El principio del placer / The Pleasure Principle and Other Stories
Short stories and novellas , 1972
Tusquets
Pages: 168
In the piece that gives this volume its title (Xavier Villaurrutia Prize winner), Jorge, a young man who doesn’t understand why life is the way it is, grows up in a society of double standards, whose contradictions become more pronounced as he is consumed by his love for an older girl. This novella is followed by the stories: "The Claw," where a woman confesses to a priest the decisions she made in the past; "The Brave Party," which narrates the life of an undervalued writer who receives one last chance; "Langerhaus," in which mystery surrounds a deceased person whom no one seems to remember; "Here’s Something to Keep You Entertained," where the reader must piece together clues to solve the case of a missing child; and finally, "When I Left Havana, God Save Me," in which a nervous sales agent falls in love on an ocean voyage.
This unclassifiable book meanders through fantasy, detective literature, coming-of-age stories, realism, and symbolism, confirming why José Emilio Pacheco's work is universal.