Customer Reviews

Hell Has No Limits

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"Hell Has No Limits" is a stunning novel by Chilean author Jose Donoso. The book has been translated from Spanish into an effective English by Suzanne Jill Levine. This is a grim, tragic story about the lives of the residents of the doomed town of El Olivo.

The story focuses on La Manuela, a drag queen who owns a brothel, and his/her daughter, Japonesita (the story of Japonesita's conception is told in a series of vivid flashbacks). As Donoso peels back the layers from these and other memorable characters, he reveals a twisted story of lust, homophobia, violence, sexual ambiguity, and shattered dreams. And always in the background are the whores of El Olvido and the sinister black dogs owned by the powerful Don Alonso.

Donoso's remarkable mastery of language (as translated by Levine) perfectly complements this gripping story. If you are a fan of Latin American fiction, or if you are interested in gender themes in literature, you won't want to miss this trip to "Hell."

I don't normally read fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. It's an intense, quick read, excellently written and excellently translated. The themes of violence, sexuality, gender, power, are subtly but thoroughly explored.

One of the 100 Best Gay & Lesbian Novels, Donoso's book centers on the transvestite la Manuela and his/her daughter who together run a whorehouse. Donoso's crisp voice lends an intense atmosphere to this intriguing story about machismo versus sexual ambiguity. I am always drawn to foreign literature, and I highly recommend Donoso, who in some ways reminds me of Manuel Puig and his "Kiss of the Spider Woman".