Enrique Vila Matas Livres

" Mallarmé ou Rimbaud ? " demande Marguerite Duras à son locataire qui aspire à écrire, ne comprend pas - une fois de plus - sa question et s'en étrangle. C'est que, lui avait expliqué un camarade d'exil, Marguerite parle un " français supérieur ". En fait, sommé de choisir entre deux options littéraires - la nomade et la sédentaire -, bien que s'identifiant à Hemingway, le narrateur se prononce pour la deuxième, craignant que son étrange logeuse ne l'enjoigne à partir à l'aventure et à libérer la mansarde dont il oublie de lui payer le loyer. En revisitant ironiquement ses malheureuses années d'apprentissage à Paris, ce double de Vila-Matas découvre que malgré tout, comme a dit John Ashbery : après avoir vécu à Paris, on est incapable de vivre ailleurs, y compris à Paris.

Exploring the theme of silence in literature, this novel examines the concept of "artists of refusal," drawing inspiration from figures like Bartleby, Robert Walser, and Marcel Duchamp. Presented as a series of footnotes, it reflects on existential questions about writing and existence through the perspective of a hermetic hunchback who struggles with both love and his own inability to write. The narrative offers a profound and philosophical meditation on the nature of creativity and the complexities of the literary world.

The narrative follows Jose, a writer whose obsession with literature blurs the lines between reality and fiction. This work blends picaresque elements, diary entries, and philosophical reflections, featuring a host of literary figures like Cervantes and Kafka. As Jose navigates a journey through European cities and beyond, he confronts themes of loss and pain, offering readers a witty and erudite exploration of the literary world. The novel showcases Enrique Vila-Matas's status as a significant contemporary Spanish author.

Set against the backdrop of a dream in Dublin, a retired literary publisher grapples with the identity of an enigmatic figure from his vision—possibly the renowned author he idolizes or a childhood ghost. As he delves deeper into the significance of this funeral scene reminiscent of the Ulysses era, he begins to realize the prophetic nature of his dream, leading him to confront themes of loss, legacy, and the passage of time.

A writer's mundane life is disrupted by an unexpected dinner invitation, leading him to participate in the renowned documenta exhibition in Kassel, Germany. Tasked with writing daily in a Chinese restaurant, he unexpectedly finds joy and inspiration amidst the vibrant energy of the art scene. Through humor and insight, Enrique Vila-Matas explores themes of solitude and creativity as the protagonist navigates a world filled with peculiarities, ultimately striving to make sense of an unfamiliar language of art and existence.

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE Enrique Vila-Matas's new novel is perhaps his greatest: 'playful and funny and among the best Spanish novelists' Colm Tóibín Sixty-something Mac is not writing a novel. He is writing a diary, which no one will ever read. His wife, Carmen, thinks he is wasting his time. But Mac persists, diligently recording his daily walks through the neighbourhood during the hottest summer Barcelona has seen in over a century. But soon he notices that life is exhibiting strange literary overtones, and in the sweltering heat, he becomes ever more immersed in literature - a literature haunted by death but alive with the sheer pleasure of writing. Intricate, erudite and practically fizzing on the page, Mac and His Problem is a masterpiece of metafiction and a testament to the power and playfulness of great literature. 'So deeply comical on the one hand, and so deeply poignant on the other, that you just have to give yourself up to it because you're in the hands of a master' Paul Auster '[Vila-Matas] chooses humour in a way that allows him to have big ideas while relentlessly making fun of them' Sunday Telegraph

The collection features a range of stories that explore unconventional relationships and existential themes, highlighting the author's unique narrative style. Characters include a hunchbacked barber in love with a choirboy, a writer grappling with his reality in Duras's Paris, and a man drawn into a mysterious encounter with an ophthalmologist. Each tale showcases Enrique Vila-Matas's signature wit and intellectual depth, as translated by Margaret Jull Costa, inviting readers to reflect on the connections between art and life.

Gonzalez-Foerster works experimentally. Engaging with the exhibition as a medium, her spatial inventions and investigations probe the notion of display, as well as how an image or scene is experienced. Drawing on wide-ranging references from music, literature, film, architecture and pop culture, the artist creates densely layered environments with the ability to transport viewers into alternative narrative, temporal and psychological dimensions.00Alienarium 5 is a speculative environment that invites us to imagine possible encounters with extraterrestrials. The catalogue is a culmination of her decades-long interest in science fiction and continued research into deep space and alien life. Conceived site-specifically for Serpentine, the exhibition will feature almost entirely new work that engages both the gallery?s internal and external space.00Exhibition: Serpentine Gallery, London, United Kingdom (14.04. - 04.09.2022).

The novel features Jose, a writer whose obsession with literature blurs the lines between reality and fiction. It combines elements of a picaresque tale, diary, memoir, and philosophical reflections, weaving through the lives of notable authors like Cervantes and Kafka. As Jose navigates his personal struggles and memories, he takes readers on an intriguing journey across various European cities and beyond. With its sharp wit and intellectual depth, the work showcases Enrique Vila-Matas's status as a significant contemporary Spanish writer.