Hectic Ethics

by Francisco Hinojosa, Kurt Hollander (Translator)

Unlike many Latin American writers whose work has been published in the United States, Francisco Hinojosa does not rely on magical realism, exotic recipes or cultural nostalgia. Rather, his stories convey a mercilessly sardonic view of family and society, and his ingenious array of anti-heroes embodies a conspicuous disdain for convention. Here, in eight masterly stories that are as cruel and pitiless as they are hilarious, he explores the complexities of love and human relationships. These fiercely funny picaresque adventures are peopled with characters who inspire feelings of both solidarity and derision, but let the reader just when you find yourself laughing out loud, you might recognize your reflection in the funhouse mirror. "Francisco Hinojosa's stories are like a Mozart overture executed by a crazed orchestra playing noisemakers instead of violins." — Giullermo Sheridan "Known as the Mexican Brother Grimm, Hinojosa is internationally recognized for his children's fairy tales ( The Old Lady Who Ate People ). This collection offers eight of his brief experimental fables for adults contending with the absurdities of 20th-century life. . . . this a spirited and amusing book. In a new version of the creation story, God, bored by a regime of 'loneliness and silence' he has impetuously imposed, grows desperate to hear 'he'd even be content with a poetry reading.' In another tale, an artist confesses a tryst to his wife because he had 'always believed that women can tell when a man has slept with an actress.' The translation is generally solid, especially given the challenges of experimental fiction. One hopes that more of Hinojosa's grown-up fables will be made available in English."-- Publishers Weekly "A bright star in the Mexican literary firmament can now be enjoyed by U.S. readers in this first English translation of Hinojosa's work. The eight stories in this knockout collection reveal in no uncertain terms Hinojosa's mastery over a rewarding form, which he has tailored to fit his own personal expression. The short story thrives because of its flexibility, the elasticity of its definition; and this author manipulates the form with razor-sharp deftness and remarkable ingenuity. He writes sparingly but can hardly be called a minimalist, a label that tends to suggest a certain blandness of prose style. Instead, he luxuriates in language while stripping plot and characterization down to bare bones. His stories deal with the spirals of life--downward ones, in particular. Dark, sarcastic humor permeates them all ('the depression that was creeping up on him with dark feelers couldn't be halted either by a double session of psychoanalysis nor by his favorite television program'). 'An Example of Beauty' is structurally amazing. With no sense that this story is really a condensed novel in story clothing, Hinojosa satirizes the career climb of an artist who wants to create something beautiful and finds fame as a consequence. And 'This Time, the War Was Getting Serious' is a hilarious picture of families feuding in an apartment building, with shades of the Hatfields versus the McCoys and the Montagues versus the Capulets, with a hint of West Side Story thrown in."--Brad Hooper, Booklist , Francisco Hinojosa was born in Mexico City in 1954, and is the author of three story collections, two volumes of poetry, and numerous childrens’ books. He is the recipient of Mexico’s National Prize for the Short Story, among other awards.

Genres: Short Stories

104 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

Nació en la Ciudad de México, en 1954. Es poeta, narrador y editor. Estudió la carrera de Lengua y literatura hispánica en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Una gran parte de su obra ha sido dedicada a los niños y jóvenes. Ha impartido talleres de literatura infantil en diversos países y es uno de los autores más destacados de literatura infantil y juvenil en lengua española. Ha sido traducido al inglés y portugués.

Fue becario en la rama de cuento por el Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes de 1991 a 1992 y miembro del Sistema Nacional de Creadores en 1994. A lo largo de su trayectoria ha sido profesor y tallerista. Ha impartido un taller para escritores de literatura infantil en el International Borrad Book for Young People.

Además, ha colaborado con artículos periodísticos y de divulgación cultural en la Gaceta del Fondo de Cultura Económica, Revista de la Universidad, Casa del Tiempo, Vuelta y Los Universitarios.

Cuentos: El sol, la luna y las estrellas, Novaro, 1981. La vieja que comía gente, Novaro, 1981. A golpe de calcetín, Novaro, 1982, y SEP (Libros del rincón), 1986, 1988, 1992. Cuando los ratones se daban la gran vida, SEP (Libros del rincón), 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992. Joaquín y Maclovia se quieren casar, SEP (Libros del rincón), 1987, 1992. Aníbal y Melquíades (A la orilla del viento), 1991, 1992, 1993. Una semana en Lugano, Alfaguara, 1992, 1993. Amadís de anís… amadís de codorniz, FCE, 1993. La fórmula del Dr. Funes, SEP (Llibros del rincón), 1993. La peor señora del mundo, FCE, 1992, 1995, 1996. Memorias segadas de un hombre en el fondo bueno: Y otros cuentos hueros, Heliópolis, 1995.

Poesía: Tres poemas, Martín Pescador, 1981.

Teatro: La peor señora del mundo, adaptación del texto narrativo (1993).

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I can think of several folks who would enjoy it, too. One of the chapters will be a good reflection for my EfM class.

[Mónica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Como su nombre lo dice este es un libro de cuentos. En todos ellos los personajes llevan sus emociones y acciones al extremo con el simple fin de romper con el convencionalismo y las formas morales. Se puede apreciar que los personajes no tienen un límite y actúan ajenos al castigo y al pecado. Estás historias tratan de descubrir la complejidad de las relaciones humanas. Los cuentos que más me gustaron fueron: Nunca en domingo, La llave, La verdadera historia de Nelson Ives y Lo que tu necesitas es leer a Kant.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

the thing to remember is this: people suck. you suck. i suck. that guy over there sucks. yep, that one, in the green shirt. everyone just sucks. as long as you know this, you'll be fine. well, not fine, because everyone still sucks, but at least now you'll be expecting it and you'll never be disappointed. but just because people suck doesn't mean they aren't interesting. because they are. so read this book. about interesting people who suck.

[Jac · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator voice in all of these stories is really interesting. It's as if all of the stories are told with really clear, hilariously matter-of-fact hindsight, but with no self-awareness or lessons learned.

It was fun. I would recommend this book.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

ambivalent. I thought I would like this - I liked the writing style. But I think the violence was too much for me. I actually kind of hate plots like this. I abandoned this book midway through. I wish I liked it, but I don't.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut punching.