The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia

The People of Paper

Salvador Plascencia

Is it fiction? Or autobiography? A weird and sometimes wonderful first novel of love, loss and war which defies description and explanation. At times, you feel the author is engaged in a battle with his own characters, blaming them for the way his life has turned out. Expect cheeky, playful and definitely surreal – and a rather unusual column structure to the narrative. If you’re up for something original – but not difficult – give it a go.

Extract
My father was preparing for a full assault. But it was an attack without gunfire or mortar explosions. He wanted no sound and little movement. We would expel Saturn from a quiet and clear sky, not one shattered by violence.
Phase One would begin without Froggy. My father told everybody that he was home drinking kerosene, trying to loosen the grip of stomach worms, and that he would return once he had flushed the parasite. But Sandra and I knew the truth: he was home listening to the Oaxacan songbird.
Parallels
  • One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Marquez
  • Sombrero by Richard Brautiga