Trabajos del Reino

by Yuri Herrera

Yuri Herrera destaca con su primer libro, Trabajos del reino, en el que, a través de la mirada de un compositor de corridos, despliega ante el lector un panorama de la ‘vida palaciega’ de un cártel del narcotráfico. Lobo, protagonista y narrador de la novela, es un ser marginado desde su nacimiento. No posee educación, pero le sobra el talento para convertir en cantos épicos los sucesos notables, por eso es el Artista. Una tarde se topa con el hombre que habrá de transformar su vida...

Así, reconstruyendo el mundo interior del cártel con un lenguaje popular no exento de lirismo, muestra de su excelente oído, y con un tono que algunas veces adquiere registros de fábula infantil y otras de tragedia del Renacimiento, las palabras del Artista nos internan en un castillo donde parece reinar la felicidad, pero cunden las intrigas soterradas.

Genres: Fiction, Spanish Literature, Latin American, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Literature, Novels

101 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Born in Actopan, Mexico, in 1970, Yuri Herrera studied Politics in Mexico, Creative Writing in El Paso and took his PhD in literature at Berkeley. His first novel to appear in English, Signs Preceding the End of the World, was published to great critical acclaim in 2015 and included in many Best-of-Year lists, including The Guardian‘s Best Fiction and NBC News’s Ten Great Latino Books, going on to win the 2016 Best Translated Book Award. He is currently teaching at the Tulane University, in New Orleans.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Before Herrera started writing this debut novel (it’s the one most recently translated), he made a list of ‘overused’ words (such as “drugs” and “borders”) he wouldn’t use. His self-imposed ban goes a long way toward creating universality and freshness in what feels to me more than the fable it’s been called. The original title, Trabajos del reino, translates literally into English as “Jobs of the Kingdom.” The English title used seems genius, also evoking, at least to me, the phrase “Kingdom Come” (from the New Testament’s “Lord’s Prayer”).

This is the story of a young man named Lobo who is deemed the Artist, a composer and singer of corridos (folk ballads), in the service of the King (a drug lord). By this act, Señor (God or Jesus would be called El Señor) rescues Lobo from homelessness and its attendant poverty. Everyone in the King’s ‘palace’ is known by a label, not a name, and this kind of dehumanization perhaps goes hand-in-hand with casual violence. As the story progressed, I detected dark Shakespearean strains, especially with the court-like machinations of the Heir and the Witch (Lady Macbeth?). Near the end, a love story felt tacked-on and superfluous, but that was minor.

More than anything, and understandably for a first work, this is the story of a young man (in danger of being ‘brainwashed’) awakening to books, to words, to language, to its use as a tool for others and then, ultimately, for himself, as his eyes are gradually opened. Herrera’s own concise yet poetic language is, as usual, his strength. The story could also be read as the writer’s manifesto: the importance and necessity of art in a culture that wants to control and demean it: a timeless topic.

[Steven Godin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had kind of hoped that Herrera would be something like a Mexican Calvino or García Márquez, and to some extent there are parallels - the narrative feels a bit like both, being imaginative and dosed in realism; however, at just over 100 pages, I can't say I was begging for more.

Basically a drug lord becomes a King with his cartel representing his court, whilst an artist sings narco-culture songs - which are banned from public radio - about the magnificence of the king and his kingdom, before it starts to collapse. The novella explores themes like language and the construction of power, and whilst coming across quite mythical and displaced from a particular time; detaching itself from clichés regarding the cartels, it clearly points towards the contemporary struggles in modern Mexico.

It's certainly clever in its approach, and despite much praise for Herrera, I ended up somewhat disappointed. I Just didn't find it that compelling to be honest.

[Aleksandra Fatic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Očekivala sam više mističnosti i magijskog realizma, povučena naslovnom stranom, a dobila sam ne znam ni sama šta, ali svakako ne ovo što sam zamislila da će biti! 3⭐️ i dosta ovaj put!

[Scottsdale Public Library]

“Lobo sidled up to circles, he pricked up his ears, thirsting to learn. He heard accents entirely new to him: yesses like shesses, words with no esses, some whose tone soared up so high and sank so low it seemed each sentence was a journey: it was clear they were from nowhere near here.”

Yuri Herrera’s first novel reads like poetry, not only because of its compression, but because of its sonic quality and masterful use of metaphor. Sadly, I can’t read it in Spanish, but this outstanding, nuanced translation by Lisa Dillman feels like a lossless conversion. The synergy between author and translator is obvious in this expressive rendering, especially when it comes to the tempo of the text and the subtleties of Mexican slang.

Kingdom Cons tells the story of Lobo, a musician who becomes entangled in the world of a drug cartel. “Drug cartel” is never explicitly stated, but the novel quickly leads you to that assumption: there’s the mention of a mule, moving product on the street, corporal retaliation, and other hints. But why is it so ambiguous, and why does the ambiguity obscure several seemingly important facets of the story, including who the people are, the location, and the time period?

Perhaps these aspects aren’t as important to the story as one might first think. The drama and intrigue of a major criminal enterprise aren’t immediately relatable to most, but when the names and places are stripped away it suddenly seems familiar if not universal. Front and center are not the gritty themes we’re used to in “narco noir” fiction, but instead the path of Lobo, a wolf among dogs, who struggles with trust, loyalty, and finally—disillusionment.

This short book has an unusual flavor, perhaps verging on surrealist, and is uniquely Herrera. Reward yourself by picking up this slightly challenging and beautiful piece. It is worth savoring and sustains multiple readings. The minute I finished the last page I turned back to the beginning and enjoyed it a second time.
~Andrew S.

[Guillermo Jiménez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un gran acierto literario. A la vez relato simbólico, a la vez una narración en prosa que colinda con el relato oral, con la poesía; para tratar a modo de cuento los episodios de horror que pueden suceder tras bambalinas en un cartel del narcotráfico.

Ceñirla a describirla como narcoliteratura, sería una muy triste descripción genérica, propia de gente de miras miopes que no logran ver más allá de sus narices.

Trabajos del reino es obra de un autor preocupado por la palabra exacta en el momento justo; por la musicalidad del texto, por la redondez de las formas y por un fetichismo en la yuxtaposición de los significados, ¿significados de qué? Tanto de las palabras, como de sus personajes.

Esta novela logra dotar al lector de imágenes muy bien fraguadas en su imaginación; y, al menos en mi caso, de querer releer algunas partes en voz alta, cambiando la entonación, el ritmo, intentando adivinar el sentido que intentó imprimar Herrera.

De las tres novelas que le he leído a Yuri Herrera (La transmigración de los cuerpos y Señales que precederán al fin del mundo, las tres en unas muy buenas ediciones de Periférica) esta es por mucho la que más me ha gustado y disfrutado.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Part surreal fable, part crime romance” (blurb)

That’s accurate. Read this in 2hrs: it’s sparse and just over a hundred pages. It was enjoyable, but lacked the disorientation and demanding-ness that I’ve grown to crave in a novel (this should be considered a novella).

The good:

Prose has an oracular quality that is almost always fabulist and yet certain stylistic touches, abruptly remind you that this is a gritty side of Mexico. Also, the text reads so fast, it’s easy to overlook that you need to close-read in order to figure out motivations and sometimes just to even understand what’s happening.

In the end, I think this is not the best entry-point for this author, though I haven’t yet read Signs Preceding... and Transmigration of Bodies.

I’m guessing that if I shared any life experience with the subject matter I would feel differently. I guess that’s a sort of confession. Gringo problems.

Will read more Herrera because I get a sense for his talent from this work.

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 3 out of 5]

When concision and elision collide, the consequences can be catastrophic.

[wasteland baby · Rating 2 out of 5]

my new bookclub's first flop <3

simultaneously dull and annoying, i found it a genuine struggle to get through. i wondered if it was due to the translation (i read the Croatian one, not listing it as such bcs it's a collection of three of Herrera's novellas in one book, and i've only read the two), but the second novella in the collection was fine, so i do think it's just down to the story.

i think i just don't appreciate what the author was going for, neither in terms of style nor substance -- like, i can see he's going for *something*, but it felt inscrutable at best and trite at worst. (also: when will men stop writing about women being unknowable and sexy bcs of their unknowability?? i swear to god shit like that is the "she boobed boobily down the stairs" of literary fiction.)

lastly, as someone who just last week left a glowing review of arthuriana-flavored fanfic brimming with fealty feels - this honestly could have done with more fealty kink. the potential was there, the devotion was there, the heavily implied queerness was there, for christ's sake!! and yet!! we get a "she boobed boobily/she was sexy and unknowable" instead. i call that cowardice, sir.

[Susana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuri Herrera es un escritor excepcional, cada palabra, cada frase, cada giro, son mágicos, hermosos, incluso cuando cuenta una historia sórdida, sobre narco-corridos, narco tráfico, violencia entre carteles, prostitución ... amor y arte.

Me fascina la manera en que logra convertir en poesía el lenguaje común, el lenguaje ordinario:

"... como si se le hubiera despellejado un callo en la mirada" ó "... la acarició y la acarició como si le puliera la pena"

Siempre la desesperanza de vivir en un sitio donde el único futuro es marcharse, en sus palabras:

"Es como si no hubiera derecho a la belleza"

[julieta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buenísimo primer libro de Yuri Herrera, cuenta una fábula de violencia y abandono, de traiciones y muerte, pero siempre como si estuviera cantando. Su uso del lenguaje es extraño, porque parece ser cotidiano y fronterizo, pero a la vez lo hace poesía. Muy recomendable.

[el · Rating 2 out of 5]

unfortunately, i was bored for all of this

[Ray Nessly · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, because few will read this to the end, I have a question for translators or whomever can solve this puzzle: Why is every instance of “though” on this novella substituted with “tho”? It occurs perhaps a few dozen times in the text and is very noticeable, and for me, even a bit distracting. I get that one could argue that the letters “ugh” are superfluous, so maybe it’s just to inject an air of informality throughout the text. Or maybe it’s meant to stand in for a slang word in regional Spanish patois, that means roughly the same thing? Anyone?

Okay, with that out of the way …

One has time to read all of Yuri Herrera’s novellas (they’re short)). But if you really must chose only one, I think Signs Preceding The End of the World is the best. To be sure, I liked this book, Kingdom Cons, but found it the least engaging of the three Herreras I’ve read.
Here’s a segment though, that I really liked, that made me think of the interior dialogue in many of Terrance Mallick’s scripts. (If this book is to be made into a film, I nominate him to write and direct it. But of course no one in Hollywood is listening, or will ever listen to me, so …)

What’s out there? What lies beyond it all? Another world
standing, face to the sun? A wave with edges rippling
out after a stone hits the water? (Could life be stone
hitting the water?)
To see and see and see and not to see: there is no
shape, only a tangled mess grown weary of itself. Arrogant
face, deadbeat world.
What’s out there? What lies beyond the walls of things?
Like this, like this, there’s nothing.
Turn your back on this smug cut grass and choose
your own mirror: raise it to your eyes and see:
A chilling glimmer, a tiny spiral asking for a chance,
a secret obscured in its own dark light. The whole world
can be seen in this mirror, each detail a reversible code.
Pieces and more pieces falling over themselves asking
to be touched, ever-changing skin.
………….…
Excerpt from a review by W.S. Lyon, Los Angeles Review of Books
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/b...
The latest of the three novels to appear in English, Kingdom Cons, released in June by And Other Stories, was actually Herrera’s first novel, originally published in his native Mexico in 2004. And it feels like a first novel, especially when read after the two superior novels that succeed it: his dazzling second book, Signs Preceding the End of the World, and his third, The Transmigration of Bodies, appeared in English in 2015 and 2016, respectively. All three have been translated by Lisa Dillman, who provides an afterword on the translation of Signs, where she lists the many complications of translating Herrera’s unique patois — a language made from a mix of places and traditions and ways of being, which is to say, a language that rises from the dust of the earth and particulates in the clouds like rain; a petrichor language, hanging in the air with the oddly pleasant fumes of regeneration.
“Tijuana is not Mexico,” wrote Raymond Chandler in The Long Goodbye. “No border town is anything but a border town, just as no waterfront is anything but a waterfront.” Border towns exist somewhere outside or between the nations of their border, just as exiles, dead or alive, exist somewhere outside or between the nations they inhabit.

[Text Publishing · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Herrera creates a radically new language and condenses into a few pages what other authors need hundreds to convey…a surprising literary jewel.’
Nation

‘Yuri Herrera must be a thousand years old. He must have travelled to hell, and heaven, and back again. He must have once been a girl, an animal, a rock, a boy, and a woman. Nothing else explains the vastness of his understanding.’
Valeria Luiselli

‘Yuri Herrera has been described as Mexico’s greatest living novelist…Believe the hype.’
Readings

‘The Artist’s mission statement could speak for the whole of Mr Herrera’s daring and memorable project: “Let them be scared, let the decent take offence. Put them to shame. Why else be an artist?”’
Wall Street Journal

‘At one point in Kingdom ConsThe Artist boasts, “If you’re saying what happened, why bother with a song? Corridor aren’t only true; they’re also beautiful and just.” He may come to realise how his corridor can be used to other ends, but Herrera’s novels stay beautiful and just.’
New Republic

‘Kingdom Cons rises above a mere tale of lost innocence or a drug-land eulogy, specifically because it is the language and not the narrative that powers its subject. Herrera’s writing reinvents its own territory with simultaneous streetwise mischief and canonical splendour. At times a Renaissance quill, at other times a tattier’s needle, his syntax misbehaves masterfully, and Lisa Dillman proves herself once again exquisitely loyal to his lyrical disobedience with this translation, its prose so alive that it recalls Roland Barthes’s description of “language lined with flesh”.’
New Statesman

‘His [Herrera’s] books are bracingly taut, his skill with concision impressive.’
National Post

‘Kingdom Cons is captivating in that Yuri Herrera has seemingly wandered off into the deserts of the genre and has come out on another shore of a different planet…crime is mentioned with a side-glance, the role of power is beheld at close attention, and the language itself is short, poetic, elliptical.
KQPD

‘With his signature palpable lucidity of the uncanny he [Herrera] blends crime romance with elements of surreal fable.’
Better Read Than Dead

‘I would really recommend reading this author, he’s fantastic.’
Radio NZ

‘Kingdom Cons is another great novel from a writer at the top of his game, and is a must read for any fans of Latin American or world literature.’
AU Review

‘Herrera’s fable dives into the murky role of art in a fiefdom marked by endemic violence and the ruthless pursuit of power. It presents Mexican cartel culture through an almost surreal blend of medieval romance and hardboiled noir, and will rivet and disturb a broad readership, from crime fiction fans to lovers of Latin American literature.’
Sydney Morning Herald

‘[Yuri Herrera’s novellas] constitute one of the most astonishing bodies of work to have made it into English from any other language in the last couple of decades.’
Asymptote

‘A liminal story that is all at once a gritty exploration of Mexican gang life and a poetic examination of the human spirit.’
Otago Daily Times

‘Although this novella is set in contemporary Mexico, you could be forgiven for thinking Kingdom Cons was a fable from some ancient time. All the ingredients are there: a kingdom with a ruthless ruler…the bowing and scraping courtiers…the gossip and political intrigues…Mexican-born Yuri Herrera is a master of spare, wise-cracking lingo with a hint of the surreal. Well worth reading.’
North and South

[jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

he also learned the following truths: life is a matter of time and hardship. there is a god who says deal with it, cause this is the way it is. and perhaps the most important: steer clear of a man about to vomit.

kingdom cons (trabajos del reino), the third of yuri herrera's novels to appear in english translation (after the best translated book award-winning signs preceding the end of the world and the transmigration of bodies ), is, like the two books before it, ominously colored by an ever-impending menace. the final installment in herrera's self-described 'loose' trilogy (though the first of the three published originally), kingdom cons is the best of the bunch. an allegorical take on art, power, love, loyalty, and violence (and narcocorridos, too), herrera's short but sturdy novella offers nothing extraneous. adeptly melding atmosphere and action, kingdom cons is further proof that herrera is among the vanguard of an impressive array of mexican writers consistently publishing some of today's most exciting fiction.

it's as if there is no right to beauty, he thought, and thought that the city ought to be set alight from its foundations, because in each and every place where life sprouted up through the cracks, it was immediately abused.

*translated from the spanish by lisa dillman (herrera's signs and transmigration, andrés barba, eduardo halfon, et al.)

[Alejandro Carrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡No mames! ¡Qué pinche librazo! Temo quedarme corto, y pendejo, y que las palabras no me alcancen para escribir de este libro. Eso. Las palabras dulces, vertiginosas, que abren nuevas dimensiones que este libro necesita para ser hablando, contado, reseñado o lo que sea. O simplemente para que sea haga memoria, para mí, de lo que sentí cuando lo leí. Se me quedan cortitas, pues, las de escribir, ante este corrido de iniciación. Pero ahí está Lobo; su miseria y dolor, su nada que quiere llenarse dentro de las página de estos trabajos del reino. De este reino mítico donde del vació se pasa, (después del dolor y de algún tipo de muerte) a otro tipo de realidad, a una nueva forma de ver brillar las palabras, a una nueva forma de que las mismas digan otras cosas, que agarren otras comprensiones, que creen huecos nuevos en la cabeza para ser llenados por cosas propias. Solo propias. No de nadie más.

Lobo, un bufón de la corte, un cantor y componedor de corridos que de pronto, así, como de casualidad, es admitido dentro del Reino; su vida es tocada por la del Intocable, por el Rey, que lo separa del resto y le da permiso de vivir y de ser alguien ¿no? Por que eso es ser alguien: estar junto a los poderosos, tener lana infinita para gastar en pisto y en viejas, y luego presumirlo. ¿O qué no? ¿o no? Sí… ¿no?

¿Y si no, y si no fuera así? ¿Y si hubiera otra cosa que ahorita uno ni puede ver? ¿Y si hubiera algo que no fuera ni estar como los muertos que no se arriesgan y están dentro de los límites de lo bueno pero son jodidos y muertos de hambre y miedosos, y entre estar en el Reino? ¿Y si hubiera otra cosa? ¿Y si esa otra cosa tuviera que ver con uno mismo? ¿Y si las palabras sobre la hoja que uno escribe fueran un modo para entenderlo?

[Rafa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narcocorrido a la manera de Shakespeare.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gritty and artfully constructed fable about art, love and loyalty. Lots of engaging concepts packed into this slender book. I'll be reading this author again.

[Paco Serrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los artistas del corrido poseen una voz única y un talento singular para crear estribillos musicales alusivos a las figuras del narcotráfico. Yuri Herrera cuenta en esta novela la historia de un hombre marginado que canta sus composiciones en lugares de mala muerte por unos cuantos pesos, y a veces ni eso. Un buen día es escuchado por un hombre poderoso que alaba su talento. Allí arranca una historia violenta y desenfrenada, pero que está narrada con una gran sutileza.

[Bob Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bummed about this one. After his previous books, I was pretty amped to read this book. It's about a King and the people in his retinue, but mostly it's about the Artist--a singer/songwriter who writes corridos as ballads for the King. Interesting that no one has a real name but go by their title, King, Artist, Traitor, etc. The book was just as taut and fast-paced as his previous books, but...I dunno...the flair(?) wasn't there, seemed a little forced at times. Great, fun premise though, I just wish it had more oomph.

[Shatterlings · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like one of those weird fever dreams you have when your ill and sleep in the day where you don’t quite know what’s going on but it has a strange logic to it. I do think there’s probably some sort of moral here but don’t ask me what it is.

[Niro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me parece increíble lo mucho, muchísimo que me gustó esta novela. La empecé sin expectativas como una lectura para la escuela, pero está tan bien escrita y es tan emocionante en su sencillez. El protagonista resulta entrañable de una manera que podría parecer inesperada y sus pasiones se vuelven las de uno como lector.

Además siento que es de esas novelas que te inspiran a hacer apuntes porque te entusiasman los conflictos que se establecen y las metáforas y todo.

No sé qué más decir sin hacer spoilers pero ajá me gustó muchísimo 15/10 la recomiendo

[Koryn Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is the first I've read of this author and thought the book was fascinating. The translation was really well done and so much of the wording is beautiful. The writing itself was often super abstract, which made it difficult to follow at times. The ambiguity of setting/time period was neat when contrasted with the clear and universal exploration of power dynamics within a gang, or "kingdom", and the way one can become disillusioned when becoming increasingly involved within that culture. Would definitely like to read more works by Herrera- especially shorter stories.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly my first ever Mexican writer. This was longlisted for the Tournament of Books, so I picked it up, but at 103 pages it was hardly around long enough to leave a lasting impression. Some nice courtly intrigue and a light, accessible translation, but all too brief for my tastes.

[Wiebke (1book1review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great read, the atmosphere and perspective created an interesting view of characters and events. I highly recommend this.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and offbeat novella, part fable, part crime drama and part social commentary. Nicely translated. Herrera is considered one of Mexico's finest novelists and yes, I also enjoyed, Signs Preceding the End of the World  but I have to admit, he hasn't quite blown me away yet. Next time, perhaps?

[Shawn Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book/novella was recommending to me by a friend, and if I'm being completely honest it wouldn't have been one I picked up for myself. I just happened to be at the book store when he sent me the recommendation so I grabbed a copy while I was there. It's a quick read and you'll be able to finish it in one sitting, although I split it in two to absorb it a little bit more. Looking at both the cover and reading the back blurb I gave myself the impression that the story was set in a middle eastern country and it took a bit to get out of that mindset(it's never specified which country if any its actually set in). I'm not great at analyzing poetry or poetic type works, but the story seemed less like an actually kingdom, and more a "empire" of a drug lord. Am I trying to create metaphors and parallels out of nothing or am I on the right track? And while I liked the story as a whole I really couldn't bring myself to like the Artist as a person. I can almost imagine that I would have enjoyed or favorited the story if it had been from the point of view of the Commoner or even the Manager.

[Leif Quinlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The other two books in this trilogy build to this one through the complexity of the language and the the fracturing of the story
I liked both "The Transmigration of Bodies" and "Signs Preceding the End of the World" but I almost loved "Kingdom Cons." Herrera seemed to find a voice in the telling of KC that was new and bold - it felt like pushing through fractured glass, turning the pages. This book is all about the style - no plot points really even need be mentioned - and what a style
A 500 page opus that we can really spend time with Mr. Herrera, please, that's what's desired from your fans now

[Steffi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow-up read to my recent trip to Mexico. Yuri Herrera is, apparently, one of the most important contemporary Mexican writers. The ultra short novel 'Kingdom Cons' (English translation 2017, original Travajos del Reino 2008) reads at times like a parable (but without any clear moralistic message) or an incredibly poetic tale set in the most realist and fucked up north Mexico druglord setting. If you're looking for unique contemporary literature beyond the US/Western mainstream, then that's a great pick. I can only imagine how great this must be in Spanish.

[Ivana Balnožan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Zanimljivo i vrlo me zanima ostatak trilogije.

[Marina Horvat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 zvjezdice piscu, prevoditeljici 0 s nulom, očajan prevod, stara boljka našeg izdavaštva