En la plaza oscura

by Hugh Walpole

Un día de invierno, a las cinco de la tarde, Ricardo Gunn se encuentra en Piccadilly Circus. Tiene cuatro chelines en el bolsillo y un ejemplar del primer volumen del Quijote. No sabe si gastar sus últimas monedas en cortarse el pelo o en comer. Opta por lo primero y en la barbería entrevé al hombre que más detesta en el mundo. A través de las muchas aventuras que luego le suceden, lo acompaña el ejemplar del Quijote. En la plaza oscura narra la historia de una noche en la que parecen cifrarse todas las cosas que pueden ocurrirle a un hombre: la exaltación del amor, la devoción de la amistad, las fiestas y los terrores de la memoria, los caminos irreversibles del crimen. "Oye, Elena. Nunca he estado en buenos términos con esta vida. Nunca he visto las cosas correctamente. He estado, si quieres llamarlo así, un poco ebrio [...] Pero una cosa vi con claridad: que la vida es una lucha entre los que construyen y los que destruyen, los afirmantes y los negadores. No era sentimental con respecto a esto. Lo vi con una gravedad mortal."

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Classics, British Literature, Crime

285 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1931

About the author

Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole was an English novelist. A prolific writer, he published thirty-six novels, five volumes of short stories, two plays and three volumes of memoirs. His skill at scene-setting, his vivid plots, his high profile as a lecturer and his driving ambition brought him a large readership in the United Kingdom and North America. A best-selling author in the 1920s and 1930s, his works have been neglected since his death.

Reviews

[Joel Ayala Alicea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know. I just intended to read this novel as a homage to Jorge L. Borges, since this is one of his most treasured books. Sadly, I must admit, that nevertheless I admire JLB greatly, I can't say the same about his beloved reads. It happens. They say that you shouldn't touch your idols, lest the gilding sticks to your hands.

[Emilio Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una narrativa sencilla que te envuelva y te va atrapando. La historia es sencilla, la trama es sencilla, sin embargo van apareciendo un de temas muy interesantes a lo largo de toda la novela que la hace interesante. Así y todo no me termino de cerrar, al final me queda cierto sabor a poco, a pesar de sentir que fue un buen viaje no me termina de llenar.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent Hugh Walpole book. Reads like a fever dream, with a fascinating look into the disillusionment of post-war England.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Only the second book I’ve read by this author, but he is quickly climbing my list of recommendable writers of gothic tales.
This story almost reads like a play; most of the action takes place in one room, there are a limited number of characters. All of this over the backdrop of a dark Piccadilly Circus. The Walpole does a great job building suspense. Each moment that we are in the presence of Pengelly, we are on edge…as if Walpole has to hold back his pen that is begging to write his demise. The plot moves along nicely, great characters made human with flaws, and an oppressive atmosphere that forces the reader to keep reading just one more chapter. Well worth the time!

[Jean B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Walpole, sort of overheated. Because I love his style I read it again after many years. The plot of the book is set around nighttime in Piccadilly Circus, with its flashing lights and seething masses of people, rich and poor, on the way down and on the way up. The sympathetic characters are neurotic. The villains are blandly evil. The story is told in the form of a memoir by a man who is recounting a time in his life when he was on the skids, but by chance encountered an old friend and was drawn into a crisis involving a blackmailing scheme.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

British thriller from 1931 that starts with promise, then becomes so very silly.

[Joel Fernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borges eres un loquito

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Richard Gunn is a jobless ex-soldier who lives in Piccadilly Circus. We have horror, supernatural, and whodunnit combined.