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A review by cristi_ivan
Una muñeca rusa by Adolfo Bioy Casares
4.0
Another collection of strange stories, from Casares.
The title of this short stories collection perfectly describes the layers of the narration. We have the biggest doll – the reality, but hidden inside it is the doll of magical realism, that also contains some fantasy and political satire. As surprising as ever, Casare’s stories are inventive, with unexpected twists and turns, sometimes even terrifying. I can’t say I have a favorite, because I liked most of the stories:
A Russian Doll - the story of a gold digger trying to find a rich girl to marry, but the complications of his intentions get out of control when he finds himself participating in an ecological disaster that gave birth to lovecraftian monsters.
Meeting at Rauch - this one is rather short, but it reaches some metaphysical themes that are interesting.
Cato - the story of a theater actor that fights against Argentinean dictatorship in his own way, by the end it reveals the true motives that made the actor so involved in this cruel political game.
The Navigator Returns to His Country - the shortest of the collection, it tells an interesting story about dreams and the harsh reality that must be faced one we awaken from those beautiful dreams.
Our Trip (A Diary) - this one tells in a rather humorous way (though a bit dark) the tales of a man trying to satisfy the many needs of his lovers. The fact that the women’s names change so swiftly throughout the story, makes you feel the universality of the story.
Underwater - similar to The Invention of Morel, it tells the story of a mad scientist that plays with the lives of those around him. This one is actually an insight into the results of modern science interventions over people and environment and it reminded me a little bit of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Three Fantasies in Minor Key - containing three short stories, this one seemed the most dissonant to me, compared to the rest of the collection; I felt like the inspiration for these stories came from some other source, not like Casare’s usual stories. These stories seemed darker, downright horror at times.
The title of this short stories collection perfectly describes the layers of the narration. We have the biggest doll – the reality, but hidden inside it is the doll of magical realism, that also contains some fantasy and political satire. As surprising as ever, Casare’s stories are inventive, with unexpected twists and turns, sometimes even terrifying. I can’t say I have a favorite, because I liked most of the stories:
A Russian Doll - the story of a gold digger trying to find a rich girl to marry, but the complications of his intentions get out of control when he finds himself participating in an ecological disaster that gave birth to lovecraftian monsters.
Meeting at Rauch - this one is rather short, but it reaches some metaphysical themes that are interesting.
Cato - the story of a theater actor that fights against Argentinean dictatorship in his own way, by the end it reveals the true motives that made the actor so involved in this cruel political game.
The Navigator Returns to His Country - the shortest of the collection, it tells an interesting story about dreams and the harsh reality that must be faced one we awaken from those beautiful dreams.
Our Trip (A Diary) - this one tells in a rather humorous way (though a bit dark) the tales of a man trying to satisfy the many needs of his lovers. The fact that the women’s names change so swiftly throughout the story, makes you feel the universality of the story.
Underwater - similar to The Invention of Morel, it tells the story of a mad scientist that plays with the lives of those around him. This one is actually an insight into the results of modern science interventions over people and environment and it reminded me a little bit of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Three Fantasies in Minor Key - containing three short stories, this one seemed the most dissonant to me, compared to the rest of the collection; I felt like the inspiration for these stories came from some other source, not like Casare’s usual stories. These stories seemed darker, downright horror at times.