Eternal Curse on the Reader of These Pages [Paperback]

Manuel Puig (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Novel by Manuel Puig, written in English and then translated by the author as Maldicion eterna a quien lea estas paginas (1980). With the exception of the letters that form the epilogue, the novel consists entirely of dialogue between two men in New York City--an elderly Argentine invalid and the young American who cares for him. Their relationship is revealed through a dense, sometimes confusing narrative that blends reality and fantasy. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (August 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816635366
• ISBN-13: 978-0816635368
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,358,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An inspiration on the reader of this novel, July 4, 2000

By 

AH-SAN WONG "book reader" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eternal Curse on the Reader of These Pages (Paperback)

Don't be scared of the title. You won't be cursed.

Almost the entire book consists of conversations betweent two men, Ramirez and Larry, taken place in New York City. Ramirez is a 74-year old man from Argentina who has lost most of his memory and is now in a wheelchair. Larry is a 36-year old guy (with a Ph.D. in history but now is jobless) who is paid to push Ramirez around three times a week. Following their conversation, the readers will figure out the identities of these two people, their personalities, their past, their dreams, their regrets, their views on life, work, politics, love, sex, etc., as well as what is happening to/around them at that time.

This is my first Puig's book. I picked it because of the sinister title. This book shows that Puig has a creative way to construct the plot and a deep understanding of human minds. Very often I stop and smile at the dialogue, because I am reminded of the real way that people talk: sometimes inefficient and frustrating.

My friend recommends all his other books, incudling Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Buenos Aries Affair. This book is good enough for me to go on reading his other ones. That's all I have to say about this book.