Fever Dream By Samanta Schweblin

The new bright star of Latin American prose Samantha Schweblin (b. 1978) has well learned the lessons of her glorious predecessors Marquez, Borges, Cortázar.

“Poison” begins as a traditional thriller with mystical elements, but the Argentinian roots of the author quickly come to the surface and the deceptively clear linear plot is overgrown with lush branches of magical realism and eco-horror.

Schweblin brings to the narrative a tension, a suspense that even Lovecraft would envy, and shows human memory not just as a trap, but as an abandoned house with maze-like corridors, where the shackled ghosts of those we once loved and hated.

The finale of the novel is open – you will decide whether to believe in the reality of the plot or accept it as the fruit of near-death hallucinations. However, one thing is indisputable – you are holding in your hands the work of a great, original, real writer.

“Poison” is among the finalists for the 2017 Man Booker International, the most prestigious literary award after the Nobel Prize. In 2017, it was awarded the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Psychothriller, and Samantha Schweblin was included by Granta magazine in the list of 22 best young Spanish-language writers.

An adaptation of the novel directed by Oscar nominee and Golden Bear winner Claudia Llosa is about to be released.