The Adventures of a Photographer in LA Plata: 2 [Hardcover]

Adolfo Bioy Casares (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 1989

Adventures Of A Photographer In La Plata, The by Casares, Adolfo Bioy

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Argentinian Bioy Casares was close to Borges and collaborated with him on occasion. This new novel is in the cool, bemused elitist style shared by both, but the tone is not consistently maintained by the translator. It is a tale about ordinary people told in a terse, distanced fashion, so that the potentially intriguing characters are curiously flat. Nicolas Almanza, a young small-town photographer, gets his first professional assignment, to photograph stills of the provincial capital of La Plata. On the train he meets Juan Lombardo, an elderly ne'er-do-well, and his two daughters. They immediately take him over, so that before he gets to the pension where his old hometown friend Lucio Mascardi awaits him, he is obliged to become Lombardo's blood donor. In the week he spends in La Plata, both of Lombardo's daughters get into his bed; indeed, every woman he meets is eager to do so. Everyone, too, warns him about the scheming Lombardos, but, with a mixture of naivete and wisdom, Almanza survives the worst of their schemes. Though the narrative ends ambiguously, one can surmise that Bioy Casares is telling us that innocence triumphs despite the world's evil.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Though warned to expect surprises in the city, young provincial photographer Almanza is hardly prepared for what transpires in La Plata. Just off the bus, he becomes entangled with the family of Don Juan Lombardo. Don Juan adopts Almanza as a look-alike for his estranged son, while his daughters, Julia and Griselda, find their way to his bed. Their attachment is a mystery. Is Don Juan an old-fashioned country gentleman--or a swindler out to collect on his son's insurance policy? Are his daughters sincere--or simply accomplices? Divergent elements fall into place somewhat after an attempt on Almanza's life. But even as he leaves La Plata with the beautiful Julia, things are not entirely clear. Realism and fantasy blend seamlessly in this dreamlike coming-of-age novel in which the ultimate mystery is life itself.
- Lawrence Rungren, Bedford Free P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 169 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (October 20, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052524803X
• ISBN-13: 978-0525248033
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bioy Casares Excellent Adventure, January 16, 2002

By 

Alex Coe (Sydney) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Adventures of a Photographer in LA Plata: 2 (Hardcover)

An excellent find, a quality in the writing captures the hazy clarity of dreams and old photographs. Telling the story of a young man caught up in strange affairs in a new town, Casares creates both a greatly readable piece of semi-magical realism and an entertaining piece of storytelling. I found myself opening it at random time after time to enjoy the scenery he paints, and the intriguing characters that populate them. If you enjoy the style of south american literature, but still need a solid plot to carry you onwards, this should prove a enjoyable diversion.