Dramatised reading of Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes and performed by Cathy Belton.
Comments from the Judges
Fernanda Melchor’s Hurricane Season is a ferocious novel that challenges and astonishes in equal measure. It portrays the most painful margins of a Mexican underworld of poverty and corruption, a universe dominated by a merciless violence that is deeply embedded in the community and in the actions and thoughts of its inhabitants, almost obscuring ant trace of empathy and humanity. The novel’s hyperrealist language displays striking power, a direct, brutal and incisive energy that transports you headlong into the centre of a hurricane where there seems to be little hope or redemption. Sophie Hughes’ English translation succeeds in transmitting the expressive force and richness of Melchor’s Spanish. It is a novel that does not give you a break and that drags you in its verbal current, so torrential and intense, towards the darkest entrails of humankind, where the shadows live. An extraordinary book.
About the Novel
The Witch is dead. And the discovery of her corpse—by a group of children playing near the irrigation canals—propels the whole village into an investigation of how and why this murder occurred. Rumors and suspicions spread. As the novel unfolds in a dazzling linguistic torrent, with each unreliable narrator lingering details, new acts of depravity or brutality, Melchor extracts some tiny shred of humanity from these characters that most would write off as utterly irredeemable, forming a lasting portrait of a damned Mexican village.
About the Author
Fernanda Melchor, born in Veracruz, Mexico, in 1982,is widely recognized as one of the most exciting new voices of Mexican literature. Her novel Hurricane Season and collection This IsNot Miami are both forthcoming from New Directions.
Sophie Hughes is a literary translator from Spanish, known for her translations of writers such as Laia Jufresa, Rodrigo Hasbún, Fernanda Melchor and José Revueltas. In 2019 she was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize for her translation of Alia Trabucco Zerán’s The Remainder.
Librarian’s Comments
Horrifyingly violent without being exploitative, this novel depicts incredible cruelty while remaining deeply empathetic to all of its characters, even those who commit terrible acts. Winnipeg Public Library, Canada
This novel reflects on how poverty, superstition and prejudice combine to normalise abuse and violence. A fictional Mexican village is the scenario to exemplify the chain reaction where the abused can in turn find their way to abuse someone else. The depiction, however, could sadly apply to many other places elsewhere. The author creates vivid images to remind the reader that many people still live far from the peaceful comfort which, in contemporary world, is gradually becoming the privilege of the few. Biblioteca Daniel Cosío Villegas, Mexico
Set in a small border town in Mexico that could be a town anywhere in the world, where the people are so cut off from the world around them that the inhabitants’ only reality is based on rumor and superstition that feed upon themselves. They are so insulated from the outside world that they do not have the imagination to even conjure hope of a another life. An afterlife is the only “way out of this hole.” Melchor’s writing is in the great tradition of Rabelais, Smollett, Swift, Dante, Faulkner, Garcia Marquez, and the line drawings of war by Francisco Goya. What she writes about is raw and it is true. Los Angeles Public Library, USA
For library members in Ireland, this novel is available as an eBook on BorrowBox.
This search result is offered as a helping hand to find books in the Libraries Ireland Online Catalogue. Some results may not be accurate where book titles have common words with similar titles.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.