by
Daniel Chavarria
This
is a funny, memorable crime novel that gives one insight into many aspects of
present day Cuban culture.
“Fun,
fast and intelligent, this devilishly charming import gives pulp fiction a good
name. Hailed as one of the best Latin writers, Uruguayan-born Chavarr¡a is well
known throughout Europe as well as in Latin America. The story, a madcap caper
full of twisted sex, devious schemes and high-rolling hijinks, also showcases
Chavarr¡a's considerable scholarly research into prostitution. When Alicia, a
crafty, bicycle-riding Havana hooker in present-day Cuba, meets Victor, a
convicted bank robber masquerading as an upstanding businessman, they quickly
realize each other's mutually nefarious motives and wind up in a business pact
that leads to larceny, kidnapping and death. Linguistic and cultural tidbits
illuminate the intelligence at work behind the bawdy and raw story, while the
narrative reveals the exploitative nature of economic forces at work in Cuba.
