Natural History [Mass Market Paperback]

Joan Perucho (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first of Catalan author Perucho's works to be published outside Spain, this fantastical vampire story set around Barcelona during the Carlist civil wars of the 1830s is, in its bookish fictiveness, reminiscent of Borges and Calvino; yet its strong infusion of Catalan culture lends it an accent all its own. Young aristocrat Antoni de Montpalau, a passionate scientist, progressive and liberal, having deduced scientifically that a vampire has committed a mysterious series of murders, is drawn into pursuit of the creature, which has assumed the aspect of a Carlist guerrilla leader known as the Owl. Montpalau is soon captured, however, by the Carlist General Cabrera who turns out to be one of the Owl's victims; despite their political differences, the two become fast friends. Fully aware that only if the vampire is destroyed before his victim, can he himself avoid becoming a vampire, Cabrera's involvement in the hunt becomes increasingly urgent, while the vampire metamorphoses always in startling guises. Unfortunately, Perucho's novel, for all its invention and playful mock erudition, disappoints in its failure to draw the reader into its conceits with an impelling narrative flow or to point outside itself to larger meaning.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

In this tale, gentle reader, our writer pits good against evil, tranquility against turmoil, and destruction against love. A desperate vampire is wreaking havoc in the countryside of 19th-century, war-torn Spain, a noble scientist has come forth to challenge him, and a true love story has emerged. Does it sound too sweet? It could have been, but the proof is in the reading. Skillful Catalan novelist Perucho relates this tale with poetic rhythm, punctuated with scientific reflections and logic and set within the backdrop of the Carlist war. The publication of this work is welcome, not only for the novel itself, but also for the specialness of its native language. Catalan voices from Spain were suppressed for years; in Franco's Spain the language in any form was forbidden, causing its world of letters to collapse. But in today's Spain, Catalan writing is flourishing; our world is enchanced by its reemergence.
- Michelle Lodge, New York
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 13, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345365607
• ISBN-13: 978-0345365606
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,131,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brisk and believable fiction, albeit about a vampire, January 30, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Charlottesville, Va (the home of John Grisham)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Natural History (Mass Market Paperback)

Joan Perucho, the unique author from the Catalan area of Spain writes in a moving yet dynamic manner. After reading this novel you can almost believe that a vampire could exist as well as probably feeling comfortable with one. It is very sad that none of his other prose or poetry have been published by Knopf (the publisher of "Natural History") or any other publisher. This articulate, insiteful author deserves to be published in English many more times.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable But Don't Expect Perfection, July 14, 2006

By 

Cullowheean002 "SK" (NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Natural History (Mass Market Paperback)

I went into this book, like many other readers past, present and future, looking for an exemplar of Catalan literature. While I'm not sure if this book was that grail, so to speak, it did manage to more than surpass the level of a mere curiosity. Even more, it was superbly able to engage and interest me as a work in and of itself, without worrying about its position in a broader cultural context. The plot was well thought-out and the (main) characters believable and sympathetic. Most important, though, was the adroit way the fantastic elements cooperated with the work's more realistic elements: the story fits in a sort of proto-Magic Realistic context and suggests an affinity with works of authors such as ETA Hoffman or Edgar Allan Poe. I almost feel comfortable putting Perucho just below Marquez within this genre.

However enjoyable this book was, however, I'm not too sure if it was great: there were many loose ends to the narrative and the nationalistic elements became tiresome and heavy-handed after a very short while (although, given the context of its writing, i.e. the height of Franco's power, this is probably the complaint most easily forgiven). Most troublingly, the story arch was overtly and maddeningly conventional and sappy, and begged for a more daring approach.

To its benefit, even if I thought it far from a perfect book, "Natural History" did make me flabbergasted as to why this is Perucho's only work in English translation. Even more, it made me wonder what else is lying there in Catalonia, untranslated and waiting to be read by an Anglophone audience. But unfortunately, until an answer is satisfyingly found, we will just have to be content with this intriguing work.