The Dance and the Fire
The novel is atmospherically anxious, evoking the 'uneasy tension' of a world on the edge of disaster ... The fires provide both a backdrop and a running metaphor. Saldaña París is interested in inflammation and contagion—as in searing pain, easy gossip, sleazy pastors, catching conspiracy, smoldering desire ... At times, it seems that Saldaña París doesn’t trust the world he’s created to hold. He is occasionally uneasy with his choice of first-person narration, sometimes justifying it with flimsy gestures towards diary. He also has a tendency to repeat detail ... This is a book about growing hysteria and the flickering fickleness of shared realities—in this pervasive instability, it is perhaps understandable that the creeping distrust that is the subject of the book seems to have infected the author as well.
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Poignant and compelling, this lyrical translation of Saldaña París’ depiction of youth foundering into maturity against the backdrop of chaos, hysteria, and destruction is a solid add for all literary collections.
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Evocative ... The prose occasionally feels strained ... Nevertheless, Saldaña París executes some spellbinding moves, particularly as Natalia’s work fuels a collective psychosis. This smoldering tale is worth a look.
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