S. F. Prescott

A fun twist on some very dark topics.

Agustina Bazterrica was born in Buenos Aires in 1974. She has a degree in Arts (UBA). In 2013 she published the novel “Matar a la niña” (Textos intrusos). In 2016 she published the book of short stories “Antes del encuentro feroz” (Alción Editora) and in December 2017 the novel Cádaver exquisito (Tender is the flesh) was published by the Clarín-Alfaguara publishing label, with 8 published editions. The television series of this book is in the works. In 2020 Alfaguara published a new compilation of his stories with the title “Nineteen claws and a black bird”. Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages. In 2023 she finished a new soon-to-be-published novel.

Published June 20th, 2023.

When I started reading this book I really didn’t know what to expect. But from the rave reviews I’d read about Tender Is the Flesh, I was excited. The range of stories included in Nineteen Claws and a Blackbird definitely kept me turning the pages, intrigued what the next one would reveal. They were short and entertaining, and the pace was steady. Her descriptions are vivid and occasionally very disturbing, as I discovered in Roberto. A story about a young girl who has a rabbit between her legs. Even though the topics were dark, the author’s voice brought a sense of levity to certain scenes. Like in Teicher vs. Nietzche, a man dealing with his ex-girlfriend’s cat is surprised to learn of its murderous intentions. There were a couple of stories I found to be on the slower side, but overall this is an enjoyable book, and definitely one to pick up when you want a change of pace.

For readers who want something unique and surprising, a glimpse into darkness with a twist of humor.

Synopsis:

From celebrated author Agustina Bazterrica, this collection of nineteen brutal, darkly funny short stories takes into our deepest fears and through our most disturbing fantasies. Through stories about violence, alienation, and dystopia, Bazterrica’s vision of the human experience emerges in complex, unexpected ways—often unsettling, sometimes thrilling, and always profound. In “Roberto,” a girl claims to have a rabbit between her legs. A woman’s neighbor jumps to his death in “A Light, Swift, and Monstrous Sound,” and in “Candy Pink,” a woman fails to contend with a difficult breakup in five easy steps.

Written in Bazterrica’s signature clever, vivid style, these stories question love, friendship, family relationships, and unspeakable desires.