Opis
A dapper Paris doctor dispenses a treatment for dissatisfied wives. A mother auditions for her first porn movie. A writer working on a study of pain makes himself the subject of his experiments. A voyeur mistakes a murderer for a fellow peeping tom . . . these are some of the characters observed by the narrator of these chilling stories. Ironic, unsettling, imbued with dread and with droll humour, Javier Marías’ short tales cast a shrewd, sardonic eye on humanity. Translated by Margaret Jull Costa 'What is remarkable about his stories is the sureness of their narration, the precision and economy of their prose, their mastery of suspense and the plot twist.’ Chicago Tribune 'Elegant and unflappable, there is a recognisable voice throughout, promenading through a landscape of murders, fatal affairs and suicides with the calm of a curious botanist . . . This is fiction clever enough to seem simple, devilish enough to seem innocuous.’ The Times
