritual sons and daughters of Ishmael. They are strangers and outcasts; beguiled and despised by a world that had once been their home. The stories vary greatly in their settings. From pre-Viking Norway to nineteenth century Chile; from the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Hitler’s Germany; from a timeless town in the New World to contemporary Britain – these stories are remarkable for their unpredictable use of the strange and their subtle exploration of the supernatural. The overall effect of the stories is a vision of the world where chance plays havoc with history; where the living are fatefully intertwined with the dead, and where human desires clash with forces unknown.
The author once said to the poet James Greene that he wanted ‘to do with the supernatural tale what Eric Ambler accomplished with the spy novel.’ Indeed, the supernatural element in these stories is noteworthy in the way it raises burning questions about the futility of human action and the spiritual impoverishment of our modern world. Another astonishing feature of the stories is the way the author has turned his back on contemporary literature, and sought inspiration from writers of another era. On the pages of this book one can read the influence of European writers of the past, such as Joseph Roth and Leo Perutz. But most surprising of all is his candid appropriation of the narrative methods of medieval writers, such as the anonymous creator of Njal’s Saga and that shy and sensitive writer known as the Lady Sarashina.
After the death of his grandfather, a young man defies time and the Nazis so as to share a glass of wine with a long lost friend. A disillusioned middle-aged man learns to love a woman who is neither dead nor alive. A woman who lusts for her stepson accidentally transforms him into a bear and then commands her servants to hunt him down. As the Germans lay siege to Leningrad an intelligence officer longs for a world that he helped destroy. A travelling youth’s brief encounter with a vanishing woman brings a startling revelation on the day he dies. These are some of the wandering souls that can be found within this deeply fragile and nostalgic collection of short stories; a book which hankers after the lost world of friendship.
An exceptional and most exquisite debut collection which will appeal to all friends of Leo Perutz, Gustav Meyrink, Ernst Jünger, Joseph Roth, Alexander Lernet-Holenia and the other great forgotten masters of the world we have lost.
George Berguño was born in Princeton, New Jersey; and grew up in Virginia. He has lived and worked in many countries, including Chile, France, England, Austria and Russia. At present, he is Associate Professor of Psychology at Richmond, the American International University in London. He has published extensively in a wide variety of forms, from academic articles on psychology and philosophy to short stories, narrative nonfiction and personal essays.
Contents
Introduction
Night Sea Journey to Turku
Into the Atacama 1899
The Devil Only Visits
Colonel Redl's Knife Sheath
Bodvar's Vengeance
The Possessed
Orkney Crossing
Meyrink's Gambit
Doña Ariana's Glass Foot
A Master Class with Joseph Roth
Notes on the Stories
According to the Book of Genesis, Ishmael was Abraham’s first son by Hagar, a handmaiden of Abraham’s first wife, Sarah. After Sarah gave birth to Isaac, she commanded Abraham to banish Hagar from their home. Taking her son Ishmael with her, Hagar journeyed towards Egypt, but lost her way in the wilderness. When she ran out of water, she placed Ishmael under a tree and gave a heart-wrenching cry.
All of the characters in George Berguño’s first collection of short stories are spiritual sons and daughters of Ishmael. They are strangers and outcasts; beguiled and despised by a world that had once been their home. The stories vary greatly in their settings. From pre-Viking Norway to nineteenth century Chile; from the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Hitler’s Germany; from a timeless town in the New World to contemporary Britain – these stories are remarkable for their unpredictable use of the strange and their subtle exploration of the supernatural. The overall effect of the stories is a vision of the world where chance plays havoc with history; where the living are fatefully intertwined with the dead, and where human desires clash with forces unknown.
The author once said to the poet James Greene that he wanted ‘to do with the supernatural tale what Eric Ambler accomplished with the spy novel.’ Indeed, the supernatural element in these stories is noteworthy in the way it raises burning questions about the futility of human action and the spiritual impoverishment of our modern world. Another astonishing feature of the stories is the way the author has turned his back on contemporary literature, and sought inspiration from writers of another era. On the pages of this book one can read the influence of European writers of the past, such as Joseph Roth and Leo Perutz. But most surprising of all is his candid appropriation of the narrative methods of medieval writers, such as the anonymous creator of Njal’s Saga and that shy and sensitive writer known as the Lady Sarashina.
After the death of his grandfather, a young man defies time and the Nazis so as to share a glass of wine with a long lost friend. A disillusioned middle-aged man learns to love a woman who is neither dead nor alive. A woman who lusts for her stepson accidentally transforms him into a bear and then commands her servants to hunt him down. As the Germans lay siege to Leningrad an intelligence officer longs for a world that he helped destroy. A travelling youth’s brief encounter with a vanishing woman brings a startling revelation on the day he dies. These are some of the wandering souls that can be found within this deeply fragile and nostalgic collection of short stories; a book which hankers after the lost world of friendship.
An exceptional and most exquisite debut collection which will appeal to all friends of Leo Perutz, Gustav Meyrink, Ernst Jünger, Joseph Roth, Alexander Lernet-Holenia and the other great forgotten masters of the world we have lost.
George Berguño was born in Princeton, New Jersey; and grew up in Virginia. He has lived and worked in many countries, including Chile, France, England, Austria and Russia. At present, he is Associate Professor of Psychology at Richmond, the American International University in London. He has published extensively in a wide variety of forms, from academic articles on psychology and philosophy to short stories, narrative nonfiction and personal essays.
Contents
Introduction
Night Sea Journey to Turku
Into the Atacama 1899
The Devil Only Visits
Colonel Redl's Knife Sheath
Bodvar's Vengeance
The Possessed
Orkney Crossing
Meyrink's Gambit
Doña Ariana's Glass Foot
A Master Class with Joseph Roth
Notes on the Stories
- GenresShort Stories
124 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2010
70 people want to read
About the author
George Berguño
15 books47 followersGeorge Berguño is the author of four collections of short stories: The Sons of Ishmael (Ex Occidente Press, 2010), The Exorcist’s Travelogue (Ex Occidente Press, 2011), The Tainted Earth (Egaeus Press, 2012), and The Sad Eyes of the Lewis Chessmen (Egaeus Press, 2021). His stories have appeared in Brittle Star, Dante’s Heart, Babel Fruit, Absent Willow Review, Lacuna Magazine, Dark Tales, and Shadows and Tall Trees; as well as featured in the anthologies Cinnabar’s Gnosis (2009), The Master in Café Morphine (2011), This Hermetic Legislature (2012), and A Book of the Sea (2018). His translations from French and Spanish into English can be found in the anthologies A Midwinter Entertainment (2016) and A Miscellany of Death and Folly (2019), both published by Egaeus Press.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 22, 2025
Thoughts on this book coming soon. For now -- superb, stunning, and all manner of superlatives! Back shortly to say why.
May 16, 2011
The first time I had read anything by George Berguño was when I had fortuitously come across his short story "Sad Eyes of the Lewis Chessmen" published in the Absent Willow Review (online publication). Since my first exposure to Berguño, I have been thoroughly captivated by his writing.
I had been on the fence about purchasing SONS OF ISHMAEL (its not an easy thing to shell out $55 for a book) until I had read his piece in AWR. From that point it became an easy decision to buy this beautiful book from Ex Occidente Press. I say beautiful in the sense that the physical qualities of this hard back limited edition collection is of supremely high production value, very much on par for everything that Ex Occidente Press puts out. I also say beautiful in describing Berguño's eloquent prose style and ability to convey such deeply felt emotions through his story telling.
I really hate to write so effusively about a newly publshed author, as I can immagine that he will continue to write more in the future (and I will naturally continue to read it), and I really don't want to set the bar too high right out of the gate. Nevertheless, this was an easy 5 star collection. There was not a single story in this collection that fell flat or failed to fully engage the reader. Of these nine gems, there were of course a few that sparkled a little brighter than the rest. These were my favorites:
"A Master Class with Joseph Roth": Probably a first among firsts for this collection of 9 beautiful stories. The story was cleverly done. The way in which the personality of the main character was subsumed by another was very reminiscent of Torpor's THE TENANT. The mechanics of this transformation was of course very different (and highly original) than Torpor's piece, and nicely accented this very elegantly told tale of time travel and defiance against the oncoming inevitablity of Hitler's reign of terror.
"Into the Attacama 1899": This one was probably my second favorite. The sadness, as emoted through the yearnings of an old man who still desires life and love, is so well conveyed. Mix in the supernatural and you have a wonderfully tragic but highly romantic tale of love and longing. So well done!!!
"Colonel Redl's Knife Sheeth": A very captivating tale of espionage, coincidence, and the effects of small events on a grander historical narative. Mix in an unreliable narator and you have yourself quite a weird tale.
These fantastic tales are so well done and easily enter into the realm of beautifully written literature. I highly recommend this collection and eagerly await Berguño's next installment from Ex Occidente, THE EXORCIST'S TRAVELOGUE.
I had been on the fence about purchasing SONS OF ISHMAEL (its not an easy thing to shell out $55 for a book) until I had read his piece in AWR. From that point it became an easy decision to buy this beautiful book from Ex Occidente Press. I say beautiful in the sense that the physical qualities of this hard back limited edition collection is of supremely high production value, very much on par for everything that Ex Occidente Press puts out. I also say beautiful in describing Berguño's eloquent prose style and ability to convey such deeply felt emotions through his story telling.
I really hate to write so effusively about a newly publshed author, as I can immagine that he will continue to write more in the future (and I will naturally continue to read it), and I really don't want to set the bar too high right out of the gate. Nevertheless, this was an easy 5 star collection. There was not a single story in this collection that fell flat or failed to fully engage the reader. Of these nine gems, there were of course a few that sparkled a little brighter than the rest. These were my favorites:
"A Master Class with Joseph Roth": Probably a first among firsts for this collection of 9 beautiful stories. The story was cleverly done. The way in which the personality of the main character was subsumed by another was very reminiscent of Torpor's THE TENANT. The mechanics of this transformation was of course very different (and highly original) than Torpor's piece, and nicely accented this very elegantly told tale of time travel and defiance against the oncoming inevitablity of Hitler's reign of terror.
"Into the Attacama 1899": This one was probably my second favorite. The sadness, as emoted through the yearnings of an old man who still desires life and love, is so well conveyed. Mix in the supernatural and you have a wonderfully tragic but highly romantic tale of love and longing. So well done!!!
"Colonel Redl's Knife Sheeth": A very captivating tale of espionage, coincidence, and the effects of small events on a grander historical narative. Mix in an unreliable narator and you have yourself quite a weird tale.
These fantastic tales are so well done and easily enter into the realm of beautifully written literature. I highly recommend this collection and eagerly await Berguño's next installment from Ex Occidente, THE EXORCIST'S TRAVELOGUE.
January 14, 2021
And I, too, am speechless. Possessed as I am by this powerful story. Not now a möbius section so much as a core of possession wrenched and then sampled from my body-soul and then vintage-measured or ‘tree-ringed’ with all those demons who made me what makes me.
The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.
The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.
May 14, 2016
Stunning and varied... I hope to add a more complete review at some point, but this is one title to seek out..weeks after reading the book I am still talking about it and reading other books referenced therein
February 27, 2025
An eclectic collection by a master of the short story form, thankfully rescued by Snuggly Books from its former out-of-print state.
The Introduction constitutes a tenth story in the volume, relying on the supremacy of the anecdote to elaborate the author's mindset. The final section 'About the Stories' can be said to fulfill multiple purposes, almost like an eleventh story - the tale of how the author envisioned the other tales.
He is fond of the tale-within-a-tale format. The range of experience is indicative of an individual perspective of a man who has lived a full life.
'Night Sea Journey to Turku' is a memorable voyage piece. A lingering obsession, a chance encounter, the regrets of a life spent in pursuit of a ghostly moment. Beautifully rendered and lulling, like the night sea cut through with faint glimmers of stars.
'Into the Atacama 1899,' is the story of a conquistador's descendant who inhabits a desert haunted by a vengeful spirit. An affecting horror story with vibrant subtext.
'The Devil Only Visits,' - if you search for the devil, you'll find him. Set in Chile, a story of spiritual confusion and folkloric power.
'Colonel Redl's Knife Sheath' - an unexpected historical spy story. Lighter entertainment.
'The Possessed,' a short masterpiece. A spiritual crisis morphed by guilt, possession, and the horror of bizarre coincidence which may harbor deeper meaning.
'Orkney Crossing,' A remarkable sequence of events taking place during casual travel, drawing from the author's experiences abroad. Perils lie in wait for the curious outsider whose selfish wish to disappear will tempt the locals to abandon him in the belly of a metaphorical dragon.
'Meyrink's Gambit,' - chess, destiny, history, and a near-death experience. A cleverly framed tale featuring a literary legend and a supernatural artist.
'Doña Ariana's Glass Foot,' - a startling short piece making use of straightforward storytelling to infuse a gruesome and absurd plot with legitimately unsettling atmosphere. One impolite gesture results in a shame the protagonist cannot live down. He must enact vengeance on the witness of that shame.
'A Master Class with Joseph Roth,' - a languorous story about a fixation with one of Roth's books. Based on the author's enthusiasm for the book's transformative power, the storyteller is literally metamorphosed into the author. The book is posited as an object capable of possessing the reader, of transposing souls. An intriguing premise for a historical piece containing another amusing sideline related to chess.
Many of the stories take place over a lifetime, contain themes related to various forms of death-in-life and characters who change through the years, developing a stronger awareness of self. You might call them Joycean epiphanies, often mingled with supernatural elements.
Within books I admire, I enjoy jotting down the authors referenced within the work, that I might read them later. There were a lot in this one: Zweig, Meyrink, de l'Isle-Adam, George Macdonald, Aeschylus, Kubin, Mann, Aickman, Vernon Lee, Suetonius, Procopius, Lady Sarashina, Schnitzler, Njal's Saga, Lermontov, Herodotus, Gorky, Joseph Roth, Leo Perutz, Alexander Lernet-Holenia, Juan José Arreola, Bunin, Homer, Pu Songling, Saint John of the Cross, Bierce, and Kharms.
That's quite a list of influences. The prevailing currents through this work are also present in the author's other 3 superb short story collections. They are heartily recommended.
The Introduction constitutes a tenth story in the volume, relying on the supremacy of the anecdote to elaborate the author's mindset. The final section 'About the Stories' can be said to fulfill multiple purposes, almost like an eleventh story - the tale of how the author envisioned the other tales.
He is fond of the tale-within-a-tale format. The range of experience is indicative of an individual perspective of a man who has lived a full life.
'Night Sea Journey to Turku' is a memorable voyage piece. A lingering obsession, a chance encounter, the regrets of a life spent in pursuit of a ghostly moment. Beautifully rendered and lulling, like the night sea cut through with faint glimmers of stars.
'Into the Atacama 1899,' is the story of a conquistador's descendant who inhabits a desert haunted by a vengeful spirit. An affecting horror story with vibrant subtext.
'The Devil Only Visits,' - if you search for the devil, you'll find him. Set in Chile, a story of spiritual confusion and folkloric power.
'Colonel Redl's Knife Sheath' - an unexpected historical spy story. Lighter entertainment.
'The Possessed,' a short masterpiece. A spiritual crisis morphed by guilt, possession, and the horror of bizarre coincidence which may harbor deeper meaning.
'Orkney Crossing,' A remarkable sequence of events taking place during casual travel, drawing from the author's experiences abroad. Perils lie in wait for the curious outsider whose selfish wish to disappear will tempt the locals to abandon him in the belly of a metaphorical dragon.
'Meyrink's Gambit,' - chess, destiny, history, and a near-death experience. A cleverly framed tale featuring a literary legend and a supernatural artist.
'Doña Ariana's Glass Foot,' - a startling short piece making use of straightforward storytelling to infuse a gruesome and absurd plot with legitimately unsettling atmosphere. One impolite gesture results in a shame the protagonist cannot live down. He must enact vengeance on the witness of that shame.
'A Master Class with Joseph Roth,' - a languorous story about a fixation with one of Roth's books. Based on the author's enthusiasm for the book's transformative power, the storyteller is literally metamorphosed into the author. The book is posited as an object capable of possessing the reader, of transposing souls. An intriguing premise for a historical piece containing another amusing sideline related to chess.
Many of the stories take place over a lifetime, contain themes related to various forms of death-in-life and characters who change through the years, developing a stronger awareness of self. You might call them Joycean epiphanies, often mingled with supernatural elements.
Within books I admire, I enjoy jotting down the authors referenced within the work, that I might read them later. There were a lot in this one: Zweig, Meyrink, de l'Isle-Adam, George Macdonald, Aeschylus, Kubin, Mann, Aickman, Vernon Lee, Suetonius, Procopius, Lady Sarashina, Schnitzler, Njal's Saga, Lermontov, Herodotus, Gorky, Joseph Roth, Leo Perutz, Alexander Lernet-Holenia, Juan José Arreola, Bunin, Homer, Pu Songling, Saint John of the Cross, Bierce, and Kharms.
That's quite a list of influences. The prevailing currents through this work are also present in the author's other 3 superb short story collections. They are heartily recommended.
November 20, 2018
excellent book, hard to find,easy to read.
June 24, 2025
Was expecting something stranger and more supernatural , but these were more in line with John Howard’s stories of Europe in the early 1900s.
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September 11, 2013ookmnlkmk
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews