Trafalgar

by Angélica Gorodischer, Amalia Gladhart (Translator)

Don't rush Trafalgar Medrano when he starts telling you about his latest intergalactic sales trip. He likes to stretch things out over precisely seven coffees. No one knows whether he actu-ally travels to the stars, but he tells the best tall tales in the city, so why doubt him?

By the light of the chaste electronic moon --
The sense of the circle --
Of navigators --
The best day of the year --
The González family's fight for a better world --
--
Interval with my aunts. Trafalgar and Josefina. --
End of the interval --
Mr. Chaos --
Constancia --
Strelitzias, Lagerstroemias, and Gypsophila --
Trafalgar and I

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Book Club, Latin American

183 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Angélica Beatriz del Rosario Arcal de Gorodischer es una multipremiada autora argentina reconocida como una de las figuras femeninas más importantes dentro de la Ciencia-Ficción y Fantasía iberoamericana, aunque ha trabajado otros géneros.

Traducida al alemán y al inglés (en este idioma la traductora fue Ursula K. Le Guin), es autora de una docena de novelas y multitud de relatos.

Reviews

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inolvidable Trafalgar Medrano y el café Burgundy.
Qué manera de narrar tan especial, divertida, atrapante y única, qué fácil parece y qué endiablademente complicado tiene que ser contar con tanta pericia estas historias alocadas con un lenguaje coloquial, con esa especie de invitación implícita en la que nos convertimos en amigos íntimos de Trafalgar y asistimos a sus aventuras entre café y café... y café.
Como recomienda/ordena la autora: lee los relatos en orden, porque los viajes van calando tanto en Trafalgar como en el lector.
Mis capítulos favoritos el último... y el de la tía, por supuesto.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Otra forma muy particular, y sobre todo personal, de hacer género.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Trafalgar (publicación original: Trafalgar, 1979) es una recopilación de relatos que tienen al exitoso hombre de negocios argentino Trafalgar Medrano como protagonista, en concreto a sus historias y peripecias durante sus distintos negocios y visitas en otros planetas que, después, narra a sus amigos.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trafalgar Medrano is an intergalactic trader and a storyteller, visiting the cafés of Rosario, Argentina, to tell his friends his wild, absurd adventures on planets unknown to others and very far away. 

The novel is constructed out of a series of short stories which could have been written in good old pulp times, and every one is told in dialogue form - the extraordinary cover illustration features the dialogue with a smoking Trafalgar. There are time travel similar encounters with a world nearly identical to ours in 1492, another one with a sex machine, or one where dead people continue living - just to give you an impression of the vast variety. 

Each story stands on its own and it is a wise move not to read all of them in one sitting but one each day. That way you can digest the beautiful, witty, prose with a touch of the literary better. 

Some characteristics of Trafalgar are repetitive - he's not to be rushed but likes to extend his narration under constant drinking of strong coffee. On each planet, he lays a beautiful woman. And every time he trades crazy stuff which is totally irrelevant for the plot.

"your stories are always the same : a bunch of strange things happen to you, you throw yourself, generally successfully, at the prettiest one around there, you
earn piles of dough, and what do you spend it on? On bitter coffee and black cigarettes and Pugliese records."

It is the second time that the book gets published in English language - this time by the new Penguin Classics series. The first bunch of books is set for 6.8.2020, together with a collection by Tiptree, the Hair Carpet Weavers by Eschbach, or Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut. That's an outstanding setup with a good variety of authors, and Gorodischer fits very well in this cadre. 

This novel is not a must read but a prose to cleanse your tongue between digestions of your other favorite authors - it is something different, and so I recommend it.

[Paul Dembina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was a pleasant surprise. A series of what are basically connected short stories or tall tales told mostly to the narrator (a version of the author) of Trafalgar Medrano's adventures in various far flung parts of the galaxy.
What lifts this book above the average SF book is the light touch of the author as Trafalgar's interlocutors react generally with a healthy dose of skepticism to his tales

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trafalgar by Angélica Gorodischer is a wonderful and deceptively complex little book that will play havoc with your mind in general and any preconceived genre expectations you may have in particular. I highly recommend grabbing it for that reason alone, but read on if you need more convincing.

Angélica Gorodischer is the Argentine author of more than twenty books, only two of which have been translated into English thus far. The first one of these was Kalpa Imperial, translated by Ursula K. Le Guin no less. (We now briefly pause to let the contingent of readers who have just been convinced to read Gorodischer complete their online orders.)

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Small Beer Press, there’s now also Trafalgar, originally published in Spanish in 1979 and translated to English by Amalia Gladhart. (I can only hope someone will convince her to translate more Gorodischer. Kickstarter, anyone?)

Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!

[Noemi Kuban · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am never one to pick up a sci-fi book, but this read Argentina, black coffee and cigarettes on the back page and somehow I was sold.

The narrative as a whole is charming and playful, revolving around Trafalgar who travels through the outer space and experiences all bunch of adventures on various planets. When back in Rosario, he tells the literally otherworldly stories to his friends while drinking shit loads of coffee and smoking shit loads of cigarettes.
Trafalgar’s a wit and his tales play and stretch your mind a little. I found myself jealous of his encounters, wishing to also keep Trafalgar company for a while and listen to some more.

Somewhere I read this was science fiction for people who don’t like science fiction but do like really good storytelling. I completely agree.

[Clara Mun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy original. Un personaje aquerenciable, facil de entender, con una narración hipnótica. Los planetas que visita Trafalgar nos dejan pensando en quiénes somos y qué podría pasarnos. Y los ejes de trama, que pueden parecer tópicos, no lo son. Los giros finales de cada aventura sorprenden. Aquí encontrarán hombres asilvestrados, saltos temporales, castas, reyes, muertos que perturban a los vivos... No digo más porque pierde gracia.

[Mateo R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son buenos, amenos. Ciencia-ficción blanda (como casi toda) pero re blanda: los alienígenas son prácticamente humanos (física y socialmente) y parece que todo el universo habla el mismo idioma (¿español?). Detalles que no importan, la ambientación en planetas lejanos parece ser una excusa para hablar de ciertos temas y dejar volar la imaginación. Todo bien salpicado de argentinismos y un aura macanuda: las aventuras espaciales son relatadas por Trafalgar Medrano a sus conocidos en cafés o a su amiga Angélica Gorodischer en la comodidad de su casa.

Gorodischer presenta una prosa muy accesible, gusta de hacer referencias de cultura general, y repite algunos patrones que me parece notar después de leer Floreros de alabastro, alfombras de bokhara, Kalpa imperial y este libro: cierto interés por las clases altas o los comportamientos aristocráticos, la presencia recurrente de mujeres poderosas y de la temática del poder, y un manejo muy agradable de la atmósfera del relato.

Intertextualidad

Menciones directas:
* Mención al personaje de Mandrake, del cómic Mandrake el mago (1934-2013) de Lee Falk y Phil Davis ("A la luz de la casta luna electrónica").
* Los Ensayos (1592) de Michel de Montaigne (epígrafe, cita del capítulo XIX: "Que filosofar es prepararse a morir" del Libro I) ("Sensatez del círculo").
* Historieta Corto Maltés (1967-88) de Hugo Pratt ("Sensatez del círculo").
* Historieta Jackaroe (1968) de Robin Wood y Gustavo Trigo ("De navegantes").
* Imago Mundi (1410) de Pierre d'Ailly ("De navegantes").
* Tres ensayos sobre el tiempo (?) de Mulnö (¿ficticio?) ("El mejor día del año").
* Times Time (?) de Woods (¿ficticio?) ("El mejor día del año").
* Réalité e Irréalite du Temps (?) de L'Ho (¿ficticio?) ("El mejor día del año").
* Poema "Write It On Your Heart..."(s. XIX) de Ralph Waldo Emerson (alusiones, título) ("El mejor día del año").
* Mención a los personajes de Romeo y Julieta, de la tradición europea, trágica pareja de jóvenes enamorados a pesar de la oposición de sus familias, conocida por la tragedia Romeo y Julieta (1597) de William Shakespeare, cuya primera mención registrada está en Giulietta e Romeo o Historia novellamente ritrovata di due Nobili Amanti (1524) de Luigi da Porto, aunque existe una versión anterior que comparte muchos elementos: "Mariotto y Gianozza" en Il Novellino (1476) de Masuccio Salernitano. Se los vincula también al mito grecolatino de Píramo y Tisbe, jóvenes babilonios que viven un trágico amor prohibido, conocidos por las Metamorfosis (8) de Ovidio, aunque la primera mención registrada está en las Fabulae (ca. s. I. d. C.) de Higino (mencionados en varios cuentos).
* Mención al personaje de Héctor, de la mitología griega, príncipe troyano encargado de la defensa de la ciudad durante la Guerra de Troya, cuya primera mención registrada está en la Ilíada (ca. s. VIII a. C.) de Homero ("De navegantes").
* Mención al personaje del Eternauta (Juan Salvo), viajero del tiempo y el espacio, cuya primera mención registrada está en la historieta El Eternauta (1957-59) de Héctor G. Oesterheld y Francisco Solano López ("El mejor día del año").
* Mención al personaje de Drácula, conde vampiro parcialmente inspirado en Vlad Tepes, cuya primera mención registrada está Drácula (1897) de Bram Stoker ("El mejor día del año").
* Mención al concepto de infundibulum cronosinclástico creado por Kurt Vonnegut para su novela Las sirenas de Titán (1959) ("El mejor día del año").
* Mención al personaje de Rip van Winkle, protagonista del cuento "Rip van Winkle" (1819) de Washington Irving ("El mejor día del año").
* Mención al mito de Adán y Eva, de la tradición abrahámica, el primer hombre y la primera mujer, cuya primera mención registrada está en el libro de Génesis (ca. s. V a. C.), anónimo ("El señor caos").
* Mención a los autores:
-Honoré de Balzac (Francia, s. XIX) (varios)
-Miguel de Cervantes (España, s. XVI-XVII) ("Sensatez del círculo")
-Voltaire (Francia, s. XVIII) ("De navegantes")
-Edmundo Rivero (Argentina, s. XX) ("De navegantes")
-Edgar Rice Burroughs (EEUU, s. XIX-XX) ("De navegantes")
-Italo Calvino (Italia, s. XX) ("De navegantes")
-Raymond Chandler (EEUU, s. XX) (varios)
-Galileo Galilei (Italia, s. XVI-XVII) ("De navegantes")
-Alberto Durero (Alemania, s. XV-XVI) ("De navegantes")
-Leonardo da Vinci (Italia, s. XV-XVI) ("De navegantes")
-Albert Einstein (Alemania/Suiza/Austria/EEUU, s. XIX-XX) (varios)
-François Villon (Francia, s. XV) ("De navegantes")
-Edgar Allan Poe (EEUU, s. XIX) ("De navegantes")
-Hernán Cortés (España, s. XV-XVI) ("De navegantes")
-Cyrano de Bergerac (Francia, s. XVII) ("De navegantes")
-Sigmund Freud (Austria, s. XIX-XX) ("De navegantes")
-William Shakespeare (Inglaterra, s. XVI-XVII) (varios)
-Claudio Ptolomeo (Antigua Grecia/Roma/Egipto, s. II) ("De navegantes")
-Plinio el Viejo (Roma, s. I) ("De navegantes")
-Bernard Goorden (Bélgica, s. XX) (¿seudónimo?) ("De navegantes")
-Sófocles (Antigua Grecia, s. V a. C.) (varios)
-Katherine Mansfield (Nueva Zelanda, s. XX) ("El mejor día del año")
-Fray Mocho (Argentina, s. XIX-XX) ("El mejor día del año")
-Philip K. Dick (EEUU, s. XX) ("El mejor día del año")
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Suiza/Francia, s. XVIII) ("El mejor día del año")
-Paul Langevin (Francia, s. XIX-XX) ("El mejor día del año")
-Demóstenes (Antigua Grecia, s. IV a. C.) ("Trafalgar y Josefina")
* Henry David Thoreau (EEUU, s. XIX) ("El señor caos")

Indirecta:
* El estilo de "A la luz de la casta luna electrónica" me recuerda a "I'm in Marsport Without Hilda" (1957) de Isaac Asimov. Debe haber todo un género de historias de galanes espaciales encamándose con extraterrestres antropomórficas.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trafalgar is another of those irresistible mauve Penguin Classics editions that I cannot leave on the library shelf. It's a work of 1970s Argentinian scifi, collecting the anecdotes recounted by an interstellar travelling salesman named Trafalgar Medrano to his friends. Thus it reads as a set of short stories, each with the framing mechanism of chatting over coffee in a cafe. The author appears to comment in her own voice on the limitations of this structure:

"You could," said Trafalgar, "write a story with each of my trips."
"Not even if I was crazy," I answered. "In the first place, stories proposed by other people never work: stories choose one, one does not choose stories. And in the second place, your stories are always the same: a bunch of strange things happen to you, your throw yourself, generally successfully, at the prettiest one around there, you earn piles of dough, and what do you spend it on? On bitter coffee and black cigarettes and Pugliese records."

This is accurate and Trafalgar's womanising tendencies result in some rather dispiriting sexism. His anecdotes also include some really intriguing ideas, however I found the framing mechanism left limited scope to explore them. My favourite was the chapter titled 'The Best Day of the Year', which deserves a whole novel. It's set on the planet where natives have a constant syncretic awareness of time but visitors find themselves accidentally and unexpectedly time-travelling.

The episodic structure and tone reminded me of original Star Trek, if the Enterprise had lived up to its name and visited strange new worlds in order to sell them stuff. I enjoyed some of the wild concepts, while finding the framing mechanism a bit frustrating. I've read another novel by Angélica Gorodischer, Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was, which has a similarly unusual structure and obtrusive narrator but in my view does more interesting things with both. I'd recommend that over Trafalgar, although both are distinctive enough to be worth reading.

[Brian Clegg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penguin has decided to bring back some 'science fiction classics', in a handsome new series (if rather oddly formatted - they're unusually small books, perhaps to make them fatter, as we're less used to the sensible length books of the past).

In Trafalgar, we get a series of linked short stories featuring the interstellar trader Trafalgar Medrano. Although taking place in a range of settings, the stories are in the tradition of bar tales: short stories, where the main character bends the ear of friends (or just anyone in earshot) with their exploits. P. G. Wodehouse, for example, wrote a number of these, and they reached their science fiction zenith with Arthur C. Clarke's Tales from the White Hart. In Angélica Gorodischer's book, Trafalgar tells his stories to the female narrator and whoever else is around.

I'm not sure why, but these stories rather reminded me of Giovanni Guareschi's Don Camillo tales, though they were significantly less nimble than Guareschi's, feeling rather stodgy sometimes as Trafalgar relates each far-fetched story of encounters on alien worlds where the aliens are all human and speak his language, though they are culturally very varied. Most of the interest in the stories comes from the differences in culture, though one, perhaps the best, Of Navigators, finds Trafalgar on a planet that is nearly identical to Earth where he arrives in 1492 at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella and ends up making things a lot easier for Columbus by giving him a lift to the New World. One recurring aspect of the stories that feels a little grating 40+ years on (as is often the case with classic SF) is that they are unashamedly sexist, with Trafalgar seducing his way across the universe.

This new series is a great move by Penguin, but I am a little concerned that some of their choices don't match up to the 'classic' label - Trafalgar included. To be an SF classic, a book has to be of some age - I'd suggest in science fiction dating back at least to the 70s, it has to from a widely recognised author, a good measure of which would be for the author to appear in Clute and Nicholls' definitive Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction, and (somewhat obviously, surely) to be science fiction. Trafalgar scores two out of three. It dates back to 1979, Gorodischer is in the encyclopaedia... but this is definitely not science fiction.

The stories could be interpreted two ways. Either it's pure fantasy - because a 1970s character spends his life running an interstellar trading ship to planets where the intelligent lifeforms are human and speak the same language - or it's straightforward fiction in which the main character is a fantasist who makes up impossible stories. I incline to the latter - and just because those stories happen to use science fiction tropes does not make this a science fiction book.

Even if there weren't the problem of this not being SF, the whole concept, which was initially entertaining, became very samey after a few stories, making the book decreasingly appealing as I read. It was, frankly, a bit of a let down.

[Laura L. Van Dam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro inclasificable, bastante delirante, que podría ser clasificado si se quiere como de ciencia ficción y fantasía, pero a la vez pertenece a esos géneros muy tangencialmente. Algunas personas me dijeron que les recuerda a Kalpa Imperial, pero a mí me parece que el estilo tiene poco que ver, sólo se parece en que hay un narrador que cuenta todo lo que pasa, aunque no del mismo tipo (en Kalpa Imperial hay un narrador omnisciente que recuerda a un narrador oral, mientras que aquí el protagonista cuenta sus aventuras en reuniones sociales y charlas de café). Para mí, el libro más parecido que leí podría ser Trueque mental de Robert Sheckley.
Por otro lado es un libro muy intertextual, se mencionan libros y escritores a montones, incluyendo a la autora (que se toma un café en varias oportunidades con el personaje principal) y otros escritores de Rosario, que supongo que serán conocidos suyos.
Me pareció muy entretenido y que el libro sea tan rosarino es un plus (me encanta Rosario y viajo seguido así que me hicieron mucha gracia todas las referencias). De más está decir que en mi próxima visita me tomaré un café y una foto en el bar Burgundy.

[Pablo Bueno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curiosa manera de narrar las cosas. Los relatos contienen ideas interesantísimas, pero contadas con la tranquilidad de quien se toma un café (u ocho) para intercambiar chismes con un viejo amigo.

[Shelby Bollen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another member of Penguin's new Classic Sci-Fi collection, but unfortunately, I was sadly not a fan of this one!

In the cafes and bars of Rosario, Argentina, there are sure to be many tall tales told. But none, perhaps, quite as spectacular as those recounted by Trafalgar Medrano. With a coffeepot and a pack of cigarettes to hand, he will nonchalantly tell you all about his otherworldly adventures: from studying dancing troglodytes on a mucky planet, to befriending the only chaotic man in a perfectly arranged society, to a close shave in 15th century Spain. The things Trafalgar has seen...

Now, I am a lover of weird books and this was definitely a strange one, so I did enjoy its peculiarness! However, I did end up being rather bored. As it is a compilation of short stories, I was expecting each story to be hugely different, but they ended up all feeling very similar. I couldn't really connect to the writing style either, as I found Trafalgar to be quite an irritating character. The prospect of space travel offers so many possibilities as to the places that can be explored and the people that can be met, yet I was disappointed with the tales that Trafalgar told. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I just could not gel with the storytelling.

Whilst it may have not been for me, I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to be introduced to Gorodischer's writing (plus I adore the cover so much!!).

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Wally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Argentinean science fiction that follows the adventures of Trafalgar, a businessman who somehow travels through outer space, finding strange places, revising old SF tropes, and telling his tales amidst copious amounts of coffee. This is SF for people who don't really like SF, but who do like really good storytelling.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I liked it.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiel al humor de la mejor tradición de Swift y Lem, con una deliciosa ironía enmarcada en la sátira de los relatos clásicos de ciencia ficción, Gorodischer plantea fábulas modernas alrededor de un misterio. Generalmente el que hay detrás de una civilización alienígena que Trafalgar Medrano conoce en sus viajes. Inevitablemente, resuenan cuestiones relevantes, muchas veces soterradamente. La capacidad de soñar, la dictadura argentina, las ambiciones detrás de la colonización, la manipulación social... muestran el compromiso detrás de estas divertidas historias, genialmente orales. Ya desde el diálogo o el monólogo, merece la pena leer alguna en voz alta. Entre café y gatos.

[Justin Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads a bit like sitting in a cafe with your grandmother's youngest brother, the great uncle that traveled everywhere and never seems to stop smoking, drinking coffee, or holding your interest with the accounts of his adventures.

[Libros Prohibidos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro de cuentos que en realidad parece una novela, escrito en un delicioso español de Argentina. Reseña completa: http://www.libros-prohibidos.com/ange...

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful work of science fiction, even though I can't be sure anything actually science fictional even happens in it.

Trafalgar Medrano tells stories and smokes cigarettes and drinks coffee, not in that order (even I was amazed how much coffee he drinks). His stories recount his adventures on various planets which he insists he has visited as a merchant, always looking for a favorable deal. Often he finds one, but always with some extra complications he hadn't anticipated but which always make for a story that his friends pester him nonstop to hear. But whether they believe him or not....?

Angelica Gorodischer is a writer from Argentina (born 1928), and her approach to SF is witty, thoughtful, and irreverent with a touch of the literary. Small Beer Press is getting her books translated into English for the first time, and I cannot wait to read the others.

Do yourself a favor and give this one a try. It may be my favorite book of the year, and it's probably one that I'll come back to many times.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read. The life of Trafalgar Medrano is transcendent and completely unconventional. A nonchalant business man that sells random and humorously irrelevant products to other worlds, tells his tales to the narrator who is a version of the author. He describes his intergalactic travels in a complex way yet whilst reading this It didn’t actually occur to me how odd this story line is. Going from world to world, Trafalgar experiences sexual encounters with many strange & beautiful women. His tales also include dancing troglodytes, futuristic worlds, outdated worlds and my favourite being Uunu where everyday is a different day on the timeline of earths existence. “That’s why the Neyiomdavianos of Uunu do nothing to modify the future because there isn’t a future… because on one of those variants… the captains don’t come to power”.

I really enjoyed this Argentinian SF story. It was so captivating, every chapter was something completely unexpected. I enjoyed every strange page of it also, the ending was perfect.

[Lucy Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most interesting sci-fis I’ve read. While a collection of short stories, it is intended to be read chronologically. Each story builds with characterisation and at the end you feel as if you know Trafalgar.

If I could read this again I would read it over a period of time and not in quick succession. While each chapter offered philosophical and almost meditative tones, the repetitive structure lead to a slow paced read.

The final short story was my favourite, a fantastic conclusion to an unforgettable read.

[Brianne Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not as big of a fan of this as I was of Kalpa Imperial, but it has the same atmospheric storytelling style that Gorodischer is so good at.

[Lucía Colella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustaron bastante los cuentos.
De nuevo, Angélica nos ofrece un narrador que tiene un humor muy divertido, aunque a su vez muy negro. El personaje de Trafalgar es muy fuerte y en cada cosa que cuenta se le escapan sus propias ideas, sus pensamientos, sus ideales y su moral.
Los cuentos están narrados como conversaciones entre Trafalgar y diferentes amigos, y es sorprendente la naturalidad con lo que se desarrollan. Se sentía, de nuevo, como si yo estuviera allí escuchándolo. Interacciones normales entre los amigos, interrupciones, acotaciones del mismo Trafalgar y su manera de divagar como nos pasa a todos en las conversaciones que lo vuelven más humano.
Los cuentos y los mundos fueron uno más interesante que el otro. Son todos diferentes en su composición, su naturaleza y su sociedad. Aunque me hubiera gustado ver razas diferentes, las historias funcionan muy bien. Angélica nos habla sobre todo, como siempre. Nos plantea mundos donde las cosas no deben cambiar, mundos donde los muertos nunca mueren de verdad, mundos donde las líneas de tiempo son diferentes, incluso nos plantea un mundo igual al nuestro pero muchos años atrás. A veces nos cuenta historias donde nada sucede y, a su vez, sucede muchísimo. Mi favorito fue un mundo que habla sobre lo consciente y lo inconsciente, sobre ser personas, sobre ser humanos pero más importante sobre estar unidos.
A lo largo de los cuentos vamos viendo no solo la personalidad de Trafalgar que, como ya dije antes es bastante fuerte y bastante machista, sino también su crecimiento. Al principio nos plantean diferentes escenas donde la conquista es lo principal, donde Trafalgar se enfoca en buscar una mujer con quien acostarse en ese mundo y siempre comenta cosas machistas comentarios muy pequeños y muy normalizados en la realidad pero que están y destacan. Como, bueno, como lo haría una persona normal. Sin embargo, a medida que este personaje se va enfrentando no solo a sus amigos sino también a las historias y a los diferentes desafíos de los mundos, su pensamiento va cambiando. Mirando en retrospectiva, hay un gran contraste entre el primer viaje y el último viaje, comenzando por la conversación entre Trafalgar y Josefina.

[Fren Carillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Because there are things that can't be told," said Trafalgar on that stormy day. "How do you say them? What name do you give them? What verbs do you use? Is there a suitable language for that? Not richer, not more flowery, but that takes into account other things? I was on a world without a name, covered with forests and swamps, full of monstrous animals that didn't take any notice of me, and in a clearing in the forest, in a white wooden house with metal screens in the windows and a weathervane on the ridge, there was a man sitting at a table in the gallery drinking tea. I sat down with him and he served tea for me. Afterwards I came home. That's all."
It started to rain. A beetle crawled under a magnolia leaf and a cold drop hit me on the forehead.

[Miguel Vian · Rating 4 out of 5]

En mi opinión no es tan atemporal ni tiene la fuerza imaginativa de Kalpa Imperial, pero solo por el lenguaje, ese argentino coloquial, y lo estrafalario de las historias que trae Trafalgar Medrano en cada uno de sus viajes estelares, ya es una delicia de lectura.

[Pustulio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que hermoso libro de historias fantásticas y personajes increíbles.

[Patrik Plvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! I loved the unlimited imagination of the author. Anything and everything is possible and this creates a lot of excitement and anticipation on what comes in every following chapter.

[Rodrigo Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una gozada. Recuerda a los mundos de Jack Vance, a los viajes de Ion Tichi y a Ciberiada, pero escrito de una manera exquisita.

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read four of these stories but lost steam with it after that. Found them a little too baffling and obtuse, and then the short story format meant I never felt like I was getting past the bafflement and into the meat of things. Sadly not for me!

[Divya Pal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interstellar version of Swift’s Gulliver's Travels: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.. A planet-hopping trader/raconteur narrates his increasingly unbelievable tall tales of his misadventures, while chugging down interminable cups of coffee.